Source: Bike Bound
The Orange Monster: 175-lb, 32-hp Smoker from Tony Möckel…
Founded in 1856, the original Simson & Co. produced firearms and later bicycles and cars such as the Simson Supra. In the 1930s, the Third Reich took the factory from the Jewish Simson family, who were forced to flee the country, and after WWII, the factory fell under Communist control and began producing motorcycles and mopeds.
Simson Supra SS. Photo: Thomas Doerfer
In 1955, the Simson name was revived, and the factory continued producing mopeds and motorcycles until 2002. Their 50cc engines powered many East German racebikes:
“Equipped with 6-speed boxes and rotary induction, they were capable of producing up to 16 hp. These parts and conversions were rarely factory backed; they were privateers’ developments.” –Cold War Racers
6-speed Simson privateer racer. Photo: Cold War Racers
Later models have earned something of a cult following in the tuning community, especially the S50 and S51 series. The S51 appeared in 1980 with a long-stroke engine of 38 x 44 mm, producing 3.7 bhp.
There was also an 80cc race version available, and there’s a long history in Germany of tuning these bikes into outrageous little giant-killers. In fact, the 2023 Custombike Show in Bad Salzuflen, Germany, had a whole exhibit dedicated to Simson customs.
Event Report: Custombike Show 2023
The “Orange Monster” you see here began life as a 1984 Simson S51 B, and it’s the work of Tony Möckel of Atlenburg, Germany — a 35-year-old foundry worker who’s had a hankering for a Simson special since he was a boy:
“I built the bike because I wanted it since I was a child and now I have finally dared to convert it.”
Converted indeed! The engine has been bored to 130cc and now makes 32 horsepower — serious power for a bike that weighs just 175 pounds! To handle the extra ponies, the frame has been braced and gusseted, and this “Orange Monster” is now riding on 16×3 inch wheels with a CNC swingarm, Öhlins suspension, giant brakes, Heidenau K63 tires and much more. What’s it like to ride this high-powered mini smoker?
“Riding the bike is like riding a cannonball.”
Sounds like our kind of ride. As the great Hunter S. Thompson once said:
“Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba…”
Below, we talk to Tony himself for more details on the “Orange Monster.”
Simson Custom: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
My name is Tony Möckel, I am 35 years old and come from near Altenburg (Germany). I work in a foundry near Meuselwitz as a technical employee.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
My bike is a Simson S51 B from 1984.
• Why was this bike built?
I built the bike because I wanted it since I was a child and now I have finally dared to convert it.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
Combine the old and the new and build something special out of it. I have always liked streetfighter bikes.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
The engine has 130ccm and 32hp. The frame has been reinforced in many places with gusset plates. The swingarm is CNC machined. The wheels are 16 inches diameter and 3 inches wide. The tires are Heidenau K63.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
The “Orange Monster.”
• Any idea of horsepower, weight, and/or performance numbers?
The bike weighs 80 kilograms and has 32 hp.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
Riding the bike is like “riding a cannonball.”
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
My family and friends were always on my side and helped with the creation.
• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
My wife and my buddy André.
Videos
Follow the Builder: @moeckeltony”}]]
