Classic Scooterist – July-August 2019

I

twasthelate 1980 s,thedaysbefore

theBerlinWallcamedownandthesma

quantitiesofbikesandcarswewitness

smokingalongthepot-holedroadsweren

justMZandWartburgs(bothofwhichsol

inreasonablenumbersintheUK),butthe

Trabant(the‘PeoplesCar’)andapurposeful-

lookingscootercalledanIWL.

AtthattimeI’dneverheardofeither,but

oneday,whileatafuelstation,IsawanIWL

atanadjoiningpumpanditinstantlyreminded

measbeinganearcloneofthetypeof

scootersthatwerebeingturnedoutinthe

FederalRepublicmorethan 30 yearsearlier.

Itwasasturdy-lookingdevice,buttheowner

wasn’twillingtobeengagedinconversation

• hewhisperedtomethattheStasi(Secret
  Police)wereeverywhereandhecouldn'tbe
  seentalkingtoawesterner.
  AlthoughIdidn'trealiseitatthetime,it
  wouldbeanotherthreedecadesbeforeIgot
  toseeanotherIWLintheUK.Thatparticular
  bike–aBerlinSR 59 model–belongsto
  WestCountryenthusiastSimonBalistrari
  andisoneofjustahandfulinthiscountry–
  however,downontheeastendoftheJurassic
  Coastithasbeenjoinedbyanother,owned
  bySimon’sfriend,RoyButler.Regularreaders
  willrecogniseRoyasbeingtheownerofboth
  aCezetaandaHeinkelA 1 – whichhavebeen

IWL BERLIN SR 59 SPEC

ENGINE: fan-cooled single cylinder

two-stroke

CAPACITY: 143cc

POWER OUTPUT: 7.5bhp

GEARS: 4 speed foot change

BRAKES: 150mm drums front and rear

TYRES: 3.50 x 12in

ELECTRICS: 6 volt

WEIGHT: 131kg

featuredbeforeinScooterist.Soonabright

springdayItookuphisofferofvisitinghim

andseeingtheIWLinaction.

STANDINGOUTINACROWD

Youmightthinkthatabikewhichwasmade

intheaustereDDRattheheightoftheCold

Warwouldbefinishedinadrabcolour,but

I’massuredthattheSalmonPinkhueisasit

lefttheLudwigsfeldefactoryin 1960 andin

thelast 59 yearshasonlycovered 14 , 000 km

fromnew.

RoyboughttheSR 59 in 2016 ,butbefore

wehearaboutthedayhetravelledmanymiles

northtocollectthe 150 cctwo-stroke,hetold

mehow,manyyearsago,hestartedhislove

forscooters:

“Duringmyteens,manyofmyfriendshad

boughtscooters,soonreaching 17 Ijoined

themwithmyfirstLambretta.Ilovedthewhole

scootersceneandhadseveralLambrettas;

butlikemanyyoungmen,marriageanda

mortgagemeantputtingthesmallwheelers

onholduntillaterinlife,anditwasn’tuntilthe

turnofthenewmillenniumthatIgotbackinto

themagain.IjoinedthelocalLowRidersClub

andsoonlearnedthatthereweremanyother

interesting–andrare–scootersmanufactured

intheoldEasternBlocduringthe 1950 s

and 60 s.I’venowgotthreeLambrettasin

mycollection,butinadditionI’vealsogota

Cezeta,plusaHeinkelA 1 ,bothofwhichget

plentyofoutingsthroughouttheyear.Ialways

keepmyeyeopenforotherunusualbikesfor

saleandwhenin 2016 IsawtheIWLBerlin

advertisedoneBayIknewitwastoogoodan

opportunitytomiss.

MyfriendSimonBalistrarihadone,soI

knewthattheywerequiterareintheUK;

incrediblyithadonlycovered 14 , 000 miles

fromitsmanufactureintheDDRin 1960.

NothingofitsformerEastGermanlifeis

knownabout,butitwasUKregisteredin 2011

andtheoldMOTsshowedthattheprevious

twoownershadonlyputahandfulofmileson

theclockinthosefiveyears.

Thesalmonpinkbodyworkwascoveredin

glosspaintandlookedabitlikeapatchwork

quilt,butwithanewbatteryfitteditonlytook

oneprodofthekick-starttobringthe 150 cc

two-strokeintolife.Itwasobviouslyinmuch

tooanoriginalconditiontorestore,sobackin

myworkshoptheonlyjobsIhadtodowereto

removemuchoftheglosspaint(thebodywork

all

sed

not

ld

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