Cezet (CZ) motorcycles & Scooters: Service and Workshop Manuals PDF

The Czech arms factory in Strakonice (Česká zbrojovka Strakonice) is a motorcycle factory in the city of Strakonice (Czech Republic). From its foundation in 1922 to 1946, it produced small arms, but then the arms branch separated into the company Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod

The small arms manufacturing company in the town of Strakonice was built in 1919 and was originally called Jihočeská zbrojovka (South Bohemian Arms Factory). In 1922, by merger with other similar enterprises, the joint-stock company Česká zbrojovka v Praze továrny ve Strakonicích (Czech arms factory in Prague, the company in Strakonice) was founded. The company’s trademark is CZ (Cezet).

In the mid-1920s, the company began to develop civilian products, in particular bicycles. In 1929, the first motorbike with an engine capacity of 76 cm³ was released, nicknamed Kaktus for the characteristic shape of the cylinder.

The good demand for motorbikes prompted the company management to further develop this non-core area. In 1934, the company in Strakonice launched the first CZ motorcycle with a single-cylinder, two-stroke engine with a volume of 172 cm³. In 1936, production of more powerful motorcycles with an engine displacement of 250 cm³ was mastered, and in 1938, an engine displacement of 350 cm³.

In 1946, the plant was nationalized. The production of weapons on it was discontinued.

After World War II, the plant mastered the production of new motorcycle models with a tubular frame and telescopic fork. However, Java became the parent motorcycle company in Czechoslovakia. In this regard, CZ motorcycles were unified with Java models and from 1954 to 1959 were produced under the Jawa-ČZ brand. In 1960, the CZ brand was restored.

In addition to Czech motorcycles, from 1957 to 1964, Strokonice produced motor scooters Čezeta (Ceseta) with a single-cylinder two-stroke engine with a volume of 175 cm³. Motor scooters were so successful that their production under license was organized in other countries of the world, including New Zealand under the brand name N-Zeta.

ČZ motorcycles and Čezeta scooters were exported to the USSR, where they were in fairly high demand.

CZ motorcycles have become world famous for their success in sports, especially motocross. In 1962, the company launched a cross-country motorcycle with a single-cylinder two-stroke engine with a volume of 250 cm³. On this motorcycle, the Belgian rider Joel Robert won the world titles in 1964, 1968 and 1969. In 1964, Viktor Arbekov won the third place in the world championship on it. And in 1965, he was the first of the Soviet racers to win the world title in motocross. In the 500 cm³ class on a CZ motorcycle, the world champion in motocross in 1967 and 1968 became the driver of the GDR Paul Friedrichs. From 1947 to 1982, the Czechoslovak team on CZ motorcycles repeatedly won the six-day Enduro competition.

In 1992, the company was transformed into a joint stock company. The collapse of CMEA and Czechoslovakia caused serious difficulties with the sale of CZ motorcycles. In the early 1990s, the company was bought by the Italian company Cagiva. She established the production of her own models of Roadster 125 and W8 motorcycles at the enterprise. However, in 1998, Kajiva was in a financial crisis and was forced to cease motorcycle production in the Czech Republic.

At the beginning of 2014, the company in Strakonice was called ČZ a.s. and manufactures turbochargers for cars and forklifts DESTA.

In 2013, a small company Čezeta motors s.r.o. in Prague organized the production of electric scooters Čezeta 506, in their design reminiscent of the old models of Ceseta.