Mecum Auctions’ Las Vegas Motorcycle 2025 auction beckons. Held at the South Point Hotel & Casino, the 34th Annual Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction will take place on January 29 and February 1. There will be 2,000 motorcycles up for sale.
The Urban S. Hirsch III Collection is a prominent feature of the event, with over 100 motorcycles on offer. Although the Collection’s pre-1916 bikes may be the star attractions, the 1923 Hirsch Berlino Anno caught our attention.
The 1923 Hirsch Berlino Anno motorcycle was constructed by Hirsch Motorradbau in Germany. The most striking feature of the bike is its frame, which starts at the rear axle and widens gracefully until it reaches the steering head.
However, the most remarkable aspect of the frame is not apparent in the photos—the frame is made of ash wood.
From the wooden frame, you’ll note steel supports for an unusual motor. The Bosch Stockdorfer Motorenwerke motor used in the 1923 Hirsch Berlino Anno is an opposed-twin design mounted along the wooden frame’s pitch axis, rather than across the frame, as BMW does with its boxer motors.
The motor displaces 350cc and puts out a peak of 6.5 horsepower. The air-cooled twin is fed by a spray carburetor with the fuel charge ignited by power from a Bosch magneto. Levers are used for ignition advance and throttle. The exhaust is a two-into-one system with a small muffler.
A clutch is part of the primary drive, with a chain sending power from the motor to a frame-mounted, hand-shift three-speed transmission. Another chain, this one with a tensioner, acts as the final drive.
The wheels are 28 inches in diameter, and the tires measure 2.5 inches wide. The rear wheel boasts a five-inch drum brake, while the front wheel is brake-free. The front end sports an enclosed-spring girder fork, while the rear end of the ash-framed 1923 Hirsch Berlino Anno is rigid. A solo spring seat adds a bit of comfort to the ride.
There are many practical touches. Lighting, front and back, is acetylene-fueled. A bulb horn sends out alerts. Cargo can be carried on the rear rack or in the steel side cases mounted to the rack.
This is the only known example of the 1923 Hirsch Berlino Anno with the 350 twin motor; the bike was also sold with the buyer’s choice of two single-cylinder two-stroke motors. This motorcycle will be sold on February 1, and Mecum Auctions allows bids from buyers in person, online, or via telephone.
