The Vintage Motorcycles
Specialists in antique, classic, veteran and vintage motorcycles.
Specialists in antique, classic, veteran and vintage motorcycles.
The 1935 Imperia Sport 500 Bark is a distinctive German pre-war motorcycle from the final years of Imperia's early motorcycle production. It belongs to the 500 cc Sport range offered by Imperia in 1935 and is powered by a single-cylinder four-stroke overhead-valve engine supplied by Bark.
The Sport 500 was positioned as the sporting 500 cc model in Imperia's 1935 range. Contemporary model information describes it with an OHV engine, a three-speed block gearbox, two-wheel brakes, 40-watt lighting, and a front fork using rubber suspension.
The Bark engine is particularly important to the identity of this motorcycle. Imperia's technical records identify the 1935 Sport 500 as an 18 hp, 500 cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke motorcycle with Bark OHV engine and three-speed transmission.
With its large single-cylinder engine, exposed mechanical components, open frame, traditional motorcycle proportions, and sporting specification, the Imperia Sport 500 Bark represents an interesting example of German motorcycle engineering immediately before the Second World War.
Imperia was an important German motorcycle manufacturer whose range developed substantially during the 1920s and early 1930s. By 1935, the company offered a relatively focused range that included small two-stroke models, a 350 cc Sport, a 500 cc Godesburg touring motorcycle, and the 500 cc Sport.
The 1935 Sport 500 was the performance-oriented 500 cc machine in this range. Imperia's technical records identify the model as a single-cylinder four-stroke with Bark OHV engine, approximately 18 horsepower, and a three-speed gearbox.
Period model information lists the 500 cc Sport at approximately 1,060 Reichsmark in 1935. It was equipped with two-wheel brakes and 40-watt electrical equipment, while the front fork used rubber suspension rather than the more conventional spring arrangements found on many motorcycles of the period.
The surviving population of these motorcycles is very small, and individual examples may have experienced substantial modification, repair, or restoration during their long lives.
Provenance can therefore be particularly important. Frame and engine numbers, original registration documents, period photographs, factory literature, ownership records, restoration documentation, and surviving spare-parts or sales catalogues can all help establish the history of an individual motorcycle.
A recently documented 1935 Sport 500 Bark example offered in Austria was described as having been completely overhauled but still requiring final assembly, with parts catalogues, sales catalogues, and technical documentation included with the motorcycle.
The Imperia Sport 500 Bark is powered by a single-cylinder, four-stroke overhead-valve engine with a displacement of approximately 500 cc.
Imperia's technical records list the 1935 Sport 500 with a Bark OHV engine and an output of approximately 18 horsepower.
The overhead-valve arrangement was an important feature of the Sport 500 because it provided a more performance-oriented engine configuration than the side-valve units used in some other Imperia models.
The large single-cylinder layout provides the motorcycle with the characteristic torque delivery and mechanical character associated with pre-war sporting singles.
The exact bore and stroke figures for the 1935 Bark-powered Sport 500 are not clearly established by the available Imperia technical listing, so they should not be assumed from specifications belonging to earlier M.A.G.-powered Imperia 500 models.
Actual performance depends heavily on the condition of the engine, carburetor, ignition system, exhaust, compression, gearing, tires, and overall restoration quality.
The 500 cc engine gives the Sport 500 considerably more road-going ability than Imperia's smaller motorcycles, while retaining the relatively simple mechanical construction expected from a motorcycle of the mid-1930s.
The 1935 Imperia Sport 500 Bark uses a three-speed block gearbox.
The gearbox is integrated into the motorcycle's drivetrain layout and is designed to work with the torque characteristics of the 500 cc single-cylinder engine.
The three-speed configuration was typical of many motorcycles of the period and provided a practical compromise between mechanical simplicity and usable road performance.
Power is transmitted to the rear wheel through a conventional motorcycle chain final drive.
The clutch, gearbox, primary drive, chain, sprockets, and rear hub should all be examined carefully on a surviving motorcycle.
Because pre-war motorcycles were frequently rebuilt during their working lives, the presence of later replacement gears, cables, sprockets, or clutch components does not necessarily indicate a modern restoration, but such changes should be documented when originality is being assessed.
The Sport 500 uses a conventional open motorcycle frame designed around the large single-cylinder engine.
One of the unusual features of the 1935 specification is the front fork with rubber suspension. Imperia's contemporary model information specifically identifies rubber suspension at the front of the 500 Sport.
This arrangement gives the motorcycle an interesting place in the development of pre-war suspension technology, when manufacturers were experimenting with different methods of improving comfort and road holding.
The frame should be inspected for cracks, corrosion, distortion, previous repairs, and modifications, particularly around the engine mounts, steering head, rear suspension points, and gearbox mounting areas.
