The Sachs MadAss is an underbone motorcycle that Sachs has distributed since 2004, assembled in Malaysia and manufactured in China. Its fuel tank sits inside the frame, there is no external bodywork, and the vertical headlights make it one of the most recognisable small machines of its time.
Sachs MadAss at a glance
| Maker | Sachs Motorcycles (SFM GmbH), Nuremberg |
|---|---|
| Distributed since | 2004 |
| Assembled | Malaysia |
| Manufactured | China |
| Engines | 49 cc, 125 cc and 160 cc |
| Engine basis | Honda-style horizontal single of the 1960s |
| Frame | fuel tank incorporated into the frame |
| Bodywork | none; no external panels or fairings |
| Exhaust | stainless steel, under the seat |
| Gearbox | four-speed manual or automatic |
| Brakes | dual hydraulic disc |
| Headlights | two, mounted vertically |
History of the Sachs MadAss
A mokick without bodywork
The MadAss was introduced in 2004 and is built around a simple idea: the fuel tank is incorporated into the frame, and the machine has no external bodywork or fairings at all. The engine is based on the horizontal single that Honda used in its mopeds and small motorcycles from the late 1960s, and it drives through a four-speed manual gearbox or an automatic transmission. A stainless steel exhaust runs under the seat, the brakes are dual hydraulic discs and the two headlights are mounted vertically, one above the other.
Sizes and markets
The MadAss has been sold in 49 cc, 125 cc and 160 cc versions, assembled in Malaysia and manufactured in China. In the United States the 49 cc model is limited to 40 mph (64 km/h) so that it qualifies as a moped in some jurisdictions, and it has been sold there as the Xkeleton Trickster and under the Pierspeed and Tomberlin brands; in Canada it was also offered as the AMG Nitro. As of December 2014 the MadAss 50 was available again in the United States in 49 cc form through a new distributor, Excalibur Motorsports of Chino, California, CARB certified for sale in California.
The one Sachs-engineered model
The MadAss mattered to the company as much as to its buyers. After a series of financial problems, Sachs was reduced to local assembly of small, cheap, Chinese-sourced scooters, and the distinctive MadAss was the only Sachs-engineered motorcycle made at the time. The model was also the basis of a 2004 concept, the Madass 500, which used a Royal Enfield 500 cc parallel twin. Sachs Bikes became insolvent in June 2006, was taken over by its management on 1 January 2007 and was renamed SFM GmbH in 2008.
Design and features
- Tank in the frame: the fuel is carried inside the chassis, with no bodywork around it.
- Vertical headlights: two lamps stacked one above the other.
- Simple running gear: stainless under-seat exhaust and dual hydraulic disc brakes.
- Choice of transmission: four-speed manual or automatic.
- Three capacities: 49, 125 and 160 cc.
Sachs MadAss versions
- MadAss 50 (49 cc): the moped version, limited to 40 mph in the United States.
- MadAss 125: the 125 cc version of Germany’s best-selling geared mokick.
- MadAss 160: the largest capacity offered.
- Madass 500 concept (2004): one-off with a Royal Enfield 500 cc parallel twin.
- Other badges: Xkeleton Trickster, Pierspeed, Tomberlin and AMG Nitro.
The other 50 cc machines are in Sachs 50, the scooters of the same years in Sachs Speedjet, and the concept that followed it in Sachs Beast. More are in the Sachs collection.
Video: 2011 Sachs MadAss 125 Ultimate wheelie machine!
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Sachs MadAss, English Wikipedia: design, engines, markets, versions
- Sachs Bikes, German Wikipedia: place in the range, company history
- Sachs Motorcycles, English Wikipedia: the MadAss as the only Sachs-engineered model of the period
