On the way to have his wristwatch repaired, Christopher Rodrigues serendipitously found a 1968 Yezdi Jet ‘B' series. More junk than bike, Christopher bought it for Rs. 2,000. He planned to restore the three-speed step-through bike and gift it to his wife Jacquelene, who was using an M-80 at that time.
This bike's restoration was not a straightforward one. The Yezdi Jet shared a profusion of features with the Jawa Pionyr and many of its parts came from Czechoslovakia. As a result, sourcing them was a handful job. Tinker Koti solved a part of this problem. He beautifully recreated certain components by carefully studying photos of Yezdi Jets.
Sherif Automobiles in Pudupet that had once held a Yezdi dealership, speeded up the restoration. The store supplied Christopher with a dead-stock of Yezdi Jet spares worth Rs. 4,000. The purchase included a new bore, piston, headlight nacelle, primary drive chain (Czechoslovakian) and internal gears.
Mechanic Sundar assisted in getting the oil seals and bearings for the front shock absorbers. Shekhar, who was entrusted with the mechanical restoration of the vehicle, reconditioned the crankshaft and the connecting rod.
Christopher made a few friends, thanks to this 60cc bike. His search for authentic Yezdi Jet parts took him to Gavin Wilson of Mysore. Gavin's father had been employed at the Ideal Jawa factory and after the company folded up he had picked up a few Jawa and Yezdi machines at auctions. Gavin is an authority on these bikes and also a storehouse of rare spares. Christopher got a chain guard, a silencer and a clutch plate set from Gavin. Besides helping Christopher find people who share his passion for bikes, the Yezdi Jet has won him his wife's admiration.
“The Yezdi Jet is now ready for the road. Jacquelene will soon start commuting from Perambur to her office in Nungambakkam on this bike,” says Christopher.
