Yezdi Motorcycles In India: From The Era Of The 2-Strokes

There was a time when 2-strokes used to rule the roads of India. Wasn’t it for the emission norms; those mean machines would have been putting the current counterparts to shame. While the 4-strokes rejoice the supremacy, 2-strokes earned it in the yesteryear. And one such company with a good list of 2-stroke bikes in the arena is Yezdi. Today, we take a trip down the memory lane back to 1973 when Yezdi launched their first bike, the Roadking and was followed by a lineup of 2-strokes. Here’s a list of 5 Yezdi motorcycles launched in India back when emission norms were not a big deal.

1. Yezdi Roadking

   

   In the era of 2-strokes, Jawa introduced the Yezdi Roadking back in 1973. Roadking was powered by a 2-stroke 246cc engine. It was capable of producing 16hp of power @5,000rpm and 24Nm of torque @4,250rpm. One could easily clock over 120kmph on this Forever Bike. The Roadking had a massive petrol tank making it look muscular. Roadking had a 4-speed constant mesh gearbox mated to the engine. It was really fun to drive and had a great road presence.

2. Yezdi Classic

   

   Classic came around the year 1984. It had a 248cc engine on the frame capable of churning out 13hp of power @4,750rpm and a peak torque of 20Nm @3,500rpm. Yezdi Classic had somewhat similar looks as the Roadking but had a differently styled headlamp assembly and a bit smaller tank which made it stand apart from the Roadking. 

3. Yezdi CLII

   

   I personally thought of writing down the whole list of Yezdi’s after I saw this 2-stroke standing in someone’s garage. Although I am not from the era when Yezdi was in play, I have seen enough of them and I am always astonished by the dual-exhaust setup. CLII also had the same engine as that of the Classic and the same transmission. It could clock over 110kmph on the speedometer easily, thanks to the 2-stroke menace on the single frame.

4. Yezdi Deluxe

   

   Classic and Deluxe had the same engine and transmission but when it came to looks, Deluxe was the one with a more retro touch. This can be the reason behind many Jawa-Yezdi lovers trying to get their hands on the Deluxe and restore it to its glory. 

5. Yezdi 175

   

   As the name suggests, Yezdi 175 came equipped with a 175cc engine. This mill churned out 9.5hp of power @5,500rpm and a peak torque of 14.27Nm @4,000rpm. It was lighter and more modernised than the Classic and the Roadking. Yezdi wanted to lure the youth towards the smaller Roadking thus it had an attractive styling characteristic. One could simply reach around 95kmph on this 113kgs bike. 

Yezdi has become a cult in India with people all around the country trying to get their hands on one or the other. The brand never really failed in India, it was just never able to gain what the other rivals with smaller engines were able to. Yet, the cult never dies. And this is how Yezdi rolled out its last bike in 1996. Now the Jawa is back in India stronger than ever and we’ll take a look at the new-gen dual exhaust bikes some other day. What do you think about the Yezdi motorcycles in India? Would you prefer a Yezdi over a Royal Enfield? Do let us know in the comments section below.