In the prewar racing era, DKW tried nearly every possible idea to increase the power of the 2 stroke engine, employing various supercharging methods on their split singles including different arrangements of a large diameter pumping piston that increased the amount of charge into the intake. Below is a magnesium piston, the crankshaft and cylinder of the bike (#3 above) restored at the Barber Motorsports museum about 10 years ago. The postwar supercharger ban put a damper on 2 stroke development till the advent of the expansion chamber exhaust by MZ.
2 comments:
That's one massive chunk of magnesium.
It weighed nothing. Great experience to be able to poke around that engine. (mostly politely keeping our hands behind our backs:-)
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