Ideal Jawa - Forever Bike Forever Value

Guest Post
Author: Vivek Roadking

Jawa...... The name brings forward a lot of emotions. The love which is attached with a sentiment... The respect attached with its heritage... The passion with the sheer joy of riding one....The jealousy of seeing a better bike than yours.. A little ganchali with having a few parked in the house, seldom used covered with an inch of dust above and an inch of oil below.

Forever bike - forever value they say...a slogan cried loud by the die hards..a statement never understood by the posers.

Few still trying to figure out the kick-gear mechanism, few determined to push the machine further with whatever technology has to offer. Some bikes inherited.. Some bought.. Some built.. Some destroyed..some still under litigation and cravingly in the sight of many.

Some make a living by fixing them..some make money by buying new selling old..some use names for fraud.. Media publicity a requirement for some people.. 'Ignorance is bliss' for some others.

Exhaust note fans are many... Yajadee gaadi...2 stroke bullet.. Mileage 15ah?? Top speed 75alva??... address a few alien folk.

That incomparable smile when someone is jaw dropped watching u ride despite a broken clutch cable..that attention in the traffic signal with people covering their ears n noses...that embarrassing moment when the bike goes rich when ur showing it off to the non-technical folks of ur college!! That sense of achievement when you manage to fix the carb all by urself in front of ur girlfriend....

This brand has made the lives of many people worth more than they dreamt of... Made friends... Enemies who went to the extent of posing life threat.. But we still continue what we do...what we love.. what we want..what we don't want/regret...still living with ego..hatred..jealousy.. but the passion lives on!!

Vivek with his Jawa 350 Twin

Jawa Yezdi bikers to come together to commemorate International Jawa Day

It's that time of the year again when the Jawa and Yezdi craziness reaches its peak. Passionate Jawa and Yezdi bike owners bring out their prized possessions to polish and show off at the 14th International Jawa Day.

This year for the 9th consecutive time, Bangalore Jawa Yezdi Motorcycle Sports Association is bringing the event to motorcycle fans on the 9th of July in association with the reputed Bowring Institute in Bangalore. Starting at 8am inside Gate No 3, the celebrations will involve grouping together of bikes according to categories, special judging session, membership, t-shirt and food stalls and felicitation of club members and special guests.

We are excited to welcome all Jawa n Yezdi lovers to join us in the annual celebrations and share your love for these precious machines.

Here is a quick glimpse of the Award categories where the bikes will be judged by a panel across select parameters. May the best bikes win.

Venue                       : Bowring Institute, Gate - 3, St Mark’s Road, Bangalore

Assembly Time     : 8.00 – 11.30 am

Formal Program : 10.00 am

Kings Raid III - Maravanthe Beach Ride

Guest Post
Author: Meghana

Does the heading sound like something from the history books? Well, no. This is the name of a ride to a beach destination, led by Sreedhar Kacchu from BJYMC.

After completing successful rides to Kudla (Mangalore) and Goa in 2015, this time the kings were all set for their 3rd Raid. Maravanthe is the name of a small village and a beach near Kundapura in coastal Karnataka. I had heard that this beach runs on one side of the road (NH17) and on the other side is the Suparnika river, which makes it popular and is one of a kind. To behold this eye-catching view, I decided to join this Kings Raid!

We assembled at 5am on Tumkur road during mid March for briefing and direction handouts. Post which, the bikes took off at 5.30am. I, along with two ladies Chaitra (Krishna's wife), Shruthi (Bharat Venkatesh's wife) and their son Anirudh were a part of the sweep team with Krishna as our chauffeur while Bharat Singh and Bharat Venkatesh were the sweep riders! It is always a pleasure to ride on a highway and NH48 not only offers a widespread road but also beautiful scenery alongside. 

After riding for about 100 kms, we stopped at Mayura hotel for breakfast, one of the good hotels on the highway. The bikers also refilled their tanks to roar all the way to our destination. The weather got hotter and hotter as the day passed by, so we stopped at a coffee shop for a quick break just before entering the Agumbe ghat. The team decided to cut short on number of breaks so that we reach the resort by lunch time. Agumbe has number of breath-taking hair-pin bends and the roads are also in good condition. After few minutes, we (sweep car) could not see any bikes that were ahead of us. I said to myself, may be the roads have compensated to the hot sun that these bikers just ripped off our sight. 

