nkaundinya

Being from Mysore, my fascination with the Yezdi-Jawa family of motorcycles(not motor bikes mind you) started when I was in LKG when my father bought home his friends roadking for a day. It continued on when I first sat in the side car of my uncle's 53 jawa matchless. The romance has continued with me buying a 94 CL-II after me getting my first Job....!!

Unlike today's swanky, sleek and girlish motorbikes with self starts, vinyl bodies, mono shocks and computer generated decals, the yezdi clan was and is a purely man-bike. It's a rough's bike, its a rowdy's bike, its romantic bike, hell its more than a bike.....its the king of the road, the queen of the rider, and the concubine of the biker's soul.

The thunder of the 250cc exhaust, the majestic petrol tank, the clear chromed exhaust and mud-guard......Oh there were more men back then.

Sitting in the side car and licking a candy bar and going for a spin in the city, the whole world looking at you, the traffic police uncle giving you one of his rare smiles under his humongous mustache, the other kids going green with envy, and the chetak scooters halting to let you pass. Oh there were more men back then....

Cranking up the engine every morning, the echo of thunder and clouds in the portico of your house, the whole street waking up to the revving of your 250cc engine.....Oh there were more men back then.

The 1000km drive, the change of an engine oil and a wash, and ride again. The shopping trip to the city market, the drop to the kids school, the ride to the next village....Oh there were more men back then.

Now, the oil cooled engines, the 16 year old kids on the latest 220cc engines, the girl friends with high bottoms and low tops on the rear seats, the removing of mufflers , those stupid illegal drags on high ways, these trips to the nearest cafe coffee day mid night trips, the 100rs as the police man's tip.
Oh the romance is all but dead....
only cause...
There were more men....back then....

To really understand what I want to say, fill up the tank, rev up the engine and head out......

Cause they were more men.......back then........

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dcs

Beautifully written the saga of Love for a Two-stroke.

True you are to some extent in comparing the modern days' bike with a Jawa, but mate, lets not forget that its all a part of change.

More and more plastics are coming in, but then these plastics are again some Metal, some good piece of Research and Development put behind. We would be very unjustified in comparing the Bikes of yesteryears to those of today, they both are wholesome in their own self.

Lets not criticize any machine, a lot of brain, sweat and efforts are behind every vehicle. yes, someone who loves an all metal bike would definitely find the bike of today to be more plastic but it again is a matter of personal favorite. as long as we all respect and appreciate the machine, we all belong to the same religion.-- BIKING! ok, it can be Motorcycling for you

I fondly remember how we had to pump the carb and then when the massive engine came to life, the strokes and the sweet echo of it...it was mesmerizing.

but alas, gone are the days!!!

soumya_digi

Very well written..

Now are the days where bikes are produced keeping in mind the necessities of general people and young posers!
Talking about the engines of new bikes, they are much environment friendly. Obviously they are not of the same quality and have the punch like those of Jawa, Yezdi, Rajdoot motorcycles; but recent 4-stroke engines are also proving themselves, with lighter body weight and stuffs. Remember RD350? The ads even claimed that IT was for the FEW MEN who dare to live their dreams. But those were the times when really "There were more men", for MEN of today, we have the Enfields..

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cesar

Wow what a post!

By generalizing like this, you have succesfully implied that ANYONE who owns a modern bike (can I use that word?) is more of a girl than someone who owns a Jawa or a Yezdi!

Have you seen the "help me" posts or the touring section on this site? How many people have done Ladakh on Karizmas or Pulsars? How many folks out there organize track days and race their bikes? How many people tune their engines and add filters and ff exhausts and carbs.. just because of their love of engines? Are they some kind of idiots for not doing all these things on an antique piece?

I do not disagree that older bikes are charming, they sound great, and they look big and strong. It doesnt make you a "man" just because you ride one. And that is the thing. YOu want to say that you are a man only if you are a father and ride a big bike from the 60s.

One more thing.

Now, the oil cooled engines,

oil cooled engines are a form of technology, something your Jawa could do with on a long highway ride, but you will never know that.

the 16 year old kids on the latest 220cc engines,
16 year olds are not allowed to ride geared bikes in India. 18 year old would be more appropriate. However I know many many older peeps who have a P220.

the girl friends with high bottoms and low tops on the rear seats,
To say that in this day and age is quite chauvinistic. Its a popular opinion, other fellows can correct me if i'm wrong, and if they have time to waste

the removing of mufflers

You generally dont remove a muffler, you add a free flow or a custom exhaust. Actually some of them are not as loud as your Jawa (provided both your silencers are working properly)

those stupid illegal drags on high ways
Right. And noone with an RD 350 has dragged on a highway? Let alone a street?

these trips to the nearest cafe coffee day mid night trip
You try it sometime. Its fun, IF you can find a coffee shop open at that time. If your yezdi breaks down though, you might have a problem. Also the reason folks didnt do that in the old days was coz it was bedtime at 9pm then.

the 100rs as the police man's tip.
Uncleji, bribing has been going on since the days of the british raj. But i guess you were too young to remember sitting in that sidecar in lkj.

Frankly this is a rant. I can't stand it when someone says "Oh the gool old days were the best, bikes will never be the same". Wrong. A pulsar is a lot of fun. If you dont think so then save money to buy a Kawasaki 250. Or save even more and work hard towards getting a Ducati. You cant stand around reminiscing, that makes you a dreamer.

And when you see the lengths one goes to while doing a gruelling saddlesore or climbing to the top of the world; or seeing a teenager working away at a pulsar engine just modding the hell out of it; you will then get a glimpse of the zeal and dedication that real men are made out of.

Just riding a special kind of bike doesn't make you a real man. Its what you do with it that matters.

NitinGirish

If spares weren't an issue, even now I would like to own an Yezdi. Infact no four stroke bike is on my 'dream list' right now.

RXZ 5 Speed
RD 350
Yezdi

These are the three bikes (in that order) I would love to own if only spares were available

If they re-introduce RXZ 5 Speed, I really wouldn't mind shelling out upto 1L for it. I know it wouldn't happen, but trying to put across a point.

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hitanshu

cesar, le li!

I appreciate his sentiments but equally agree with your observations

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Mik

@Cesar: I agree mostly with what you are saying, minus the rant and the tirade against the thread starter and his Yezdi.

It is but natural for people to revel in nostalgia and the romance of the yesteryears. The way people dig the golden oldies and refuse to acknowledge the genius of a Rehman on his console.
Its how a mind works(hamaara zamaana kuch aur hi thaa)
Heck, i am myself appalled by todays kids wasting all their time on the idiot box and not going out enough to play like we did. (But then, i loved my dose of duck tales and Jungle book , the only thing DD viewers got)

All this should be countered respectfully, and not as a rant.

jd666

totally agree with the OP... and to remind myself now and then whats a man's bike... i am a proud owner of a 1971 jawa 250... Love it even if it stalls if i dont switch off the fuel when i stop!!!

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Puneet1

hmm i agree to cesar's superb counter-move .

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