Our first statement about the "Pitty" is already in the headline. We, the editors of your trade journal, drove 3000 km on the "Pitty" scooter. We didn't give this vehicle anything ‘for free’ and treated it in every respect as the regular buyer will do. Yes, we've probably asked a little more of this upholstered traveling chair than you reasonably will. We have not spared ourselves; achoo, achoo! You see, the confirmation is coming, and we believe we can now say something to our readers, the manufacturer, as well as central Automobil-und-Traktorbau authority, from the seat of the "Pitty" and not from the green table.
A motorcycle is a motorcycle and a scooter is a scooter. You should be completely clear about this when evaluating before buying a motorized two-wheeler vehicle. The motorcycle will always remain an extremely sporty vehicle. The scooter is more, shall we say, leisurely. This does not mean, however, that the "Pitty" is a "snail". We have already driven 75 km/h with our ID 05-15 on the autobahn (without a tailwind), and when the traffic light in the city switches from red to green, we go faster than with the EMW. However, before we report more about our experiences with "Pitty", a technical description and the most important technical data. The "Pitty" scooter is a fully faired scooter. The space between the front and rear fairings allows the driver to step through completely freely. The front fairing completely covers the entire fork and the front wheel and thus offers protection against dirt and moisture when driving. The rear fairing encloses the entire engine, i.e., the engine, the chain and the rear wheel. The seat cushion for two people attached to the rear fairing is equipped with Schlaraffia special springs and a cast foam rubber cover. The rear fairing is also the carrier of the spare wheel. In addition, a luggage rack can be attached to the spare wheel. The entire rear hood can be lifted off by opening a latch and loosening a toggle. The seat cushion can be lifted for refueling or to check the spark plug, while the rear hood remains in place. A front floor panel is attached to the front and rear fairing, which has two containers in the front wall, which are designed to accommodate the battery and tools. The dashboard is fitted with the following fittings:
1. Speedometer with odometer,
2. Ignition lock and light switch (combined),
3. Idle indicator,
4. Temperature indicator,
5. Charge control lamp.
Apart from the colored trimmings, the entire paneling has high-gloss chrome-plated trim strips. The headlight built into the front fairing is adjustable. The frame is a torsion-resistant, stable tubular steel frame. It has double welded reinforcements at the main stress points. The main support tube is dimensioned in such a way that it can support heavy loads. The engine and the rear wheel are located on a common power train swing arm, which is mounted below the center of gravity of the engine and supported against the frame by two strong spiral springs. Two oil-pressure shock absorbers serve to dampen the recoil.
The proven IFA single-cylinder two-stroke RT 125-M 1 engine with fan cooling is used as the engine. The power transmission from the engine to the rear wheel is done by a chain drive. The chain is protected against dirt by a rubber sleeve. The rear wheel is equipped with a quick-release axle. The size of the wheels is 3.5 X 12. Elastic full disc drop center rims are used. The wheels are fastened with five cone nuts. The front and rear wheels are interchangeable. The front and rear wheel brakes are large. Both inner shoe brakes have a brake drum diameter of 150 mm. The foot brake (right) acts on the rear wheel, the hand brake on the front wheel. The scooter has a three-speed foot shift operated by the left foot. The front fork is designed as an oscillating fork and, like the powertrain swing arm, has a spring deflection of 70 mm.
While we're on the subject of technology….
Driving Technique
For motorcyclists, driving the "Pitty" means absolutely no change. After 20 to 30 km, you will be on first name terms with the scooter. The excellent suspension makes driving a pleasure, especially on bad roads. The cornering stability is no less than those of the well-known types of motorbikes. The drivers of the IWL even claim that you can put the scooter into the curves in such a way that the running boards rub. Nevertheless, it would not go over. We haven't gone quite as bold yet, but we think it's entirely possible. However, if you don't absolutely have to, you don't have to try it. Of course, when the roads are wet and slippery, caution is advised. But with a motorcycle you are a bit more reserved in such road conditions. As the writer of these lines experienced when I rode it for the first time, when I rode through big puddles in the rain, my legs went up as if pulled by a thread; but then the shower instinctively expected from below didn't come. This was followed by a little soliloquy as we slowed down: "Hammel, you're sitting on a scooter, that kind of thing doesn't happen there." We read various reports in the specialist press about the bad behavior of scooters in strong crosswinds. Such deficiencies have hitherto only occurred to a very small extent. Lateral stability is quite acceptable even in gusty winds. In no case did it happen to us even once that the scooter was carried off track by a sudden attack of cross winds. It goes without saying that the "Pitty" needs to be shifted very diligently, even though the engine works very flexibly, there is only an eighth-litre engine under the rear paneling. After we have carefully broken in our "Pitty", we are delighted with its acceleration and speed.