Aerial view of Agumbe ghat and the mountain range

Finally, without any challenges or breakdowns, all the bikes covered 400+ kms with ease and we reached our destination i.e. Vits Pratham Resort by 3.45pm. Tired, happy, exhausted, excited, everyone dispersed to their rooms and to the dining hall. I always wanted to try riding a Jawa bike and after several attempts of pestering Manu, I got a chance to ride his bike, but making him as my pillion. Loved that royal feeling of riding a Jawa for the first time ever!

The fun began when the team huddled in the evening after a short relaxation. Kacchu initiated the most common and well known game 'Antakshari'. Needless to say how entertaining this game will be, but this time it was different. It became a game of singing and laughing, b'cos 'TAKE IT' was born right here!

While we were busy singing, there was some roaring in the background. Yes, it was the group of boys coming from Mysore, Coorg and Mangalore lead by PC and Shawn Fernandez! They were welcomed with whistles, hugs, smiles and then the 'take it' antakshari continued till midnight!

Father and son shaking a leg, Krishna and Chaitra, Bharat family (Shruthi & Anirudh

Day 2

After breakfast, goodies were handed out and we set out to Maravanthe beach which was about 35-45 mins away from the resort. On the way, we enjoyed the scenic view of coconut and palm fields though the weather was unfavorable.

I was stunned at the first sight of this beach. I could see nothing but clear sky, blue water, fine sand and no humans at all for at least 180 degree! Yes, the beach is unlike any others and has many dangerous whirlpools, hence people refrain from getting into the water. It was far more stunning than I had imagined.

The team at Maravanthe beach, Karnataka

We spent sometime gazing around and started back after a group pic was taken by our own photographer Sachin Shetty, who came from Mangalore. There was a lot more in store for the day such as water amusement rides, games, music and dance. Post lunch, everyone jumped into the swimming pool. Competition games such as pushing the bike, riding with one hand, off roading etc were also played. I had a great time watching the team enthusiastically participating in all these games while I was playing with my camera!!

Games that were played and the winners. Yes, take a 2nd look at the trophy please!

Sachin, who is a cinematographer by profession, delighted everyone by clicking the pics in all possible way. Portraits, couple pics, sitting on the bike, beside the bike, what not!

Sachin's photo shoot with our local heroes

 The resort also had a big stage, which was another boon for us. The team organised for a music system to make it a perfect DJ night. But before that, it was time to give away the trophies. Amrit did the honors and Muthappa, Nehal, Vivek and Birosh were the winners of the games that were held, while Ashwith Kumar grabbed the trophy for being the most disciplined rider/ biker.

These trophies have great respect among the rides since they are not just bought off the shelf but custom made. BJYMC's very own Jose Martin and his wife Beenu collects discarded Jawa and Yezdi bike parts from mechanics and designs them. So this time, we had a clutch plate supported by 2 wheel spokes mounted on the outer ring of the ball bearing which in turn was fitted on a Jawa piston. While the clutch plate and wheel spokes hold the award details, the piston (aluminum) and fly wheel (metal) are fitted together such that fly wheel can be rotated. Not at all a simple thing. Kudos to Jose and Beenu for their efforts and extraordinary idea!! :-)

Like always, we had new comers who introduced themselves and shared their thoughts & experience to be a part of BJYMC. There was a couple with 2 kids on a holiday who were also introduced and later joined and partied with us. Old, new, Kannada, English, Tamil, Hindi all type of songs were played and if I remember correctly, we danced from 8 pm to 12.30 am NON-STOP!! 

I was walking back to my room and one of the staffs there said, "Goodnight Mam, neevyellaru chennagi enjoy maadri, Nimma istu dodda group nodi tumba kushi aithu"!! 

Day 3

If you are having a good time, you don't realize how time flies. Our 3 day vacation was over before we knew it and it was time for us to pack our bags. After breakfast and group pics, those heading towards Bangalore said their goodbyes, marked the event on postcards and left around 10AM.

Meghana on a Jawa, Krishna with the sweep car and the 3 heroines!

Visiting agumbe is truly incomplete if we do not see the rainfall and we had this blissful experience on our way back. It rained all through the ghat section as we enjoyed the scenery listening to songs in the car.

Yet another ride, yet another experience. I wholeheartedly thank BJYMC, Amrit & Sreedhar for this opportunity. I was part of Gandhikota Ride, Malnad Dairies 3 abd Kings Raid III making this my third ride for the year with BJYMC. Wish to be part of more rides and at least some as a biker too!

