Bike Find of the Day 1954 Victoria Bergmeister

Manufactured in Germany, this classic art deco-styled motorcycle shares many features with the BMWs and Moto Guzzis of the era, and it sports a motor design that, in my humble opinion, is more beautiful than either of those powerplants.

Victoria was a bicycle manufacturer in Nürnberg, Germany, but they also made motorcycles from about 1901 until 1966.

And what motorcycles they were.

It’s rare that machines achieve a sort of transcendent state and become beautiful, as well as utilitarian, objects, and this one does that in spades.

In its early incarnations,  Victoria in Nürnberg fitted proprietary engines purchased from various manufacturers including Fafnir, FN, Minerva and Zédel. As of 1953, Victoria developed the KR 26 Aero, and expanded its range with their new Küchen-designed V 35 Bergmeister.

Back in 1958 Victoria merged with DKW and Express Werke AG to form Zweirad Union, which continued the Victoria name with a line of mopeds such as the Vicky and a range of other motor scooters. Sadly, in 1966 Hercules took over Zweirad Union and ultimately terminated Victoria production for good.

This model, the V 35, is a 350 cc OHV four-stroke V-twin which produces 21 bhp,  and the machine’s powertrain features a shaft drive to the rear wheel and classic plunger rear suspension.

It wasn’t just beautiful to behold. This machine was capable of speeds around 80 mph…