A review that I was working on, for my 2 precious motorcycles and a brief on how I first got my legs astride these all metal bikes -
http://bikeadvice.in/yezdi-roadking-d250-classic-ownership-review-shawn/
In case the link does not work, its all below -
The Forever Bike – not just a legend!
At any particular stage in a boy’s life (and maybe even for quite a
few girls), there would exist a dream of buying his own 2-wheeler – and
then would follow the periods, when procuring the dream product is of
utmost importance, eat, drink, sleep whatever.
Like everyone else, that is what happened to me too. However, if I
may say, this was a very important point in my life in a different way,
simply because:
- I grew up without any particular interest in 2 –wheelers, wherein my
dad made it very clear that they were dangerous for youngsters like us
if used rashly. I got through school, PU college and then Degree and
even started working, without thinking of a 2-wheeler, apart from a few
occasions where a good friend bravely encouraged me to practice on his
Kinetic Honda.
- Back in the 90s, there were few choices of commuter bikes to choose
from, not much that would appeal to today’s generation. Then again,
tucked in between the RX and the KB 100s and the Bullets, we would see
the occasional rare bike with a roar that would thrill us!
- At that time, I really did not need the2-wheeler. The Taj hotel
where I worked at in Aurangabad, was just 100 m away from my PG
accommodation and whatever the time, we could always walk it down.
My ignorance at riding a proper 2-wheeler with gears and my friends
persistence at getting my own vehicle put me on the path of finally
thinking about one. The one that caught my eye through TV adverts was
the Bajaj Legend, prompting me to visit the local dealer to check it
out. Yet, when my friends came to know about it, they laughed it away
and said ‘You want a bike? We’ll get you the right one!’ And the hunt
began for a Yezdi Roadking by my friend Santosh TK, who incidentally
also owned a ’83 Roadking.
And so prior to the winters of 1999, I was eagerly waiting at home on
a break shift, waiting, waiting, waiting! Santosh had gone to
Ahmednagar with his mechanic to pick up the Roadking from the railway
station, having been shipped out from Bangalore. After what seemed like
ages, I heard the deep throaty roar, the engine down shifting and
slowing down to take the turn.
Rushing to the window, I saw Santosh sitting majestically poised,
very relaxed on the Roadking – my Roadking! And it was gleaming in the
sun, the stock black colour, the red and gold stripes and the abundant
chrome! And the roar – I had heard Santosh’s bike and other Yezdis
earlier, but this one – oh heavens, it just sounded marvelous!
Hurrying downstairs, I reached to see Santosh just sitting and
smiling dreamily, while idling the engine. Looking up at me, he just
said ‘Dude, she’s a beauty!’ He made me sit pillion and then took off to
show me what the Roadking could do. It picked up speed like nobody’s
business, gave a damn about the traffic around, slowed and took turns
just magnificently.
Turning into the hotel’s parking lot, with loose gravel and sand, the
Roadking’s speed just dropped significantly, gears down shifted and the
tyres took the tight turn without a flinch, barely skidding to a stop! I
didn’t buy the Roadking, the Roadking had bought me!
Therein then came the very first problem. At 23 years of age, I had
purchased this 250 cc behemoth of a bike, for almost Rs. 20,000/-
(including brand new tyres + transportation) without even knowing how to
ride it. Hell, I just could not even start the Roadking! In those 2
days, my friends were pretty crestfallen seeing my plight but to make me
happy, they would be more than willing to buy the bike from me. I
decided that I would learn to ride it myself.
At 1 in the morning after work, another friend helped me take it out
and then allowed me to straddle it on the open highway. The Roadking
behaved completely at ease and I shifted through the gears comfortable. 4
hours of sleep and again at 5. 30, I quietly got ready for shift (at 6
am), somehow started the Roadking and took off for a practice round.
This became my daily routine, where I tried to get accustomed to the
Roadking. In the chilly early mornings, the bike started to feel a part
of me, purring softly on narrow colony roads and at junctions, then
opening up with a roar on open roads, then finally taking me to the
hotel.
