1954 Other Makes 1954 NSU Max Standard 250cc 4-stroke NO RESERVE

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Relisting this item using the auction format to avoid the offer/counter-offer system that locks others out. I LOWERED THE STARTING PRICE TO FAR BELOW A RECENT BEST OFFER as I am confident that this bike will surpass that best offer. Good luck and thanks again for your interest. The mid-century NSUs are elegant and sophisticated machines with their advanced frame design and clean "look" of a 2-stroke engine, but with the sophisticated eccentric cam drive system (similar to the eccentric drive rods on a locomotive's drive wheels). INTERESTED PARTIES ARE WELCOME TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR PHOTOS, OR TO VIEW THE BIKE. THE BIKE IS IN ARLINGTON, VA. I am happy to oblige with most any requests. Please ask any questions or arrange to view the bike before bidding. When is the last time you saw a NSU Max on the roads? They are rare bikes, but even though they are rare, all parts are available and this bike comes with the factory service manual and factory parts list. 1954 NSU Max Motorcycle, 250cc single cylinder, 4-stroke motorcycle, known as the "Standard Max" which preceded the Special Max which debuted in 1955. The NSU Max was the first bike to be made with a monocoque frame, hidden rear suspension (called a "softtail by Harley Davidson) and used a fascinating system of eccentric rods to drive the valve train. The eccentric rods and overhead cam resulted brilliantly in a high-revving, sturdy valve train which propelled the NSU Max to race victories in 1953 and 1954. In the mid-50s, the NSU Max was state of the art in its design. It is an elegant and graceful machine with its internally sprung frame, front suspension hidden inside its beefy fork (with brand new shocks, I might add) and graceful, sprung saddle. The 58 and 61 Max models were featured in the Guggenheim's "Art of the Motorcycle" exhibitions in the Las Vegas and New York shows, respectively. I bought this motorcycle in Croatia in 1999 and, according to the paperwork and owner, was last registered in then Yugoslavia in 1971. It was owned by a Mr. Krijan who passed away. My Croatian friend is a lawyer and was settling the estate for the surviving widow. I bought it to restore it. Please note that this is a true matching-numbers Max. It is not a throw together bike or a converted 175cc NSU Maxi. This is the real McCoy, the Max Standard. I disassembled the bike, including the engine and transmission and rebuilt it with all new bearings and parts. Machine work and balancing of the rotating mass was done by a specialist machine shop. I also had the tank, exhaust and all other chrome parts (including the package rack) re-chromed back to new condition using the old-fashioned multi-chrome systems that are rarely found now in the US apart from a limited number of high end chrome shops. Only flaw is that the tank had a dent on the left side just fore the badge that didn't come out perfectly. After chroming, I had the tank lined using a POR-15 motorcycle tank coating which means it is ready for years of trouble-free use. I had a custom bike shop prepare and paint all the disassembled parts including the frame, rims, hubs, fenders, tank...everything that needed to be painted. I started reassembling the bike in 2001 and finished assembling it in 2007. As I move every few years, I moved again to a place where I couldn't work on it so I put into storage in 2007 where it has stayed until I am forced to take it out of storage here in Arlington. The bike's paint is correct black with correct gold pin stripes painted to the exact specifications (correct gold color, pin stripe placement and pin stripe dimensions for a 1954 NSU Max.) Photo of VIN plate shows that I didn't remove it from the bike when it was painted. I wanted to keep the original VIN plate and original rivets intact when painting. I have never started it as toward the end of the time I was working on it, I was also in process of moving, fixing an old car, restoring a scooter, selling a car and moving to another country. As I am not allowed to work on cars/bikes where I currently live, the bike is just standing here and will either wait until my next posting or, if the right person and right person comes by, will move it to its next chapter in its life. All the parts are there and on the bike. If I were to get it going again, I would need to spend a few weekends confirming everything (ensure all wire connections, check the valves and timing and check all nuts again, before topping off oil, gas and battery acid. The bike was stored dry in a climate controlled warehouse since 2007. I have it with me in Arlington. Have some old parts with it that came off the bike, have the original factory repair manual and parts list...and somewhere have all my receipts from NSU Motzke in Germany. This bike is fully imported, but has not been registered in the US yet. I have my original sales receipt and the most previous Yugoslavian registration from the 70s. However, they are still packed away. IF someone wants this bike, I'd be willing to sign a letter of sales intent, but not accept money or turn over the bike until I could find all the supporting documentation for it. I will need one weekend to find everything in the storage locker. As with all used items, selling/buying them is a negotiation process. I priced this $1000 below the asking cost of working NSUs that are younger than this one. This one has everything new on it from the chain, to all cables, new carb, new internals, new head/valves, new piston/cylinder, chain, sprockets, new front shocks, new wiring loom, new everything that needed to be renewed. Yet, it needs someone who has the time to get it running. Because it isn't running yet, I am open to reasonable offers. Please note that in parts and purchase alone, there is more than $9000 into this labor of love. Somewhere in my storage locker I have many pictures detailing the entire restoration process beginning from the first photograph of the bike where we found it in the corner of a storage shed where it had stood since 1971. These Maxs are rare anywhere, but most rare in the US as they weren't commercially imported to the US except for the NSU Max Scrambler (a trail version of the Max). Bike comes with: Bike, correct bar end mirror (left), key, original tool kit, keys for battery/storage boxes, battery, mounted tire pump. Buy it now price includes: Original factory repair manual, original factory parts list (both in three languages including English), reprint of Max owner's manual (German), all old spares removed from bike, assorted hardware, front damper removal tool. Parts availability: ALL parts down to the last screw or bearing are available from NSU Motzke in Germany and at least one other NSU parts specialist (I don't recall the name of that company, but it might be BMW Stemler). However, everything this bike needed or needs comes with the bike. I spared no expense on amassing the parts necessary to RESTORE this wonderful machine. Anyone interested is encouraged first to view the bike. Serious inquiries are welcome evenings or weekends. This bike will be sold with a bill of sale. It has not yet been titled in the US.