Book Review of MMP Books
Single Vehicle No. 09
Polish Heavy Military Motorcycle
P.Z. Inz. M 111 “Sokot 1000”
Author: Adam Jonca
ISBN: 978-83-67227-47-6
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2023
MSRP: $11.99
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2023
MSRP: $11.99
HISTORY:
The Sokół 1000 (also known as CWS M111) was the heaviest Polish pre-war motorcycle manufactured by the PZInż works, for both civilian and military use by the Polish Army. Production of the model 1000 started in 1933 and lasted until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. A standard completion was a sidecar combination.
In late 1927 the Polish Army created a specification for a general purpose heavy motorcycle that was to replace the Harley-Davidson motorcycles used until then. By 1932 the Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe works prepared a short series of roughly 200 CWS M55 motorcycles equipped with a sidecar.
The bike itself was based upon the Harley-Davidson, while the engine was almost a direct copy of the Indian. However, the machine proved to be less reliable.
In 1931 it was decided at Państwowe Zakłady Inżynierii to prepare a completely new heavy motorcycle for the use of the Polish Army. Subsidized by the state, the PZInż holding extensively tested and modified the earlier M55 design to fit the specifications. Initially named CWS M III, the new construction was to be reliable, user-friendly, and immune to harsh conditions and bad service.
As a result, the final motorcycle was slightly outdated, particularly heavy even as for its class, and expensive, with the civilian version selling for 4,200 złoty, or roughly US$800 or UK£170, a price only slightly lower than that of an average car of the epoch. ]Nevertheless, the model proved extremely reliable and durable.
Production of the 1000 started in 1933 and lasted until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Mass-produced entirely in Poland (less than 5% of parts were imported), the Sokół 1000 maintained its high quality throughout the production period. Every tenth motorcycle delivered was extensively checked for parameters and all machines were road-trialed before delivery.
Its durability proved to be a major advantage and the Sokół 1000 was much faster off-road than many of the previously-used American counterparts. Among the most notable innovations introduced in the Polish construction was a soft sidecar mounting, which allowed for easier handling and greater off-road speed.
The Sokół 1000 was also the basis for the Sokół M121 trike prototype, with the sidecar wheel powered. Its engine was also used for railway draisines.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Also called: CWS M111
Production: 1933–1939 (ca. 3,400)
Engine: 995.4 cc, four-stroke 45° v-twin
Bore / stroke: 83 mm × 92 mm (3.3 in × 3.6 in)
Compression ratio: 5:1
Top speed: 100 km/h (62 mph)
Power: 18 hp (13 kW) at 3000 rpm
Suspension: 6-spring
Wheelbase: 1,464 mm (57.6 in)
Dimensions: Length: 2,270 mm (89 in) (2,540 mm (100 in) with sidecar), Width: 800 mm (31 in) (1,740 mm (69 in) with sidecar), Height: 1,135 mm (44.7 in)
Fuel capacity: 20 litres (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 US gal)
Oil capacity: 3 litres (3.2 US qt)
THE BOOK:
MMP Books is based in Poland.
This book is in soft-cover of 28 pages, in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color illustration of the P.Z. Inz. M 111 “Sokol 1000” posed against an all light-grey background.
It is gloss-black, with decorative gold stripes. It has the manufacturers logo, of a white-winged circle, with a red stylized W on the sides of the fuel tank. It has a black license plate on the front fender with white serial no. W23-450 on it.
The first page gives a history and other specifications of the motorcycle.
Page 2 has left and right side-view line-drawing of the motorcycle in 1/35th and 1/17.5th scales.
Page 3 has a side-view of the armed version motorcycle, with a cKm 7.9 mm wz 30 machine gun on it. In 1/35th and 1/17.5 scales.
Above the communication version. That has a RKD radio station and ROD receiver mounted on it. In the 2 scales.
There are 52 black and white photos in the book of the motorcycle variants and riders, a page in Polish of a page from the 1937 Armoured Weapons Equipment album, a black and white line drawing of 2 views of the engine, a black and white photo of a hand-held machine gun, 2 technical drawings of the motorcycle, 2 technical drawings of the mines carried by the armoire version, a black and white photo of the radio and a technical drawing of the RKD transmitter and hand-held alternator and a drawing showing a 8 unit graph in Polish.
The last page of the book is the only color in the book.
It shows color illustrations of circular unit markings, a blue circle with white NAUKA JAZDY on it (Learning to drive), a cloth pennant, divided horizontally into the top being black and the bottom being orange, with white 2/5 on it, of the 2nd Company TK 5th Armoured Battalion, another pennant that has a black square on the left of it, with 8 narrow white lines dissecting it, a white right end with two peaks that are divided by a horizontal yellow line.
This pennant was for a motorcycle of the 24th Communications Platoon, Uhlan Regiment and another side view of the motorcycle in overall olive-drab with the decorative gold stripes and the yellow circle unit marking for the armoured weapons unit on its sides.
This book will be of interest to both modelers and military enthusiasts alike.
