WWII swedish motorized Bicycle using wood gas

GoldenMotor.com

Here's a picture of a Swedish Motorized bicycle that was used in WWII. You can clearly see where the Russians got their design if this is not a Russian motor to start with. The rough translation seems to suggest this was made at Nyman's Workshops in Uppsala Sweden. The can on the side is a wood gasifier to power the motor from burning wood chips. looks like an early brass fire extinguisher on the fender. I wonder how the motor got lubrication?
Here's the original link to the picture and explanation
 
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Shorty

New Member
Apr 2, 2010
30
1
0
McKinleyville, CA
Gasifiers are rad!!!! We built one in shop class at my high school two years ago. The basic principal is that you burn wood, or any other carbon based material, and the hydrogen gas (and other gasses) are cooled and filtered, and then used as fuel. The one we built was used to run a wood splitter with an 8hp Briggs. In WWII a lot of European counties used gasifiers to power everything from farm equipment to city busses and generators.

i've never seen one on a bike, but what a kool piece of history!!
 

diceman2004

New Member
Aug 26, 2009
564
2
0
Kitchener , Ontario
that thing is sweet .

Now we are talkin ... this is the kind of things i like to see .
i think they used to call it ( brown gas ) pretty sure they did the same with coal .

haven,t been to the forum in a while ... but i,m definately gonna have to keep an eye on this one .

looks like a mod that could be done to a newer engine .

keep us updated on the technical workings of this bike , sounds like something id,e like to try to make .
 

FarRider

New Member
Jun 8, 2011
134
0
0
Brooklyn N.Y.

Here's a picture of a Swedish Motorized bicycle that was used in WWII. You can clearly see where the Russians got their design if this is not a Russian motor to start with. The rough translation seems to suggest this was made at Nyman's Workshops in Uppsala Sweden. The can on the side is a wood gasifier to power the motor from burning wood chips. looks like an early brass fire extinguisher on the fender. I wonder how the motor got lubrication?
Here's the original link to the picture and explanation

That looks like a Russian engine to me from the placement of the exhaust port and its round left side cover.
Gasified wood as a fuel for a 2 smoker? Ok... new one on me, it might get its oil from the gas tank.
I enlarged the photo till it pixilated, something funny going on were the carb should be, but i cant see any connection between its wood burner and its intake, most of it must be on the right hand side of the bike.
At least we know why its got that brass fire extinguisher.

I want that gas tank!
Very Cool
FR
 

TheEwaffle

New Member
Nov 24, 2014
6
0
1
Vallentuna, Sweden
Sorry to reawaken such an old thread but I know what this is. It's what we in Sweden call a "lättviktare" (lightweighter) they were a form of cheap motorcycle that were not allowed to have more than 100cc, this means the engine was on there from the factory. And it was probably made by Nymans verkstäder, I actually have a motorcycle made there (150cc) and a moped (50cc). Sadly I know nothing about the engine.
 
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Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
5,071
783
113
UK
http://www.gengas.nu/bilder/rolf_barry_berg/

"My Sperco II are heirlooms from my grandfather who bought it from Sweden during the war, ie in 1942. It is completely original and mounted a 1936 Blixt 98 cc which was produced at Nymans Verkstäder in Uppsala. I've run it on multiple veteranrallies both in Norway and Sweden, and it works great. It is reputedly one Speco II in Sweden and mine is the only one in Norway. Here it lost a piece of Swedish history!
Åsbrink & Co. received permission to produce gengasaggregater for mc 21 April 1941. They had then address Sibyllegatan 3 in Stockholm. The permit has no 257."

Rolf Barry Berg