See belt-driven motorcycles in action at Pardubice Veteran Rallye
Pardubice will host its 41st veteran rally on Saturday, May 16, 2026. The traditional event, for historic cars and motorcycles manufactured before 1982, will also include an exhibition ride of belt-driven motorcycles.
Vintage car and motorcycle fans are gearing up for the annual Pardubice Veteran Rallye, which kicks off on Pernštýn Square this Saturday. Eighty-five crews have registered to take part this year. Many of the vintage cars date back to the pre-war period and some of the motorcycles registered are belt-driven models made in the beginning of the twentieth century.
Chief organizer David Říha of the Pardubice Veteran Club promises a grand show including dynamic demonstrations of some of the oldest belt-driven motorcycles.
“The oldest belt-driven machines registered date back to 1903, and we’ll present them in dynamic demonstrations. They will ride from Pernštýn Square to Příhrádek and back. The route is about 600 metres long. Visitors will get to admire brands such as Orion, Torpedo and Laurin & Klement, which are rarely seen. And they’ll actually be shown in action in Pardubice,”
Manufacturers such as Laurin & Klement, Indian and Triumph all produced belt-driven motorcycles in the pioneering years before chain drive gradually became dominant around the 1910s and 1920s.
Spectators will get a close up look at these century-old veterans, transporting them back to an age when engineering still smelled of hot oil, leather and workshop smoke.
David Říha explains how these veterans work and why good weather is essential for their performance.
“Some motorcycles already had a special frame. For example, Laurin & Klement developed a special frame into which they mounted the engine. In most cases it’s an engine with direct drive to the rear wheel via a belt — that’s why they’re called belt-driven machines. There’s no gearbox, only a mechanism replacing the clutch, and with a lever you can only switch it on and off. These machines only have simple evaporative carburetors, so good weather is essential for the alcohol-petrol mixture to evaporate properly. Moisture could upset both the fuel mixture and the belt traction. People will see what riders have to go through just to get the machine moving.”
The first ride of the belt-driven motorcycles will begin at 10 a.m., with the second taking place after the official start of the rally around noon.
The ceremonial drive of vintage cars will lead from Pardubice to Lukavice, where local members of the veteran club are preparing goulash and beer for 200 guests.