The steering bearings, front fork, rubber suspension elements, wheel alignment, and frame geometry are especially important on a motorcycle that has potentially undergone decades of use and restoration.
The 1935 Sport 500 was equipped with braking on both wheels, an important improvement in practical stopping performance compared with earlier motorcycle configurations that sometimes relied more heavily on a single brake.
Contemporary model information specifically lists a two-wheel braking system for the Sport 500.
The motorcycle uses conventional wire-spoked wheels appropriate to its pre-war design.
Brake drums, shoes, operating mechanisms, cables, wheel bearings, spokes, rims, and tires should all be inspected carefully before use.
Because original braking components may have been replaced or modified over the decades, the exact configuration of an individual motorcycle should be compared with period documentation.
The 1935 Imperia Sport 500 was specified with a 40-watt lighting system.
This electrical equipment provided the lighting necessary for road use while remaining relatively simple compared with later motorcycle electrical systems.
Original or period-correct headlamps, generator components, switches, wiring, horn equipment, and rear lighting can be important when assessing originality.
Many surviving pre-war motorcycles have received replacement wiring and electrical components during restoration, so the condition and authenticity of the electrical system should be evaluated separately.
The Imperia Sport 500 Bark has the characteristic appearance of a German sporting motorcycle from the mid-1930s.
The large single-cylinder engine is prominently exposed within the frame, emphasizing the mechanical nature of the motorcycle.
The fuel tank, tubular frame, wire wheels, external controls, and minimal bodywork create a purposeful sporting appearance.
The Bark OHV engine is visually significant because the valve gear and large cylinder give the motorcycle a distinctly performance-oriented character.
The front fork with rubber suspension is another important identifying feature and separates the motorcycle from many more conventional pre-war designs.
The overall design balances sporting intent with the practical requirements of road use, making the Sport 500 a representative example of German motorcycle engineering during the mid-1930s.
The 1935 Sport 500 was the 500 cc sporting motorcycle in Imperia's model range for that year.
Imperia's technical records identify it as an 18 horsepower, single-cylinder, four-stroke motorcycle using a Bark OHV engine and a three-speed gearbox. The frame numbering is listed from approximately 75,000 onward in the surviving technical reference.
Contemporary model information gives the Sport 500 a price of approximately 1,060 Reichsmark. Its standard equipment included a three-speed block gearbox, two-wheel brakes, 40-watt lighting, and rubber front-fork suspension.
The 1935 range also included the 500 cc Godesburg touring model, which used a side-valve engine and was priced lower than the Sport 500. This distinction is useful when authenticating a surviving Imperia because the two 500 cc motorcycles served different purposes within the company's range.
The Sport 500 Bark was designed to provide stronger performance than Imperia's smaller motorcycles while retaining the straightforward mechanical character of a pre-war single-cylinder machine.
The 18 horsepower Bark OHV engine provides the motorcycle with useful torque and a distinctive single-cylinder power delivery.
The three-speed gearbox keeps the mechanical layout relatively simple while providing useful gearing for normal road riding.
The rubber-suspended front fork adds another interesting element to the riding character and reflects the experimental nature of motorcycle suspension development during the period.
Modern riders should remember that the braking, suspension, tires, lighting, steering, and chassis technology are fundamentally different from modern motorcycles.
A restored Sport 500 should therefore be inspected carefully and operated within the limits of its original design and the condition of its surviving components.
The 1935 Imperia Sport 500 Bark is historically important because it represents Imperia's late pre-war approach to the sporting 500 cc motorcycle.
The model combined a 500 cc Bark overhead-valve engine with a three-speed gearbox, two-wheel braking, 40-watt electrical equipment, and an unusual rubber-suspended front fork.
This combination demonstrates how German motorcycle manufacturers were continuing to develop performance, braking, lighting, and suspension technology during the mid-1930s.
The Sport 500 also illustrates the diversity of Imperia's 1935 range. The company offered both practical touring motorcycles and more sporting machines, allowing the 500 cc category to serve different types of riders.
Its relatively limited survival today makes the model an especially interesting representative of Imperia's final pre-war motorcycle development.
The Imperia Sport 500 Bark is a rare and highly interesting motorcycle for collectors of German pre-war machines.
The combination of its Bark OHV engine, 500 cc displacement, sporting specification, unusual front suspension, and limited survival makes authentic examples particularly desirable.
Collectors should pay close attention to the frame, engine, gearbox, fuel tank, front fork, braking system, wheels, controls, lighting equipment, carburetor, exhaust, and period fittings.
The Bark engine is especially important because the 1935 Sport 500 should not be confused with earlier Imperia 500 models powered by M.A.G. or other engines.
Original frame and engine numbers, factory markings, period equipment, surviving documentation, and restoration records can provide valuable evidence of authenticity.
