This is a potted history on a 1930 Rudge Special that has grown up in Germany.
Rudge-Whitworth produced some special machines back in the day. The motorcycles that rolled out of their factory in Coventry were all high-quality products, and the company seemed very well adept with innovative engineering and design solutions in their machines.
The Rudge Special surfaced in 1927 and was (despite the name) the baseline 500cc touring model. It was still a top-drawer item, and at £69.10s, the fortunate owner took home a sporty 495cc four-valve (with a bore and stroke of 85mm by 88mm), overhead-valve machine with decent performance and a refined specification. The Special incorporated dry sump lubrication, a four-speed gearbox and electrics provided courtesy of a BT-H magneto and Miller dynamo.
The Rudge motorcycles of this era had an impressive ability to stop with a linked system that activated both the front and rear brake drums at the same time. This was a real asset to the race bikes of the period which were fierce contenders in events across the continent. In 1928 Graham Walker won the Ulster Grand Prix averaging over 80 mph and there were wins at the 1930 Isle of Man TT.
The story on this Rudge begins in Germany in 1930. Wilhelm Peter was a railway worker and purchased this 1930 Special in Cologne for not much less than his annual salary. These were the halcyon days of the motorcycle, where the dust of the war had started to settle, and people had the freedom to explore the world. The race scene was vibrant and amateur racers were able to take their bikes down to local meets. The motorcycle in general had advanced since the war, and Rudge-Whitworth were towards the front of the pack.
Wilhelm took full advantage of the time and went on numerous adventures around Europe on his Special, along with his wife Luise who rode pillion. The inter-war years must have been an exciting time to get up and make the most of freedom. It was all well and good, until the second conflict started to rumble. As many of us will understand, a motorcycle can become part of the furniture. Wilhelm had the wisdom and experience from the Great War, and concerned that Nazi force may accost his machine to use to support the war effort, he broke the bike down and buried it in the cellar of his house. It does make you wonder how many more people did the same, as there are plenty of similar stories out there.
The Rudge lay hidden away from prying eyes until the dust of the conflict settled. The dismantled machine was pieced back together however this process was not as simple as taking it apart. There were gremlins in the bike which were suspected to be the Maglita ignition. The post war years were a hustle and bustle of fixing, rebuilding, and reconquering, and this may well have stepped in the way of progress. As a result, the Special remained shed-bound for another 25 years, and this is when the current family became involved in the story of the bike.
Klaus Kretzschmar was a talented mechanic and petrol-head, and raced cars at the Nürburgring at that time. Klaus was also into motorcycles. A stroke of fate led him to Wilhelm Peter, and to his yard where there was the 1930 Rudge Special, and a 1929 Scott TT Replica lurking behind the barn doors. At that time, Wilhelm was the proud owner of a BMW R66 with sidecar and had lost interest in his old bikes which refused to run the same as they did before they were dismantled for the war.
Klaus convinced Wilhelm that with his magic touch, he could sort out the demons in the ignition and bring the Rudge back to life once again. And he did just that one Sunday afternoon in 1970, as the ignition was remedied, and with a swift kick, the bike barked back into life as blue clouds of smoke billowed into the air. In a fit of exhilaration, Wilhelm mounted his old machine and roared out of the yard and into the abyss, leaving Klaus behind in a haze of smoke. Wilhelm returned a short while later, this time tailed by the police who had already started noting down the multitude of offences, including the lack of a helmet, the lack of a licence plate, and pipes that were far too loud for the modern world.
It was this ride, and the circumstances around it that dealt the cards in Klaus’ favour. Wilhelm the railroader realised that his time with his old bikes was up, and handed them both to Klaus as a gift, knowing that they would be going to a good home. It was the start of a new life for the old motorcycles, which in turn kick started a new vintage motorcycle enthusiast into action for 54 years to date.
Klaus has been a member of the Rudge Enthusiast Club for more than 50 years and has taken the Special to the Isle and Man and on many trips and events around Europe.
The passion has filtered down to his son, Jorg Kretzschmar who now rides the Special alongside his father on his 1939 Ulster. In fact, the Special now back in Cologne with Jorg – the same City that it was purchased in by Wilhelm some 94 years later.
There have been some subtle modifications to the bike, which are best described by Jorg:
“Aside from some repairs, the entire bike is complete and original. The most profound change is the camshaft to one of an “Ulster” of the same year. Last year we made a little change and mounted an intake socket to distance the carburettor from the cylinder head. In hot weather it helps a lot with the overall performance, and the machine reacts a bit “torquier” in lower revs. The original oil pipes that were made of nickel-plated copper have been replaced by high-pressure hosing to prevent cracking by engine vibrations. I have also changed the light to LED that is powered by a modern Lithium battery from model-building to increase the visibility of the bike in bad weather conditions. I recently mounted the windshield for the Rallye that takes place my hometown – Cologne (Köln). I can easily ride up to 500 kilometres a day and a little wind protection helps a lot.”
This Rudge is one that holds a hidden story of hardship, freedom and adventure, and this is exactly why old motorcycles are so important in the fabric of recent history. It is one of many motorcycles that have endured similar circumstances, and that is what draws many enthusiasts to admire these old war horses.
Thanks to Jorg Kretzschmar for his input and photos for this article.
an article by The Girder Club
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