The motorcycle has a 250cc 2-stroke single-cylinder engine with an integrated gear shifter / kick starter and dual exhausts
The logical successor of Yezdi Oilking, Roadking was or is one of the most iconic motorcycles India ever witnessed. It was produced by Ideal Jawa Ltd, based out of Mysuru, Karnataka. Yezdi Roadking was in production since 1978 and with low demand, production ended in 1996.
Towards the end of its life cycle, Yezdi Roadking had secured a permanent spot in the heart of its owners. With the dawn of 4-stroke era, 2-stroke motorcycles saw their demise. New replaces old. But that doesn’t hold true for everyone. There are people who go to great lengths to restore the motorcycle that plays with their heartstrings. Let’s take a look at one such person that got his Yezdi Roadking restored with many efforts.
Yezdi Roadking Restored
Owner of this restored motorcycle is a cousin of YouTuber Mundodi Vlogs. He explains all the hassles that were involved in this process. He further explains how availability of parts quality is extremely scarce as production stopped decades ago. This robs the joy of restoring such classics.
He detailed the painstaking processes involving multiple tinkering and metalworking jobs. Most of its body parts had rusted. The part that took the most hit due to rust was its fuel tank. Take a look at the walkaround video of Yezdi Roadking restored below.
It adversely affected its carburetor and fueling as well. Before restoration, this bike was DOA as its electrical harness was feasted upon by rats. The rake of the steering has been reduced which reduced the overall length and wheelbase too.
The brakes were completely jammed and both front and rear suspensions were not functioning. With everything sorted out, the parts were restored to their original condition. Yezdi Roadking restored looks like it came right out of the factory and is real eye candy for classic bike enthusiasts.
Specs & Features
Yezdi Roadking is based on a single cradle chassis with square tubing instead of round. This chassis was believed to be very balanced, stable and agile. It has a racing heritage to it too. Yezdi Roadking is based on CZ 250 which was ridden by Jaroslav Falta who secured runner-up spot in 1974 Motocross World Championship. This bike won several Indian road races and rallies as well.
It is powered by a 250cc 2-stroke single-cylinder engine with a dual exhaust setup. It was considered to be technologically advanced as it featured a semi-automatic clutch and Jawa / CZ’s trademark gear shifter / kick starter. Even with a 16L fuel tank, Yezdi Roadking only weighed 144 kg wet. Transmitting the engine’s power to the wheels is a 4-speed gearbox.
Parts availability and good workmanship are what is dragging the restoration industry down. Parts of certain classic 2-stroke motorcycles are not readily available unlike Yamaha RX 100, which is still supported by the company. Speaking of RX 100, Yamaha has announced its comeback in the near future. Yezdi currently sells Roadster, Scrambler and Adventure. Do you think Classic Legends should revive the Roadking name?
