They said There is no substitute for displacement. Following that logic, the best way to improve the single-cylinder Puch motorcycle is to turn it into a 5-cylinder Puch motorbike. At least that’s Uwe Oltmanns’ theory.
Based in Northern Germany, Uwe is a motorcycle enthusiast with an extensive background. He is a professional toolmaker who worked at Airbus, built Opel road cars and participated in drag races. These days, he spends his time building vintage car engines from parts he makes himself – mainly for pre-war BMW 328s.
He also messes with classic motorcycles—or, as they’re known in those parts, ‘MOFA’. Sven Wedemeyer, Uwe’s friend and the photographer who brought us these excellent photos, said: “Because of the flat countryside near the North Sea, automatic MOFAs are very popular in the North of the country Germany, especially the Puch Maxi S and N from the 70s and 80s”. . “So there is a long-standing regulatory landscape in this area.”
“They are called MOFA (short for ‘MOtor-FAhrrad’, German for ‘motorcycle-bike’) and usually have bicycle pedals. Every teenager’s dream back then!”
To say that Uwe is passionate about motorbikes is an understatement. To relive his youth, he organized a four-hour endurance race for the classic MOFA, with a makeshift track that looped around the local bar. “It was a huge success,” Sven told us, “with 46 MOFAs and 8 emergency calls to the hospital!”
The event became an annual affair, growing year by year until a custom show became part of the proceedings. And that was all the reason Uwe needed to build something weird.
Uwe started things off with a 1976 Puch Maxi S motorcycle – a modest 48.8cc two-stroke engine with a single-speed transmission. But very few original cars remain. Uwe not only brought four more Puch engines to the party but also rebuilt the rest of the car with many interesting parts.
The Puch’s main frame remains the same, but the rear frame has been cut out and replaced with an angular, handcrafted unit. Next, Uwe turned to suspension — and then stumbled upon something truly special.
Through sheer serendipity, Uwe got his hands on a rear swingarm prototype developed for Ralf Waldmann’s 1993 Aprilia RS 125 R Grand Prix racer. He worked his magic, modifying the single-sided swingarm to suit the Puch and attaching it to a hidden mountain bike shock via some CNC-machined parts. PVM’s three-spoke magnesium wheel is back in action.
Uwe then acquired a set of race-specific WP suspension forks, again from Waldmann’s 1993 Aprilia (they were one of only 60 sets made). Uwe CNC machined a set of yokes to attach them to the bike, then built his own risers and grips. A set of streetfighter bars with aftermarket scooter shifters sits on top.
For the front wheel, Uwe took the outer rim of a motorbike and machined a new inner part to fit the PVM rear wheel. The braking system uses brake calipers with laser-cut stainless steel discs. An airbrush company called Pfeil handled the bike’s heavily textured silver, gold, and black paint job.
The special headlights are also a custom part. “Uwe saw a vision at five in the morning after a long party,” says Sven. “So he started CNC machining immediately, using BMW Z8 Prism technology. He then went to bed and was quite surprised the next day at what he had done.”
Sven is quite blunt in saying that, although Uwe’s Puch does run, it is essentially uncontrollable due to the noise and heat it radiates. Each of the five two phases The engine has been upgraded to 70cc, is equipped with an upgraded round slide carb and fly clutch, and features an extended exhaust tip. The three lower motors are linked by a central shaft, with two separate belt drives connecting motors four and five.
To start the car, Uwe turns the rear wheel to get the first engine running. Once that engine has warmed up, each subsequent engine is released in turn by releasing their fly clutch with a wrench (see its operation This). With all five engines purring, the 350cc Puch recorded 127.5 decibels — and the only way to shut it down was to pull out all five spark plugs.
This type of madness is nothing unusual for Uwe. He has also built a 70cc Puch motorcycle with a crank-driven turbocharger and he is currently building a Puch V10 with a longitudinal crank. We cannot wait.
Images and build information provided by Sven Wedemeyer / Stil wheel
