NSU MAX 250 OSB

I can't recall (at the moment) when I bought this bike… it may have been during my studies of information science around 1980… I am sure I will dig this up somewhere.

I actually bought another NSU Max earlier on. It was not in its original state, and was modified to have a more "chopper" look. The engine was not realible on trips longer than 100 km. Failing me twice I turned the bike into spare parts. I strongly believe that whoever put the motor apart and back together, did not understand the engine well, and some adjustement around the push rods for the OHC was not timed properly. Some of these parts where used to restore this bike to its former glory.

The NSU Max was — at her time — the most powerful 250 cm³ in the world. The single cylinder, 4-stroke, 250 ccm engine produced 17 HP at 6,500 rpm.

The most prominent feature of the NSU Max 250 OSB was the novel UltraMax control system with OHC, generating 12.5 kW of power. Rider and pillion seats have four springs for a comfy ride. Another novel feature was the "clamed-air-filter", which reduced engine wear to a fraction of the usual rate.

Visitor's Comments

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Author Date / Time	Comment
Sven from Europe wrote on Tuesday, July 06, 2010 20:06	I rode a Standard Max like yours in the 60's. Maybe the 3rd owner, I bought it off a guy who worked on the building-sites. It needed a good clean! It never shone, though, looking as if it might have gone further than the 30k km on the clock (though I am now inclined to think it may have been 130k kms!) So original it still had the NSU cleaning-cloth, spare bulbs, and oil-can for the chain. The oil smelt maybe whale or seal-oil based, as it was wonderful stuff! If it was the original chain, and it seemed to be, for it was an Iwis, not readily available - Reynolds was - it ran for another 30k km before needing replacing! The only trouble I had was a coil exploding, the yellow wax-cotton insulation drying-out and allowing an arc, and the odd flat battery until I realised the regulator needed adjusting (and could be as it was designed to be easily adjusted with screws). Not fast at 70mph, but visiting Neckersulm I was told they were designed to run for 100,000 miles at full throttle before a major renovation was needed. Forth gear was an overdrive, so that helped. All normal servicing was easy as everything 'was on the outside' and easy to get at. You could even change the valve-springs with engine en-situ, just by removing the alloy cover. Ditto the clutch, and the sludge-trap in the crank was also easily accessible. I regularly rode from Gothenburg to Oslo on one tank of petrol (85mp imperial g, which is 4.5 liters, the US g is 4 liters) and back the same day. The bike was so comfortable I wasn't tired, it rode itself! No trafic in those days, though. My bike had the (rarish) double Denfeld saddle (the best saddle ever made) and the even rarer luggage-rack. You could load a heck of a weight on that, and the bike handled better! How I found out about the spring... The iron brakes weren't very good, but enough for those days, though be aware the front RISES when you brake, there is no torque-arm on this unit, the alloy brakes do have one. Handling: tried to keep up with an HRD Vincent Comet on a twisty road. He DID wait for me. Not ment as a bend-swinger, let's say that. The NSU is an autobahn-eater. Not helped by the spring in the monoshock being rated for a passenger AND a sidecar! Far too stiff for solo use. The bike was designed to quickly attach and detach a sidecar, the frame is made from very thick steel and does not get distorted like a normal frame would. The Germans would ride solo to work during the week and mount the sidecar at weekends for trips with the wife and kids. This abruptly ended when cars became cheaper and readily available, hence NSU stopped bike production. Shame, for a 5-speed was being developed, plus a 305cc (the Austrians already had a specially-made 340cc longstroke, rare as hens teeth back then and even more so now). The shocks could be dismantled for cleaning and new oil, but accessing the monoshock took a week's work, why they went to the twin-shock. The front units needed a special tool to remove, but as this was a tube with prongs was easy enough to replicate. To round it off: a VERY nice bike, not ment for sport but reliable and cheap (long-term) transport. I wish I still had it.
MaxG from Brisbane wrote on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 10:00	All I can say, this is the original seat for this bike. It was originally built in 1957. That is 50 fifty years ago! I cannot imagine that you would be able to get a new seat for this bike. Considering this is a German bike, I would guess it would be impossible to get a seat in the U.S.A. Sorry
J Fay from Spokane WA USA wrote on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 09:27	Hello, I was surfing the web for a solo seat for on my 1964 Meguro 250sg, and came across your NSU MAX 250. This is the first time I actually found a bike that had a seat like mine. Great looking bike!! Any ideas (web links) for parts (seats) for your bike or one like mine, I am having a heck of a time in the US to find ANY who knows the name Meguro, let alone understanding the solo seat I need. None the less, thanks for any help. Have a great week! J Fay