The Jawa-ČZ 125/355 was the smallest of the Kývačka generation. Built in Strakonice from 1956 to 1960, it married a ČZ 125 cc engine to a frame derived from the Jawa 250 Kývačka.
Jawa-ČZ 125/355 at a glance
| Makers | ČZ and Jawa, in cooperation |
|---|---|
| Built at | Strakonice |
| Production | 1956–1960 |
| Type | 125 cm³ two-stroke single |
| Frame | steel tube, derived from the Jawa 250 Kývačka |
| Dry weight | 112 kg |
| Ready weight | 125 kg |
| Top speed | 75 km/h |
| Fuel consumption | 3 l/100 km |
| Successor | ČZ 125/453 of 1959 |
based on one source: there is no English article on the Jawa-ČZ 125/355 and the Czech article is short, so this page is shorter than usual and gives only the facts it contains.
History of the Jawa-ČZ 125/355
The Jawa-ČZ 125 typ 355 was the product of cooperation between the two Czechoslovak motorcycle firms, ČZ at Strakonice and Jawa. The machine was built at Strakonice, with an engine supplied by ČZ and a frame and cycle parts in the manner of Jawa, and it carried both names on its tank.
Its construction followed that of the Jawa 250 Kývačka, the 250 that introduced swinging-arm rear suspension to the range, with the frame adapted to the smaller engine. That gave the 125 the comfortable ride and the practical layout of the bigger machine in a lighter package. The frame was a steel tube structure, as on its larger relative.
The 125 weighed 112 kg dry and 125 kg ready to ride, which was not much less than some 250s of the period, but its small engine gave a top speed of about 75 km/h and a fuel consumption of around 3 litres per 100 km. It was a sensible everyday motorcycle for riders who did not need the power of a 250, and it fitted the Czechoslovak licence classes of the time.
The model was replaced in 1959 by the ČZ 125/453, which had a single exhaust and a different engine layout, and production of the 355 ended in 1960. The two names on the tank make the Jawa-ČZ one of the clearer reminders of how closely the two firms worked together before the brands went their separate ways.
Design and features
- Joint production: a ČZ engine in a Jawa-derived frame, built at Strakonice.
- Kývačka layout: the same construction as the Jawa 250 of the period, scaled down.
- Frugal engine: 75 km/h and about 3 l/100 km.
- Steel tube frame: simple and easy to repair.
Jawa-ČZ 125/355 versions
- Jawa-ČZ 125/355 (1956–1960): the standard model.
- ČZ 125/453 (from 1959): the successor with a single exhaust.
The 125 was the smaller relative of the Jawa 250 Kývačka, and the big twin of the era is the Jawa 350. More are in the Jawa collection.
Sources
- Jawa-ČZ 125/355, Czech Wikipedia: production, construction, technical data, successor
