Babetta
Encyclopedia
Moped
Mopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...
built in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and commonly marketed under the Jawa
Jawa Motors
Jawa is a motorcycle manufacturer in the Czech republic, formerly Czechoslovakia. The name was created after its founder, Frantisek Janecek, bought the motorcycle division of Wanderer in 1929 , by concatenating the first letters of Janeček and Wanderer...
name in other countries.
Originally the Babetta was conceived as lightweight moped to compete with the Solex
Solex
Solex was a French manufacturer of carburetors and the powered bicycle VéloSoleX.The Solex company was founded by Marcel Mennesson and Maurice Goudard to manufacture vehicle radiators...
moped which was popular during the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
. The first Babetta mopeds to see the light of day in 1970 featured very large 23-inch wheels, but these were soon swapped out in favour of smaller 16-inch wheels. The Babetta was notable for its electronic ignition — the first time a transistorized contactless ignition had been used in a moped.
The original Babetta 206 was joined by a "new" model, the 207 in 1975. The difference between the two models is that the 207 featured full suspension front and rear, whereas the 206 had a rigid frame.
In 1983 the original models were replaced by the new 210 model, which featured a new engine and optional two-speed transmission.
Maximum speed reached by the Babetta with its engine in mint condition is between 50-55 kilometres per hour.