A motorcycle that retains its original Bark engine and period chassis components is particularly interesting, while a machine assembled from later parts should be identified accordingly.
Authenticating a 1935 Imperia Sport 500 Bark requires careful examination of the engine, frame, gearbox, suspension, brakes, fuel tank, electrical system, and historical documents.
The engine should correspond to the Bark OHV specification associated with the 1935 Sport 500.
The motorcycle should also be consistent with the documented 1935 equipment, including the three-speed block gearbox, two-wheel brakes, 40-watt lighting, and rubber-suspended front fork.
The frame number should be checked against surviving Imperia production references, which identify Sport 500 frame numbers beginning around 75,000 for the 1935 model.
Period photographs and factory literature can be particularly useful because many pre-war motorcycles have acquired replacement tanks, wheels, exhausts, controls, and electrical equipment.
Originality should therefore be assessed component by component rather than based solely on the overall appearance of the motorcycle.
The 1935 Imperia Sport 500 Bark matters because it represents the company's late development of a sporting 500 cc motorcycle before the major disruption caused by the Second World War.
The 18 horsepower Bark OHV single-cylinder engine, three-speed transmission, two-wheel braking, 40-watt lighting, and rubber-suspended front fork provide a distinctive combination of performance and engineering innovation for the period.
The motorcycle also demonstrates the diversity of German motorcycle engineering during the mid-1930s, when manufacturers were experimenting with new suspension systems and increasingly sophisticated overhead-valve engines.
For collectors, the Sport 500 Bark offers an important connection to Imperia's final pre-war motorcycle era.
A surviving example with its correct Bark engine, original frame, period equipment, documented provenance, and sympathetic restoration is particularly desirable.
This 1935 Imperia Sport 500 Bark represents one of the distinctive sporting motorcycles produced by Imperia during the final years of its pre-war motorcycle development.
The 500 cc single-cylinder Bark overhead-valve engine produces approximately 18 horsepower and is paired with a three-speed block gearbox, while the chassis incorporates two-wheel braking, 40-watt lighting, and an unusual rubber-suspended front fork.
The motorcycle's exposed single-cylinder engine, open frame, wire wheels, traditional fuel tank, and period controls create the characteristic appearance of a German sporting motorcycle from the mid-1930s.
For collectors, the Bark engine, frame number, three-speed gearbox, rubber front suspension, braking system, electrical equipment, original body components, and documented history are particularly important when establishing authenticity.
A well-preserved or accurately restored 1935 Imperia Sport 500 Bark with correct mechanical components, period-correct equipment, and strong provenance represents a rare and historically significant example of pre-war German motorcycle engineering.
For more information about the Imperia marque and its historic motorcycles, visit Imperia vintage motorcycles.
Contact us for additional photographs, detailed specifications, frame and engine numbers, service history, originality assessment, provenance, restoration information, historical documentation, and purchasing information for this 1935 Imperia Sport 500 Bark.
The Vintage Motorcycles presents a curated selection of historically significant German motorcycles, with a dedicated focus on Imperia Fahrzeugwerk GmbH, a lesser-known but technically interesting contributor to early German motorcycle engineering. Emerging during a period of intense industrial development in Germany, Imperia reflects an engineering mindset centered on precision construction, functional design, and practical road usability in the early 20th century.
This collection is part of a wider historical archive of global motorcycle manufacturers, accessible through our global vintage motorcycle brands archive, where German engineering is positioned alongside British, French, American, and Belgian developments. Within this comparative framework, Imperia represents the more understated but structurally disciplined side of German industrial design. These machines are best understood within the context of pre-war motorcycle engineering (1900-1939), a formative period that defined the mechanical foundations of modern motorcycling across Europe.
Each motorcycle within our collection is selected based on provenance, originality, and mechanical authenticity, ensuring alignment with museum-grade preservation standards. Available machines can be explored through our global vintage motorcycle inventory, including early European engineering examples that reflect transitional mechanical design philosophies. All acquisitions are supported by a fully insured international shipping service, ensuring secure global delivery for collectors and institutions.
German motorcycle engineering developed through a strong industrial foundation emphasizing precision, mechanical discipline, and structural efficiency. Within this environment, Imperia contributed to the broader ecosystem of early manufacturers that prioritized functional design and reliable construction over stylistic excess. These motorcycles reflect a transitional phase in which engineering principles were being standardized across the rapidly evolving European industry.
This evolution can be better understood within the wider historical context of global motorcycle development, beginning with the experimental foundations of the pre-war era, when manufacturers across Europe were still defining core mechanical architectures. During World War II, engineering priorities shifted toward durability and operational reliability, as reflected in military motorcycle development. Following this period, motorcycle production entered a phase of industrial standardization and mass manufacturing, documented in post-war motorcycle evolution, which further refined the engineering foundations established by early German manufacturers like Imperia.
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