Jawa Motorcycles: The Brave & The Bold Bike, Connection with Mysore

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Jawa India Ltd based in Mysore was an Indian Motorcycle company, which produced licensed Jawa motorcycles beginning in 1960 under the brand name Jawa and from 1973 as Yezdi. The company stopped production in 1996. Jawa motorcycles have a cult following to this day. Earlier models manufactured in Czechoslovakia bore the CZ Jawa emblem on the side of the fuel tank. The locally manufactured models always had O within the Jawa emblem. The Jawa 250 Type 353/04  designated as 'A' Type, Yezdi 250 'B' Type, Jawa 350 type 634 Twin and Yezdi 250 Monarch models are currently ridden in the country. Jawa and Yezdi bikes, especially ones with fuel tank paddings and ignition systems on the fuel tank, are collectors items.

In October 2016, Mahindra & Mahindra, through its subsidiary Classic Legends Private Limited (CLPL), signed a licensing deal to launch motorbikes under the JAWA brand name in India and other East Asian countries. On November 15, 2018, the Classic Legends launched three motorcycles in India: Jawa (nicknamed Jawa 300), Forty-Two (named for the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life,the Universe, and Everything), and Pérák, named for an urban legend perak. In 2021, a new model, the 42 was introduced, it is the Forty-Two with modified appearance and equipment. They are manufactured in Pithampur.

The Jawa 300 is inspired by the company's popular classic Jawa 250 Type A, while the Jawa 42 and Forty-Two are more modern and urban offerings. The Jawa Pérák is a completely different model, a custom bobber motorcycle. Jawa, Forty-Two and 42 share the same technical specifications - 293-cc (20,4 kW), front disc, rear drum, single-channel ABS, fuel injection system, liquid-cooled engine with radiator, and kerb weight of 170 kg. In terms of appearance, classic Jawa has more chrome, while the Jawa Forty-Two and 42 have a modern feel to attract younger riders. It is a competitor to the Royal Enfield Classic 350 in the Indian market. Jawa Pérák has a 334-cc (22,3 kW) engine.

Indian customers' interest in new machines exceeded expectations. The originally planned production capacity was not enough, so the production line was doubled at about 30,000 motorcycles annually, and the start of production was delayed. Classic Legends inaugurated the first Jawa motorcycles in December 2018 in the Pune region of Maharashtra. Despite the COVID-19 Pendamic, Jawa sold 50,000 motorcycles in twelve months, with plans to increase production capacity to meet demand.

They launched an initiative #ForeverHeroes to lend a helping hand to the children of martyrs, by auctioning the first 13 motorcycles from its production batch. This fundraiser was a first-of-its-kind event, which helped Jawa raise Rs 1,49,25,000 from 13 bikes. The entire amount received in the fundraising auction will be used for education of the children of martyrs of the Indian Armed Forces.

Indian Jawa adapted to the European standards is sold in the Czech Republic since autumn 2020, under the name Jawa 300 CL. The Jawa 42 should also be imported here over time.

Historically, JAWA had been active in racing, and by far the most active Eastern European manufacturer in motor sports. In track racing, JAWA sustained a presence in the world championship until the mid-'60s with respectable performances considering their limited budget. In motocross, the firm built an impressive record before its four-stroke engines became superseded by two-stroke engines. In speedway racing, dirt-track racing, and ice racing  where four-stroke engines were still at an advantage, the firm remained a dominant force. The separate factory where these competition motorcycles were built became a separate company following the privatizations of the 1990s with the fall of communism.

When the company was forced to shut down, it was producing the 175, Monarch, Deluxe, Road Kings and CL II. The main reason for the company's collapse was labor trouble and increasing levels of pollution control norms which were making the two stroke bikes that the company produced obsolete.With the advent of Yamaha and Honda  in India, these bikes lost their status as Yezdi's were heavier and in some cases slower with lower fuel efficiency.

Though the Yezdi factory is closed and Yezdi bikes are vintage to the present day many people in India are having a craze for these bikes and own them. Yezdi bike clubs have been created where members show off their Yezdi bikes and by doing so, are trying to revive the craze for these bikes.

Starting January 13, 2022 Yezdi brand will be reintroduced in the Indian market by Classic Legends, a unit owned by Mahindra Group, after a gap of 25 years. There are three models which are slated to be launched.