Pre-war German Chainless (multi-speed)

[Wheeled Relics]

German Chainless (multi-speed)

Went to check out an old bike at a fellas house, his dad had this saved from a friend who brought it back from WW2? He wasn't attached to it so I bought it. I've never seen one before. What is it?

 

[Major Taylor Archive]

Looks like some kind of crazy German made shaft drive. More pics please.

 

[bike]

appears to be

multi speed

more pix plZ!

 

[OldRider]

That badge is a work of art!

 

[jkent]

Don't know if this has anything to do with the bike but I found this information on the Web. They have been in operation since 1896 and manufacture bicycles and mopeds.

In Germany a well-known manufacturer with brands as Brunsviga, Panther, Jaguar, Tempo and others.

History
1896 founded by Ernst Kuhlmann in Magdeburg as Panther-Fahrrad-Werke Ernst Kuhlmann & Co.

1907 after the name changed into Panther-Fahrradwerke, vorm. Oscar Vormbaum they merged with the Braunschweiger Fahrradwerke AG (also founded in 1896) to the Pantherwerke AG and the whole production went over to Braunschweig (= Brunswick)

1910 with the manufacturer Hoppe & Homann they aquired the brand Tempo

1930 nickel-plating was replaced by chrome-plating

1957 an early example of folding bicycles was launched with the 20"-wheeled Pfiff

1962 the Pantherwerke AG was sold to Richard Schminke, Bad Wildungen where still bicycles are produced under the brand Panther

 

[Wheeled Relics]

Digging for information on Panther (Pantherwerke)

Information I've found on Panther bicycles & motorcycles

"This was a manufacturer building bicycles and small bikes powered by Fichtel & Sachs engines beginning in 1896, making it one of the oldest 2-wheel manufacturers in the world. During the early 1930´s Panther manufactured a bicycle with shaft-drive (!) which belonged to the very cream of the crop as it were - selling well despite its steep price tag. Production of bicycles, sewing machines, and small motor cycles boomed throughout the 1930´s. Production continued on until in 1941 civilian production ceased and Panther began working for the defense industry. Amongst their products were munitions and in 1942 they helped with the design of the cockpit-covering for one of the Junkers fighter aircraft which henceforth they built exclusively."

http://www.germanmotorcycles.cl/Panther Werke/panthercoments.html

 

[Wheeled Relics]

Panther Shaft Drive

I'm not sure how the ring gear is suppose to be indexed(?) into the crank housing to "shift" the gears. The shifter is essentially a single shaft that depresses when the lever is pulled, allows the outter ring the gearing mechanism fits into to spin to the next hole. There are three holes the shifter fits into.

 

[Wheeled Relics]

Gears

 

[rustjunkie]

Super cool, given the company started 1896, looks like 1946 from the badge?

 

[Wheeled Relics]

Badge date

Thats telling. Could be the first production after the war? Seat says Mesinger Germany with what looks like a suspension seat post with a lever attached to the base.