10 FORGOTTEN Yezdi & Jawa motorcycles of India

In spite of being out of production for a few decades, Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles enjoy a special place in the hearts of many motorcycle enthusiasts. These motorcycles were a preferred choice of many commuters who wanted their motorcycles to be fun to ride. Jawa Motorcycles are originally from the Czech Republic and Yezdis are their Indian-ised versions. Actually, several decades ago, the Czech bike maker licensed a Mysore-based company to produce and sell Jawa motorcycles with the Yezdi brand name. There are still some connoisseurs who have restored these motorcycles to their former glory. Here are 10 such Yezdi and Jawa motorcycles.

Yezdi 250 Type A

The Jawa 250-cc Type 353/04 Type ‘A’  was the first model that the Czech bike maker chose to bring to India. It came with a 249-cc, two-stroke, air-cooled single cylinder motor that produced 12 hp at 4750 rpm. It came mated to a four-speed transmission. The Jawa 250 Type A is now a collectible, and such well-restored bikes command a high price in the used bike market.

Yezdi Roadking

The Roadking was a popular model that featured a powerful, near 250-cc, 2-stroke engine that offered 16 bhp and 24 Nm. This made it a worthy opponent to the Royal Enfield Bullet, in the 1990s. It also handled pretty well. The motorcycle weighed 140 KGs and offered a brisk acceleration.

Yezdi Oilking

The Oilking was basically a Roadking that had an oil-pump. It’s said that the oil-pump often failed as people would run this motorcycle without any oil in the oil tank. It was powered by the same 250-cc two-stroke engine that powered the Roadking. This engine came mated to a four-speed manual transmission and produced 16 bhp-24 Nm.

Yezdi Monarch

The Yezdi Monarch was built on the Yezdi 175 chassis but got its juice from a 250-cc, two-stroke motor that powered the Roadking. Even for the Monarch, this engine produced 16 bhp and 24 Nm and came mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Many say that the Monarch was essentially an upgraded version of the 175. It weighed 136 KGs and was pretty quick off the block.

Yezdi Classic

The Yezdi Classic was a decent long-distance cruiser that came across as a worthy opponent of the RE Bullet. The motorcycle still looks pretty handsome and its classic looks can give some modern retro motorcycles a run for their money. It was promoted using the ‘Forever Bike Forever Value’ tagline. Its near 250-cc offered 13 bhp and 20 Nm. This motorcycle today commands a really high resale value in the used market. A well-restored version generally carries a price tag of more than Rs 1 lakh.

Yezdi Classic CL-II

The Yezdi CL-II is essentially an upgraded iteration of the Roadking. Its near 250-cc, air-cooled motor produced a maximum power of 13 bhp along with a peak torque of 20 Nm. The CL-II was powerful enough to sprint to 60 kmph in a claimed 4.6 seconds. It had a top speed of 110 kmph.

Yezdi 175

As the name suggests, this model came with a 175-cc, single-cylinder, two-stroke engine that delivered 9.5 bhp of maximum power at 5500 rpm and 14.27 Nm of peak torque at 4000 rpm. The motorcycle had a top speed of 95 kmph. The Yezdi was a light, peppy, fun-to-ride motorcycle that was more affordable than its 250-cc cousins. Even this motorcycle commands a pretty hefty price in the used motorcycle market.

Yezdi 60

Basically, the Yezdi 60 was the Honda Navi-equivalent by the Czech bike maker. It was the successor of the Jawa 50. The Yezdi 60 targeted teenagers and women riders. The step-through was powered by a really small 60-cc, two-stroke, air-cooled engine that produced a maximum power of 3.6 bhp at 6000 rpm. The motor came mated to a 3-speed gearbox.

Yezdi 350

It’s said that the Yezdi 350 was the slightly poorer man’s Yamaha RD 350. Compared to the RD 350, the Yezdi 350 was less powerful. However, its 2-stroke motor was sufficiently peppy and made it fun to ride. However, in spite of the lower price tag, it could never attract many buyers. Yet, today, it’s a pretty iconic motorcycle from the 80s that commands a high resale value in the used motorcycle market.

Yezdi Deluxe

The Yezdi Deluxe shared in plenty with the Classic and the Roadking. It featured a near 250-cc, air-cooled, 2-stroke engine that produced 13 bhp of maximum power and 20 Nm of peak torque. The motorcycle even shared its suspension and braking system with the Classic and the Roadking. It weighed only 131 KGs, which made it pretty quick.

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