All these years now, the Roadking has been an integral part of my
life. Relationships that splattered, house moving from city to city and
locality to locality, taking my little dogs to the veterinary and for
rides around town, we have done it together, not to forget, getting too
drunk to speak but faithfully getting home in one piece, thanks to this
machine.
Long range riding in Maharashtra, as well as in Karnataka (where I
now live), has proved the Roadking for a faithful companion! Midnight
ride in the monsoons to Coorg from Mangalore, Hebri, Bangalore,
Kasargod, then last year’s ride to Kodaikanal and just 5 days ago, to
Calicut – this bike is a proper workhorse!
Skip to 2007 and in front of my mechanic’s place sat a ’84 Yezdi
D-250 Classic with cosmetic changes. The forlorn little thing, sat and
sat in the sun and the rain, waiting for someone to buy it off. The
first owner had decided to get rid of it because of his age and nobody
else in the family wanted it. The thought had never struck me to buy
another bike for myself.
However, after months of being unwanted and neglected, I was informed
that ultimately in the next week, the bike would go to the ‘jujri’ (or
junkyard) to be broken down into junk. That immediately put me off and
the deal was wrangled for just Rs. 2,750 /- with the papers immediately
being transferred to my name! I was now the proud owner of 2 Yezdi bikes
– Lord have mercy on the neighbours! 2 aged motorcycles from the same
marquee with similar engine capacities but unique in their own ways!
In the Beginning
The Yezdi Roadking was manufactured in India under Ideal Jawa Ltd.
Mysore from 1978 till 1996. Earlier when the factory had opened its
doors in 1960, it was the Jawa motorcycles that were being assembled and
sold under licence from the Jawa Company in Czechoslovakia. If a layman
were asked about these rugged motorcycles, pat would come the reply
that these were the smoky Czech 2-stroke machines, poor and outdated.
Unfortunate that not many are aware that Jawa was the biggest Eastern
motorcycle manufacturing unit, producing a top capacity of 1,00,000
motorcycles annually (in comparison, today Ducati produces approximately
just 40,000 motorcycles annually). The company is also, to-date, well
reputed in the field of GP & Enduro competitions. Accolades and
books can be written entirely on the models, not just of the Jawa
company, but also of its Indian counterpart – Ideal Jawa Ltd!
When the company was forced to shut their doors in 1996 due to
various factors, the models being produced at that time were the 175,
Deluxe, Cl II, Roadking & the Monarch. A number of these models as
well as the earlier ones, were being exported to over 60 countries
around the world, including Turkey, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Egypt and
others.
White Yezdi Roadkings were particularly sold to Guatemala for their
Police Forces. The Roadking in its hey days had won several Indian
rallies and road races, particularly at Sholavaram, running on its own
250cc category. In October 1994, 2 gentlemen from Bangalore, Deepak
Kamath and G.H.Basavaraj, undertook an expedition that covered 42,038 km
over six continents on their Yezdi Roadking motorcycle.
This was known as the famed “Yezdi Castrol Continental Ride”. While
the total number of days was 119 days, the actual riding time was only
47 days and thus they became the first to circumnavigate the globe in
the shortest period of time. Now that perfectly describes the term
‘Roadking’!
Style and Build
You set eyes on a stock Yezdi or a perfectly done up one, and the
sections that just capture your attention are the large unique shaped
tanks, with monograms proudly proclaiming ‘YEZDI’, matching side panels
that state the model and the low-slung, parallel, exquisitely chromed
silencers. Maybe while growing up and while studying, twin silencers
held a fascination for me, as they boasted of uniformity. Or was it
Arnold’s Fat Boy in ‘Terminator 2’?
The front end of both the Roadking and the D250 Classic, are pretty
standard with the front rake, offering a smart sporty look. The standard
handlebars also offer a great stance and feel to the rider, but since
I’ve had occasional back problems, thanks to my long work hours on my
feet, I customized different handlebars for both the bikes, that I keep
switching whenever I feel the need.
While the standard bar hand grips are hard and feel too plasticky,
they can be quite uncomfortable for long riding. However like most parts
of the bike, that are becoming hard to source, these grips with the
‘Yezdi’ logo are a must for an enthu Jawa / Yezdi aficionado so most
Yezdis will definitely have them.