This raid might not be from any history books, but now it will surely be remembered in the history of BJYMC.

#TheKings #BeautifulLadies #MePrincess #SweepRiders #LeadKacchu #LoadsofLUV #ThankUEVERYONE #TAKEIT!!

Malnad Diaries - Chapter 3

Guest Post
Author: Meghana C R

Sounds different? Well, it's the name of a ride that BJYMC conducts every year in the month of January, to a location in Malnad region of Karnataka. And this year, the ride was to Sakleshpur which is a hill station town in Hassan district, well known for its climate, peaks and coffee estates.

When I heard about this ride from my BJYMC friends, I definitely didn't want to miss it.

Riding on NH48 to our first stop for Breakfast at Shark Hotel

Like every time, all riders gathered at a common place on the outskirts of Bangalore around 5.30am for their attendance and ride instructions. Post that, we began our journey before dawn from NH4 (Bangalore - Pune highway), then connecting to NH48 (Nelamangala - Mangalore highway). The tolled roads of NH48 are not only well maintained but also offers a scenic view of areca and coconut trees alongside the road.

We stopped for an early breakfast at Shark Hotel near Kunigal right beside the highway. We enjoyed their famous Thatte Idli and Vada sitting together in the open by which time the sun was up making it a perfect time for some photographs.

Points bike breaks down with a faulty head gasket

 After a few kilometeres, one of the bikes (Called Points Set bike) broke down. The head gasket had torn and the boys quickly got around to fixing it. I curiously watched them dismantle the parts and heard them say gasket, nuts, screws, spanner 17, 22, bore and what not. It's so true that only men can understand their machines, and for me, uffff those were just jargons!! ;-)

After 1-2 attempts of fixing the bike, a minute portion was still missing. We had to take it to a mechanic and the next town Channarayapatna was around 40-50 kms. And how would we take the bike was the question. When it comes to towing in BJYMC, there is one name that pops up. Mr. Bharat Singh. This guy has got an amazing talent and a history of towing a bike, a Yezdi at 80kmph. Simply Wow! He towed this bike till the town and finally we found a mechanic.

We took a short break with some refreshers and fruits and once the bike was ready, we headed straight towards our destination. While these bikers took pride in enjoying the scenic beauty, the curves and the turns of NH 48 and SH 9, I enjoyed the same but along with the music that we played in our car #5569. 

Riders enjoying the stream crossing

We reached Kasaragali Homestay at Vanagur, way past our lunch time. Those who had reached early were relaxing & basking in the courtyard, and some were already partying. As we had a long day, we rushed to the dining hall and were blessed to relish the authentic malnad food ie, akki roti, tomato chutney, coconut chutney, rice and rasam. It was worth the wait. And in the evening we went to a nearby stream for off roading and some bike stunts. We do not call it a day without a campfire, especially when there is a huge crowd of 50+ people, some known and some new. Gathered at the lawn, we introduced one to another, as there were people from different places like Coorg, Mysore, Mangalore and majority of them were from Bangalore. It's not about where the people come from, it's about what they come for. It is not just an event, not just a ride. There is more in it. There is a passion that drives them, a personal connection, friendship, love, happiness, brotherhood & togetherness that is built over the years. I was really amazed by the vibe and was glad to be a part of this group unofficially though. To belong officially, I should own a Jawa or a Yezdi :-(  The night continued with playing dumb charades, laughter, music, dance & booze!

So much energy during our early morning trek to Vangur Betta

The next morning we went on a trek to a hill next to our homestay called as Vanagur betta. It was easy to moderate trekking and the view from the top was super stunning. Mountains and green fields on all sides. Sakleshpur is situated in the western ghats and hence the mountains that we saw around, I presume it to be a part of sahyadri ranges. And the road from top looked in a shape of an anaconda snake!! We were lost in the serene beauty of mother nature!

Staying in this homestay was unlike others. Isolated from the city, surrounded by greenary and the hospitality gave us a peaceful feeling being away from home. But to explore more, we set out to a water falls in the noon and yet another off roading to Patla betta to capture the sunset. I was unable to make up for this, but was lucky enough to watch the sun go down standing in middle of the road. And I was also privileged to ride a Yezdi Roadking for the first time ever, which was another delight. Day 2 ended with adventurous rides, unlimited masti, dance, announcements and recognition too.

