JOIN USATF has models of Jawa bike, manufactured in Mysore
From a 21 cc bike to a 1,500 cc super bike, 1960s cars to the latest Porsche stole the show at Automotive Technology Fair (ATF) - 2014 on the theme ‘Green Automotive Technology’ that concluded on Sunday. It attracted hundreds of motorbike and car lovers from Mysore and surrounding areas.
The ATF was organised by NIE-Eicher Centre for Automobile Technology (NECAT), Collegiate Club of NIE and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, at the Golden Jubilee Sports Complex. A bull, a horse and a squirrel made out of machinery spare parts by Ilyas Ahmed, an artist from Bangalore, was attracting people in all age groups.
The organisers said, Ilyas Ahmed, who is specialised in aviation welding, gives an artistic touch to scrap. He has created various sculptures and has good demand in India as well as outside.
Gayathri D, a graduate, who had come along with her friend, said, it is an unique collection of vehicles as there are vintage as well latest vehicles. “What I like the most is Harley Davidson and some vintage bikes,” she adds.
More than 150 super bikes and vintage bikes, along with 35 vintage cars, sports cars and classic cars from in and around the city was showcased. The expo also had ‘Do it Yourself’ stalls, where the visitors were educated on maintaining vehicles in good condition and servicing.
Some of the cars that were on display at the fair were Porsche, Volvo, Range Rover, Land Rover 1973 model US manufactured Jeep Kaiser CJS, 1984 model Premier Padmini, 1961 model Fiat car, 1978 made 2300 CC Mercedes Benz and 1993 model Mercedes Benz 300D.
In the vintage bike range, there were a large number of Jawa and Yezdi bikes, Rajdoot 350, a Second World War bike, Enfield 200, Vespa, Lambretta. Super bikes included Harley Davidson, Suzuki Boulevard, Aprilia RSV4, Hyosung GT250R, Kawasaki ZZR, a customised bike from Vardenchi and BMW 1000RR.
City’s pride
Many Mysoreans are not aware that once Jawa bikes were rolled out from the city to the entire country.
In the year 1961, the then Governor of Mysore State Jayachamaraja Wadiyar inaugurated Ideal Jawa (India) Limited with the slogan ‘The forever bike, forever value’. It created a great sensation among motorcycle lovers across the country. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar learnt about the bikes being imported, and planned opening an engineering industry in Mysore itself.
Farrokh K Irani and Rustom setup Jawa (acronym for Jayachamaraja Wadiyar) in Yadavgiri, where now skyscrapers exist. The factory had a capital investment of Rs 50 lakh in 1961 and Wadiyar was one of the stakeholders. He also helped to get industrial land approved from the government.
The company was given a licence and permitted to manufacture 42,000 bikes per annum, while most of the materials were to be imported. It employed 2,200 workers and rolled out 130 bikes per day.
The production stopped in 1998, leaving bike-lovers disheartened. The main reason could be, the life of two-stroke motorcycles had come to an end as it was considered as less fuel efficient. Other factors are: labour issues and need for a huge capital for revamping.