JAWA is a motorcycle manufacturer in the Czech Republic, formerly Czechoslovakia. It was named after its founder Janeček bought the motorcycle production of Wanderer in 1929. The name JAWA came from the first two letters of Janecek and Wanderer. The company is still active today. JAWA is pronounced (roughly) "Yah-va".
And so at Mysore had grown up a new JAWA motor cycle assembly plant - involved were two-fifties and the Pioneer ultra-lightweights. It was on March 5, 1961, that the first motor cycle left the gate of the Ideal JAWA Mysore Company’s plant. Since then they were sold under the marquee Yezdi, which is a transcription of the Czech language term "jezdi" meaning "going or running".
Historically Jawa has been very active in racing, and by far the most active East-European manufacturers in mechanical sports. In track racing Jawa sustained a presence in the World Championship until the mid-sixties with respectable performances considering their limited budget. In Motocross Jawa made an impressive name before its 4-stroke engines became superseded by 2-stroke engines.
Yezdi
Yezdi was the brand under which Ideal Jawa (India) Ltd, an Indian motorcycle company based in Mysore, sold licensed Jawa and CZ motorcycles beginning in 1960. The catch phrase for the bikes sold by the firm was "Forever bike forever value".
Models
There have been many models of this brand before the company shut its doors in 1996. Their various models included :
Jawa 250 Type 353 called 'A' Type
Jawa 50 Jet 'A' Series known as Pionyr in Czechoslavakia
Yezdi 60 Jet 'B' Series
Yezdi 250 'B' Type
Yezdi 250 Oilking (CB Points and Oil Pump) 'C' Type
Yezdi 250 Roadking (CB Points) 'C' Type
Yezdi D250 Classic
Yezdi 250 CL II
Yezdi B250 Deluxe
Yezdi 250 Deluxe 'C' Type
Yezdi 250 Roadking (CDI) 'C' Type
Yezdi 60 Colt
Yezdi 60 Colt Deluxe
Yezdi 175 (CB Points)
Yezdi 175 Deluxe (CDI)
Jawa / Yezdi 350 Twin Type 634
Yezdi 250 Monarch
Yezdi 250 Supersprint (Never Released)