The ČZ 125 typ 473 Sport is a two-seat motorcycle developed by Česká zbrojovka in Strakonice and built from 1962 to 1969. It was a sporting version of the 125/453 of the same family, and the small 125 cc two-stroke was one of the most widespread motorcycles in Czechoslovakia of the 1960s.
ČZ 125 typ 473 at a glance
| Maker | Česká zbrojovka, Strakonice |
|---|---|
| Model | ČZ 125 typ 473 Sport |
| Production | 1962–1969 |
| Based on | ČZ 125/453 |
| Differences | wider handlebars with a cross-brace, 19-inch wheels, shallower mudguards |
| Frame | tubular steel |
| Kerb weight | 118 kg |
| Top speed | 92 km/h |
| Fuel consumption | 2.4 l/100 km |
| Seats | two |
| Engine | air-cooled two-stroke single, 125 cc |
| Built in | Strakonice, Czechoslovakia |
The 473 Sport is described only in the Czech Wikipedia; this article is based on that page and on the model list in the article about the Strakonice works.
History of the ČZ 125 typ 473
Česká zbrojovka was founded in 1919 as Jihočeská zbrojovka, an arms maker. The company registered the ČZ trademark in 1930 and built its first motorcycle, the ČZ 76 known as the Kaktus, soon afterwards. After the Second World War motorcycle production restarted in 1946, and between 1954 and 1959 the machines were sold under the joint Jawa-ČZ brand. In 1955 the motorcycle works were organised as ČZM, n.p. (České závody motocyklové), and from 1960 motorcycles were again built under the ČZ name.
The 125 cc class was the backbone of that production. The 473 Sport belonged to the family of 125 and 175 roadsters that ČZ developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and it followed the 125/453 onto the market in 1962. The list of ČZ road models of the period places the 125 typ 453 and the 473 Sport together in the years 1961–1969.
The changes over the 453 were modest but visible: the 473 Sport received wider handlebars with a cross-brace, 19-inch wheels and shallower mudguards, which gave the little machine a more sporting stance. The frame stayed a tubular steel design, and the two-stroke single stayed air-cooled. Production ran until 1969, when the type 476 took over the 125 cc slot in the range.
Design and features
- Sporting trim: wider handlebars with a cross-brace, 19-inch wheels and shallower mudguards set the 473 apart from the 125/453.
- Light weight: a kerb weight of 118 kg made the 125 cc two-stroke easy to handle in town and on poor roads.
- Frugal two-stroke: ČZ quoted 2.4 litres of fuel per 100 km and a top speed of 92 km/h.
- Simple tubular frame: a steel tube frame of the kind ČZ used across its road range of the 1960s.
ČZ 125 typ 473 versions
- ČZ 125/453: the standard model from which the 473 Sport was derived, with narrower handlebars, smaller wheels and deeper mudguards.
- ČZ 125 typ 473 Sport (1962–1969): the sporting version described here.
- ČZ 125 typ 476 (from 1967): the successor in the range, with a chassis derived from motocross machines and 18-inch wheels.
The 473 was the sporting sister of the ČZ 175 typ 450, and it was replaced in the range by the ČZ 125 typ 476. More motorcycles are in the ČZ collection.
Sources
- ČZ 125 typ 473, Czech Wikipedia: dates, differences from the 453, technical data
- Česká zbrojovka Strakonice, Czech Wikipedia: company history, list of ČZ road models
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