The second Sunday of July is here. The day when Jawa loyalists from across the globe celebrate the legendary bike. In India though, the International Jawa Day also celebrates the homegrown Yezdi motorbikes.
For the uninitiated, Yezdi, was the brand name given to Jawa bikes that were being manufactured at the Ideal Jawa Factory in Mysore since the 1960s. After the production was stopped in 1996, the bike earned cult status, and the International Jawa Day is a chance for Yezdi owners to showcase their prized bikes.
However, this year, with the lockdown in place in many nations across the globe, Jawa owners won't be venturing out, instead, a virtual celebration will take place on July 12 at 6 pm IST. So no helmets are required for the event!
The official page of Jawa Day 2020, posted a tweet saying, "Come and be a part of the proud owners community in celebrating the International Jawa Yezdi CZ day this year in a unique fashion. Gear up with your best club tee, flaunt your club regalia & join the virtual celebration around the world on 11 & 12 July 2020." Click here to watch
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John Samuel aka Sam, one of the founding members of the Bangalore Jawa Yezdi Motorcycle Club (BJYMC) is part of the organising team for the event. "This virtual celebration is in collaboration with many clubs in India and from other countries like Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, USA and Cuba. It's a 90-minute webinar and up to 1,000 bikers can join. Those who cannot log in can still watch the celebrations that will be live-streamed on Jawa Motorcycles YouTube channel," says Sam.
On July 11, at 6 pm IST, renowned auto journalist Adil Jal Darukhanawala will be in conversation with veteran bikers Shyam Kothari and Prashanth PK, for the Legendshala Session that will be live on YouTube. Click here to join
Riders from different clubs are doing their bit for the celebrations. Members of the Kodava Jawa Yezdi Motorcycle Club (KDJYMC) are recording 90-second videos of themselves sitting on their vintage bikes. "These videos will showcase our love for Jawa and Coorg," says Dr Ravin Chengappa who owns a 1991 Jawa Road King. KDJYMC was started in 2011 by the late Captain Achal Bopana (Indian Merchant Marine) and is one of the fastest-growing Jawa-Yezdi motorcycle club in India today. "The Kodava people and Jawa motorcycles have so much in common. Strong, sturdy, stylish and utterly reliable yet forgiving, kind and simple. No wonder both man and machine are beloved by so many," says Ravin adding, "A true-blooded Jawa Yezdi biker lives from One Jawa Day to another."
Last year, when things were normal, the International Jawa Day in Bengaluru hosted by the BJYMC was one of the biggest events in the world with 650 plus bikers in attendance. Many models such as Jawa 250cc, Yezdi Model B, Yezdi Classic, Yezdi Deluxe, Yezdi Monarch, Yezdi Roadking, Jawa and Yezdi 350cc Twins, 50cc Jawa Jet, 125cc CZ and Jawa Perak were on display.
This year's virtual edition promises to offer a glimpse into the world of Jawa bikers from across the world.