[Nempuguru]

Originally Posted by Doge

http://www.yezdi.com/
Amazingly,they have a website! And it doesn't seem to be run by fans either. I wonder what's the point of this?
Anyway, I too love Yezdi's.

Even website looks like from 90's era. Similar to that typewriter and paper, website construction was also stopped on a sudden lockout notice?

Very sorry state of pics as if natural calamity stuck and people suddenly left everything abandoned and escaped.

[Bluey]

Hi Fellow BHPians,
Just a few of my thoughts reminiscing about The Yezdi, yes with a capital "T".
Whenever I drive into Mysore, I always remember, that about 30 odd years back, I did the same ride to Mysore with a friend of mine to help him pick up one of the first Yezdi Roadkings. With its factory located right at the entry of Mysore when coming in from Bangalore, those thoughts will always come flooding in each time I enter Mysore.

Back to the story, at the time there was a long booking queue and because of a contact who knew the owners, the Iranis, and in particular Kai, we could actually got to take delivery of the bike from the factory. Man, were we the envy of the chaps in Bangalore, with the music that came from the Short Bore twin exhaust!!!
For various reasons Ideal Jawa was unable to cope with the changes that came into the Indian motorbike scene with the onslaught of the Japanese 100CCs and the death-bell began to ring for Ideal Jawa.. Their attempt to stay in the race with the 350 TWIN failed rather miserably and thereon it was downhill all the way.....
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/images/icons/icon9.gif

[maddy42]

Thanks for sharing. Reminds me of my Dads Roadking. Was there till Hero came with a cd100. The main reason it was sold was due to starting trouble, but once it started it flew!

I really hope that someday Royal Enfield buys this company out and revives the brand! It will be a nice compliment to the retro enfields of today. Maybe just revive the Yezdi and leave the java alone.

Maddy

[Blr_RK]

I agree that the Jawas and Yezdi's were noisy. No offense meant to any Enfield owners, but the new Enfield's with their modified silencers make more annoying noise than the Yezdi, and the number of Enfields are growing by the day.

Originally Posted by fiestarry

I hope like hell that the Yezdi does not make a comeback; at least in that avatar. In today's world, among the last things we need is a prehistoric motorcycle with a loud engine note. Imagine a dozen of these machines passing by your house or office every minute.
Nostalgia is nice: I too have done tremendous trips on Jawas and Yezdis. Done the length and breadth of Gujarat on one in the early ninties; so that you know. Never had a problem starting one either because I learnt how to when I was about nine or ten.
But in today's world it is a relic best left undisturbed.

[fiestarry]

Very true and it is very sad to see that neither the Govt nor the wiseheads among the bhpians seem to have a problem with noisy motorcycles. I have mentioned it earlier and I state the same here : The only vehicles that can be individually heard on a busy road are:-
1. Enfield Bullets
2. Autorickshaws with sawn off mufflers
3. KTMs

And this spectrum covers everything from electric scooters to Volvo buses.
The general apathy to noise pollution is hard to figure.

But then I risk being shouted down by the flock !

[Enobarbus]

At the time of the Japanese onslaught with their fuel efficient and reliable 100CC's, the motor cycling community was divided between the old timers who wanted none of the "puny" 100CC's and those who lusted after the snazzy new Japanese machines. The old timer's complaint was that the new machines didn't "feel" like motor cycles at all. They felt like mopeds.
Also the new bikes were being advertised aggressively while there was little or no advertising by Yezdi.
They did try to improve reliability and efficiency with a 175 CC offering with a claimed fuel efficiency of 55 KMPL or thereabouts. Unfortunately it was too little too late.

[tharian]

What was the true reason for the factory shutting down?
I heard of Labour unrest and the management screwing up and like someone said, the pictures show as though it was abandoned in few minutes like some natural calamity or emergency happened.

The two stroke pollution control reason won't be applicable since Yamaha went on to selling their RX till early 2000 and we still have the TVS XL moped?

[King_pin09]

Originally Posted by fiestarry

But then I risk being shouted down by the flock !

Sir, you have got very valid points here. BHPians always appreciate humbleness in expression. The points indicted by you are the very reasons for demise of all those old modes of transportation.

The general expressions here reflect the lack of vision, non flexibility to adapt to the market changes, and inability to meet the changing demands of the consumers by the so called kings of yesteryears. Of course we do have memories of our childhood days that deeply associate us with these simple machines of the by-gone era, and what better way we have to share them than this forum of wonderful people

[mr.e]

Originally Posted by fiestarry

Very true and it is very sad to see that neither the Govt nor the wiseheads among the bhpians seem to have a problem with noisy motorcycles. I have mentioned it earlier and I state the same here : The only vehicles that can be individually heard on a busy road are:-
1. Enfield Bullets
2. Autorickshaws with sawn off mufflers
3. KTMs

And this spectrum covers everything from electric scooters to Volvo buses.
The general apathy to noise pollution is hard to figure.

But then I risk being shouted down by the flock !

Hi
I agree that these bikes are noisy. I wouldn't want to be the one to start it in a closed locality in the middle of the night. I am scared to imagine the stares I would get the first time people see me during the day after my midnight ride.

However, given the mentality of Indian pedestrians, I think most people who drive would agree, that compared to the pedestrians blocking the path of all the pulsars, karizmas, unicorns, and city commuter bikes even after you blow the horn (you get "The Stare" from the pedestrians for honking at them), virtually no pedestrian crosses a Royal Enfield or a Jawa/Yezdi even without the horn (You will never get "The Stare" either). I'd prefer the latter any day or night.

About the noise, let some carbon and sludge accumulate in the exhaust, it is more silent than four strokers. If your mechanic is good, you will get that fine balance too between power and the exhaust note. By the way the noise levels at traffic junctions in my megapolis, (where the Jawa bikes are virtually non existent) haven't really gone low in these years where these bikes didn't ply, RE bikes are also just coming back in vogue after a seemingly long hiatus.

On a different note,
In today's world, I feel that a bike from the Ideal Jawa stables would definitely be on people's wishlist. Probably the company would have developed four strokers- city commuters etc. The thought processes that went into making these bikes have not been replicated even 20 years after the company shut down. With the original accelerator handgrip and handle you won't even see your accelerator cable hanging from the handle, you can ride even if your clutch cable were to break, by using the autoclutch, the kick and gear levers are the same. It is a novelty for sure.

Now imagine a person from the post liberalisation generation, with fuller pockets than their parents, who goes to purchase a bike. While making that choice won't the company (whose bike they sat on as a child, pretending to drive by moving handle from side to side and making 'bike sounds') be high on the list? Wouldn't this person buy a Yezdi?

I know, I would. That discussion would be all hypothetical and a moo point (a cow's opinion - it doesn't really matter).

Anyway my 1972 Jawa 250cc is being restored as we speak, the thread is in process.

This post is a bitter sweet one. Anyway glad to hear that others (who appreciate this bike) are still active in this forum.
With that I'll sign off till next time.

[Doge]

Originally Posted by maddy42

Thanks for sharing. Reminds me of my Dads Roadking. Was there till Hero came with a cd100. The main reason it was sold was due to starting trouble, but once it started it flew!

I really hope that someday Royal Enfield buys this company out and revives the brand! It will be a nice compliment to the retro enfields of today. Maybe just revive the Yezdi and leave the java alone.

Maddy

Although Yezdi is dead, Jawa is still alive! They still make the 350 twin in Czech republic I think. Probably one of the last two stroke bikes in the world.