JAWA motorcycle's

This Czech brand was very important for the motorcycle's history, because the technical characteristcs of these models influenced the developement of the Japanese cross motorcycles. The CZ realized also interesting GP bikes, but the cross was the most important activity, with famous drivers that driven these Czech off-roads: Joel Robert, Roger De Coster, Gaston Rahier and others. The CZ, like the Jawa, was another victim of the fall of the communist regimes, and today it does not produces motorcycles.

The CZ was founded in the city of Strakonice, in the 1919, as factory of weapons: CZ means "Ceska Zbrojowka" (Czechoslovakian Weapon Factory). In the 1932, the CZ produces the first bike. It's a small motorcycles of 76 cc, a sort of motorized bicycle, called with the curious name "Kaktus" (in the first pic, above), because the shape of the cylinder recalls the same shape of a cactus! This bike, after some year, was increased to 100 cc., with a newer frame (second pic). The factory developed progressively more finished and elegant bikes, as the beautiful "250 Touring" in the third pic (1937). After a stop caused by the war, the CZ resumes the motorcycle production in the 1948, with a simple 125 cc. two-stroke (fourth pic, above), very similar (like others 125 of the age, comprised the BSA "Bantam") to the DKW 125 RT, and partially derived from the 98 cc. pre-war.

It's interesting to note that, in the 1938-40 (till the beginning of the war), the CZ produced also a beautiful 500 twin-cylinder two-strokes (first and second pics above), 15 hp for 115 km/h, realized also in a version for the Vatican's escort (third and fourth pics)! Note the white paint with golden borders; even mechanical parts, as suspension springs and exhausts, are golden plated! It's incredible that, after this sort of limousine on two wheels, the normal road production of the Czech was composed by cheap motorcycles "for the people"....

In the '50s, the CZ brand was united with the Jawa: this influenced the following production of the two brands, often very similar. However, there was still space for some original realization: in the first and second pics above, the "Cezeta 175-Typ 502" scooter, with a personal look and particular solutions (for example, the tank placed over the front wheel, with a useful luggage rack). The rest of production was composed by traditional small motorcycles, like the CZ 175 of the 1965 (third pic), classic two-stroke with usual technical solutions. From these simple bikes, the early off-road motorcycles were obtained, as the CZ 150 for the "Six Days" race of the 1955 (won), equipped even with a transfer-reducer gearbox, 4+4 speed (almost like an off-road car!), driven by a lever on the crankcase.

During the '60s and '70s, the CZ's production was substantially based on two models: the 125/175 single-cylinder (in the first, second, third and fourth pics above, the road and "Trail" versions, also shown in a curious advertising of the 1968, in full "hippy" style!), derived from the early '50-'60s models, and the 250 twin-cylinder (fifth and sixth pics), conceptually similar to the Jawa 350. These bikes were quite simple and cheap, realized with the same concept of simplicity and robustness of the motocross models, although with a very different destination.