A motorcycle has one advantage over a car in a display case: it is open from every side, so the frame, the engine and the wheel lacing are all on show. A ready-built model arrives assembled and painted with nothing to glue. The selection takes in historical Czechoslovak machines from the 1950s and 1960s, road and sports bikes and racing specials, in scales from the small 1:43 through 1:18 to a detailed 1:12.
Because everything is visible, quality shows up quickly on a motorcycle. Below we go through what to look at and how to choose a scale.
1:18 ČZ 175/501 (1958) - Tmavě Červená/Světle Šedá
23.80 €
1:18 Jawa 250R 2xOHC (1961) - Velká Cena Československa Brno 1961 #4 Havel
19.80 €
1:18 Jawa 350 2xOHC (1961)
19.80 €
1:43 Abrex Cararama - BMW-R75 Motorbike - Sandy Yellow
12.80 €
1:43 Abrex Cararama - BMW-25/3 Motorbike - Black
12.80 €
1:18 Jawa 50 Pionýr Pařez (1955) - Slonová Kost
19.80 €
With nothing to hide behind, the standard of a model announces itself. Look at the wheel lacing first — real wire spokes make an enormous difference against a solid moulded disc. Then look at how the cables run to the handlebars, at the tread pattern on the tyres, and at how faithful the tank colour is. Historical machines tend to have simple lines and clean paintwork; racing specials carry start numbers and sponsor lettering, which is where print quality becomes obvious.
1:12 is the most rewarding scale for a motorcycle: the model runs over 200 mm, the spokes are genuine wire and the engine has recognisable cooling fins. 1:18 is the compromise, where three times as many machines fit the same case. The small 1:43 makes sense if you collect motorcycles as an adjunct to cars at the same scale or are building a military tableau.
A collection of historical Czechoslovak machines tells the story of a domestic industry and reads far better in a case than a random mixture. Racing machines work by season or by class. Modern road bikes are worth collecting if you have a personal connection to the type.
A motorcycle stands on two wheels and will not hold itself up, so it needs a plinth or a stand. Without one it leans on the moulded side stand, and after a few years that gives way.
If motorcycles interest you as a build as well, there are motorcycle model kits and above all motorcycles in 1:12, where the cable runs get sorted out by hand. Photo-etched parts, the thin sheets used for fine detail, and other upgrades come from motorcycle model accessories. In a case, motorcycles keep good company with ready-built cars; the full ready-built range is in collectors models.
