JAWA & yezdi Club, India - 1946 - Start of production of JAWA 250 motorcycles

1946 - Start of production of JAWA 250 motorcycles - Perak (Springer)

f JAWA Perak (Springer) 250 motorcycles

Two stroke air-cooled single cylinder. Displacement 248.5 cc (bore and stroke 65 x 75 mm) * Engine power 6.6 kW at 4000 r.p.m. * Four speed gearbox with foot control in unit with engine * Multiple clutch in oil bath automatically disengaged by gear change pedal movement * Simple closed frame bifurcating at the rear, made with square steel section * Rear wheel vertical slider type suspension * Telescopic front fork * Weight 115 kg * Maximum speed 100 km/hour * Average fuel consumption 3 litres per 100 km

The carburetter totally enclosed by an easily removable cover was another feature protected by patent

While old-new JAWA motor cycles were appearing on the market, two definitive JAWA 250 models that had come in existence during the war in secrecy were brought along. One had been hidden in the cellar of Antonin Vitvar's sister in law, the other dismantled and stored in a case in a deep hole at Vitvar's brother's barn in Bohemian-Moravian Uplands. At the factory preparations for their speedy introduction in serial production were being made.

Already in 1946 the first 1,360 two-fifties were manufactured. What kind of a motor cycle was it?

The closed frame was welded of square section steel tubes, organically embodied in the head of the, by patent protected, telescopic front fork with coil springs was an impressive 150 mm diameter headlamp with inbuilt flash fitting speedometer. Installed in the frame was a two stroke 248.8 cc (65x75mm) displacement flat piston top, single cylinder producing 6.6 kW (9HP).

Semi-automatic clutch driven by operating the gear change pedal, where the automatic clutch cam inside the gearbox housing activated the clutch through an automatic clutch roller. A very advanced feature for the times and patented.

Notable was the enclosed carburetter another feature protected by patent. The four-speed gearbox in unit with the engine was designed so that changes could be effected without declutching just by operating the gear change pedal once the machine was travelling. The gear engaged was signalled by a tell tale system in the switchbox on the fuel tank. The output of the four pole six volt dynamo was 45 W.

The new design saddle joined the saddle type 13 litres capacity fuel tank. It was hinged on a pivot, its suspension was by central coil spring with friction shock absorber adjustable for rigidity according to the rider's weight.

Rear wheel vertical slider type suspension standard for JAWA 250 Perak

The rear wheel suspension was telescopic by means of sliders with coil springs. The ready for road weight of the machine was 125 kg, its length 2010 mm, height 954 mm, wheelbase 1297 mm, saddle height 702 mm, ground clearance 140 mm. The wheels were shod with 3.00 - 19 size tyres. Maximum speed was 100 km/hour, average fuel consumption 3 litres per 100km of petroil mixture at the rate of 25 to 1. The JAWA 250 styling was attractive and functional, the machine was elegant simple and featured a number of novelties. It looked pretty and simple at the same so as to give the impression that nothing could be easier than to design just such machine. Its designers took even the trouble to conceal all the electric lead in the frame so that they could not be seen.

The new JAWA 250 was indeed a surprise both for motorcyclists at large and for professionals. It is no exaggeration that it had outpaced competition worldwide by at least five years. Its début came in september,1946 in Paris at the Motor and Motor Cycle show. It would be useless to relate how the motor cycle has been received and that it was awarded a gold medal. It was perhaps most honoured by the then famous French rider, Louis Janin, holder of several world records and winner of many races. First an unconcerned spectator, he took the JAWA into his own protection, regularly coming to the stand day after day to give information to visitors.

In the second year of production 17,162 new two-fifties came off the updated production line and they began to be called "Pérák" which meant "Springer" or "Feather" in Czech, evidently because of their outstanding suspension.

JAWA 250 Perak (displayed at the Motorcycle Museum, Lesna)

The first model, mark 10, underwent during its production (until 1950) only one change - the dynamo was since 1947 six pole. The 250 JAWA turned out to be a hit, not only in Czechoslovakia. Wherever it was exhibited, it commanded admiration. Like in England, the motorcycling big power, where the Janečeks used to buy Villiers engines from. The Springer was displayed there for the first time at the 1948 Motor Cycle Show. By the time JAWA made up its mind to hire a stand all the exhibition space had been booked. Owing to Dr.Jan Schulmann's connections who was then delegate of the Czechoslovak engineering industry, at least a remote corner could be secured where the motor cycle with two others only just could be got into.

To witness the English début arrived the then JAWA manager Vojtĕch Pokornỳ, Josef Jozif and Antonin Vitvar. Lively interest was expected, but what was going on in the remote corner, nobody could have anticipated. The motor cycle was have anticipated .The motor cycle was standing on a high white stage so as to be seen also by those who couldn't get anywhere near on the one hand and on the other to prevent the most inquisitive spectators to get hold of the machines. But it was all in vain - soon after the official opening the cool English got hold of the Springer to try out the sitting position. The stewards were quite helpless. And so overnight the motor cycles had to be fastened to the stands with steel straps. Dealer interest was enormous, but because there was no trade agreement with Britain, the motor cycles could not be imported. The country imported only essentials, exhausted by the War it could hardly afford to import just motor cycles, there being any number of British manufacturers. After all, where in Europe was the situation different?

Like the prewar JAWA 175 the JAWA Springer was provided with dual controls

Nevertheless in the end imports of some two hundred motor cycles were agreed upon. Dealers were looking forward to the motor cycles, so did customers, but a new problem cropped up - no dealer was willing to take the part of importer for fear of the British Cycle and motor Cycle Manufacturers and Traders Association. So what now?

Industria (London) ltd. was buying from time to time Czechoslovak meat cutters and the delegate talked the Company's owner into trying it with motor cycles. They would be better business than cutters. Though the customer was not familiar with the article, he borrowed twenty thousand pounds and took the plunge. His Company was accepted as member of the Association, some thirty dealers applied for franchise and within less than a month from the first steps the motor cycles had been sold out. Well, after all at that time the motor cycles manufactured in Britain were mostly pre-war models. In a similar way things were taking their course in some 112 countries all over the world - JAWA motor cycles having fought their way to markets everywhere. There were not many countries that could have "prided" themselves to have withstood the onslaught of the revolutionary machines.

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