Good old Jawa memories

Guest Post
Author: Richard Route

My first memories of a Jawa was when I was around 12, I used to hang around a friend's garage who used to specialize in repairing Jawas mainly. I was fortunate to own my first Jawa bike when I was 15. It was a restoration job, picked it in a junk condition for a few hundred rupees and brought it back to life.

 

Back in the day, there were only Indian bikes. Jawa, Yezdi, Bullet and Rajdoot where the prominent ones and getting the maximum power out of them was a preoccupation of all bikers. From fine tuning, changing the front chain sprocket to increasing compression, modifications to the mufflers to get the best beats, modifications to make it look different, we have tried it all.

Richard Route with his modified Yezdi

We also used to do a lot of cross country riding and never had any problem with the bikes. The Jawa is built strong and never gives up. We did stunts, jumps, wheelies and skidding. The Jawa was an all rounder. I remember extended the swing arm and fitting an 18 inch wheel on the rear and lifted the rear end just to give the bike a racy look.

I now live in Perth, Australia and own a Kawasaki ZZR 1200 which is awesome but the excitement of riding my Jawa / Yezdi is more memorable to me.

Richard's Kawasaki ZZR 1200 in Australia

I keenly follow the BJYMC Facebook page and feel nostalgic. Can imagine the sound and feel of the bikes when you all gather for the Jawa Day celebrations. What an awesome feeling that must be. I look forward to being a part of this year's International Jawa Day celebrations (9th of July 2017) thru all your photos and videos.

All the best guys, keep riding and stay safe.

A Jawa Fan,

Richard Route

richardroute@gmail.com

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!

12th International Jawa Yezdi Day celebrations - 13th July 2014

Yezdi Roadkings at last year's Jawa Day Pic by Raj Photography

Come Sunday, the 13^th of July, you will witness a spectacle that happens only once in a year - the largest gathering of Jawa’s and Yezdi’s in Bangalore. Manufactured by the Ideal Jawa Company in Mysore until 1996, these 250 cc bikes known for their distinct beats from its twin exhaust will come back alive on the road to celebrate the 12^th International Jawa Yezdi Day.

The International Jawa Yezdi Day is an annual celebration held on the second Sunday of every July across the globe to celebrate the power and legacy of these 175, 250 & 350cc bikes. These bikes were manufactured and sold in India from the year 1960 up to 1996.

This year, BJYMC is organizing its annual meet starting 8am at Hombegowda School Grounds, 10th Cross, Wilson Garden, Bangalore (Opp Brand Factory, Hosur Rd) followed by a ride to Rasta Café on Mysore Road at 10.30am which is about 40kms from the city. The event will act as a platform for biking enthusiasts and collectors to interact with some of the oldest Jawa riders and employees of the Ideal Jawa factory.

 

Over 500 bikes gathered at last year's Jawa Day

BJYMC (Bangalore Jawa Yezdi Motorcycle Club) which has been in existence since 2007 has tried to revive these bikes and bring them back on the road. Today, there are over 600+ Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles on the streets of Bangalore which have been completely restored by passionate mechanics. These include some rare imported Jawa Peraks, CZetas and 350 Jawa Twins.

To register, participants can call Lokesh JM – 9880033994 or Amrit Appaiah – 9880105455 for more details or can visit our Facebook group – Bangalore Jawa Yezdi Motorcycle Club

These bikes made a mark in Indian Automotive history as an exotic piece of machinery and were known for their reliability and low maintenance costs. They were last manufactured at the Ideal Jawa factory in Mysore before the company went bankrupt in 1996. But passionate Jawa Yezdi lovers have rallied round to revive the former glory of the few surviving bikes and the International Jawa Yezdi Day provides them the perfect platform.

For further information, contact:

Brian Ammanna – 9886101005; brian.ammanna@gmail.com

Lokesh JM – 9880033994; mail2lokeshjm@yahoo.co.in

11th International Jawa Yezdi Day enthralls bike lovers in Bangalore

Only recently did we realise that a whole year just went past at 100kmph and we were back to the month of July'13. So with very little time to spare, the core committe at BJYMC swung into action to plan the 11th International Jawa Yezdi Day to be held on the 14th of July 2013.

Unlike last year (where the event was held at a private farm house on the outskirts), we decided that this year's event will be hosted in the city for the benefit of those bikers who are not active participants of our biking club.

With the help of a few members, we zeroed in on Hombegowda School Grounds in Wilson Garden. A bunch of enthusiastic volunteers supported the club in planning the logistics, branding and the program for the day. The idea was simple: Give them a place to gather and they will come.... Come they did and in hoards.

On last count, we saw over 340 Jawa and Yezdi bikes with a few rare ones as usual. Modded 350 Twins, Jawa Cafe Racer, Jawa Jet (50cc), Yezdi Colt (50cc), Perak (250cc) and CZ (125cc).

By 10am, the entire ground was filled with bikes and fans admiring some rare and immaculately maintained machines, talking to other bike owners and clicking loads of pictures. You can view some of these pictures on our Facebook Group or try this link.

As a formality, some local dignitaries had to be honoured for their support and not to mention one rider in his late 50's who rode in a 1957 Perak all the way from Pune. Mr Ashok Naidu who works for Tata Motors and a veteran biker and rallyist readily accepted our offer to be part of our annual celebrations and decided to ride over 800 kms to be with us. The just goes to show that, both, the Jawa rider and his bike are meant to last :p

A ceremonial flag off around 11.30am marked the end of this year's meet and as our t-shirt say 'We don't honk, we roar', the bikers and their machines roared away back to their homes in formations of two.

So, if you still don't own one of these rare beauties, its high time you get hold of one and come join us.
We meet at Hotel Airlines every second Sunday of the month and ride out once every quarter.
Follow us on our Facebook group for regular updates -

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/bjymc/

Register for the 8th International Jawa Day

With just about a week left for the 11th July Jawa Day, we are gearing up to make sure we put up a better show this time. Last yr we could not handle the crowd (can't blame them either) as they got over excited. Our voices were muffled by the loud dub dubs of the 350 odd bikes present at the open air venue.

This time we are going to be prepared and hopefully our PA system will be louder than our bikes. We have also planned a small program to honor our elders and mechanics who have helped us keep these beautiful beasts alive and running for a fraction of the price. I still remember spending about 300 - 400 Rs on one major service and my bike would run for a whole year without any problems.

We have also ordered for limited quantities of special Jawa Day T-shirts (dark green color) which will be ready a couple of days before the event. Those interested in buying them, pls write to Lokesh on mail2lokeshjm@yahoo.co.in or Amrit on amrit.appaiah@gmail.com or post a comment here. Here is a simple layout of how it might look.

We also request you to give your registrations either before or at the venue. The cost of registration per bike is Rs 50.

C u all next week and keep a look out for newspaper coverages promoting this event.

BJYMC

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