After Jawa, Classic Legends Lines Up BSA And Yezdi For India

With the new Jawas launched to much fanfare, Classic Legends confirms that BSA and Yezdi are on the anvil for the Indian market

• BSA and Yezdi brands will make it to the Indian market.
• In 2016, Classic Legends had specifically stated that BSA was for exports while offering no comment on the rebirth of Yezdi.
• Rights to the Yezdi brand are owned by Boman Irani, one of the partners in Classic Legends.

Classic Legends, the company that owns the rights to the Jawa moniker in India and certain East Asian markets, recently launched a trio of new Jawa motorcycles. The Jawa, the 42 and the Perak have been well-received by Jawa fans in India. However, in a development that is sure to be cheered by BSA and Yezdi fans, the two yesteryear brands will find their way to India in the coming years.

This was confirmed at the launch of the new Jawa motorcycles by the people leading Classic Legends’ foray into the Indian motorcycle market. Why is this an important development? Back in 2016, when Classical Legends acquired the rights to these brands, it was announced that Jawa would serve the Indian market while BSA was purely for the export markets.

BSA, the marquee British brand, produced memorable motorcycles back in the day like the Bantam and the Gold Star. The brand enjoyed a premium positioning around the world and is expected to operate in a similar category in India.

However, it is the prospect of seeing the Yezdi brand back on the road that has its fans excited. This is in stark contrast to two years back when Classic Legends refused to offer any comment on Yezdi coming back. To go back in history, Yezdi was the brand that Ideal Jawa India Ltd used for its motorcycles from 1973 onwards. The brand, as such, has immense recall value among motorcyclists in India.

Speculation around the rebirth of Yezdi was rife since Boman Irani, who happens to be one of the partners in Classic Legends, also owns the rights to the Yezdi brand through his company, the Rustomjee Group. The question then was when, and not if, the Yezdi will once again roar on Indian roads.

While it is hard to say at this point which bikes will carry the Yezdi tag or when will they hit showrooms in India, a 2020 timeframe looks plausible. To know more about the history of Jawa/Yezdi motorcycles in India, read this from our sister website.