1961 NSU Prima III Scooter Road Test - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1961 NSU Prima III Scooter Road Test - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
CYCLE
Road Test No. 121
By the CYCLE Staff
Every motorized vehicle that rolls
off an assembly line today is de-
signed with some specific purpose in
mind. The job of the road tester is
to find out just how well the engi-
neers and designers have done their
jobs.
Our test NSU Prima was used for
errands, going back and forth to
work and for two long trips. Daily
riding gave us more than enough
time to evaluate the characteristics
A sleek, sturdy machine that should appeal
to many.
of this interesting scooter.
As far as we could see, the NSU
Prima was designed with the idea of
providing a scooter for the average
man that is simple to ride, starts
easily, has enough power to carry
two people and will keep the rider
clean and dry in most weather con-
ditions.
The engine is a 150 cc two-stroke,
factory rated at 7.4 bhp. It has a
bore of 57mm and a stroke of 57.6
which makes it almost a “square”
engine. The transmission is mated to
the engine in such a way as to make
a neat compact unit. Final power to
Final power to the rear wheel is transmitted through a shaft and bevel gear to a crown gear
on the axle.
PRIMA ill
SCOOTER
the rear wheel is transmitted through
a shaft and bevel gear to a crown
gear on the axle spline. The clutch is
of “automotive type” single plate de-
sign. Operation is extremely smooth
and no adjustment was needed dur-
ing the test.
Tire size is 3.50-10. Overall ground
clearance is 5 inches. The center of
gravity is extremely low which seems
to give the rider a feeling of security
at all times. The brakes are of the
internal expanding shoe type and
seem powerful enough to bring a
much larger machine to a halt. We
tried one panic stop from thirty
miles an hour and were surprised at
the smooth even stop that ensues
after both binders are clamped full
on. Brake fade under trying moun-
tainous conditions are negligible
enough to be called non-existant.
For a few hundred miles the front
brake squeaked loudly, but after a
while this disappeared.
By undoing two large lever type
clamps, the frame, engine and sus-
pension are all exposed, as the side
panels are removed. On the right
hand side is the spark plug, toolbox,
gas tank and air intake hose. The
toolbox is large and contains a sup-...
15103-AL-6109-04