Mahindra To Bring Back Iconic Jawa Motorcycles

Mahindra Two Wheeler subsidiary Classic Legends signs brand license of JAWA to market and distribute it in India

Published: Tuesday, October 25, 2016, 17:19 [IST]

Jawa needs no introduction in India, it has a cult following in the country from the time the Czechoslovakian company set its foot in the 1950s. The company had stopped production in 1996, now, Mahindra is rejuvenating the brand in the country.

A subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra, Classic Legends has signed an exclusive the brand license agreement for the iconic JAWA brand. This will be marketed and distributed solely for India alone.

Products under the JAWA brand will be developed to capture the character, DNA, and ethos of the JAWA brand.

The JAWA motorcycles will be manufactured at its Pithampur plant in Madhya Pradesh where current Mahindra models such as Centuro, Gusto and Mojo are being manufactured.

A little more about the history of JAWA after it stopped production in 1996 in Mysore in Karnataka. A successor company was formed in 1997 in Tynec nad Sazavou continuing in the name as JAWA Moto.

As of 2006, JAWA has produced 250cc, 125cc, and 50cc motorcycles, also, they produces large bikes with a 650cc Rotax engine, this is found in the BMW F 650 series.

The iconic 350cc two-stroke twin cylinder is nearly mechanically unchanged since the1960s and very reliable. It is currently sold mainly in countries of Central America and Russia.

Present models (2014) sold by JAWA are JAWA 50, JAWA 125, JAWA 250, JAWA 350 and the JAWA 660 Sportard.

In India, JAWA was introduced in the 1950s and production was carried out by Ideal Jawa India Ltd. based out of Mysore in Karnataka starting in the 1960s.

Models produced in Czechoslovakia had the CZ Jawa emblem on the side of fuel tank. The locally produced models always had ‘O' within the Jawa emblem.

To this day, it has a cult following in India and many enthusiasts might look forward to the new announcement from Mahindra and how the bike will be developed keeping emission and Bharat Stage VI norms which are set to kick in soon in India.