At the Yalta Conference 1944, the Allies established preliminary arrangements for the occupation and administration of the soon to be defeated Third Reich. The war had wrought extraordinary damage on all the Allies except the US, as well as all countries occupied by Germany. Restitution for damages and the costs of occupation were be extracted from the Allies' respective occupation zones. All German military facilities were earmarked for expropriation. All useable machinery and assets were to be seized and the plants themselves raized to the ground. Germany was to be turned into an agricultural nation, like Poland, devoid of heavy industry so as never to threaten the peace of Europe again.
The Soviet Union had suffered more at the hands of the Third Reich than any other nation, with tens of millions of soldiers and civilians killed, her western cities destroyed, agricultural lands wasted and all her western factories stripped. Under the terms of the occupation, all industrial plants within the Soviet Zone, were hers to distribute. Soviet engineering teams moved efficiently behind the front inspecting facilities, cataloguing the inventory, dismantling and shipping it east.
Since 1943 Germany had been in a state of total war so all industrial plants were effectively military plants. The sprawling Auto Union conglomorate, located in Saxony, was no different, turning out trucks, half-tracks, shells, stationary engines, generators, pumps and motorcycles for the German war effort. The entire operation was designated a war industry and scheduled for confiscation. Soviet engineering crews arrived in June 1945 and began inventorying the plant. The Wanderer plant at Seigmar had been destroyed in bombing late in the war and was deemed beyond repair. Steel frames and scrap metal were removed from the building before it was demolished.
The Audi plant in Zwickau and the Auto Union head office in Chemnitz fared better during the war, but 90% of the machine tools and plant were stripped from the factories and shipped to the Soviet Union. The motorcycle and small engine plant at Zschopau was undamaged but the entire production lines for DKW's NZ350 and RT125 motorcycles were confiscated and removed. Why only these lines? We must go back to prewar Germany.
DKW - The Largest Motorcycle Manufacturer in the World
From its start with a clip on bicycle engine in 1919, DKW had moved from strength to strength to become the world's leading motorcycle manufacturer. DKW specialised in two-stroke engines, which were both simple to build and maintain. After Jorge Rasmussen secured an exclusive patent for reverse flow scavenging from Professor Adolf Schnuerle in 1929, DKW's two-stokes saw a significant uplift in terms of fuel efficiency and power output. The Zschopau plant was also a model of manufacturing efficiency with bikes being put together on a moving production line. Although this wasn't new in the United States, it was still a novelty in Germany, where high quality, artisanal construction methods predominated. DKW was able to out produce all competitors and become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world by 1939.
DKW under Rasmussen and later Carl Hahn, expanded the company's motorcycle range to fit all market niches. During the mid-1930s, road taxes and licensing costs regularly changed in accordance with government policy to either encourage or discourage vehicle manufacture and use. This led to a proliferation of models whose engines varied widely in terms of horsepower. In 1936 DKW offered six models ranging from the 2 1/2 horsepower Reich's model through to the top of the range twin-cylinder 500cc SB Luxus. Inevitably though, it was the middle range motorcycles that were the best sellers.
The NZ350 motorcycle was introduced in 1938 along with a slightly smaller 250cc model. It was powered by a single cylinder 350cc two-stroke motor with Schneurle reverse scavenging and twin exhausts, generating 11.5 horsepower. Early models had a hand gear change on the right, but a foot gear change was later implemented. The NZ350 was a strong export seller and was even exported to the Soviet Union.
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2023/07/1944-dkw-nz350-motorcycle-parts-list.html
Despite demonstrating the model's offroad capabilities in numerous trials, Auto Union, were never able to secure a military contract for any of their motorcycles as the Wehrmacht did not view the two-stroke engine favourably. Instead, the Wehrmacht sourced its dispatch riders bikes from BMW and Zundapp, who held long-standing supply contracts with the German army. The war however changed all this and in 1940 DKW began manufacturing a military version of the NZ 350 which lost all the brightwork and had unchromed steel exhausts. The frame and gearbox were strengthed and the gear ratios were reduced to faciliate riding at marching speed (the German army mostly marched on campaign due to the lack of motorization). The bike saw service in all theatres, including the Eastern Front from 1942.
In 1940 all civilian vehicle production was placed on hold, with minor exceptions. DKW's two-stroke budget cars received an exemption until 1942 largely as they were constructed of wood. DKW's motorcycle range however was cut from six to two - the NZ 350 and their new lightweight RT125, which went into series production in early 1940. The RT125 would also see widespread military service.
So, when the Soviets arrived at the Zschopau motorcycle plant in 1945, there were only two motorcycle lines, all others having been scrapped by the Germans themselves. Stripping of the plant, machinery and spare parts was completed very quickly. The NZ350 production line was shipped to Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant, halfway between the southern Russian cities of Kazan and Perm. Izhevsk was an armaments manufacturer, known for the Kalashnikov sub-machine gun. The NZ350 production line was reassembled there in 1946. The factory had received the original German plans and a stock of spare parts. The plans were translated into Russian and revised and several important changes were made. Firstly the chassis was strengthened for the harsher road conditions in the Soviet Union. The NZ350's solid rear axle was retained however. Full rear suspension wasn't introduced until much later. The Russians also experimented with a fully cast-iron motor, but this proved to be unsuccessful and they reverted to a cast aluminium engine block in early 1947. The engine was painted black to protect against corrosion.
The IZH 350 went on sale in 1947. Some of the early examples included parts sourced from DKW stockpiles, still stamped with the Four Rings, but fully domestic production was established by 1948.
The IZH 350 remained in production until 1951 when it was updated with modern front and rear shock absorbers. It still retained individual seats. This model was named IZH 49. It was a popular seller with over half a million made. The model was modernized further in 1956 with toolbox side panels. The 56 model was available with a sidecar option.
As in West and East Germany, the 350 motorcycle became popular in motorsport. In 1955 IZH bought out several sports versions which put out 18hp, one for road competition and one for cross country trials.
These machines were collectively owned by sports clubs and associations and were not for personal sale.
In 1962 the bike was updated again and released as the IZH Planeta. The Planeta became a major export success, being sold as far afield as Australia.
It was sold under many names, such as the Cossack, which became a collective brand name covering a variety of Soviet makes, such as Ural, Dneper and Minsk.
IZH continued manufacturing its DKW derived motorcycles until 2008. The company continues to exist however and is now a Russian car manufacturer.
More information about IZH and other Russian motorcycles: https://b-cozz.com/
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