While the Roadking’s tank has a long silver/ golden ‘YEZDI’ Monogram
with a rubber pad strip that’s recessed and permits comfort for the
knees that grip the tank while riding, the actual D250 tank has a much
smaller monogram and only a smaller oval shaped rubber pads on either
side.
The drawback here is that for coastal places like Mangalore,
corrosion easily sets in all over and recessed places will start having a
major problem. The grooves for the tank pads start to deteriorate,
slowly leading to a seepage of petrol next to the groove in the worst
case scenario. And if you need to take off the pads for a repaint job,
sliding them back onto the corroded grooves, will give a disastrous
look.
Ultimately I had to redo the tanks, take of the pads & grooves,
weld a separate plate and if I was doing all this, I might as well put
in a different stickering job. The seats for both the models are the
same and if game for long range riding, its better to stick to the
original seat. Unfortunately in terms of looks, the seats do not gel
well with the rest of the bike and for a pillion, well – it might as
well look like as if a monkey is clinging to the front rider from
behind!
Hence, for both the bikes, I trimmed the seats, curving the front
beautifully to create a bucket effect, as well as raising the height for
the rear, so the pillion could sit slightly higher behind me. All in
all a beautiful blending with the tank. However for the Kodaikanal trip,
the bucket effect gave up and became a washing board instead!
With this, the position of the foot pegs, front & rear can be a
wee bit of a bother especially for taller people. The Jawas / Yezdis
have an excellent centre of gravity, primarily because of their height.
They can take any turn you throw it into, and it’ll come out like a
ballet dancer. Knees and leg muscles would however take a slight beating
as the knees are bent at almost 90 degrees.
Watch a Yezdi rider from behind or from the side and you’d understand
this better. But like most factors, most riders would not even bother
with this tidbit! In totality the purpose of the bike was simplicity,
ruggedness and functionality with looks, appearance and even comfort
taking a back seat. We’ve had riders ploughing straight on into a loaded
truck or a racing jeep and they’ve had fractures and broken bones but
they were alive!
I have rear ended a bus and have been slammed from behind by various
vehicles. I was once sandwiched and smashed between an Alto and a road
divider guard rail. Here I just lost my throttle and accelerator cables
while in other cases, I barely had a scratch and my poor Roadking had
either a smashed headlight, a smashed tail lamp with bent mudguard or a
broken indicator. The all-metal bike was a boon in preventing anything
of a more disastrous nature!
Engine & Transmission
The Roadking was actually based on the 1974 Jawa CZ 250, made famous
by the rider Jaroslav Falta, the runner up in the ’74 Motocross World
Championship. While of similar engine capacities of 246 cc, the original
bore and stroke was of 52.0 x 58.0 mm, while the compression ratio was
9.3 : 1 and the total power output was 17.00 hp @ 5250 rpm.
In the case of the Yezdi models, while D250 Classic’s bore and stroke
was of 65 x 75 mm, the compression ratio was 7.6 : 1 and the bhp was 13
@ 4750 rpm. In comparison the Roadking had a bore and stroke of 70 x 64
mm, a compression ratio of 8.2 : 1 and a solid bhp of 16 @ 5000 rpm. No
wonder then, that the Roadking was the preferred model for rallies and
races with its nimbleness and quick pick up!
Apart from the bore and compression difference, another minute factor
that contributed to this is that while the Classic and other Yezdi
models used 3 piston rings, the Roadking used only 2 rings. Usage of the
right carburetor could also spell a major difference. Most Roadkings
use the Czech Jikov, originally used with the CZ and Jawa motorcycles in
Europe, while others including the other models, as in my D250 Classic
use the Indian Pacco type that cuts down on pick up but offers better
mileage, unlike the Jikov that’s just the opposite.
While riding these machines, there is a clear definition between the
two. While the D250 Classic gives a majestic and benevolent feel with
power that can take you on and on, the Roadking presents itself as the
spoilt brat that’s highly energetic. It’s quirky, has the capacity to
take city conditions under its belt till the time it gets fed up and
once on an open road, is like a wild animal waiting to be unleashed!
