1911 Steyr Waffenrad....

[IngoMike]

This thread is sucking it! Here is one of the first bikes I bought when I started collecting old bicycles, over 10 years ago. it was listed on Craigslist and was only an hour or so away from me. I offered less than the seller was asking and he took my offer. I was told the bike is original, but I think it has been through and older restoration. It has a permanent place in the house but gets taken out on occasion for a delicate ride. Steyr Waffenrad is a gun manufacturer from Austria, I think its the Austrian Iver Johnson?

 

[Oilit]

Do you know if this is the same Steyr that produced the J. C. Higgins/Sears "Made in Austria" lightweights? And what is the translation of "Waffenrad"? Google says the literal translation is weapon-wheel. Come to think of it, where did Royal Enfield get the "Built Like a Gun" slogan? Maybe a reference to the Lee-Enfield rifle? Not to mention Birmingham Small Arms, better known as BSA. I never realized there were so many connections between bicycles, motorcycles and guns!

 

[smithvillejim]

Nice bike! The 28 x 1½ tires, what brand are they, and do you know of a source for 28 x 1½ tubulars today?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[IngoMike]

I wish I had more info on Steyr but the gun connection is all I know. Tires are Barum from Czechoslovakia.

 

[GiovanniLiCalsi]

Beautiful!
I have the same wheel bell.

 

[all riders]

S

Do you know if this is the same Steyr that produced the J. C. Higgins/Sears "Made in Austria" lightweights? And what is the translation of "Waffenrad"? Google says the literal translation is weapon-wheel. Come to think of it, where did Royal Enfield get the "Built Like a Gun" slogan? Maybe a reference to the Lee-Enfield rifle? Not to mention Birmingham Small Arms, better known as BSA. I never realized there were so many connections between bicycles, motorcycles and guns!

Yes, it is that company, although possibly before it was part of conglomerate Steyr-Daimler-Puch--All companies that did pretty much the same things(Daimler aka Mercedes being the non Austrian in the group), cars. trucks, motorcycles, bikes---and weapons. It is probable that those later Sears bikes were more Puch than Steyr. Steyr is maybe best known for the Steyer Pinzgauer(really a product of SDP), an extremely capable army truck which made its appearance sometime in the sixties and continued to be made for decades