1965 CZ Twin Port

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In the annals of motocross, the CZ Twin Port stands out as an early exotic race bike. The 250cc (as well as the 360cc) elevated the sport to new heights with a hint of how new exotic metals could transform the machinery.

Using magnesium in many of the CZ's components (primarily the drum brake hubs and engine cases) brought the 250cc bike's weight down to a claimed 214 pounds.

The bike had an exceptionally simple yet stunning aura, set off by the peanut tank - with the legendary CZ insignia - and the low slung expansion chambers (no rules yet about excessive decibels meant these machines could run without silencers).

However, what really intrigued was the single cylinder 2-stroke engine's use of a twin exhaust port. Twin chrome header pipes exited the air-cooled cylinder and split the frame's front downtube, the pipes running underneath the bike to exit on either side of the swingarm.

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1980's works CZ125

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Via : www.vintageworksbikes.com

The following photos are of a 1980's works CZ125. The bike is water cooled and very trick! Photos compliments of www.cz-motocross.wz.cz

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1969 Jawa CZ360

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The bike that would be a star

The year was 1969. American motocross was young and struggling to climb out of obscurity. In October, at the Inter-Am motocross race in Pepperell, Massachusetts, it got its big break: “ABC’s Wide World of Sports” showed up to film the event and expose would-be American fans to the European stars who dominated the sport.


Although Sweden’s Arne Kring won the race on his works Husqvarna, CZ’s American rider, Barry Higgins, became an underdog hero to a national audience. He finished fifth, and top American, on this machine, beating several Euro stars.
“Motocross racers were far from sports heroes then,” says Higgins, who now runs H&H KTM World in Douglasville, Georgia. “We were thought of as hooligans on motorcycles, and getting on TV was a big step to help change that.”


Higgins is quick to credit the bike for his performance. Thanks to trick stock parts and solid reliability, the Czechoslovakian-made CZ was a natural choice. The year before, Jawa had won the 500cc and 250cc FIM World Championships, as well as the U.S. 250cc Inter-Am Championship.


“The Czechs built a solid bike,” Higgins says. “It was bulletproof compared to the Huskys, Bultacos, Maicos or anything else out of Europe. My mechanic did make a downpipe for it and ported the cylinder, and we ran alloy wheels, but everything else was stock—stock forks, shocks, brakes, chassis.” ... Read more



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1976 Factory works CZ400

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During the mid to late 1960's, the Czech factory had already won multiple World
Championships in the 250cc class with Joel Robert winning in 1964 and again
in the 1968 and 1969. Other World Champions with CZ bikes were Viktor
Arbekov in the 1965 (250 cc), and Paul Friedrichs in the 1966, 1967 and 1968 in
the 500 cc class. During the 1970's an early 1980's, the open class CZ's were
primarily campaigned by members of the Russian team. They enjoyed little
success rarely finishing in the top ten.

In 1975, at the Motocross des Nations held in Sedicany Czechoslovakia, The
Czech team consisting of Antonin Baborovski, Jiri Churavy, Miroslav Novacek
and Zdenek Velky won the over all beating a very strong Belgium team. The
first and last time a Czech Team has won the Motocross des Nations and it was
done on Czech soil, on Czech bikes!!!

"Works" CZ's featured sand cast magnesium center and outer cases. The
shocks are finned all the way to the mounting bracket. Preston Petty fenders
were standard items on the "works" CZ's in 1976. The air box is aluminum as is
the hand formed "peanut" style tank.

This bike has not been restored, only cleaned and touched up. Currently there
are no plans to take the process any further.

Via :

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Jawa, Cz and Eso motorcycles

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Jawa is a motorcycle manufacturer in the Czech republic, formerly Czechoslovakia. It was named after its founder Janeček bought the motorcycle production of Wanderer in 1929, by concatenating the first letters of Janeček and Wanderer. The company is still active today.

First model

The first model was introduced on October 23, 1929. This was a 500 cc 4-cycle engine with 12 kW of power (18 hp) and fuel consumption of 6 liters per 100 km. Although priced highly, through the first years (and several constructional fixes) this motorcycle was successful and was considered reliable.

Second model

Due to the economic recession of the early 1930 a cheaper and simpler motorcycle was needed. Year 1932 marked the introduction of Jawa 175, with its 3.6 kW engine. This light (70 kg) machine was capable of speeds up to 80 km/h and fuel consumption of 3.5 liters per 100 km. The first year of production was an immediate success, selling over 3000 of the Jawa 175, almost three times the number of the 500 cc model over three years of production. The production of this model was finally stopped 1946. In 1938 Jawa was the first to offer test rides during exhibition show. This test motorcycle was a custom Jawa 175 equipped with dual handlebars, second pair being in the back for the instructor. Over the years total of 27,535 units of the Jawa 175 were built.


Česká Zbrojovka is a Czech firearms manufacturer also known for making ČZ motorcycles. ČZ was established as a branch of the Škoda Works Armament in Strakonice, Czechoslovakia in September 1919.
Work started on the construction of the first workshops of the arms factory originally called "South Bohemian Armament Works" ("Jihočeská zbrojovka"). The company merged with an arms manufacturing plant in Vejprty and with a factory in Prague in 1922. This gave rise to the formation of a stock company whose name translates as "Czech Armament Works in Prague of the Manufacturing Plant in Strakonice". It produced pistols, air guns, and automatic guns which all became successful products.

In 1929 the growth of the Czech Armament Works reached a turning point. With the downturn in weapons sales after World War I, the company acquired a bicycle parts manufacturing plant in Kralupy nad Vltavou on the Vltava River. Bicycle exports destined for several countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America started to expand. Production of motor-driven bicycles started in 1932. Three years later the first motorcycles made in Strakonice entered the market. This marked the beginning of an era of great success for the ČZ brand. In a short time the company became the biggest manufacturer of motorcycles in Czechoslovakia. Consequently, business success resulted in a further extension of production activities by introducing chain and machine tool production. During the Second World War the factory came under German occupation and was converted to the manufacture of war materials.


Eso was a Czech motorcycle factory producing only racing machines from 1949 until 1964, when it joined Jawa. ESO was founded by a motorcycle racing driver, and made bikes in 250, 350, and 500 cc, primarily for speedway, moto-cross and ice racing.Engines were sourced from J.A.P. during the first year, and then an engine of ESO's own after 1950, first copied from J.A.P. and later of their own design.


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