This striking custom is built from a 1960 Simson 425S. The motorcycle took 6th place in the freestyle class at the 2010 European Championship of Custom Bikebuilding and was built by the Hungarian firm Muce Choppers. It is currently on offer by Southern Florida Choppers. Find it here on eBay in West Palm Beach, Florida. Special thanks to TY reader Edward K. for this submission!
The 425S was a fairly coventional 250cc, 14hp four-stroke street motorcycle. It was introduced in 1949 and Simson sold hundreds of thousands before the model was discontinued. By 1961-62, it got power, suspension and most importantly, engine mounting upgrades and represented the pinnacle of the original Simson road bikes, in terms of quality, comfort and rideability. This bike, aside from the engine and shaft-drive transmission, bears little resembalance to an original 425S. The tank, front-end, side panels and seat have all been custom fabricated and given a uniqie matte silver and green paint scheme.
Simson is a classic though lesser-known East German marque, and still fondly recalled in certain parts of formerly Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe. As such, we’re sure there are those who would prefer this example remained in it’s classic state, though we admire the creativity and quality applied to the build. The bike is claimed to have only 40 miles on the engine build. We’re not surprised. As cool looking as it is, it’s not a custom we see ourselves putting heavy miles on. It would be a killer bike night cruiser, but perhaps not the ride for an Iron Butt patch.
As a company with a long and storied history, it had a fair amount of bad luck. It was founded in 1854 by a Jewish family, who lost control in 1934 and were later forced to flee Germany to the US in 1936. In the post-war era the factory was then looted and later shipped off to the Soviet Union as reparations. Production later resumed, but in 1962 the East German government decreeed Simson would build small two-stroke motorcycles and production of the 425S was abandoned at it’s technical and popular peak.
Some won’t see the point, others will love the look. It’s a machine-age design work of art, wrapped around a factory produced industrial product. While not as unrideable as many customs which seem to exist only as works of art, it’s clear the focus is to look great and be unique. We’d love to fire up the East German motor, hear it rev through the custom titanium pipes, wrap ourselves into it and see what this wild blend of modern and Soviet-era has to offer.
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That is just about the strangest bike I’ve ever seen. And I like it. Not your run of the mill OCC/American chopper aesthetic for sure. But, as with most well-done custom motorcycles, there is visual delight in the details. And I like the way it looks different at each different picture angle. I bet it is stunning in the flesh.
Here is a link to another Muce Choppers custom I found via Google:
http://www.cyrilhuzeblog.com/2007/11/22/lake-racer-inspired/
The eastern European approach to custom motorcycles is certainly unlike the traditional look we see here in the US, but I appreciate that difference. One is not better than the other. They are just different. (I was once surprised at the provincial attitudes of some American hot rodders when a guy told me that, by definition, a street rod must have an American V8. If it had any other kind of engine, it was NOT a street rod! Really?!)
This should appeal to any serious collector of two-wheelers.
OldAlfaGuy
“While not as unrideable as some customs” Right! If you have been to the annual Bike Rally in Sturgis SD, you see a lot of “unrideable customs” which we call “bar hoppers”. As someone who actually rides their bike to Sturgis, (700 miles in one day) as opposd to trailering their bike, (I know, I know, this is Bring a Trailer), I do wonder how “rideable” this Simson custom is…..
Regardless, if you ride this custom Simson down Main Street in Sturgis, you WILL get noticed! And now-a-days, it takes something special to really get noticed on MAin Street in Sturgis!
I think this custom Simson is way, way cool!
Very interesting Mücechoppers front fork.
Just building your own fork in a non-traditional design is an exercise in engineering.
Not sure I’d pick this frame and drivetrain and brake (the only original parts) for a build, as its only 19hp or something tricked out… but the custom titanium exhaust and the fit/finish of the bar/headlight junction makes this look like a labor of love and cash.
My first thought in looking at that was, like everyone else’s, that it was unrideable…. the steeply banked microseat slides you down onto the finned tank testical-splitter.
The color combination is bizarre for American audience, but remarkably similar to a BMW 730 I owned in 1980s with mint green velour seats and white pinstripes, lol, they would’ve been a matched set.
I think a different color scheme (say black and tan), a leather, tractor-type seat, and a traditional shaded teardrop headlamp would’ve gone a long way towards making this bike aesthetically more streamlined, though I certainly appreciate the builder’s efforts.
My final thoughts have to do with long term investment value, and there are few conversions that will not eventually be worth less than a clean example of the original bike, though who knows, builder may have had a barn full of these and decided to have some fun.
I sent this one in too…it is truly beautiful. I dont care if it is not as comfy as my Goldwing…that is not the point. This is really amazing and I want it sooooo bad it aches.
The color combo is what draws me to it…black and tan it would just blend in with the others. Blah…
You could bring this to any bike event in the world and draw a crowd…its fantastic!
It stirs the caveman in me after riding need to put in Man Cave ! Luv-it !
I saw this bike at Barber. It looks great in the pics but it is amazing in person.
I love the East German farm co-op front tractor tire and with the leading link front suspension, it would be a great candidate for an equally weirdly styled sidecar although maybe a bit underpowered.
The only thing I don’t like is the huge tires, but I’m not sure what other combo would work better.
This doesn’t do much for me, but I much appreciate the little history lesson. Some interesting information from a marque I never heard of, that seems to go way back. Is Simson around in any form today?
