NSU 250 Sportmax

The NSU Sportmax is a racing motorcycle for private riders that was developed from the standard machine. It successfully raced alongside the factory Racemax machines from as far back as 1953. The whale cladding with ears was replicated many times by private persons, a practice that was tolerated by NSU provided it was not painted blue. In 1955, H.P. Müller riding the Sportmax became the world's first private rider to become world champion in the 250 cc class.

1958 NSU. "SPORTMAX". Although N.S.U. had been so successful with their "works" racers in both the 125 and 250 c.c. classes, the machine they used was far too specialized ever to be a practical proposition for a private owner to maintain. However, the factory did realize that they would gain valuable publicity by some private owners racing their products and accordingly they released a few "Sportmax" models.

These machines were based on the standard production "250s", the "Max" and "Super Max", and in the years following the factory's sale of real racers there were a good many private-owner conversions of the roadsters into pseudo-racers. They didn't go as quick!

The cycle parts of the "Super Max" were very similar indeed to those of the "works" twins, with a spine-type frame made from a pair of deep pressings placed back to back and welded along their edges, a method of frame making that has been extensively used by European factories, especially for ultra-lightweights and mo-peds. Pressings welded together were also used for the rear swinging-fork and for the front fork main members.

 Alloy rims were employed and the hubs were altogether more massive than the roadster pattern.
Surprisingly, the engine, at any rate externally, did not differ in any major way from "standard". The operation of the overhead camshaft was by means of rods and eccentrics.

A pair of rods, rather like connecting rods with a "big-end" at each end, fitted over eccentrically mounted, thick discs on the half-time pinion and on the end of the camshaft so that, as one was rotated, the other had to follow suit. This method of camshaft operation was not new, for it had been employed in the twenties on Bentley cars.
A few of the "Sportmax" machines reached England and with one, John Surtees achieved a great number of successes before his M.V. days. With the same model, Mike Hailwood followed in John's shoes, winning at almost every short circuit in England during the 1958 season. Later he acquired other, faster "250s" and the success of the N.S.U. waned.