Jawa Motors

Jawa Motors is a motorcycles company that produces mopeds. The company started in 1927 and owned by František Janeček. The name JAWA comes from the first two letters of words Janeček (factory owner) and Wanderer (factory name).^[1]

In 1932, František Janeček sold a new motorbike--the Jawa 175 Villiers. It was simple motorbike. It was popular because it was light weight. By 1935, 3000 of these motorbikes were produced.^[2]

In 1935 the same frame used engine JAWA 350 OHV. This motorbike was stronger and more luxury than previous type 175 Villiers. There was more chrome parts and a built-in speedometer. 4000 were produced.^[3]

The smallest Jawa motorbike before World War II was the Jawa 100 Robot. It was a small moped. About 12,000 were produced.

The start of World War II meant the end of motorbike production. Lots of motorbikes projects was created illegally, but only one realized, Jawa 350.

In 1952 was produced one of travelling motorbike Jawa 500 OHC, there was used four stroke engine. This motorbike is used by the police and the army.

To the 1960 JAWA cooperated with many countries, for example India, Turkey, Egypt. Firm IDEAL MOTORD in Majsur in India bought licences from Jawa mostly.

In 1970 Jawa produced the "BIZON“ series, and after that Jawa 634, which were modernized to model 640. Jawa 638-640 has engine 350ccm, it is robust and favourite motorbike in class motorbike.

JAWA produced a lot´s of models of mopeds, for example JAWA 50 types 20,21 named „pionýr“ or „pařez“ This motorbikes were mostly sell in SSSR.

Today Jawa is sold in many European countries. The newest models are JAWA 660, JAWA 125 and 50 Dandy, JAWA 250, 350 and. Basic of motorbikes is really the same like 70 years ago, but it is very modernized, mainly motors. Today stronger four-stroke motors are used, two-stroke motors are used to 350ccm.

In 1933 Jawa started to produce small cars. Ing. Janeček bought a licence from German Meisterklasse DKW. It was called JAWA 700. To 1934 was produced some one thousand cars of this type, because sale was full of small cars, so JAWA produced more motorbikes than cars, in season before war were motorbikes more favourite.