Road Safety
In terms of road safety, what is of most interest in the current weather is the electrical systems and brakes. Yes, so the light is quite good (the horn too, by the way) when the battery is fully charged. Actually, it should always be, but we had a whole series of difficulties with our ID 05-15. We reported this to the factory and the matter was investigated. It turned out that the control box did not quite meet the requirements that were placed on it by the design of the scooter. Due to a suggestion for improvement by the auto electrician Simon, who works in the scooter production department in the IWL works, the regulator coil and the regulator box have been changed and the error has now been eliminated. Such difficulties will no longer arise in mass production. Colleague Simon received a sizeable bonus for his suggestion for improvement. It really shouldn't have happened that after about 2000 kilometers the earth cable at the connection point came loose. It is the task of the quality control at the works to pay attention to such small things that can grow into great difficulties. The rear lights seem to be too small for us. The illumination of the license plate is sufficient, but as far as the tail light is concerned... a firefly does almost the same thing. We have already reported this defect to the manufacturer. They responded willingly and unbureaucratically to our proposed change. In the future, therefore, the tail lights on the "Pitty" will be considerably larger. Apart from that, it seems right to us and urgently necessary to us - although this is not yet required by the currently valid StVZO - to combine the taillights with a stop light. The costs for this are low; safety, especially in night traffic, is increased. Whether turn signals should be attached to the two-wheeler vehicle is still a matter of debate. If a decision is made to do so, turn signals will also be attached to the "Pitty", which will in any case be state-of-the-art, i.e. turn signals that are automatically switched off after a certain period of time. Based on my own experience, such turn signals are quite useful, especially in city traffic when turning left.
And now to the brakes. The brakes on the motor scooter we drove, which you will be interested to know is from the first hundred series, pulled too hard. We have since established that incorrectly shaped brake cams were installed here. In the new series of scooters that are going on sale these days, that has already been changed, and the foot brake grips like you want a brake to. The front brake has the same dimensions as the rear wheel brake and looks absolutely safe, but the foot brake has a catch, and that is the position of the brake pedal. Here we demand a fundamental change as soon as possible. The foot brake pedal must be placed at least 15 cm forwards in the curve of the front floor panel and lower, so that both feet are in constant contact with the scooter (see foot brake in the car). The way the brake pedal is now, it's not easy to brake safely on a bad road when the scooter is swinging. The arguments that if the brake pedal is further forward you can no longer hang a briefcase in the step-through are unjustified. In any case, road safety is paramount. Well thought-out built-in brakes are part of that.
General but important observations
The engine is an important component of a motor vehicle. Nothing but good things to say about the “Pitty” RT 125-M motor. Fuel consumption is, of course, somewhat higher than with the RT 125/1, since the "Pitty" weighs 45 to 50 kg more than the RT. You must also be aware that although the "Pitty" uses the same motor as the RT 125/1, offering far greater driving comfort, but you don't get this driving comfort for free. The engine is of course constantly more stressed with the "Pitty" than with the RT and thus its service life will probably be somewhat shorter. The engine will be cooled in the production series by a pressure fan. The power transmission to this fan is carried out by a V-belt. We haven't had any problems yet, but it seems appropriate, as is the case with EMW or other cars, for example, to obtain a second V-belt from the factory, measuring 8 X 5 X 475. Once the cooling lamp on the dashboard lights, up the fun is over, but if you have a spare 'V' belt in your tool kit, it will be barely 20 minutes and you're on your way.
It goes without saying that the engine always gets the right lubrication – 25% mineral oil. So, we drive 5 kilometers from the first litre of fuel. Driving with a mixture of 1:20 out of exaggerated caution is not appropriate. Up to about 3000 km you should add ½ liter of oil to 5 litres of petrol. Top lubricating oil is available for 10 Pfennig. It would be a good idea to fit a steering lock as standard on the “Pitty.” We don't even want to think about theft, but the vehicle owner is ultimately obliged to secure his vehicle against misuse.