Definitely 2 different machines from the same clan.
The gearbox in its simplicity, is a 4 speed constant mesh, while the
clutch has 5 friction plates, running in oil bath. Some might say that
the gear box could be the weakest link in this otherwise solid
motorcycle. The cam shaft plate that holds the shaft rod and allows the
gear cogs and cog shafts to shift and hold during gears changing, is a
tough old bird that will do the job, but requires the cog shafts to lock
into place properly, unlike the new generation bikes that are all
pretty much smooth.
Hence as my mechanic says, “depress the clutch completely, shift
properly into gear and feel the gears!”, which left me wondering how on
earth do I feel the gears? Failure to do this, could mean that you can
end up at 6 in the morning, stuck in the middle of a jungle with your
gear box whacked out, which is what exactly happened to me!
Chassis and Suspension
As mentioned earlier, the Roadking and other models were based on the
CZ Jawa 250, that was more extensively used for motocross rallies. No
wonder then that even the chassis is built of a square tube, in a single
frame and has a motocross / ice racing origin. With proper weight
balance, handling was much easier, with the motorcycles proving to be
more agile than their competitors.
The front forks had a more noticeable rake and the telescopic shock
absorbers with proper and set oil seals, are a delight to feel and watch
on rough roads! The rear shock absorbers are also hydraulic and
adjustable and offer perfect seating comfort for both rider and pillion.
In fact comments by girls and guys alike who’ve travelled pillion, that
this bike is much more comfortable to ride on as compared to other
bikes, made me swell up in pride quite a number of times!
Fuel Efficiency
If one was of the typical Indian mentality mindset of ‘Kitna deti
hai?”, then the advice would be to steer clear and head for the Bajaj or
Hero Honda pavilions! This is no fill it, shut it, forget it bike! I’d
say fill it, shut it and contemplate your next filling date! Not exactly
a fuel guzzler, but with that type of a pick up and power, one can
expect an average mileage of 25 – 30 km/l!
Like I said, the carburetor plays a major difference, apart from jet
sizes, condition of block head, carbon deposits in silencer pipes, etc.
The Roadking running on the Jikov carb, gives me a strict average of 23
km/l, while the D250 Classic with the Pacco carb allows me a leeway of
28-30 km/l. I look at it this way, its definitely better than using the
4-wheelers, I can park anywhere and of course, the bikes are more fun to
run! Its also more convenient when I’m using an Indianoil Credit Card
at fuel outlets, but checking my bill at the end of the month does not
exactly bring a smile to my face!
Performance, Handling & Braking
I was told that learning to first ride on the Yezdi is the best thing
to happen, rather than learning to ride on other bikes and then coming
to a Yezdi. How true! After a Yezdi, you can only go to a larger
capacity bike like the RD350 or a Bullet, or with enough moolah, a CBR
900 cc! Anything smaller, and you start feeling like Jackie Chan in a
romantic movie, wondering what happened to all the power and throbbing
feel below you!
Both, or actually all the Yezdi models, perform just right on the
road. The familiar Jawa-CZ twin exhaust ports give that sweet roar, once
the exhaust mufflers and end-cores are removed. With these on, the
bikes sound pretty tame but are still fun to ride. Another world famous
feature is that the kick starter and gear share the same gear rod, that
can be reversed to double as a kicker and once fired up, returns to the
original position to start shifting into gears.
And let’s not forget the auto-clutch facility, unique only to these
bikes. If the cam shaft with kicker return springs are of the topmost
quality, these bikes can be ridden without using the clutch lever.
Sounds complicated? Imagine that the clutch cable suddenly snapped,
that’s quite prone to happen with these bikes.
Using the right technique, the bike can be started, put into 1st gear
using only the gear lever and after taking off, switch into higher
gears, minus the use of the clutch lever. Now imagine the looks of
people around you when you try out all these styles and then the awe,
you generate, courtesy the Yezdi motorcycle. And that’s what makes the
handling fun and easy!
Braking, especially at high speeds leaves something to be desired
for, and in some cases is almost non existent, if you’re more
comfortable with the bikes of today! The front end, courtesy the twin
cam double leading shoe, will give a superb dip and grip on any surface,
while the rear braking action is just ok and not excellent.
