Cars and motorcycles. Although a firm fan of both, my knowledge pool is predominantly filled by the latter. But mention PRAGA, and my first thought is of a monstrously powered Hypercar, tearing around the Top-Gear track to the sound of grown men giggling. Their 700BHP, sub 1000kg, Nissan GT-R engined Bohema, is the stuff of Top-Trumps legend. So, on hearing the Bohema engineering team had developed a motorcycle alongside this beast, you could forgive my surprise to learn it's power-train of choice, comes from the humble Kawasaki W800.
With more detail clearly required, I was delighted to be offered the chance to meet the Praga team, ride the ZS800 and discover the story behind it. What a story...Alongside cars, Czech company Praga have an established history engineering all manner of vehicles. Airplanes, cars, Dakar-Rally trucks, go-karts, and of course motorcycles. None more notable than their 1928 BD500. A quick google of said machine, and the ZS of today immediately begins to make sense. With its headlight held high, girder front-end, rigid frame and blue livery, the ZS was designed in homage to that revered machine. But while you might expect this as a design brief passed down from the upper echelons of the company, the ZS was in fact the brainchild of an engineer hard at work on the Bohema project. Jan Žuži, was in his own time, developing the concept of a super lightweight motorcycle that would showcase Praga’s engineering and manufacturing portfolio, while celebrating their heritage, specifically the BD500. When he presented the project to his superiors, they agreed to bring it in-house, on the proviso the work would continue to be carried out in Jan’s own time… his priority was to remain the Bohema. His reward? Like the BD before it, the ZS project would carry the initials of the designers that brought it to life, Jan Zussi, and fellow engineer, Radek Šebesta.Where to start with this remarkable machine? The weight. At 142kg the desire to keep weight as low as possible, drove every decision. Including that of the aforementioned motor. The W800 unit, with its handsome proportions and BD500 reminiscent bevel-gear cam drive is also, crucially, the lightest of the modern-retro parallel-twins. Whilst further comparisons with the Kawasaki are irrelevant, it is a useful marker to note that the ZS is almost 100kg lighter than the W800 with which it shares an engine.With Hypercar tooling and tech at their disposal, Jan and Radek made sure to take full advantage. Titanium is used extensively, from the girder fork spring, through each and every bolt, to the 3D printed footpegs and exhaust end-caps. Yes, you read that right, 3D printed titanium. Another remarkable engineering flex is on display at the wheels. The “spokes” and rims are constructed from knitted carbon-fibre, mated to bespoke, hydraulic drum brakes, front and rear.Every bracket, stay, mount and detail is a work of art. The rigid frame and exquisite fork are constructed from the finest 25CrMo steel. That fork, like the seat, incorporating a fully adjustable Ӧhlins suspension unit. The Spring? titanium, of course. One hidden innovation lies within the tank. A 5-axis machined alloy spine serves both as fuel vessel and structural frame, further reducing weight. Even an element as seemingly simple as the elegant rear rack, is in fact 5-axis machined from a single piece of billet. Special. Very special.Naturally this level of materials, engineering prowess and technical process, all add up to a machine of considerable value, and as I depart Bike Shed Shoreditch for a swift blast around East London, its 90k price tag is never far from my thoughts. Have fun, but don’t be daft. The sound of the parallel twin through those glorious titanium pipes immediately turns the heads of passing petrol heads, and once turned, they stay fixed. The ZS is comfortably amongst the most attention grabbing machines I have ever ridden. My eyes themselves have a tough time lifting from the mesmeric and precise actuation of the girder forks, but a crack of the light throttle propels me forward with enough haste to soon shake the fixation. With only around 50bhp (or 7% of the Bohema’s output…) the ZS is far from rapid, but the feather-like-weight, combined with the tautness of the rigid frame, make it feel incredibly alive. The Ӧhlins seat damper offering some relief to one’s rear, although I’d wager it was set up for someone significantly below my 100kg weight.Apparently, during development of the ZS, Jan took the test mule to a flat-track meet and gave it hell. And it is immediately apparent that despite aesthetics and details to justify buyers who would enjoy it largely statically, this was a machine intended to be enjoyed dynamically. With enough U-turns made and photographs captured to complete the media obligations, I take it for one last flick through some of my favourite Shoreditch streets. It feels incredibly special. Like an exquisite classic restored and upgraded with technology many years from the mainstream. Even the switchgear is remarkable, tiny carbon thumb paddles manufactured purely for this machine.They are only going to make 28 machines in total, a nod to the year of that original BD, and only 5 in this particular carbon livery. As a showpiece for Praga’s skillset and heritage, it could easily be seen as an elaborate branding exercise, but the origin story of this machine, a love-letter from two extraordinary engineers to the past and the present of Praga, elevate it to a very special place. What a privilege to have ridden it.