Czech hypercar manufacturer, Praga, unveiled their $92,000 limited edition ZS 800 this week. We take a closer look at it, along with a Ducati 749 and Moto Guzzi NTX 750 from Italy, and a Kawasaki Z750FX restomod from Japan.
Praga ZS 800 What’s beautifully engineered, wrapped in luscious blue paint and has carbon fiber in all the right places? If you guessed the Praga Bohema hypercar, you’d be right. But if you guessed the Czech company’s brand new limited edition motorcycle, the Praga ZS 800, you’d also be right.
The ZS 800 is a throwback to the first motorcycle that this boutique manufacturer ever built—the 1928 Praga BD 500. The resemblance is undeniable—but the ZS 800 is clearly a modern machine.
This bobber’s build sheet is enough to make any motorcycle designer weak at the knees. A chromoly girder fork sits up front, equipped with an adjustable Öhlins shock with a titanium spring. There’s no rear suspension—but there is a little Öhlins air shock under the solo seat to take the edge off.
What appears to be the fuel tank is actually just a forged carbon fiber cover. Hiding underneath it is a CNC-machined reservoir that also acts as a structural part of the chromoly frame.
At the heart of the Praga ZS 800 lies one of the most elegant production engines currently on the market: the 773 cc parallel twin from the Kawasaki W800. It inhales through a pair of unique, mesh-covered intakes, and exhales via a full titanium exhaust system. (Many of the individual titanium parts that make up the mufflers were actually 3D printed.)
The ZS 800’s 18” wheels are particularly impressive. They’re made out of forged carbon, with tensioned carbon spokes and gorgeous hydraulic drum brake hubs. It’s a stunning mix of old style and new tech.
It’s loaded with high-end touches too. Swooping fenders bookend it, with a svelte luggage rack on the back fender also playing host to the taillight and rear turn signals.
The tank badges feature gold detailing on a forged carbon background, while the seat sports multiple fabrics, contrast stitching and a laser-cut pattern up top.
There’s more forged carbon in the form of the bike’s organic chain guard, and subtler details like the fender stays. The wheel and swingarm axles are titanium, as is every last fastener. All told, the ZS 800 clocks in at 142 kilos [313 lbs] dry, with a perfect 50:50 weight distribution from front to back.
Tempted? Praga are taking pre-orders now for a limited run of 28 units. A ZS 800 (which takes 300 hours to produce) will set you back €86,000 [around $92,000], excluding tax.
Interested parties, please form an orderly queue. [Praga ZS 800]
Ducati 749 by North East Custom Earlier this week, we showed off a custom Ducati 749 from Estonia. There must be something in the water in Europe, because yet another 749 café racer has just dropped into our laps.
This one comes from brothers Diego and Riccardo ‘Riki’ Coppiello, at North East Custom in Padua, Italy. Diego and Riki are big enduro and adventure riding nuts—but they’ve got a knack for building sweet street-based customs too.
The build started out as a 2005-model Ducati 749, with the aim of building a café racer with a little bit of an 80s endurance racing vibe.
North East redressed the trellis-framed Ducati in a fiber glass fairing, with twin headlights tucked behind yellow-tinted covers. The OEM tank sits just behind, followed by a handmade aluminum tail unit. The rear end’s perched on a new subframe, with a race-style seat up top.
Lower down you’ll find a carbon fiber front fender, carbon fiber belt covers, and a custom-built aluminum belly pan. North East kept the suspension, brakes and wheels mostly stock—but they did add a Bitubo steering damper, a K-bike slipper clutch and a Ducabike clutch basket cover.
The paint job is minimal and timeless; a traditional red and white affair with 80s-style Ducati logos. The frame wears a fresh coat of paint too, with anodizing on the forks and parts of the engine.
It’s a great look for the punchy 749—and the perfect template if you have a 749 or 999 in need of a makeover. We’d wager that North East’s neighbors aren’t fond of that exhaust though. [North East Custom | Images by Filippo Molena]
Moto Guzzi NTX 750 by Matteucci Garage When Marco Matteucci got a commission for a custom Moto Guzzi NTX 750, he found inspiration in his own portfolio. Marco had built a baby blue Moto Guzzi V35 some years ago, and saw potential for adapting that same style to the bigger donor bike—with a few upgrades, naturally.
The early 90s adventure bike was stripped down, before Marco tore into the subframe. It’s been heavily modified in the style of his earlier build, but with one major difference; the V35 had a solo seat, but this one has room for a passenger.
Sitting below the seat is a custom-built mono-shock system, hinging off a repurposed Yamaha R1 shock. The front end’s an aftermarket springer system designated for Harleys. Marco adapted it to the Guzzi with custom spacers and yokes, a custom brake caliper mount, and an LED-equipped Bates-style headlight.
The cockpit features drag bars, outfitted with bar-end mirrors and mini push buttons. Just behind it is a hand-made fuel tank, inspired by the lines of the vintage Laverda 125. A GPS-based speedo is neatly integrated into the tank’s neck area.
Out back, an LED taillight is integrated into the back of the seat, with the turn signals Frenched into the back of the lower subframe rails. Under the hood, Marco rewired the bike and upgraded the ignition to an electronic one.
The paint scheme mimics that on the build that inspired this one; a pearly blue effect made up of multiple coats of varying shades. Bottega Vasì added a finishing touch with the leatherwork, which includes a touchscreen-compatible smartphone pouch on top of the tank, and a storage bag below the seat.
Sitting somewhere between a scrambler and a bobber, Marco’s custom NTX 750 is nothing if not interesting. [Matteucci Garage]
Kawasaki Z750FX by Bull Dock Few motorcycles are alluring as a classic Japanese big four restomod done right. And few custom shops build them as nice as Bull Dock in Japan. If you need proof, may we present this impossibly classy Kawasaki Z750FX.
The Z750’s big selling point back in the day was its relative low weight. Bull Dock decided to lean into that idea on this project; shaving more weight where they could and upgrading the Kawasaki’s key components.
A typical Bull Dock Z750 build starts with a teardown, and a set of frame tweaks and reinforcements that draws on the team’s experience. Once that was out the way, Bull Dock turned their attention to the bodywork—shedding weight without shedding its OEM style.
The fuel tank is a lightweight aluminum replica of the original, while the side covers, fenders and tail section are all fiberglass and composite parts. A custom alloy swingarm from McCoy and forged aluminum wheels add even more lightness.
Next, Bull Dock installed custom-built Nitron forks up front, held by a set of CNC-machined yokes. Fully adjustable Nitron shocks prop up the rear, while a full Brembo braking setup handles stopping duties. Raised clip-ons provide some rider comfort, while the original dashboard keeps things classic.
The engine’s a total beast too. Bull Dock bumped it to 1,197 cc with high-comp Pistal pistons, balanced the internals and added Yoshimura camshafts. 36 mm carbs from Pop’s Company, and a digital, help to improve the throttle response, while a hydraulic clutch adds a modern touch.
Finishing touches include red engine and carb covers, and a livery that matches the Kawasaki owner’s Lamborghini. A titanium exhaust from Win McCoy ensures that this muscle bike has the bark to match its bite. [Via]