In that context, a lot of riders tend to experiment, with converting
rear cables to rod type, as well as installing disc brakes where
possible. As I am a pretty much sedate rider, I’m comfortable with the
braking action on both the bikes, provided the brake pads are replaced
regularly and the cams are properly greased!
Summary
All said and done, the Jawa & Yezdi clan has started a fan
following that’s growing through the cities and in particular the
Roadking is quite in demand. Lack of proper servicing centers,
trustworthy mechanics and availability of spares has added to its
elusive, charismatic aura, while the pessimistic’s keep blowing the
death call of this marquee.
How many of today’s riders know that in June 2005, 10 riders on 8
Yezdi motorcycles, took the highway to Leh, Khardung La, and the Nubra
Valley, through the Rohtang pass, without a backup vehicle, firmly
placing their trust on their solid bikes? This was part of the famous
Yezdi Endurance rides, that tests the best of the group’s riders and
bikes!
Understanding the mechanicals and parts of the bike is very important
in knowing the bike. In all its simplicity, my D250 Classic was broken
down to just its bare chassis, with the help of my friend, Zahin.
Exactly 1 month later, after everything was checked, parts replaced,
metal chromed or powder coated and body painted, the Classic was put
together to its former glory and the following morning was ridden to a
Classic & Vintage show, around 120 odd kms.
While the Roadkings and Classics from the Yezdi clan cannot be
compared in terms of styling, detailing, comfort and maybe even
mechanicals to the new generation bikes, they still hold out proudly in
terms of performance and usage and can definitely compete for
functionality. And that’s what makes a Roadking or a Classic or any
model of the Jawa / Yezdi clan, what its all about! You get a chance to
own one through some way or the other, make sure you do it, even if it’s
only for a little time. It’s an experience to understand – reliability
and the ‘forever’ value!
In the meantime, amid rising temperatures (both climatically & humanly) and up stoppable time, the anticipation was building up and around 11.30 am, the 4 Bulleters, led by Steve crossed over the city perimeter and met up with Srinath at KPT junction, who was waiting with some of the most colourful bikes from the Pulsar club! He then quickly led them to Kadri Park entrance, where the media, together with at least 30 bikes from the different clubs, Pulsar Naked Wolves, Yamaha Riding Club, Dark Viperz, Zero Gravity and the Mangalore Jawa Yezdi Club. While Steve and his team were raring to just get back on the road and ride back towards Hubli, Srinath convinced them to just drop in at the Radio Big FM Studio, at Bharath Mall, where the official handing over was going to be done! 
At the Studio, it was a field day for the press as everyone wanted to know what was Charlie doing all alone, criss-crossing over countries and continents and why was this relay even conceptualized in the first place. While Charile occupied the main chair, Srinath, Sanjay and other riders all crowded around, eager to put forth their own views, thoughts and excitement! Post the interview, the next ideal thought was to take Charlie around the city to some of the most famous churches, temples and mosques. But unfortunately the only city attraction that came through was St. Aloysius chapel with the world famous 18th century ceiling and wall paintings! At both Kudroli temple and mosque, the huge crowd that formed because of local ministers visits did not allow the entry of the cavalcade of assorted motorcycles and so the riders had to move on.
By this time, it was way past lunch time, and so all the riders headed back to Kadri Park, to fill their tummies and work out on the next plan of action. At precisely this time, we had just cleared Sakleshpur Ghats and were eating up the miles nonstop, eagerly waiting to see the next milestone with depreciating distances towards Mangalore. And then before we crossed Uppinagady, the single lane road with continuous traffic made the going slow. However in spite of this, we somehow reached Kadri Park, a little after 3 pm, stopping near the entrance where all the riders were waiting for us!! 
