Even on the noisiest roads of the City, these bikes stand out due to their roar (which is more like music to the ears). The members of the Bangalore Jawa Yezdi Motorcyle Club (BJYMC) are sure to catch your attention when they ride in pride together. It’s ironic that their sentiment echoes the name of one of the Yezdi bikes — ‘Roadking’.
Started by four people — Amrit, Brian, Lokesh and Sam — who shared a love for Jawa and Yezdi bikes, the club has become like family today. Says Amrit, “It was the idea of Lokesh, who put it up on Orkut in 2007 and the three of us reciprocated. We wanted to revive these old bikes and help each other out. We soon started planning the ‘Jawa Day’ and promoting it. We even asked mechanics to ask their customers to come!”
The first ‘Jawa Day’, held in July 2008, saw 200 bikers turning up though only 60 had confirmed. “We had held it in Cubbon Park and we actually ran out of space! The reaction was better than what we had expected,” says Brian.
Sreedhar remembers picking up a Yezdi in 1996, which was its last year of production. “The best part about riding a Yezdi is that it is easy to manoeuvre and riding it is like an exercise by itself,” he says.
The BJYMC has members of various age groups. Two of the youngest members of the club are the 19-year-olds — Nehal Ganapathy and Varun Kariappa. “The bike is a legacy that was passed to me by my grandfather. It has a two stroke engine and I have loved riding it since my school days. I feel Yezdi is a bike that separates men from boys,” smiles Nehal while Varun just decided to go for a Jawa Day and has not looked back since then. “I had the bike and thought of going for the meet. I have been part of the club for two years now,” he recalls.
Messiah, who has been riding since 1989, simply loves riding the Yezdi. “My father had a Roadking and later, I got a Jawa too. The feeling that you get from riding a Yezdi is the best,” he notes. For Mahesh, every ride is a “brotherhood” of sorts. “It’s more like meditation. We have campfire many a time and also hold introductory sessions. When I bought my bike from its previous owner, it had already completed 8,000 kms. Today, even though I have finished 12,000 kms, it hasn’t given me any problem,” he notes.
Tejas always had a passion for bikes too. “My story is a short one! I had put up a Yezdi for sale on Facebook and a member saw it and asked me why was I selling it. I have always had a passion for bikes and am very happy to be a part of the club. I have been part of it for a few months now,” he says.
The members meet every second Sunday of the month at Airlines Hotel and go for rides often. The club has three big events during the year — ‘Jawa Day’, ‘Malnad Diaries’ and ‘Southern Raid’. While ‘Malnad Diaries’ has various Jawa Yezdi clubs from Karnataka meeting up, ‘Southern Raid’ includes the bikers from Jawa Yezdi clubs of other states.
“Before the big day, one or two people take charge and check on things like the location, parking, accommodation etc,” says Brian. According to him, it is the mountain climb on these bikes that’s memorable.
With more and more bike clubs emerging in the City, ask them if they have any advice for the younger lot and Sreedhar says, “Whenever a club becomes big, politics gets to it. The members of every club should remember that their purpose is to help each other out and not gain glory.” Brian agrees, “Your focus should be on the bikes.”
For details, visit their Facebook page — ‘Bangalore Jawa Yezdi Motorcycle Club’.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> MetroLife / by Deepa Natarajan Lobo, Bengaluru / DHNS – March 03rd, 2015