By now, word has gotten out that the iconic Yezdi’s comeback is just around the corner. With tweets from Classic Legends co-founder Anupam Thareja and Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra hinting at its return, the brand’s arrival in 2022 is all but confirmed.
However, in what appears to be something of a marketing stunt, the brand, which will share powertrain components with Jawa Motorcycles, appears to be charting its own course.
According to a social media post by Jawa Motorcycles, the Yezdi brand intends to take a different path, distancing itself from the brand that it has been synonymous with all these years. But why the need to establish a separate identity?
Not living up to the hype
To begin with, it hasn’t been an entirely smooth ride for Classic Legends’ maiden venture. Ever since its re-launch in India back in 2018, the Jawa brand has been saddled with logistical and mechanical issues that somewhat dampened its appeal. For a motorcycle that was touted to go toe-to-toe with the Royal Enfield Classic 350, the Jawa and its subsequent iteration, the Jawa 42, didn’t quite make a mark, despite witnessing strong demand at the beginning. Jawa’s inability to stick with customer delivery schedules and extensive waiting periods have also played a major role in allowing the competition to flourish.
Earlier in 2021, shortly after Classic Legends had filed for a trademark for the Yezdi Roadking, two top executives vacated their positions, after an alleged drop in sales. With Covid-19 further delaying delivery of its three models — Jawa, 42 and Perak — Jawa Motorcycles is in dire need of a shot in the arm, as competition for retro standards has become more intense with the arrival of the new Royal Enfield Classic 350 and the Honda H’Ness.
Enter, the Yezdi Roadking
With spy shots of an ADV version of the resurrected Roadking having surfaced, there’s strong speculation that Yezdi’s first offering following its re-launch will be an ADV bike that would compete with the likes of the Royal Enfield Himalayan and the Hero XPulse.
The upcoming Yezdi ADV will feature the Jawa Perak’s liquid-cooled 334cc engine and platform, which will form the basis for two more upcoming products bearing the Yezdi name.
While details regarding its suspension set-up, ride height and exact power levels remain undisclosed, the retro ADV’s launch will be one of the more significant two-wheeler launches of 2022.
Down though Classic Legends may be, it is certainly not out. Shortly after its top management crisis, the brand hired top talent and began operations for BSA Company Ltd, setting up its base on home turf in Coventry, UK. According to an article in Business Standard, the BSA Company was awarded a grant by the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre for the development of zero emissions motorcycles, so it’s entirely possible that the first offering by the re-baptised BSA will be an all-electric motorcycle. On the home front, Classic Legends intends to expand its dealership network to 500 in the near future.
A legend in its time
The Yezdi was a popular choice of motorcycle in pre-liberalisation India, where its barebones structure, light weight and peppy motor found many admirers. The Yezdi was known for its robustness, at a time when bikes were notoriously prone to breakdowns.
It makes sense for Classic Legends to introduce their first ADV under the Yezdi label, given that the brand was an Indianised iteration of the Jawa — a Czech motorcycle brought to India by Farrokh K Irani and Rustom K Irani. The Yezdi was built to withstand the rigours of the Indian climate and terrain and soon became renowned for its easy-to-fix nature.
After having thrived in an otherwise competition-free environment in the early 1980s, the Jawa, or Ideal Jawa as it had become by then, was overtaken by the far more fuel-efficient and robust Japanese two-wheelers. In 1996, the brand shut its India operations, thriving only in the used-bike sector.
It remains to be seen if Yezdi can reclaim its former glory. In order to do so, Classic Legends needs to be prepared to cater to demand, meet delivery schedules and overhaul its dealership network. The Yezdi brand still resonates deeply with India’s motorcycling community, and a whole new generation is waiting to straddle the iconic bike.
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