A manufacturer of motorcycles since 1904, Hercules (Herkules) eventually joined ZF Sachs in 1963, based in Nuremberg, Germany. In the 1950s and 1960s Sachs was the largest European fabricator of two-stroke engines, many of which were used in the Hercules line of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds.

Although it would eventually prove a technological blind alley, the rotary engine seemed full of promise for automotive applications in the early 1970s. Three major motorcycle manufacturers released models using rotary engines: Suzuki, Norton and DKW. Introduced to the UK market in 1973, the latter's offering was the W2000 (marketed as the Hercules W2000 in the US), which was powered by a single rotor Fichtel & Sachs snowmobile engine displacing 294cc. This fan-cooled unit drove via a six-speed transmission and was suspended from a tubular spine frame, while the rest of the cycle parts were entirely conventional for the time. It goes without saying that its rotary engine was vibrationless, but the Hercules possessed other virtues: excellent build quality, superb handling and BMW-like rider comfort. Top speed was around 95mph. 'But even ignoring the novelty value of the unconventional power unit, it's an outstanding machine in its own right,' declared Bike.

This Hercules rotary is a rare showroom model, originally displayed in a Southern California dealership. Showing an astonishing 397 miles from new, the vendor, the distributor for the Western States for Fichtel Sachs mopeds and scooters, is offering this motorcycle with an array of sales literature for this 1976 model.

In storage since 1976, this Hercules is offered in original condition, including battery and tires and offers a startlingly untouched piece of motorcycling history.