JAWA Motorcycles celebrates the 18th edition of International Jawa Day virtually. The gathering witnessed about 300,000 people engaged and talking about the Jawa day and thousands finally logging in to watch the two-hour live cast of festivities online.
Members from the major Jawa & Yezdi Motorcycle Clubs in India took the mantle of organising the virtual event, bringing together Kommuniti members not just from clubs across the country but also countries like Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, USA, Vietnam and Cuba to come together for a virtual celebration, the company said.
The festivities began with a session aptly named ‘Legendshala’ an evening prior to set the mood with stories of the yore from people who kept the legacy of Jawa alive over decades. Moderated by renowned auto journalist and author of ‘The Forever Bike’ Adil Jal Darukhanawala, the session saw veteran racers like Somender Singh, CK Chinappa, Shyam Kothari narrate their experiences of racing on Jawa motorcycles over their careers while Prashanth PK, a collector of all things Jawa talked about his prized possessions, it added.
The Livestream on Jawa Day consisted of veteran Kommuniti riders come together on a common platform to reminisce their experiences about previous Jawa Day celebrations, long rides and friendly banter that connects them as Jawa riders. Riders from 10 international clubs as well as 35 clubs from India were invited to do their bit for the celebrations. The club members shared recordings from their locations sending out wishes for their fellow riders and the promise of riding their Jawa motorcycles together soon.
The platform also engaged female riders with a dedicated segment with the participants telling encouraging stories about women in motorcycling. The session honoured the ‘ustaads’, technicians who have kept the Jawa motorcycles of the past running perfectly over the years.
In keeping with the tradition, the organising panel of the show hosted contests on social platforms to engage with the Kommuniti. The contests witnessed a stirring response from avid Jawa and Yezdi riders and followers. Categories included best-dressed rider, picture of a bike in an unexpected location, best 90-second video, picture of a ride with a public message regarding traffic rules, a recreation of old pictures in a collage with year mentioned, etc.
In some cities such as Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Cochin, Kannur and Jaipur where unlock rules allowed riding with safety protocols, Kommuniti members went about riding in the spirit of Jawa day to celebrate.