16h to go and the reserve is still not clear at $11,300.
Hhmm.
I think Simson was resurected a few times a la Indian. According to Wikipedia they finally packed it in around 2003.
I would think that 250ccs & 14HP would have a tough time spinning those wheels. But that’s an impressive build! Their ‘take’ on an Earles fork is pure artistry! Great over all look.
Regards.
ps…I wish there had been another car or motorcycle in one of the photos to give some-kind-of scale to this machine.
Regards
I knew this bike looked familiar. This bike was shown in one of Jay Lenos videos from his website earlier in the year, starts at 4:45
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/segment/boca/boca-2011-motorcycles/
Sold for $20K.
Respect.
I wonder what Muce got for it when he sold it the first time?
@Mills, thanks for the video. But what’s really awesome in that clip is the Kawi racer. $$$ right there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3zuwXTNvew
Hi,
I’m Müce, the builder. Thanks for the comments. You can see, where the SIMSON was build.
There are pictures from Só Bike and Last Minute, these are my bikes too.
Best regards from Hungary!
Lordy, that’s gorgeous.
Right-click save-as to folder ‘Awesome Bikes’.
WOW
I love this bike – everything works and flows together on it.
Thanks to Muce for bringing this to creation and to the eyes of the world.
Yes to the save to catalogue.
I love it, it has the design aesthetic of late 50′s appliances.
@ Muce: so what was your thinking on the tires that you put on it. Super-modern bike V/S Industrial look? The factory depends on the worker? That’s what was at hand when you needed tires?
for sum reason it reminds me of a 50s kitchen appliance
@Muce -
You rock! Luv the build!
@ marooned: I had first the tires. This are Firestone, for cars. It was the wish from owner. The bike was build “around” the tires.
Marooned,
Maybe I’m badly misinterpretting the tone of your comment, but are you really talking crap to a guy who built a custom bike that garnes this kind of attention, and that kind of bidding?
Love it, love it, love it!
Are those tractor tires?
Muce: this is very intriguing (interesting). I have never heard of such a thing. Did the owner ask for anything else? Body panels? Floating seat? Colors?
Why would someone bring a set of tires to a shop and say, “Here is my money. Build me a bike around these tires!”
Does he have other “strange” cars, motorcycles, boats, etc.?
@ Ben E: apparently what I said did not come out right. No, Man, that is a beautiful bike. There is a type of architecture that involves “industrial” lines, and I was referring to that. Like if you go into a restaurant that has spent jillions of dollars, and you can see the a/c pipes at the ceiling.
@ jeff
But it looks nothing like my wife!
Bazinga!
Seriously though, I ‘m currently ratting through the shed to find any way possible of making a credible replica using a Honda CB250 that’s seriously in need of some bobbin’ lovin’.
Absolutely love this scoot.
The legend says AWO used shaft-drive transmission because at the point they were ready to kick-restart production after the war, it turned out that all moto-chain factories “landed” in the US-occupied part of Germany.
Also, at the point 425s was a flag model the company used the name AWO. By the time the communist party made them switch to light, 2-stroke mopeds for the masses, they used the name Simson. Either way AWO-Simson is a well remembered and valued name here (e.g. the Simson S-51).
Controls in AWO bikes had a modern layout but the tranny did retain a small lever (right-hand side) if foot-shifting wasn’t precise enaugh for you.
With all the family-related nostagia I have to say I love the build. I would rather ride the original but I still think it’s tastefull. Heck, I even think my granpa would love this if he could see it. Only one thing to stress – with the hardail frame and without the airbox I’d rather connect it with the 425T (Tourist) rather than 425S (Sport) model.
I found only two remains of my grandfather’s 425S when I was pulling down the barn couple years back. Buried under the straw: onwers manual and an OEM hand pump (part of bike’s tool kit). Nothing to get axcited about but there’s an interesting trace. The pump is a stainless export “Made in Czechoslovakia”. Can readers from Germany verify this? Did the Suhl factory have to import pumps? What did they send in return?
Muce:
Are there a lot of these old 425s around Eastern Europe and do you think it is or will be a popular custom platform for builders there?
Kind of like all the XS650, CB500 and CX500 customs we see now – they sold so many of these that customizers can get their hands on decent ones cheap, and the engines are so reliable that they often don’t have to do very much with the motors besides clean them up.
I’m not a motorcycle guy, but the cross-posting of this bike on Bring A Trailer got my attention. I love the look of this bike, especially the wheels and tires, and the art-deco-milk-shake-machine color scheme. This would probably be an ideal custom bike for someone like me – great looking but low-powered enough to keep me from killing myself.
Great job, Muce – this is a fabulous work of art.
@wannalive: threre are in Hungary lot of these Simson 425 types. popular platform? no, I dont think so. look at here ones, what for sale is: http://www.hasznaltauto.hu/motor/simson/simson_425s-5084345
@marooned: the owner has other bikes and cars too. I have an Chevy Fleetline Delux 1949 (original).
If you look at my other bike, SóBike, there was build around a só (salt) saltshaker. It is on the top of the gear lever.
My other bike, Last Minute has the name from the clock, was in the frame is. The clock tells the last minute.
It’s just occurred to me that this scoot is a hardtail.
Hardcore. :)
beautiful. i have never cared for choppers, but this is something special. love to know how he planned it out, a sketch first, a mock-up with frame in place, cardboard templetes for the body ?? very inspiring.