Nov 01, 2006 08:01 PM
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(Updated Nov 01, 2006 08:10 PM)
The Jawa (Yezdi in India) has a history only outshone by the likes of the Harley Davidson. In the upcoming lines you'll learn much more than you ever thought you could find out on the history of these 'Forever Bikes'. The Jawa was based in Prague, Czechoslovakia and produced many a good old bike prior to the World Wars. The Jawa Perak is one of the more famous products of this company and is the predecessor to the Jawa 350/ 250/ Yezdi family of bikes.
The Jawa Perak was designed , created and tested bang in the middle of the World War II, at a time when all the Jawa factories were taken over by the Germans and being used to churn out bikes for The Fuhrer's army. This meant that all civil production was stopped. The Jawa factory in Prague ended up servicing the German DKW and BMW military motorcycles. This was when the Jawa Perak was born. Josef Jozif the great Jawa engineer and the Jawa workers had hidden away spares away from the eyes of the Germans and the Gestapo. Then Josef and a few of his people got down to the job of creating a motorcycle. Many designs were evaluated and prototypes were designed and developed, powered by a 250cc single cylinder two stroke engine designed by Josef. This engine was fitted out with an 'Auto clutch' which required the use of the clutch only when starting from standstill. Then on every gear change depressed the clutch automatically.
The prototypes were painted to look like the German military bikes and even stamped with stolen DKW emblems. They were then tested over tens of thousands of kilometers, doing the tour of duty with the Germans over war ravaged terrain. (Think of it as a testing ground which would seperate the boys from the men). Data was collected and analysed and prototypes tweaked and improved. All this was done in utmost secrecy. Being found out would mean certain death for Josef and his team. At the end of the war, while every other manufacturer was reeling under the after effects of the War, Jawa was already up and running. They had the blue print to a new bike and prototypes which were were tested in the most demanding of conditions - the battlefield. Jawa had it's new model - the Perak 250 which went on to be a huge success.
The Perak went on and it's bloodline includes the Jawa 250 and the Yezdi range of bikes (the Irani's of Mysore brpought the Jawa name to India and then later renamed it the Yezdi). In China, the Jawa went on to become the Xingfu, which like all things Chinese is a carbon copy of the Jawa. Jawa/ CZ / Yezdi now has a faithfull following all over the world - Czechoslovakia, Great Britain, U.S.A, India, Italy, Denmark, Russia......you name it, and Jawa's there.
Jawa was particularlysucessful in the motorcross and the trials circuits with numerous titles to it's name. The legacy continues on the Speedway where Jawa still reigns supreme. Did you know the oldest vehicle to cross the Khardangula Pass (the highest motorable road in the world at 18, 380 ft - 5602.22 mtrs) is a 1952 CZ Jawa Perak in the year 2005 along with a group of Yezdis (what else!). All riders were from the Jawa and Yezdi Owners Club of India.
So now you see a Jawa/ a Yezdi, you know that you can decide for yourself which is a true blue man's bike - a puny Indo jap or a pseudo jap which are so called power bikes, or the one and only Yezdi/ Jawa. Well folks you decide. If you have more info or commments on the bike, feel free to voice yourself - freedom of speech is our constitutional right. You can contact me on email at sparkpluggin@yahoomail.co.in or by phone on +919820188390. Your reviews and feedback is welcome as are your comments.
Ride Yezdi/ Jawa, Ride proud. Always wear protective gear, ride safe and ride responsibily.
Long live Jawa.
