MAN & MACHINE PRINCE FREDERICK
It’s never sundown at Jawa
IDEAL ROADMATE Ridinf a 250 cc, single-cylinder, 1968 Ideal Jawa for over 35 years, T.S. Kannan has seen it all!
In Kannan’s mind, this Jawa is a constant in a world pervaded by change. People are hooked on machines because these ‘inanimate creatures’ can cock a snook at time and get away with it. Through restorations and replacements, a bike or a car can be kept running for any number of years. They don’t reach the point of no return, as all of us do. They might undergo changes in form, but they can go on.
Kannan’s 1968, 250cc, two-stroke, single-cylinder Ideal Jawa (a Mysore-based company that made Jawa motorcycles under licence in India) has not been free of changes. But they have been far from drastic and not easily noticeable. One, however, can’t be missed. The almost emblematic cowl is missing. “Old-model Jawa motorcycles did not come with powerful headlights. I replaced them with those more suited for destinations that have to be reached via unlit roads. I had to remove the cowl to fit in the new headlight assembly.”
But there was a time when safety used to be the last thing on Kannan’s mind. He enjoyed sailing close to the wind. Once, he took a big risk on the road to Bangalore. “I left Chennai after sundown. When I reached Kancheepuram, my headlight bulb fused. I searched for an automobile spares shop in vain. I followed a bus for some distance, but gave up because of speed; the bus was far too slow for my Jawa. A tourist-taxi driver came to my rescue, letting me travel ahead of him so that I could use the light from his headlamps. We stopped for tea at Kolar. The taxi driver and passengers advised me to spend the night off the road. The non-functional headlamps and my reckless driving were gnawing at their mind. They were worried about my safety. But I reached Bangalore, guided by the moonlight.” Kannan named this bike ‘desperado’ and never before had this name seemed so apt.
As we age, our mnemonic cells seem to get rejuvenated. Kannan remembers how he scrimped and saved and bought this Jawa in 1971 for Rs. 3,000. And he likes to run you through track races, rallies and drag meets he took part in with his ‘desperado’.
Kannan’s Jawa is based on a popular model introduced in the 1940s, but it is garden variety. More spectacular models include the ones with the ignition placed on the tank. But the 250cc single (dual-exhaust) is a widely owned bike in India and a slogan used by Ideal Jawa aptly describes it – “Forever bike, forever value”. Common variety or not, all Jawa owners are proud about their machines and tend to bond greatly with one another. Today, this 59-year-old biker belongs to a group of Jawa and Yezdi (Ideal Jawa used this brand name to market a few Jawa models) owners. “I give some of these youngsters tips on safe-riding”.
People change. Certain things never do. Kannan and his Jawa illustrate this truth.
It’s never sundown at Jawa
| T.S. Kannan’s enthusiasm for a 1968 motorcycle proves that Jawa is indeed ‘forever bike, forever value’ |
IDEAL ROADMATE Ridinf a 250 cc, single-cylinder, 1968 Ideal Jawa for over 35 years, T.S. Kannan has seen it all!
This Jawa has tutored T.S. Kannan in two seemingly contradictory lessons. One, everything is in a state of flux. Two, certain things don’t change with time. When his eldest son was a crawling baby, Kannan used to seat him on the petrol tank and go for a ride. Now, his firstborn is 28 years old and has flown the nest. But when the youngster takes a break from work, he participates in the past in new ways. And Kannan watches with a mixture of wonder and pain that his little one has outgrown the tank and does not depend on dad anymore for a joy ride.
In Kannan’s mind, this Jawa is a constant in a world pervaded by change. People are hooked on machines because these ‘inanimate creatures’ can cock a snook at time and get away with it. Through restorations and replacements, a bike or a car can be kept running for any number of years. They don’t reach the point of no return, as all of us do. They might undergo changes in form, but they can go on.
Kannan’s 1968, 250cc, two-stroke, single-cylinder Ideal Jawa (a Mysore-based company that made Jawa motorcycles under licence in India) has not been free of changes. But they have been far from drastic and not easily noticeable. One, however, can’t be missed. The almost emblematic cowl is missing. “Old-model Jawa motorcycles did not come with powerful headlights. I replaced them with those more suited for destinations that have to be reached via unlit roads. I had to remove the cowl to fit in the new headlight assembly.”
But there was a time when safety used to be the last thing on Kannan’s mind. He enjoyed sailing close to the wind. Once, he took a big risk on the road to Bangalore. “I left Chennai after sundown. When I reached Kancheepuram, my headlight bulb fused. I searched for an automobile spares shop in vain. I followed a bus for some distance, but gave up because of speed; the bus was far too slow for my Jawa. A tourist-taxi driver came to my rescue, letting me travel ahead of him so that I could use the light from his headlamps. We stopped for tea at Kolar. The taxi driver and passengers advised me to spend the night off the road. The non-functional headlamps and my reckless driving were gnawing at their mind. They were worried about my safety. But I reached Bangalore, guided by the moonlight.” Kannan named this bike ‘desperado’ and never before had this name seemed so apt.
As we age, our mnemonic cells seem to get rejuvenated. Kannan remembers how he scrimped and saved and bought this Jawa in 1971 for Rs. 3,000. And he likes to run you through track races, rallies and drag meets he took part in with his ‘desperado’.
Kannan’s Jawa is based on a popular model introduced in the 1940s, but it is garden variety. More spectacular models include the ones with the ignition placed on the tank. But the 250cc single (dual-exhaust) is a widely owned bike in India and a slogan used by Ideal Jawa aptly describes it – “Forever bike, forever value”. Common variety or not, all Jawa owners are proud about their machines and tend to bond greatly with one another. Today, this 59-year-old biker belongs to a group of Jawa and Yezdi (Ideal Jawa used this brand name to market a few Jawa models) owners. “I give some of these youngsters tips on safe-riding”.
People change. Certain things never do. Kannan and his Jawa illustrate this truth.
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