History of Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles in India.
Ideal Jawa (India) Ltd was an Indian motorcycle company based in Mysore which sold licensed Jawa motorcycles beginning in 1960 under the brand name Jawa and from 1973 as Yezdi. The catchphrase for the bikes sold by the firm was “Forever Bike Forever Value”. The company stopped production in 1996.
The Jawa motorcycle, which derived its name from the first two letters of the words Janacek, founder of the ‘Wanderer’ bike, was the darling of the motocross and rallying circuit in Europe.
Production was carried out directly in India by Ideal Jawa India Ltd based out of Mysore .The Yezdi factory was located along the railway line which heads to Mysore Junction. The factory was inaugurated by the then Governor of Mysore State, His Highness Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, Maharaja of Mysore in 1961.
During the mid 50’s, the Indian Government stopped the import of cars and bikes. However, assembling foreign machines by domestic companies was allowed. That prompted Rustom Irani, the country agent of Jawa in Mumbai, to set up his production unit, with his brother, collaborating with the Czech company Jawa. The Czech bikes had, meanwhile, also found their way into the heart of none other than the Mysore King Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, as the bikes had a fearsome reputation on international racing circuits. As soon as he heard that the bikes were being imported from the Czech Republic, he insisted tha thtye start an engineering industry in Mysuru. So, in 1961, the Maharaja himself inaugurated the Ideal Jawa India Ltd. factory and insisted that the company establish itself in Yadavgiri. The Maharaja and the two siblings, Mr.Rustom Irani and Mr.Farrokh K Irani, set up the factory over 25 acres of land, in the Yadavgiri industrial area. The factory had an initial investment of Rs.51 lakh in 1961, and the Maharaja himself was one of the stakeholders. Yezdi’s were preferred rally bikes in the 80s and 90s.
The Yezdi Roadking was produced at Mysore from 1978 to 1996. It was based on the CZ 250 motocross (type 980.5) ridden by Jaroslav Falta to the runner-up spot in the 1974 Motorcross World Championship. It was sold under the brand name Yezdi.. The bike won several Indian rallies and road races. The bike had a 250 cc engine with dual exhausts and a semi-automatic clutch and Jawa/CZ’s trademark integrated gear shifter/kick-starter. The collaboration between Jawa and Irani ended sometime around 1973 and 1974.
For Indians, the Jawa-Yezdi nostalgia largely centres around the Jawa 250, commonly referred to as the ‘A’ Type, which was offered under licence, Yezdi 250 ‘B’ Type, Yezdi Roadking, Yezdi 350 Twin and Yezdi Monarch. The smaller Yezdi 175 and the Yezdi 60 Colt, a moped, also continue to have a lot of traction among classic vehicle enthusiasts and collectors.
There is even a club, called the Bengaluru Jawa Yezdi Club founded in 2007, that celebrates the second Sunday of July as Yezdi day. The 4 founders – Lokesh, Amrit, Brian and Sam – are all hardcore Yezdi enthusiasts, whose sole aim is to bring back the fame and glory that the iconic motorcycle enjoyed through its golden years.
What drives people to ride and like a Yezdi? Well, there can be no logical answer to that question. It is a choice of pure love. Whether it is the loud roar of the engine, the legendary twin silencers, or the cold solid metal body that warms the heart, everything about the Yezdi is pure nostalgia.
When the company was forced to shut down, it was producing the 175, Monarch, Deluxe, Road Kings and CL II. The main reason for the company’s collapse was labor trouble and increasing levels of pollution control norms which were making the two stroke bikes that the company produced obsolete. With the advent of Yamaha and Honda in India, these bikes lost their status as Yezdi’s were heavier and in some cases slower with lesser fuel efficiency.
* Indian Roadie Recollections
* Indian Roadie Recollections Of Old Automobiles
* Jawa
* Ideal Jawa
* Yezdi