After this, just so that we would not miss the light, our original plans of riding to the beach in a group then materialized and the riders all took in in neat 2 * 2 formation. I unfortunately had other things to think about and get my poor estranged wife and kid home for lunch (it was 5 pm) and unload our luggage. I somehow managed to do this all in 20 mins, and after co-ordinating with Sudhir and Srinath, quickly took out my '84 Classic and set off for the beach! Catching up with Sudhir on the way and then with Srinath at Panambur, we made our way towards the harbour breakwater, where the impressive lineup up Yamahas, Pulsars, Yezdi Roadkings and other assorted bikes were already waiting! A few quick pictures later and a brief thank you to all the guys who contributed and the teams who made it, and it was time to head back home in the fading light! 'Casue I now had one more long trip to consider!
And so @ 4 am, after suiting up and making sure Charlie was safe in his waterproof bag strapped down on the pillion seat of my trusty '93 Roadking, I slowly made my way to Cochin Bakery where my co-riders would be waiting for me. In the dark, I could make out the silhouettes of 2 riders on a Pulsar 200, Sameer and Ibrahim and in a couple of minutes Dr. Brijesh joined us on his KTM Duke 390. We knew Srinath would be waiting for us at Thokottu, so a brief intimation to him and we set off. Without any delay, with Srinath waiting for us, we carried on, riding straight on to Kasargod 49 kms away. Our plans for now, were to ride to Payannur, where we could hand over Charlie to the next relay team. In the event there was nobody responsible enough, well then, Calicut it would be!
After a quick coffee break on the outskirts of Kasargod, we rode down past the lovely Chandrigiri Bridge on the Payaswini river, where the fishermen where beginning with their early morning catching spree! Past Chattanchal and then towards Kanhangad and in a short while, we were at Payyanur, another 60 kms away. Call after call was made but nobody was picking up and so we realised that, oookkkkkaaayyyy, let's just ride to Calicut, a 122kms away! A short stop somewhere down the line to fuel us up with breakfast and we were on the way. 
The entire stretch was a beauty that would not bore you at all. The roads and alternate hills and curves were a thrill to ride through, but at the same time it was with high concentration, as the oncoming traffic at breakneck speeds, famous on these roads, were liable to take us off the roads! Somewhere after some time, we passed by a small sign on the other side of the road, denoting "Muzhappilangad Beach", a sign so small, that we all practically missed it. It was just that I was expecting it somewhere close by and so therefore caught it. I madly hurried up to catch the attention of the others and after we all regrouped, rode back together onto the narrow side road. I had earlier passed by this side at least on 2 different rides and everytime missed this famous beach. Now come what may, we were going on that beach!
Shortly after 11.30 we all regrouped just before the flyover entry into Calicut city, where we awaited the next relay team to come and take over. A few rounds of ORS hydration, kind courtesy Dr. Brijesh and his deep knapsack, and we saw Vijeesh AKA Vepavi Calicut Chopper, zooming towards us on a Duke 390. Warm handshakes all round, then we realised that we had to ride further in on the Beach Road, where the media would be waiting for us. We all took off and as we roared through, I realised that my Roadking had just run into reserve. Well, that meant we would need to find a bunker soon, or else Charlie would have to be pushed towards the waiting press, instead of grandly riding in! But it wasn't too far off and with the welcome sight of Jayshankar, who had taken the 7 am train and reached before us, his sudden appearance from a by-road on a lovely gray Roadking, things were now looking up. We all came in together, headlamps blazing, towards the crowd of cameras that kept clicking away! We had touched Calicut, thereby completing our relay section and we had done a damn good job of it, well within the time frame we had set for ourselves!
After a hearty lunch of the famous Calicut biryani (both quail & chicken), followed by some thirst quenching milk sherbat, we managed to take leave of our over-so hospitable Calicut friends, knowing that we had quite a distance of a total of 230 kms to cover before dark. Well we suceded but towards the end, just after Kasargod, things got a little bit disoriented for us, specially Srinath and me, and our movements were purely mechanical, with the drone of the bikes, creating an entire blurry experience. Clearly we had pushed ourselves since 4 in the morning and now with our 10 pm deadline fast approaching, we were quite on the end of our tethers! I was just hoping that both Sameer and Dr. Brijesh who had gone on ahead were doing fine. Once I safely reached home and practically toppled over while dismounting, our messages went out and we breathed a sigh on getting replies that all of us had reached safe and sound!
