From our Old Bike Archives – Issue 84 – first published in 2019.
Story and photos: Bryan Fowler
Bryan Fowler takes a visit to a couple of Jawa/CZ motorcycle museums in the Czech Republic.
In as much as I had been aware of the CZ/Jawa marques while living in the U.S. as they were at that time (1960s-70s) almost unbeatable in motocross/trials, and what few I did see on the road were held in high regard for their reliability and durability, it wasn’t until I purchased a 15 year old Velorex sidecar in 1987 that I finally got more “up close and personal” with one of their products. On a side note, that same sidecar, which I used to bring my sons with me on motorcycle rides, is now 47 years old and is currently being used to carry my grandson.
And so it was, with that in mind, that on a recent trip to the Czech Republic, I was keen to visit a museum dedicated to these brands and learn more about them. In part, I was also curious as to the reasons why, CZ/Jawa seemed somewhat obscure beyond the Eastern Block countries. After all, the Czech Republic had brought the world its only surviving/working Astronomical clock, circa 1410, and the first university in Central Europe, circa 1348 (among other things). Clearly then, this was not a country that was backwards in thinking forwards.
Having spent 6 days touring and being gobsmacked by the history and architecture in Prague (the food and beer was excellent too!) we ventured about 2 hours south east to Konopiste, to visit the “Museum Motocyklu”, home to a collection of CZ/Jawa/ESO/Ogar motorcycles. The museum is housed on the shared grounds of a Castle, former hunting lodge (now excellent restaurant) and is somewhat hidden and certainly unpretentious. Entrance fee paid, we were left on our own to explore the many and varied motorcycles in the collection. Suffice to say, I was astounded at the extent of the variety of different models produced by CZ/Jawa etc, and left thinking that in terms of global motorcycle production and development, CZ/Jawa may not be big, but they’re small, and they accomplished a hell of a lot. In as much as it was good to be left alone to explore the museum’s contents, it was somewhat disappointing to not have an opportunity to readily speak with a curator/staff member to get further information.
Feeling satiated, our hosts guided us north under the guise of heading to their home. Unbeknownst to me, they had other plans. As we drove along incredible cobblestone back roads, through picturesque villages, we came to the tiny village of Rabakov, and here, much to my surprise and delight is the father and son-owned “Muzeum Historickych Motocyklu” (CZ/Jawa/Velorex). On arrival, and via perfect timing, two veteran Jawas and their riders were preparing to drive away…and seconds later a 3 wheeler Veloroex micro car drove past! I couldn’t help wondering if I’d hit a time warp and if all of this was for real (it was). Here is a museum both expertly and passionately maintained, housing 170 motorcycles, from Jawa’s first model to their most recent (2019), several Jawa/Velorex micro cars, 2 Jawa snow mobiles (yes they made them too!) and various CZ/Jawa powered agricultural implements. If the exuberance and knowledge of father and son regarding their collection, and the collection itself wasn’t enough…well let’s just say the on-site availability of excellent cold Czech beer was the crème-de-la-crème. In short, it doesn’t get any better than this and the museum is a must do for those readers heading to the Czech Republic.
My sincerest thanks to our hosts: Jana, Ludek and Eva for their kindness and generosity in making this possible and to Marttn Miclik and his father for their continued enthusiasm for things motorcycle/Jawa related (and for parting with a pair of Russian-made leather gauntlet motorcycle gloves!).
