World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseIn 1927, the Polish Army requested a heavy general purpose motorcycle. The firm Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe designed the CWS M55 motorcycles and manufactured about 200 examples, but these motorcycles were ultimately decided to be unreliable. In 1931, the firm Panstwowe Zaklady Inzynieryjne (PZInz) began designing its own response to the request. The resulting design was initially named CWS M III, but it was later redesignated Sokól 1000/CWS 1000. Production began in 1933, and these motorcycles were sold to both the Polish Army as well as to the civilian market. They were known for their durability and off-road handling capabilities. Production ceased in 1939 when the country was overrun by the invading Germans; between 1933 and 1939, about 3,400 examples were built.

SPECIFICATIONS

Sokól 1000

Machinery	One 995.4cc four-stroke v-twin engine rated at 22hp
Suspension	6-spring
Length	2.54 m
Width	1.74 m
Height	1.14 m
Speed	140 km/h

Photographs