1972 Jawa International Six Day Trials ISDT – 5-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1972 Jawa International Six Day Trials ISDT – 5-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8″ x 11″ (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
For quite a number of years, I’ve watched the excellent
performance of the Czechoslovakian team in each year’s
ISDT. They appear to go so fast with such smoothness and
utter reliability that it is most surprising. In Spain, a couple
of years ago, I went over one Czech’s bike visually with a
kind of a “fine tooth comb” and was very much surprised
to see the basic simplicity of his ipotorcycle. Most of the
other competitors, including myself, had quite a wide
variety of components strapped all around the machine just
in case replacements were needed. However, the Jawa ma-
chines did not look much different from the one a Sunday
afternoon dirt rider would use. Certainly, the Czechoslo-
vakian team riders have a great deal of ability, but, to win
as many Six Days as they have, it also necessitates very
reliable and quick equipment.
The machines I saw had the basic CZ moto-cross hubs,
however, the engines were quite different, being all
sand-cast aluminum which is indicative of small volume
production.
Fortunately, for this year, we’ve had the opportunity to
put together a Jawa Manufacturers Team for the Six Days
in Czechoslovakia consisting of Gene Canady, Steve Hurd
and myself. Each of us have received our practice machines
to become familiar with them. The machine externally
appears identical to the Czech trophy machines that I’ve
seen in the past few years at the Six Day events. It would
be great if also our performance would be similar to the
Czechoslovakian teams.
Around 1 5 years ago, the Jawa’s were the readily availa-
ble production machines that were successfully raced by
such men as Walt Axhelm and Bill Messer, to name a few.
The super trick machinery were those machines bearing the
name CZ. In the past few years since ’68, CZ’s have become
the common name and apparently Jawa is now the one we
can associate with some of the specialized trials equipment.
This basic trials motorcycle is available in three different
sizes. There are 250cc, 350cc, and 500cc class machines. All
three sizes are basically the same machine, and it looks to
me as though the cylinders are externally identical. Our
practice machines are the 250cc models complete with
the biggest cylinder finning I’ve ever seen on any 250cc,
so it is probably the same casting for the bigger class ma-
chines. It has a two-plug head and, like the CZs, both
plugs fire simultaneously.
The basic powerplant is sand-cast aluminum with side
covers of magnesium. It is gear drive on the primary…
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