10 modified Yezdis & Jawas: Blast from the past

Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles hold a special place in the hearts of many people from the last generation. It was the motorcycle of choice for the daily commuters that wanted some extra punch from their motorcycles. While the origin of Jawa motorcycles can be found in the Czech Republic, Yezdis are essentially their Indian-ised version. Basically, back in the day, the Czechoslovakia-based bikemaker licensed a Mysore-based company to manufacture and sell Jawa motorcycles under the Yezdi branding. While Yezdi motorcycles went out of production many years ago, there are some connoisseurs who have worked hard to keep the magic alive. Here are as many as 10 beautifully restored/modified Yezdi & Jawa motorcycles of India.

Yamdoot by RVS Designs

Well, this Yezdi doesn’t look anything like the original classic. Hence, those of you who prefer a vintage beauty over a rather wild modification might not like this motorcycle. On the other hand, we are happy to see that an old Yezdi Classic has been given a new lease of life by modifying it into a cool-looking chopper. Done up by Jaipur based RVS Design, this Yezdi chopper uses the original powertrain but gets a true-blue American chopper bodywork with a 19-inch wheel up front and a 17 inch one at the rear. It even gets a monoshock rear suspension!

Raw Angel by Dochaki Design

Here is a Yezdi that has received some modification to look uber cool whilst retaining much of its original charm. Dubbed as the ‘Raw Angel’, this Yezdi is the work of Dochaki Design, Pune. The customizers say they wanted to give the Yezdi a classic bobber touch. Hence, they gave this motorcycle a custom tank that looks a lot like the original unit but has different proportions. They have even removed much of the subframe along with the rear fender to give the motorcycle a minimalistic look. The motorcycle gets matte black finish with a leather-wrapped single-seat. Neat!

DA Customs’ Cruiser

Here is another wild mod-job based on the Czech motorcycle. Built by DA Customs of Rajasthan, this cruiser motorcycle is based on the Yezdi Roadking. The motorcycle gets a completely custom body and a faux engine has been welded near the original motor to give the motorcycle a V-twin look. The motorcycle scores full marks for aesthetics.

Jawa Bobber by Darkside Customs

Pune-based Darkside Customs has come up with a rather outlandish looking Java-based bobber. This custom motorcycle is easily among the most radically designed custom Jawas in the country. Other than the original 250cc, two-stroke engine and the spoke rims, everything else on this motorcycle is custom-built. Even the peanut-shaped tank of the Jawa has been cut into two and widened for that big bike look.

Two-tone Jawa

Here’s a Jawa 250 from the 1960s that has been given a two-tone blue-white paint job along with some minor modifications to give it a classic cruiser bike look. Basically, it has been done up in a metallic blue paint with a thick white stripe running across its length. The original seat has been replaced with a single-seat unit. Also, the motorcycle gets custom spoke wheels.

Restored Jawa 250

Here is a restored Jawa 250 from the late 60s. The motorcycle has been restored to its original specifications. The Jawa 250 used to come with an air-cooled, two-stroke, engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission. The engine produced a maximum power of 14 HP. The motorcycle had spoke wheels, telescopic front fork, dual shock absorbers at the rear, and drum brakes at both the wheels.

Another Restored Jawa 250

Here is yet another Jawa that has been restored to its former glory. Similar to the model you saw above, even this motorcycle came with a near 250cc engine mated to a four-speed gearbox.

Restored Yezdi D250 Classic

Here is a well-maintained Yezdi D250 Classic. This motorcycle comes painted in white and has a saddlebag and a fuel canister carrier. The motorcycle comes with bits like a black-painted engine and a twin-exhaust setup, which give it a very cool look.

Restored Yezdi Roadking

Here is a well-maintained Yezdi Roadking motorcycle that was produced in India by Ideal Jawa Ltd, Mysore, from 1978 to 1996. The Roadking was based on the CZ 250 motorcycle that was ridden by Jaroslav Falta to the runner-up spot in the 1974 motocross world championship. Even in India, this motorcycle won many rallies and road races. It was powered by a 250 cc engine with twin exhausts and had a dry weight of 134 KGs.

Another Restored Yezdi Roadking

Here is another well-maintained Roadking. Like we said, the Roadking offered a pretty high performance for its time, which made it successful in motorsports. It offered a maximum power of 17 hp along with a peak torque of 2.43 kgm. It had a true top speed of roughly 115 kmph.

Images courtesy – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10