JAWA 354/04 1958

As a motorcyclist living in the Soviet Union you may not have had a huge variety of bikes to choose from but at least they came in nice colours and were promoted with shiny brochures (for consumption in the West at least). What's more is that during the fifties a Jawa was a match for any machine of similar capacity from Britain, it was only through the later sixties and seventies that Eastern Bloc designs began to stagnate. Styling of the Jawa was spot on trend (Edward Turner even 'borrowed' the Jawa headlamp nacelle design for his postwar Speed Twin) and the bikes were a model of rugged, reliable simplicity combined with decent performance. Alas though, even with all they had to commend them, Jawas never sold in great numbers in the UK in the fifties.

Jawa 354/04 350cc two stroke twin, 1958.

Jawa 350cc tech spec.

Jawa 350 brochure 1950

Lovely stylish brochure from Jawa for their 1950 350. For 1950 the Jawa was quite an advanced bike - where did it all go wrong! Easy to see where the rumours that Mr Turner took his styling cues from Jawa for Triumph's famous nacelle come from...

1950 350cc Jawa brochure page 1.

1950 350cc Jawa brochure pages 2 & 3.

1950 350cc Jawa brochure pages 3.& 4

1950 350cc Jawa brochure pages 4 & 5.

1950 350cc Jawa brochure page 6.

CZ brochure 1950

The CZ brochure from 1950. I suspect not many made it to the UK. A pity as the bikes were certainly a match for any home produced lightweight.

1950 CZ brochure page 1.

1950 CZ brochure pages 2 & 3.

1950 CZ brochure page 4.