any one here remember AJS, Hodaka, Penton, CZ.?

Question

what happened to them?

Answer 1

Original AJS went sorta defunct decades ago,,the Name has gone from corner to corner for sale to 1st offer like a street walkin'......eh,,well,anyway.
They're Back/Still in Biz making small bikes.

http://www.ajsmotorcycles.co.uk/new_AJS/docs/main.htm

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Hodaka was originally Fuji,,,and now is part of Daelim--Korea's largest bike mfgr.

http://www.dmc.co.kr/eng/
http://www.daelimusa.com

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CZ,,,Jawa-CZ

The Jawa part is still around .
70Hp@11,000rpm 500 single in a 175lb scooter gets around pretty good actually.

http://www.jawa.cz/

Here's the regular bikes
http://www.jawa-motorcycles.com/
http://www.jawa.eu/?lang=en

UK Importer site,,in English
http://www.jawamotorcycles.co.uk/

CZ-Bikes,went belly up after being bought by Cagiva--who also bought Husky,MV Agusta,and Harley's Italian Aermmachi divison.

CZ was actually big state-owned industrial conglomerate,that came apart via privatization when USSR disbanded.
They still make firearms,and lots of industrial products.

All the corporate pieces of Jawa-CZ are now separate and unrelated

Guns:
http://www.czub.cz/index.php?&lang=en
http://www.cz-usa.com/

Mfg'n:
http://www.czas.cz/?PageId=10003

...............................
Pentons pooped out way back,mid 70's
KTM is still around,,,so is Sachs.

Sachs is trying to get back into the game after their turn of financial troubles.
the XTC's,X-Roads,Roadsters,even the Madasses are all kinda cool little bikes
................................
Here's an Odd slant on,,"Whatever happened to,,?"
Re: Maico

http://dirtbike.off-road.com/dirtbike/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=304294

INDUSTRIAL SABOTAGE, GERMAN-STYLE
WHAT KILLED MAICO?
Feb 1, 2006

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All thruout history motor vehicle biz has been Tuff competition.
Bikes being probably the most fragile niche.

When all the normal challenges of mfgn',marketting,distribution,regulatory acts,tariffs,taxes,etc,etc are playing out against the type of dynamics in global economy the world has experienced thru last 30~40 years,,,it's almost amazing there are more than 5~6 Bike Mfgrs left.

There's been a BUNCH of ill-conceived upstarts who really should not have ever even Tried to start bike companies,

But there's a lot of old long established,and very distinguished players missing from the field.

Oh well

Answer 2

I remember them.
I wanted a Combat Wombat and a Super Rat.
I had a few Jawa's, but never rode a CZ - I raced against them.
I had dreams of entering an ISDE with a Penton.
CZ & Penton made the "Ten Worst Dirt Bikes of All Time" list LOL
http://dirtbike.off-road.com/dirtbike/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=265930
When they tried to expand the business and produce new models without any research and developement - their companys lost credibility and sales went down hill.
I guess junk doesn't sell so good LOL

Answer 3

I remember them . I believe amost of the above companies have went out of business. Penton was mostly a KTM. KTM is still in business. The CZ,s were made in Czechoslovakia and the communist government may not allow them out of the country anymore. If they are still made.

Answer 4

Those as well as Bultacos, Montessa, Huskevarna,BSA 441 Victors and many more. they were all fine bikes that had their parent companies crushed by the Japs. They flooded the market with cheap mass produced bikes that were junk at first, but cheap. After they forced the European companys out, they started spending more on R&D and gradually their products improved till today when no one can afford to start up a new marque or revive an old one to compete against them.

Answer 5

Sure I remember. They went defunct........didn't have NEAR the resources as the japanese and some other european brands (KTM, Husqvarna)...oh, I don't know if you've ever heard of CCM (a british motorcycle) they were in the dirtbike business back in the 70's and early 80's they are testing a motocrosser in 2008, and will be in prodution in 2009..........pics of the bike are sharp.

Answer 6

Yes, I do. I always wanted a Hodaka "Combat Wombat".

Answer 7

Harley bought all of 'em, has 'em all making condoms for China.

Answer 8

Nope.