Motoring in Poland after World War II involved mostly motorcycles and mopeds. In a country ravaged by war, few could afford to buy hard-to-find cars. For this reason, motorcycles remained as substitutes for cars for a long time and the “Junak” was a particular object of desire.
The design of the Junak M 07 motorcycle was developed in 1952 at the Automotive Industry Design Bureau in Warsaw. The chief designer was inż. Jan Ignatowicz. The chassis was designed by Stefan Poraziński, and the engine by Krzysztof Wójcicki. The motorcycle copied technical solutions proven in foreign machines of a similar calibre. It also made references to pre-war Sokół 600 motorcycles, which can be seen especially clearly in the construction of the engine.
However, the Junak was the largest and only civilian motorcycle powered by a four-stroke engine produced in Poland after WWII. It was praised for its good performance and handling. Unfortunately, the shortcoming of these vehicles throughout the time of their production was the low quality of components. Riders also complained about high levels of engine vibration and noise.
The “Polish Harley” made a mark in the history of Polish motor sports thanks to its successes in off-road rallies. In 1959, the Polish motorcycle speed record of 149.3 km/h was established on a redesigned Junak: a record that remained unbeated until the end of communist Poland.
Throughout the period of their production, the Junaks were considered luxury items and demand for them decreased from the 1960s when production of passenger cars increased. Up until 1965, some 90,000 units were built, including 10,000 of the model M 07.