Rana Pratap had his faithful horse Chetak and I had my Yezdi. While I couldnt beat the Rana in combat, my horse can outrun his. :)
I guess these emotions will be mirrored by any proud Yezdi owner, to whom its less bike and more faithful steed.
The place occupied by this bike is now sadly overrun by lesser beasts from Honda, Bajaj and Yamaha. While some of these modern day machines can outrun the Roadking, no bike to date packs the power, handling, looks and aural symphony that the Yezdi had. It is funky in an east european way (originally made in Czech republic),
Starting the Bike
Despite being a heavy machine (it requires some muscle to get it off the stand), the bike is feels very stable and sleek once you get on it.
The kick-start also doubles back as the gear shift, pretty cool considering the technology is from the 70’s.
This is also the main cause for a lot of sore ankles for the newbie since the kick-start can be quite temperamental.
Cruising
This is where the bike truly shines. You can easily touch 50km/h in 2nd gear. bikes. This makes stop light races a no brainer. Enjoy that puzzled look on the face of the Pulsar dude, when your old horse runs away from him from dead stop. Gear changes are easy and the clutch is very robust. The bike also has a neutral gear in between every other gear. Just depress the gear lever slightly and the bike goes into neutral, you can then shift up or down.
Power
Excellent low end torque, ability to cruise 120kmph effortlessly. Gear ratios well spaced. Can easily take 3 full size adults if they fit. Our milkman used to hand 3 large cans of milk around his Yezdi during his morning rounds. Try that with any modern bike. :)
Handling
Respect the bikes abilities and it will respect yours. While straight line handling is excellent, it is not designed to be thrown about in S curves or blind alleys.
Ownership Cost
The bike does not sip gas. It delivers 25-30 kmpl, which is quite good considering that it is a 2 stroke motor that has phenomenal low end torque and 250cc engine. Parts are relatively cheap and maintainance can be done easily. A used Yezdi is just as good as a new one, since these machines age well.
Satisfaction
If you read this review, its obvious that I was very satisfied with my bike. I just hope they start making it in India again. This bike sells itself.