Balkan (motorcycle)

Balkan
Fate defunct
Predecessor DAR
Founded 1957
Defunct 1975
Headquarters Lovech, National Motorcycle Works, Bulgaria
Products Motorcycles

Balkan was the first motorcycle built in Bulgaria.[1] The first model, the Balkan M1, released in 1957, was built under the open license of DKW, and was identical to the DKW RT250. In 1960 the company started using a design similar to Jawa, and other contemporary motorcycles.

Notes

  1. Tragatsch, Erwin (1964), The world's motorcycles, 1894-1963: a record of 70 years of motorcycle production, Temple Press, p. 18, BALKAN, National Motorcycle Works, Levec. BG 1958 to date. The "Balkan" is the first motorcycle built in Bulgaria. It is a product of the Number 12 factory and has a 250-c.c. engine in a pressed steel frame; not dissimilar to the popular Czechoslovakian Jawa. A 50-c.c. moped is -- since 1960 -- also among the "Balkan" products.