Suzuki RE5 (above) one of the most well known Rotary's

In 1970 the first and only prototype Hercules W 2000 was shown at a German motorcycle show. It had the Sachs KM 914 engine with a BMW gearbox and driveshaft.
   In 1973 Hercules built 50 "pre-series" W 2000's with the KC 24 engine, a design based on the KM 914, a six-speed gearbox and chain drive. This model came with a yellow fuel tank and was sold only to Hercules dealers.
   In 1974 production began with the KC 27 engine. It was sold in England under the name DKW.
The last year of production the W 2000 was equipped with oil-injection.
In 1975 at Nürburgring a 50,000-km endurance test was done showing very little wear.
Specially modified W 2000's were ridden in distance races and proved successful in off-road racing.
Prototype studies were conducted on a conventional looking water-cooled engine with a Hercules GS Two-stroke 7-speed gearbox with a BMW/5 frame.
By the time production stopped over 1,800 Hercules W 2000's had been built. It was then that Sachs sold the rotary engine tooling machines to Norton.