They are based in Prague, Czech Republic, and they’ve been around 116 years, just to be precise. Now, they decided to launch this ultra-limited classic racer. It is called Praga ZS 800, and only 28 will ever be built at a price of measly $93,300.
The idea behind this project was a modern interpretation of their famous motorcycle from the 1920s. Therefore, the ZS 800 was imagined as an evolution of one of the most successful, classic Czechoslovak machines, the 1928 Praga BD 500. Today, a unique combination of advanced engineering technology and classic design details have formed a one-of-a-kind machine, bringing an iconic into the modern world.
Only The Best For The ZS 800
The engine for this motorcycle is from the Kawasaki W 800. It is a 773cc, four-stroke parallel twin cylinder, air-cooled engine. It produces 50 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 47 pound-feet of torque. For the company, the design of the engine was also important, because it needed to fit with the classic lines of the motorcycle. When you throw in the weight of just 313 lbs, distributed 50:50 between the front and the rear wheel, the specifications are not that bad at all.
Even though they look old school, the wheels are state of the art. Made out of forged carbon with carbon tensioned spokes and integrated fully hydraulic 200 mm drum brakes, they give the whole motorcycle a classic look. The suspension comes from Öhlins, of course. At the front it has a steel girder fork that has a TTX22 suspension with a titanium spring. The rear, interestingly, was done in a form of a hard tail, with a TTX air suspension hidden under the seat.
Besides the wheels, another interesting part of the ZS 800 is the three gallon fuel tank. In order to try and make the motorcycle as light as possible, the fuel tank was done as a structural part of the whole chrome molybdenum frame. When you add a full titanium exhaust on top, no wonder it takes over 300 working hours to build one of these.
The History Behind Praga
And what an interesting history it is. They opened their doors way back in 1907. They used to make all kinds of different machines. Cars, motorcycles, buses, trucks, airplanes, agricultural machinery… During the 1920s and 1930s, they became a very successful brand, with the 500 BDS their most popular product. In the 40s they were busy making, you guessed it, tanks and other military vehicles. After the war, they were commissioned to make trucks, exclusively. They were reliable, but Soviet-style ugly.
Praga finally reinvented itself in the 1990s with enduro and motocross motorcycles. In the last twenty years, they specialized in motorcycles, karts and sports cars like the Praga R1 and the Bohema.