I found a listing for a Choroszy Modelbud brand 1/35th scale kit of the motorcycle at the Super Heavy Hobby Store for $37.31.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.
Casemate is the N. American distributor of MMB Books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The Sokół 1000 (also known as CWS M111) was the heaviest Polish pre-war motorcycle manufactured by the PZInż works, for both civilian and military use by the Polish Army. Production of the model 1000 started in 1933 and lasted until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. A standard completion was a sidecar combination.
In late 1927 the Polish Army created a specification for a general purpose heavy motorcycle that was to replace the Harley-Davidson motorcycles used until then. By 1932 the Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe works prepared a short series of roughly 200 CWS M55 motorcycles equipped with a sidecar.
The bike itself was based upon the Harley-Davidson, while the engine was almost a direct copy of the Indian. However, the machine proved to be less reliable.
In 1931 it was decided at Państwowe Zakłady Inżynierii to prepare a completely new heavy motorcycle for the use of the Polish Army. Subsidized by the state, the PZInż holding extensively tested and modified the earlier M55 design to fit the specifications. Initially named CWS M III, the new construction was to be reliable, user-friendly, and immune to harsh conditions and bad service.
As a result, the final motorcycle was slightly outdated, particularly heavy even as for its class, and expensive, with the civilian version selling for 4,200 złoty, or roughly US$800 or UK£170, a price only slightly lower than that of an average car of the epoch. ]Nevertheless, the model proved extremely reliable and durable.
Production of the 1000 started in 1933 and lasted until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Mass-produced entirely in Poland (less than 5% of parts were imported), the Sokół 1000 maintained its high quality throughout the production period. Every tenth motorcycle delivered was extensively checked for parameters and all machines were road-trialed before delivery.
Its durability proved to be a major advantage and the Sokół 1000 was much faster off-road than many of the previously-used American counterparts. Among the most notable innovations introduced in the Polish construction was a soft sidecar mounting, which allowed for easier handling and greater off-road speed.
The Sokół 1000 was also the basis for the Sokół M121 trike prototype, with the sidecar wheel powered. Its engine was also used for railway draisines.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Also called: CWS M111
Production: 1933–1939 (ca. 3,400)
Engine: 995.4 cc, four-stroke 45° v-twin
Bore / stroke: 83 mm × 92 mm (3.3 in × 3.6 in)
Compression ratio: 5:1
Top speed: 100 km/h (62 mph)
Power: 18 hp (13 kW) at 3000 rpm
Suspension: 6-spring
Wheelbase: 1,464 mm (57.6 in)
Dimensions: Length: 2,270 mm (89 in) (2,540 mm (100 in) with sidecar), Width: 800 mm (31 in) (1,740 mm (69 in) with sidecar), Height: 1,135 mm (44.7 in)
Fuel capacity: 20 litres (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 US gal)
Oil capacity: 3 litres (3.2 US qt)
THE BOOK:
MMP Books is based in Poland.
This book is in soft-cover of 28 pages, in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color illustration of the P.Z. Inz. M 111 “Sokol 1000” posed against an all light-grey background.
It is gloss-black, with decorative gold stripes. It has the manufacturers logo, of a white-winged circle, with a red stylized W on the sides of the fuel tank. It has a black license plate on the front fender with white serial no. W23-450 on it.
The first page gives a history and other specifications of the motorcycle.
Page 2 has left and right side-view line-drawing of the motorcycle in 1/35th and 1/17.5th scales.
Page 3 has a side-view of the armed version motorcycle, with a cKm 7.9 mm wz 30 machine gun on it. In 1/35th and 1/17.5 scales.
Above the communication version. That has a RKD radio station and ROD receiver mounted on it. In the 2 scales.
There are 52 black and white photos in the book of the motorcycle variants and riders, a page in Polish of a page from the 1937 Armoured Weapons Equipment album, a black and white line drawing of 2 views of the engine, a black and white photo of a hand-held machine gun, 2 technical drawings of the motorcycle, 2 technical drawings of the mines carried by the armoire version, a black and white photo of the radio and a technical drawing of the RKD transmitter and hand-held alternator and a drawing showing a 8 unit graph in Polish.
The last page of the book is the only color in the book.
It shows color illustrations of circular unit markings, a blue circle with white NAUKA JAZDY on it (Learning to drive), a cloth pennant, divided horizontally into the top being black and the bottom being orange, with white 2/5 on it, of the 2nd Company TK 5th Armoured Battalion, another pennant that has a black square on the left of it, with 8 narrow white lines dissecting it, a white right end with two peaks that are divided by a horizontal yellow line.
This pennant was for a motorcycle of the 24th Communications Platoon, Uhlan Regiment and another side view of the motorcycle in overall olive-drab with the decorative gold stripes and the yellow circle unit marking for the armoured weapons unit on its sides.
This book will be of interest to both modelers and military enthusiasts alike.
I found a listing for a Choroszy Modelbud brand 1/35th scale kit of the motorcycle at the Super Heavy Hobby Store for $37.31.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.
Casemate is the N. American distributor of MMB Books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.