A Brief History of the Marque
The Praga Automobile Company was formed in 1907 with an agreement between FrantiĊĦek Ringhoffer and the First Czech-Moravian Machine Factory. Ringhoffer left a year later and in 1909 the company adopted the name Praga. Praga initially produced automobiles, then expanded to trucks and eventually motorcycles.
Motorcycle production was brief but notable. Praga absorbed the ailing Breitfeld-Danek concern and with it the brilliant engineer Jaroslav Koch. Between 1929 and 1933 they produced two machines, an SOHC 350 and a DOHC model, the Praga BD 500.
The First Czechoslovak Republic, 1919-1938, saw an era of high production at the factory and for a many years Praga produced more automobiles than either Skoda or Tatra, but as war approached the factory moved increasingly toward military production. During WWII most of the factory was destroyed, and subsequently the communist rulers deemed production of trucks, heavy machinery and military equipment to be more suitable for the works.
The former state company was privatized in 1992, becoming Prague Hostivař. A motorcycle division was established in 1996, and at the 1997 Autotec exhibition in Brno, co-inciding with the 90th anniversary of the Praga company's founding, they presented their first prototypes. These were off-road machines using four-strokes of their own design and Jawa two-strokes. Over the following years they competed at international level with some worthwhile results with machines which included 400cc and 610cc four-stroke models. Production ceased in 2003.
The company was bought by Vladimír Vácha in 2004, who established the brand VM Motor, selling the VM Motor 610F Motocross model.
05-May-2018
tadanner at yahoo.com
Praga ED610 2002
I would like to know what the engine oil capacity is. I cannot find any
maintenance info for this motorcycle anywhere. Thanks in advance for any
info you may provide.
Terry Danner
United States
pg350sl at gmail.com
Praga 350 BCS
Hi Sheldon, Great website! Thanks for your efforts. I am looking for any information, photos, spare parts lists etc. for a 350cc Praga. BTW, I think it had a Bowden LH29 carb and not Amal/Binks.
I attach a photo of my Praga 350 BCS (I think this model was called a BCS and not a BD as Praga had already acquired BD by the time this bike was first manufactured in 1930). It is quite rare, with accounts varying between 500-1,000 bikes ever made.
Certain parts on my bike are incorrect (brake pedal, petrol cap, carburettor, tail light (missing) and maybe one or two other parts as well). Otherwise she is pretty much complete.
Many thanks. Paul
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