Motorcycle "Chezet" - the cherished dream of the Soviet biker

In the early thirties of the last century, when the first "Javas" appeared on European roads, the Czech arms factory Ceska Zbrojovka (abbreviated "CZ") also decided to switch to the production of two-wheeled vehicles.

The pre-war history of CZ

The first motorcycle "Chezet", a photo of which demonstrates the unit, more like a bicycle, was designed and tested in 1930, and the next year they released the first batch. The car was equipped with an engine of 60 cm ³ , located on the front wheel. The design was so unsuccessful, that of a little more than two dozen copies, not one was sold. Even the decision to simply distribute them to the company's employees did not add to the popularity of the first "Chezets".

The next model CZ76 with 76-cc engine, released in 1932, proved to be much more successful, and a year later the CZ98 equipped with a 98 cc engine comes off the assembly line, and almost after it - CZ175 with a 175 cc engine. The new "Chezet" motorcycle had a double stamped frame and a three-speed transmission. The 175th became one of the most popular models of pre-war time and was released in an amount of more than 20 thousand copies.

Factory Ceska Zbrojovka after the war

After the end of the Second World War, the enterprise again started the production of peaceful products, resuming the production of the advanced "Chezeta-175" with a front telescopic fork, and subsequently - with a candle rear suspension. By the mid-fifties, CZ was part of the concern "Java" and began to produce motorcycles developed at the association "Java" and equipped with 123 and 148-cc engines. And yet the history of "Chezeta" did not end there, and factory engineers continue to develop their own motor vehicles. At the same time, the main bet was made on the sports industry. However, due to a number of circumstances related to the reorganization of the enterprise, the production of sports models had to be postponed for some time.

In 1962, the cross-country motorcycle "Chezet", equipped with a 250-cubic-cc engine, came off the assembly line, which immediately showed itself not only in Czechoslovakia, but also at international competitions. The famous riders of the time were on the "Chezetah", and Igor Grigoriev and Viktor Arbekov from the USSR, Joel Robber from Belgium, Paul Friedrichs from the GDR, from various countries.

Motorcycle "Chezet" in the USSR

In the 1970s, CZ re-established the production of road bikes, concentrating its efforts on the production of motorcycles with engines of 250 and 350 cm ³ , some of which came to our country.

In the former USSR, CZ motorcycles with two-stroke single-cylinder engines with a working volume of 123 and 172 cm ³ , as well as two-cylinder units of 250 and 350 cm ^3, were most popular. True, the latest models came mainly for the numerous motor clubs DOSAAF, which existed in almost any, even the smallest town. Just like "Java", the "Chezet" motorcycle "became a symbol of prestige for Soviet motorists and a standard of reliability.

Sunset era CZ

Unfortunately, the events of the nineties that occurred in the USSR led not only to the disintegration of the former union state, but also the entire Soviet bloc. The position of the plant Ceska Zbrojovka was simply disastrous. Developing an interest in the products of the Czech manufacturer, the Italian concern Cagiva purchased the CZ plant and established the production of the Roadster motorcycles sold under the Cagiva trademark. The new bike was produced with two engine variants - two-stroke Cagiva (V = 124 cm ³ ) and four-stroke CZ (V = 200 cm ³ ). However, the project turned out to be unprofitable and, in the end, it was decided to abandon the production of motorcycle equipment at CZ's production facilities . And yet, the motorcycle "Chezet" not only played its bright role in the history of European and world motorcycle construction, but also became a world-famous brand, a kind of visiting card of Czech masters from the town of Strakonice. Although, maybe, he still only ahead? ..