Modern Vespa

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1965-1965-heinkel-tourist-103-a2/?utm_source=dailymail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2018-05-01

Yeah they were a high end luxury scoot back in the day I believe. I'd love to see one let alone ride one. They were apparently very good.

One of the members of the Torbay Scooter Club had one back in the '60's. It would just purr along on club rides. Whether it was the Heinkel or Roy, the rider, I don't know, but it always made a bee-line for the nearest ice-cream shop. No matter what the weather.

Happened onto this whale while in Haarlem, NE, two summers ago...and they are also featured in the Peter Beagle's most excellent "I See By My Outfit":

https://www.amazon.com/See-Outfit-Cross-Country-Scooter-Adventure-ebook/dp/B016PY2NCM

Ugly as sin in person, but then so am I.

You could have visited HenkelFest 2017, but it was canceled.

Didn't one of the top 2014 Cannonball riders nearly win on a Heinkel by retrofitting it with a modern kawasaki 250cc engine but getting a age handicap because the bike was manufactured in 1946? I recall he also started riding at 230am to avoid the heat. I also remember Jess speculating We'd see more of this in the future.

Best
Miguel

It was a '49 Salisbury with the Kawasaki engine. It was rusty and cranky and looked like the Heinkel. He won before we started the race. The surprise was it made all the way with no major problems.

These are reasonably common around... U see lots in Australia & New Zealand...
By far if you want to know a bit more about them post this on the NSM side of life

I resemble that remark.

I took this picture myself in Abilene Texas. I believe the Cannonball rules were amended because of this bike. If I understand correctly the year and of the bike is now an average of the year of the motor and frame.

Just for fun I looked it up.
LeeB won with a 1946 Salsbury 85 (Kawasaki Ninja 250 engine, I believe)
Second place was mrmoi2000 (Phil Carey), riding a 1960 Sears Allstate (rebadged Vespa)
Lee had 3972 points
Phil had 2422

Lee could have dropped out in West Texas and still won (as long as winning by the rules didn't include finishing)

Bill

I've seen Heinkrls at a couple of Amerivespa and I Bagel has a couple of them.

the rules were also amended so the engine also had to start life in a scooter, and not a sportbike or snowmobile. So you could buy this thing, sawzall the motor out, and stick the motor out of your neighbor's GTS 300 in, and have a decent handicap. Make sure you grind the numbers off the motor first.