The “Nürnberger Hercules-Werke” were founded in 1886 as a bicycle factory. Motorcycles were produced first in 1905. Mid of the 60es the SACHS company (owner of Hercules) bought the “Zweirad Union Company” (DKW, VICTORIA and EXPRESS). Today the “SACHS Fahrzeug- und Motorentechnik” is still producing street bikes with Suzuki engines and a 125 cc Enduro with Italian Minarelli motor.

From about 1958 Hercules sold “production racers” for the “Gelaendesport”. Most famous drivers in Germany were Lippl, Brinkmann, Witthöft in the 60es and Hau, Wagner and Büse in the 70es.

Italian DKW drivers won the European championship in 1978 (50 cc: Gino Perego and 175 cc: Franco Gualdi)

There are also a lot of successful US drivers as Billy Uhl, Mike Rosso, Doug Wilford and Dwight Rudder.

Hercules K 175 GS, six days type 1956

100 cc with 3 speed hand shifted gearbox, 5 hp

K 101 GS “factory racer” with reduction gear (2x3 speed)

K 101 GS replica, ca. 7 hp, 3 speed, 1960. Seen 2000

Helmut Clasen,    K 175 GS at the “Rhineland enduro” 1964

100 cc 6 speed factory racer in “NATO green”. Driver: Burchard Lenz

100 cc factory racers  1966

ISDT 1969  Germany: Billy Uhl and  sporting director Winkler

Preston Petty in Garmisch-Partenkirchen  1969

’67 factory racer with “new” Sachs 5 speed, ISDT 1970 Spain right: driver Toni Stöcklmeier

Two German Silver Vase Hercs 1972 CSSR (left: Rolf Beppler, right: Karl Reichel)

Edi Hau, German Silver Vase, 1974 Camerino/Italy

Dwight Rudder with his GS 175 cc, 1975

German Silver Vase 1975 Isle of Man, from left: Bayer, Herc, Müller, Maico, Steiner, Manager, Christl, Hercules, Schek, Maico

American Doug Wilford was team mate of German Fritz Witzel and Italian Ivan Saravesi. All 3 Wankel dnf.

Canadian Trophy driver Helmut Clasen at ISDT 1976 Austria (please have a look back to 1964)

ISDT 1976 Austria:  Laureati (SWM) in front of Mike Rosso

U.S. Trophy rider Billy Uhl, Hercules 250

Klaus Stepbach was the only German Hercules driver who finished the Czech ISDT 1977

Squadra azzurra - the succesful Italian Sachs team 1978, from left. Gino Perego, European champion 50 cc, Franco Gualdi, European champion 175 cc, Walter Bettoni and Augusto Taiocci

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