CHENNAI: When Ideal Jawa, a company in Mysuru, began selling licensed Jawa motorcycles under the names Jawa (1960) and Yezdi (1973), there grew a cult following by motor enthusiasts in the country and in the city alike. After manufacturing several iconic models like the Yezdi 250 Roadking, Yezdi 350 Twin and Yezdi 250, the company shut shop in 1996, but the Jawa-Yezdi legacy in the city still continues…and the bike owners in Chennai point to one man as their ‘god’, in making their machines ‘up and beating’ — M Jabbar of RM Auto spares, Royapetta.
As we travel down Peters Road flyover trying to locate a large showroom stacked with Jawa-Yezdi spares, we are directed towards a small shop adjacent to the flyover, with a name board that reads ‘Only Dealers in Jawa, Yezdi’. As we approach the shop, we notice Jabbar sitting on a wooden chair placed in the middle of the single room shop. As we look around, Yezdi brake cables and mounted air filters grab our attention. “We set up this shop here in 1982…since then I have witnessed a lot of changes in this area. But, the most staggering change is the increase in congestion and traffic!” says Jabbar, who made Chennai his home, 40 years ago.
“I belong to Thirupathur, Sivaganga district. When I came to Chennai, I worked in a spare parts company. My brother worked in Reliance Motors, who were incidentally Jawa dealers,” recalls Jabbar who also started dealing with Jawa products/spares. “We used to purchase from Palayankottai, Madurai and Coimbatore. But, when reliance closed down, other companies and dealers who sold Jawa-Yezdi spares shut along with them.”
But Jabbar, instead of shutting down his shop, says that he increased their spares flow by procuring it from dealers from different parts of the country. Today, he is the only ‘trusted’ Jawa-Yezdi spares dealer in the city and has a clientele across the country. “We have customers from Vellore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Odisha. I have to thank our city riders for spreading the word whenever they see a fellow rider,” he smiles.
Chennai’s 300-odd Jawa-Yezdi bike owners turn to him for spares.
“I know that there are 200 known owners of these motorcycles. My calculation is that there will be 150 more in the city,” shares the dealer who has provided service for three generation of Jawa-Yezdi users “Now the ones who used to buy spares from me have become old; it’s their sons and grandsons who use the vehicle. Once you are used to its sound and the beat, you will not look for other vehicles.”
He points to the 1987-Jawa parked outside his shop. “My son bought this second hand, and we will soon be repairing it. My customers kept asking me to buy a bike, and I thought it would only be fair to buy one since I sell the spares. But, I can’t drive it at this age…my son loves these bikes and his four-year-old son is already a Jawa-Yezdi fan,” he laughs.
Ask him if he has had any celebrity clients and he says, “Of course! But, they don’t come directly to buy spare parts. They send their mechanics to get the parts to transform their vintage machines. Vijay Sethupathi’s mechanic was here to get spares for his Jawa-Yezdi.”
We ask Jabbar about his next buy and he grins, “We are looking to buy the Roadking…but we haven’t been able to spot sellers yet. As long as the bike has its registered certificate copy, we don’t mind even if the bike is in bad condition. We will transform it to its original glory.” For details, call: 9444326612