July 13 may be just another Sunday for many of us, but for a group of bikers, it’s a day of camaraderie.
Meet Roaring Riders, the city’s sole club that swears by the Czech-inspired motorcycle model, Jawa and its successor, the Yezdi. They are all set to celebrate the 14 International Jawa Day on July 13 at the old airstrip in Sholavaram.
Christened in July 2003, the motorcycle club was the brainchild of four Chennaiites who were part of an online Jawa-Yezdi lovers group.
“We then gave an open call online to Jawa and Yezdi lovers in Chennai and were pleasantly surprised to receive swift responses from five people. This gave the much-needed adrenaline rush for the group and soon, many likeminded riders came forward to be part of Roaring Riders,” says Srini Kasyap, one of the founder members of the group, and a proud owner of three Yezdi (Roadking, Deluxe and Colt 60) models.
The thunderous engines of the Roadkings and Deluxes of the small group of riders first roared on the stretch of Elliots Beach on a fine Sunday morning in July 2003.
Eleven years down the line, the group has grown to an over 60-members strong Jawa–Yezdi riders club with an online fan following of nearly 350 persons.
“With an annual long ride across the State and monthly short rides, the group has evolved and established relationships with similar chapters in Bangalore, Mysore, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and also, Mumbai,” adds member Prakash Nagarajan, who promises the upcoming Jawa Day celebration will be a real spectacle.
On July 13, it is expected that over 50 motorcyclists will assemble to flaunt their bikes, which include classic models of Jawa and Yezdi.
Veteran invitees, who raced Czech models on the once bustling Sholavaram airstrip, which used to be the city’s sole racing circuit, will also be present.
For more on the event, to which any motorcycle lover is welcome, visit www.roaringriders.in
