Forever young on the forever bike

Amidst our ongoing deliveries across the country, came a nostalgic wave of memories from a special guest who graced one of our dealerships. Impressed with the new line-up of bikes, Retd. Col. Subrato Bhaduri passionately recounted the special bond he shared with Jawa over the years. Read the full story below.

When I was a kid, my father rode a Jawa - a ‘72 or a ‘74 model, Jawa Maroon. My father was a very energetic and style-oriented man. He did not even put leg guards on the motorcycle, saying it will ruin the raw look of the motorcycle. I still remember the first time he took me on a ride with him. The moment he accelerated and the way the bike took off, I almost fell off from the seat. That was the power of a Jawa!

Whenever I asked him for the motorcycle to ride, he wouldn’t let me, fearing I might crash it or put a dent. One fine day, I managed to sneak the motorcycle out without telling him, and that was my initial introduction to the Jawa. I then understood why my father was possessive about his motorcycle. Gradually, the motorcycle was passed on to me and it was an absolute pleasure to ride. I used that motorcycle until I moved out of Kolkata for my college, and have countless memories with it.

After a few years, I bought a Yezdi in 1980, and that became a major part of my life as well. So many good and happy memories! I used to travel a lot between Jamshedpur and Ranchi, with two of my friends sitting behind me, taking sharp turns at high speeds, so much so that the silencers used to touch the road. I took that motorcycle to so many places, like Himachal, Khardung-La, etc., doing wheelies and drags. It was a crazy motorcycle, powerful and macho.

The best part of Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles was that you can take it anywhere you want to. You did not have to worry about its service and maintenance, because it was so easy to handle and maintain. I remember people used to modify their bikes and put spare tyres instead of leg guards, and that’s all you needed to take it places. The handling was easy, gear shifts worked like a charm, and the way it handled any terrain, it was one-of-a-kind.

I really admire the fact that you have kept the new Jawa so much like the old ones. It brought around a lot of memories the moment I saw it. It was always a powerful motorcycle, and it’s great that you have stayed true to that. I certainly hope to own and ride the Jawa again.