Motorcycle specifications PragaZS 800 2023 An evening in Prague

It's a time of crisis. A tricky time for wallets, future prospects and everyday life; and paradoxically a boon for luxury goods. Ferrai and Louis Vuitton are doing wonderfully well, the Ducati Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini sold out in minutes, gold-priced special series are multiplying, and old, defunct brands are being reborn to bring a new dose of high-end to the market.

such is the case of Praga. It hadn't really disappeared, but it hadn't been making motorcycles for decades. The ZS 800, a retro roadster with a strong sense of refinement, is its resurrection.

As the Czech brand had no plans for large-scale industrialization, it was able to give free rein to its desires. Nothing reasonable, just the delicacy of a highly skilled craftsman. Look at the wheels. They're made entirely of carbon - I insist, because even the spokes are made of this material. The ZS 800 is full of surprises.

This Praga draws its inspiration from the old BD 500, the company's best-known motorcycle. Winks to the past abound, with the use of modern techniques on nostalgic aspects. The front end, for example, is reinterpreted, retaining the use of a Girder fork made from beautiful chrome-molybdenum steel and combined with an Öhlins shock absorber with a titanium spring. Surrealistically, braking is provided by drums. Two 200 mm-diameter bells, with two internal cams on the bow and a single cam on the rear. Looks good, but you'd better not be too demanding when it comes to efficiency.
Nor are these systems something out of the past. Their surface is meticulously crafted and the control is hydraulic. Beringer in this case.

no big deal, really, because the ZS 800 is closer to an artistic creation than to a motorcycle. Besides, the bike isn't about setting lap times. Rather, it's all about strolling to the melody of a calm, apropos twin. Like its 1930s ancestor, the machine uses a conical-valve engine. Praga did not develop this engine for obvious reasons of cost. So, where to find one?
As there aren't many out there (to my knowledge, only one), the question was quickly settled. It's going to be a Kawasaki engine. The W800 block was the obvious choice: the matching timing, a classic look, the seriousness of a major manufacturer - everything came together for Praga.
The ZS will thus be able to "dollop" at the speed of the 50 hp and 6.7 mkg that the 773 cm3 parallel twin can deliver.

Like many early motorcycles, the BD 500 had springs under the seat to ensure a certain level of comfort. Its ZS 800 descendant also has a sprung seat, except that an Öhlins TTX shock absorber has replaced the metal ellipses.
A carbon package holder is fitted, in which the LED indicators are molded. Titanium is also used for screws, axles and nuts on the engine and frame, as well as for the exhaust system. Workers spend around 300 hours machining these parts for each wheel.

the ZS 800's uncluttered, somewhat bobber-like appearance and use of fine materials allow it to proudly show off its weight. At 158 kilos on the scales, it's a lightweight. Barely heavier than a 125. Purists will appreciate the rigid hardtail frame, with no need for damping. Note, too, the elaborately stitched seat and the minimalist speedometer integrated into the headlight.

Some time after Horex's Regina Evo 600 styling exercise, another brand is investing in moto-fashion-premium-style. The two protagonists share the side of a luxurious look and materials, a bourgeois patronymic and a motorization far less spectacular than the case. Rarity being part of the pedigree, only 28 examples of the Praga ZS 800 will be produced. The price supports the desire: 86,000 euros for this revival! And that's excluding tax. That's a little over 100 grand.

Last but not least, aesthetic European owners will not normally be allowed to drive it. The Praga is not equipped with ABS, which has been mandatory on motorcycles since 2017. A fine motorcycle for a collection, but is it its will to end up immobile on a dais or out for a ride in a few isolated demonstrations!?!!