1937
Ardie RBU 350 - Specifications & Review
Article Complete Info
| Articleid | 229378 |
|---|---|
| Category | Allround |
| Make | Ardie |
| Model | RBU 350 |
| Year | 1937 |
Chassis, Suspension, Brakes & Wheels
| Frontbrakes | Expanding brake (drum brake) |
|---|---|
| Fronttyre | 3.25-19 |
| Rearbrakes | Expanding brake (drum brake) |
| Rearsuspension | None |
| Reartyre | 3.25-19 |
| Seat | Single spring-mounted |
| Wheels | Spoked |
Engine & Transmission
| Borexstroke | 72.0 x 85.0 mm (2.8 x 3.3 inches) |
|---|---|
| Coolingsystem | Air |
| Displacement | 343.00 ccm (20.93 cubic inches) |
| Enginedetails | Single cylinder, four-stroke |
| Fuelsystem | Carburettor |
| Power | 10.00 HP (7.3 kW)) @ 4500 RPM |
| Transmissiontypefinaldrive | Chain |
Physical Measures & Capacities
| Dryweight | 135.0 kg (297.6 pounds) |
|---|---|
| Powerweightratio | 0.0741 HP/kg |
About Ardie
Country of Origin:
Germany
Founder:
Ardie–Werke Karl Ruppe
Best Known For:
Interwar/early postwar singles and twins; reliable German transport
Company History
Ardie operated from Nuremberg, part of Germany’s dense prewar motorcycle cluster. The firm produced practical singles and twins using both proprietary and sourced engines, emphasizing durability and tidy construction. Interwar models served commuters and couriers; during lean years Ardie’s straightforward machines helped keep businesses moving. Post-WWII, the company resumed with updated lightweights, but consolidation and the rise of the car squeezed demand for small motorcycles across Western Europe. Ardie’s bikes lacked racing glamour yet earned praise for workmanship: clean castings, robust gearboxes, and electrics that behaved. Owners valued the clarity of German design—controls that made sense, frames that tracked predictably, and manuals that told the truth. Historically, Ardie represents the industrious middle tier that sustained European mobility between wars: not icons but indispensable tools. Surviving examples attract collectors who enjoy riding prewar roads at realistic speeds, appreciating the quiet competence that defined an era when a motorcycle was simply the family vehicle.