Kreidler Martinique - Specifications & Review

Company History

Kreidler became a postwar German staple with the Florett—robust lightweights that took workers to factories and students to school. Precision in castings and gearboxes made them durable, while tidy frames and practical chain enclosures kept maintenance low. On the track, Kreidler’s 50cc racers terrorized Grand Prix grids in the 1960s–70s, extracting improbable power from minuscule engines through meticulous porting and aerodynamics. That dual identity—honest transport and race laboratory—built a loyal following. As West Germans moved into cars and licensing regimes changed, light motorcycle demand shrank, and the brand faded, later reappearing as a badge on imported machines. Historically, Kreidler symbolizes German engineering applied at both ends: mopeds that refused to die and tiny GP terrors that punched far above their weight. Surviving Floretts still hum through villages, while the brand’s race trophies remind us how much speed lives in good tolerances and clever air.