The Perak motorcycle traces back to war-torn Europe when Czechoslovakia, home of the Jawa motorcycle, was under Nazi occupation. Jawa was brought to a stark halt, as their factories were taken over by the SS and used to keep Nazi military vehicles running and well serviced.

In the shadows of this dark time, a team of Jawa engineers, lead by Dr. J Frei, worked in secrecy on a new project. This team, which included Josef Jozil and Rudolphe Vykoukal, knew the perils of war couldn’t last forever and the world would one day be ready for a new Jawa motorcycle. They would be ready.

The group of Jawa engineers worked tirelessly to develop a new motorcycle, perfecting the art of deceit and quietly defying the Gestapo. When they were not building, they were surreptitiously testing the motorcycle, getting past the Gestapo by wearing Wehrmacht fatigues and DKW badges during their trial runs. The Jawa team’s persistence and courage was rewarded. When the war was declared over and the smoke finally cleared, the new motorcycle – called the Perak – was ready. The Perak is lauded as a historical marvel and set the stage for Jawa’s success in post-war Europe.