Czech mate: Limited-run W800-powered Praga ZS 800 is latest build from luxury supercar firm

Meet the Praga ZS 800: a Kawasaki W800-powered slice of retro exotica that pays homage to a 1920s ancestor.

Praga is a Czech company that opened its doors in 1907, turning their hand to bikes, cars, tanks, buses, planes and lorries. Praga’s dabbles with motorsport have been two- and four-wheeled and on circuit and dirt.

The fact its name isn’t mainstream suggests it’s never proved world-beating at any of it, but times are changing. The company’s motorsport stock is rising, and they’ve just launched a £1million+ Bohema, a road-legal hypercar with ludicrous downforce levels.

This bike is the trinket it hopes to pop at the end of 28 buyers’ invoices, at a cool 86,000 euros before tax – meaning a whisker under £90k including VAT.

It’s a tribute to the Praga BD 500 of the late 1920s, of which around 1800 were-produced during a seven-year run. Its USP is the craftsmanship that’s gone into it, with a startling 142kg dry weight (158kg with fluids) as a lovely bonus.

Those carbon fibre tension-spoke wheels mimic a vintage design with thoroughly modern technology. They’re a world first and are truly arresting up close.

It also has hydraulic drum brakes while the 4.8kg titanium front fork is one of several areas you can start totting up the 300 hours (plus) of five-axis machining that goes into the bike’s truly sculptural form. The fuel tank is a stressed member while the seat is suspended carbon.

But for all its kudos as a piece of art, the idea is the ZS 800 will ride rather nicely too. Praga promises ‘thrilling cornering ability’ with 50:50 weight distribution a contributing factor. Its 47bhp 773cc engine comes from the sedate Kawasaki W800 but now has around 60 kilos less to shift. As a nod to the past, you don’t get ABS or traction control, either.

“We’ve designed and developed a motorcycle with a lot of modern technology but a vintage design,” Praga’s Jan Žuži tells us. “It can be a piece of art to stand in someone’s office. But it’s a really quick bike that can absolutely handle, and perhaps no one expects that.”

Praga ZS 800 in detail

• Carbon tension-spoke wheels are unique to Praga and weigh 14.8kg apiece – brakes included. The bike’s 142kg dry total is split 50:50 front/rear
• All of the materials have a lightweight focus; the titanium exhaust is 3D printed
• More than 300 hours of machining go into each bike. Nods to its ancestor include a speedo integrated into the back of the headlamp
• Hydraulic drum brakes help contribute to its 1920s homage vibe and have no ABS latched to them
• The 10.5-litre fuel tank is a stressed member of the Praga ZS 800’s construction while the engine is the 47bhp 773cc twin from the Kawasaki W800, making it Euro 5 compliant