Czechoslovakia Makes A Comeback

CZECHOSLOVAKIA MAKES A COMEBACK

JAWA, A NAME THAT ONCE was familiar to American motorcyclists, continues to dig itself out of Eastern Europe’s economic disaster. The Czech company has at last cranked up production of the Jawa 350, a rather ordinary runabout that uses an aircooled, two-stroke Twin from

an engine family that has been in production for at least 20 years. And, at the recent Moto Velo '92 Motorcycle Show—the first such show in Czechoslovkia in 44 years—the firm debuted a prototype of a slick new dual-purpose bike that would use a liquid-cooled, shaft-balanced, two-stroke Single.

CZ-Cagiva, meanwhile, that economic marriage of Czech and Italian industrial interests, showed the first fruits ofthat union, the CZ 180, a twostroke Single-powered econobike that nevertheless comes with electric start and electronic ignition.

A new firm called Penta, operated by 60 employees who run new computer-controlled equipment, showed its new 125 dual-purpose bike, also powered by a two-stroke Single.

There were other offerings, as well, including speedway and ice racers from Jawa, and a folding scooter from a firm called PVD. In the West, all of this would be small potatoes, but in Eastern Europe, the show represented a serious start for a country that seems to have a workable chance to catch up to the standards of Western Europe. -Pavel Husák