Simson S51: a legendary moped bike from Suhl part 1 #blogpost

If you are unfamiliar with this bike, it’s not a problem. If you want to get some knowledge about this motorbike, you are at the right place. Lets start it off with the specs!

Specifications

Body:
Length: 1890mm
Width: 880mm
Height: 1195mm
Wheelbase: 1210mm
Dry weight: 78 kg
Wet weight: 84 kg
Tyres: 2.75 - 16R K30, K32, K35 or K36/1
Tank: 8.7 l, 0.8 l reserve
Space for 2 people (2 footrests on the front, and 2 rear foldable ones)

Chassis:
Front suspension: 2 telescopes (130mm stroke)
Rear suspension: roller with spring legs (85mm stroke, 90mm on C and E variants)
Brakes: 125mm drum brakes

Engine and transmission (block):
Engine: 50cc, one cylinder, 2 stroke, air cooled engine (oil to fuel ratio: 1:50)
Power output: 2,72 kW / 3,75 HP at 5 500 rpm (not valid for the N variant)
Torque: 5Nm at 4 800 rpm
Gearbox: 3 speed (M531 KF block) or 4 speed (M541 KF block) sequential with clutch
power is transmitted trough a chain and the bike can be started if you open the fuel valve, turn the key and kick it in using the starter arm (engine kicked in YO!).

History

The Simson S51 is the successor of the S50. It was produced from 1980 to 1991 in Eastern Germany, Suhl, and has been produced by Simson (part of the IFA group) in a total of 1 300 000 units! The most produced variant, which is the S51B 1-4, has been manufactured 360 600 times!!! It gained it’s popularity trough Eastern Europe because it was cheap, reliable and modern at the same time. The bike is available in many variants, for example, some didn’t even have indicators and has simplified electronics and a bicycle ring, while there are more luxurious ones.

Variants

S51 N: This is the most simple of them all. The N refers to Normal, Nicht (nothing) or Netural. They can easily be spotted from their blue paint, their 3-speed gearbox (the number can be found near the switcher) and the lack of indicators. These models only have the necessary stuff for low-budget motoring, that reflects of it’s poor 2,45 kilowatts. They didn’t even have a battery, the rear suspension got a plastic cover, you couldn’t know how fast you were going, and meanwhile talking about speed, it could only go with 40 km/h. There were no rear footrests, and they only had a 6V electric system. These machines were produced until 1987, but it’s still pretty popular.

Thank you for reading! In the next part, I will be explaining the S51B 1-3, S51B 1-4, S51B 2-4 and the S51E.