The dashboard is quite nice, and if you drive a lot, you hardly need to check it anymore. Nevertheless, we think steps should be taken to change this in its design. The speedometer is quite unfavorably placed in the current series and is almost completely covered by the handlebars, especially in the lower speed ranges. We found the idle indicator (green on the inside) and the temperature indicator (green on the outside) to light up when the fan stopped working, as quite beneficial.
Having ridden various West German scooters, we did not consider the “Pitty” to be defective in any feature. What should still be provided on the dashboard is an opening for a central plug on the outside left next to the charge indicator light. IKA should develop a small hand lamp as soon as possible that can then be offered as an accessory for the “Pitty.” Spark plugs could then be changed in the dark as you need. Replacing the V-belt of the fan drive or even a wheel in the dark is a special test task for an ambitious car mechanic.
All "Pittys" will get an ugly eyesore after a while - that's on the back left, where the kickstarter is kicked down in a quadrant. Despite all care, it's unavoidable that you occasionally slide the sole of your shoe along the paintwork. The manufacturer should consider attaching suitable protection at this point.
A well-known, but always accepted evil of the two-stroke engine is its loud engine and intake noise. The "Pitty" is no exception. Modifications to the exhaust have resulted in a reduction in overall volume enough that is within the permissible number of decibels allowed by the StVZO. This means that "Pitty" with its working noises is of course within the limits of what is officially permitted, but that shouldn't stop the technicians and engineers from continuing to work on reducing the noises.
There is nothing to say about caring for the “Pitty’s” tyres other than for caring for tyres in general. Here too, compliance with certain tyre pressures is particularly important. In solo operation the front tyre should be 1.2 - 1.3 atm, rear 1.8 atm. With passenger use, the front should be 1.2-1.3 atm, rear 2 atm.
Accessories are also included.
The scooter is generally viewed by, say, unsportsmanlike riders as an advance over the motorcycle. We can only underline this statement. However, despite all the protection that the scooter offers through its construction, it does not come without the need of a few accessories. In our opinion, the most important thing you need for a scooter is a handlebar-mounted windshield. Our previous attempts to get such a thing failed. We were about to make a fuss when we found out that IWL doesn’t have one. That's the way it is. However, Industriewerke Ludwigsfelde are actually preparing for the production of windshields. According to the information we have received, delivery should begin in February. However, as long as you don't have a windshield, you have to wear goggles, especially when driving for long periods in the cold. What one experiences when looking to buy reasonably decent goggles could form an essay in itself. We want to leave it at that with the statement that the DHZ Fein mechanics/optics still has a lot to do in order to bring really good motorcycle goggles onto the market. The fact that there are motorcyclists and scooter riders who wear glasses seems to be completely unknown in production circles. At least full-vision goggles and special rain goggles, which can also be used by eyeglass wearers, are missing.
The same applies to rear-view mirrors. There is nothing here that could even meet normal requirements. Hopefully this situation will change soon. Luggage racks, which are also an indispensable accessory for scooters, are manufactured in Ludwigsfelde and are available with the scooter at the same time.
As far as the other protective clothing is concerned, a good Klepper-type rubber raincoat (available in the HO for about 60 DM) has proven to be quite sufficient on the motor scooter. Leg warmers made of rubber or similar are not necessary. The only thing that can really be said about the glove chapter is that if you save there, you save in the wrong place. If you suddenly had to reach for the clutch with stiff hands and your fingers couldn't get up because they were too clammy, then you will learn to appreciate good motorcycle gloves or protective hand caps attached to the handlebars.
The last thing left is the helmet. Do it how you want. In any case, we wear a sports helmet with leather flaps. It not only protects the head in the event of a fall, but also the neck and ears from annoying drafts. It is not a statement to put on such a helmet. It actually protects. We could try it. And you have the willpower to cope with the smiles of people walking or driving you.
We have now told you a great deal about the "Pitty" and the rest of the trimmings. We have not gone into the circumstances of why it took so long for the appearance of this first motor scooter of our nationally-owned industry. We believe and hope that we were able to convince ourselves that the industrial plant in Ludwigsfelde carried out a very long and thorough series of tests in order to be able to sell the scooter in really good quality.
So let's hope that you too will be able to buy your long-awaited "Pitty" motor scooter this year and that you too will join the crowd and have a lot of fun with the motor scooter.
The editorial office.
Original magazine published here:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2023/04/der-deutsche-strassen-verkehr-january.html
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