Our customary selfie

On the 3rd day, after breakfast, we set out to the local Government school. As it is customary, BJYMC, MJYMC along with other partner clubs aim to give back to the society during every major event. We were welcomed by the Principal and the school children with a loud cheer. The teachers took some time from their busy schedule, introduced us to the students and spoke about how important education is and to be a responsible citizen. The riders had come together and contributed an all-in-one printer and copier that was urgently needed by the school. Amrit Appaiah, one of the co-founders of the club was felicitated for this gesture.

The team contributes to the welfare of the society

 

Thus, the chapter 3 of Malnad Dairies came to an end with everlasting memories. Words fall short to describe the experience I had, the wonderful people I met, the things I learned, the places I saw and the new "me" that I found!!!

I wholeheartedly thank BJYMC & everyone for making this a memorable chapter of my life and the crew that drove me there.

Sreedhar Kacchu's Ride

#BJYMC, #Roshan, #Driver, #TheShine3717, #Amrit, #Tow master, #Hamsa&Sandeep, #Everyone, #Loveyouall!

Discovering India's hidden jewels - Gandikota, the Grand Canyon of India

Guest Post
Author: Meghana C R

It was a few months ago when a friend showed me a pic of a place and said it's called "The Grand Canyon of India", somewhere in Andhra Pradesh. Impressed by the pics, I decided to plan a trip to this place called Gandikota. I failed. My friends planned and they failed too.

Finally, another good friend "Mahi" came up with an idea to the same place but with a different plan. A road trip on bikes with the Bangalore Jawa Yezdi Motorcycle Club! At that moment, all I knew was that I am going, no matter what!!!

So, on a cold December morning, we gathered at Hebbal junction at 5.30am for a brief introduction and instructions by the lead rider as there were both regular bikers & first timers too in the group. By 6am, the bikes started to roar and our epic journey began. This was my first trip with BJYMC and I was neither a rider nor a pillion! I was part of the 'backup' crew in the car.

We had some hiccups on the way, but we managed to overcome challenges quickly. Looks like the rides are well accustomed to their bikes and issues that tend to crop up. After breakfast at the border of Andhra, we stopped at a town called Kadiri for a short break around 10.30am. Soon enough, these roaring bikes attracted a huge crowd. People looked at us as if we were some celebrities, or aliens or even daciots I guess because all of us were in black riding jackets!

Sunflower fields on the way to Gandikota

The day started getting hotter, but the roads were a real bliss. The curves and turns just delighted the roaring lions. We passed through lush paddy and sunflower fields before reaching the fort town of Gandikota. It is around 285 kms from Bangalore via NH 7 & SH 28. It is a small village of Kadapa district and has a history of several Kings. Like any other place, this village too had temples, mosques, ponds, lakes, most of which are now in dilapidated state. We reached the Govt run Harita resort at lunch time and enjoyed the typical andhra meals. After taking a short break, we headed to the grand canyon which next to the Gandikota fort & the temple for sunset.

The fort is  around 300 years old and is pretty well maintained by the AP tourism board. It depicts ancient structures and languages, paintings, kings names and so on. There is an old cannon too in the premises. The aura of the sun setting down by the fort and the valley can be captured only by the human eye. We walked further up on the rocks to see the breathe taking view of Pennar/ Penna river alongside huge red stones. Completely amazed and lost in thoughts, one can only wonder the number of years taken for this beautiful natural formation. The red blocks of stones next to this reservoir looked just amazing.

Panoramic view of the Pennar River and the canyon

We spent enough time sitting there, enjoying the view, clicking pics, selfies and then took a short off roading ride to Madhavaraya temple and back to the home stay before we called it a day. For the rest of the night we had goodies being distributed, music, dance, laughter, booze, food and full on masti with the awesome company of 28 people. What more can one ask for?

The next day, we checked out after breakfast and road 40 odd kilometers to another historic location called Belum Caves. This is a 1.5km long cave network with natural mineral formations is one of the longest caves in the country. The AP government offers free guided tours of the cave which is definitely worth a visit.

Entrance to Belum Caves

Passage inside the cave

My special thanks to the BJYMC riders for making this a memorable trip!
If anyone wants to treat their eyes, just ask them to visit The Grand Canyon of India!!!

- Meghana can be contacted via email

Pushing the limits - Bangalore to Goa and back

Guess the headline says it all. When you have been riding one of these classic Jawa's or Yezdi's for so many years, you sometimes wonder how far can you actually push these machines. Remember, the youngest of the lot, the Yezdi Roadking was last manufactured in 1996. So that make it at least 19 years old.

