Fork with rubber buffers - when did the production start?

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M.Schlenger
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Fork with rubber buffers - when did the production start?

Post by M.Schlenger » Mon Feb 09, 2015 2:10 pm

Dear all,

For quite some time I have been collecting NZ parts, in order to rebuild a 1940 NZ 350.
In this context, I have a question regarding the front fork:

When did the production of the enhanced or heavy-duty fork with the rubber buffers start? As far as I know, prewar models did not feature this detail.

I could imagine that DKW introduced the enhanced fork in 1941, as the fork proved insufficient in difficult terrain in Russia.

Anybody out there who can she some light on this?

Thanks and regards
Michael
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Re: Fork with rubber buffers - when did the production start

Post by Frank » Tue Feb 10, 2015 6:55 pm

Hi Michael,

An interesting question again :)

I cant give you an exact answer on your question, but I think it was in the during the end of 1938, or in the beginning of 1939.

I have an original NZ350 registrated in Finland 06/39 and it has the rubber buffers.
I have another NZ wreck from spring 1939 and it also has the buffers.
Also both my NZ:s from 1940 have the buffers.

The only NZ350 forks I have seen without the buffers have been from 1938.

I have seen some forks been in hard (extreme?) use on the Eastern front, that are missing the cups for the buffers (broken weldings can still be seen), or the cups are re-welded again after broking away due to bottoming of the front suspension.

So your bike from 1940 shall for sure have the buffers.

// Frank
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Re: Fork with rubber buffers - when did the production start

Post by M.Schlenger » Tue Feb 10, 2015 11:28 pm

Dear Frank,

I am impressed once again by your constructive and well-based contributions. You appear to have done some proper research on the DKW NZ over the years and I highly appreciate your insights. Thank you!

Obviously, one can even choose the wrong front fork when restoring or rebuilding a DKW NZ. This issue does not seem not to have been thoroughly discussed in this forum, if I am not wrong.

In my opinion, the existence of different forks should be at least mentioned in the "original parts" section, even if it is not yet quite clear, when exactly the improved fork with the cups for the rubber buffers was introduced. There are too many NZs out there, which are rather a combination of several versions than original bikes.

Finding a completely original one NZ is extremely difficult, but rebuilding one with original parts is feasible, in my opinion. To this end, however, we still need to gather more information and discuss different possibilities, in order to get closer to the original.

Best regards
Michael
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Re: Fork with rubber buffers - when did the production start

Post by thomas591 » Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:48 pm

Hi Michael,

Good idea! :D Contributions to the homepage are always wellcome.
If you got pictures of a fork with and without the rubbers, i will post them

Kind regards

Thomas
Best regards - freundlichste Grüße

Thomas
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Re: Fork with rubber buffers - when did the production start

Post by Frank » Wed Feb 11, 2015 8:20 pm

Hi guys,

I have both types of forks, so I will try to take some pictures during the incoming weekend and send them to Thomas.

I dont know how many different types of forks were available for NZ350, but I have spotted 3 types:

1. The early model, without the rubber bumpers.

2. The next model, with rubber buffers,

3 The last? model, with rubber buffers and with a sheet metal holder inside the left fork leg (for holding the tacho cable).

I had also sometimes ago a IZH fork and I tried to compare it to a NZ fork and I found one clear difference between them, so I can also send a picture of that so people can learn how to spot a IZH fork from a NZ fork.

I dont know if all IZH-350 forks are identical to my fork, or if there are different types of them too?
I know there are some forum members from the Baltic countries who are real IZH specialists, so maybe some of them knows if there are different types of IZH-350 forks?

//Frank
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Re: Fork with rubber buffers - when did the production start

Post by thomas591 » Wed Feb 11, 2015 9:36 pm

Hi frank,

I will be happy to publish your pictures. Maybe will get knowledgable people who will share their view on forks with us....at the end we might get wiser :D
Regards
Thomas
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Thomas
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Re: Fork with rubber buffers - when did the production start

Post by TM250 » Fri Feb 13, 2015 7:00 pm

Hello folks,

One of my NZ 350 machines which is a very "early" 1938 does not have the rubber buffers in question. Incidentally it also had golden "zierlinien" on the main frame, which I have never seen on another NZ. My early 1940 NZ 350 (probabely January) does have the rubber buffers.

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Re: Fork with rubber buffers - when did the production start

Post by Martins » Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:22 pm

As far as i know there is no difference between early and later edition fork of IZH-350.
Found a picture of fork with no rubber buffers.
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Re: Fork with rubber buffers - when did the production start

Post by Nasenbär » Thu Feb 26, 2015 8:51 pm

Hello,
These are early NZ250 parts.
Regards, Matthias
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