So, a few of us from BJYMC lead by Sreedhar Kacchu got together and decided to test the limits of our bikes and our butts :) And so, the Goa plan was formed with the ride titled 'Kings Raid Goa'. The plan was simple, start early morning and ride as far as possible before breaking for breakfast. Enter the western ghats before stopping for lunch and reach Baga (Goa) before night fall.

Route from Bangalore to Baga, Goa

12 handpicked riders came together with their well oiled machines and began the ride at 5.30am on 12th Nov'15. The team consistently rode till Sira (120kms) which was the designated stop for breakfast and meeting point for the Mysore riders. However, the Mysore boys were delayed due to rains and rerouted towards Shimoga and Karwar to save time. Hence, we decided to ride beyond Sira and stopped for breakfast at a quiet restaurant (Hotel Amar) to gorge on hot idlis and vadas. One of the very few restaurants right beside the highway.

Coffee Day regrouping at Shiggaon, NH4

By 8.30am, we were ready to get back on the saddle and rode past Hiriyur, Chitradurga, Davangere, Haveri and stopped at Cafe Coffee Day by the highway at Shiggaon by 11.45am. The total distance covered till then was 360 kms. After a 30 min break, the group was back on the road to cross Hubli bypass toward Dharwad and finally got off the expressway to enter the Alnavar - Ponda road.
Lunch was at Hill View Hotel after Naaglaavi about 12 kms off the highway. All 12 bikes were running like a charm.

From here on, the ride got interesting on the single lane highway cutting across the majestic western ghats but also hampering our pace. The road beyond Ramnagar deteriorated for about 20 kms till we crossed into Goa at Mollem at around 4.30pm. The first batch of riders cross into Panjim by 7 and reached our homestay in Baga Arpora (Christos) by 7.30 pm with the last batch coming in by 7.45pm. A new milestone was achieved that night as all 12 bikes had covered a total distance of 640 kms from Bangalore in 14 hours without any breakdown whatsoever.

Full of energy, we were greeted by the Mangalore riders (Mangalore Jawa Yezdi Motorcycle Club) who had covered about 400kms. After settling down, we kept our ears peeled to hear the thump of two more bikes belonging to our Mysore team of PC and Vow. The last two riders rolled in at 8pm successfully covering a distance of 660 kms from Mysore to Baga via Arsikere, Shimago, Honnavar, Karwar, Mudgaon and Panjim.

Christos' pet boxer Matrix

Day 2 was reserved for some team games (Lemon and Spoon race on bikes and Slow bike race) at the homestay followed by vocal entertainment by our talented rider Shawn from Mangalore. Our evening was spent at the popular and crowded Baga beach followed by dinner at Anjuna.

Sunset view from Anjuna Beach

After a good night's sleep, the entire contingent was keen to explore the beach destination and headed out to the northern most part of the state. Our destination was Terekhol Fort, next to Keri Beach which is now a private hotel. Access to the fort is via a river crossing after Keri Beach on a large ferry and a short ride up the hill. On our return, we stopped at the beautiful Ashwem beach before heading to Anand Restaurant for lunch and Cafe Lilliput in Anjuna to catch the sunset.

Enroute to Keri Beach

View of Keri Beach from Terekhol Fort

Before we knew it, our holiday had come to an end and it was time for us to head back. Sunday morning started with simple breakfast and trophy presentation to the most deserving riders and winners of contests. After a brief presentation and group picture, we loaded our bikes and began our journey back to Bangalore by 9.30 am. After regrouping in Dharwad bypass road, we stopped for lunch at Kamat on the outskirts of Hubli by 2.15pm.

As the sun began to set, our pace remained consistent with all bikes running in their prime and munching miles by the minute. The backup crew did a splendid job in sweeping behind the last two bikes till we stopped for dinner at yet another Kamat hotel near Tumkur. After waving our goodbye's, we all split to head home with the first lot arriving at their destination by 10pm and the last batch by midnite. Overall, one hell of an experience.



Quick facts:
Total distance covered: 1370 kms
Average fuel consumed: 40 - 45 liters + oil
Average speed: 80 kmph
Time taken Blr - Goa: 14 hours
Time take Goa - Blr: 12.5 - 14 hours
Breakdowns: Couple of minor issues, but all bikes were road worthy