MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: If you are someone who loves the iconic Jawa and Yezdi and treasures the experience of riding it, here’s a fresh opportunity to do so all over again. For, on Thursday, the motorcycle brand made its comeback in India, with not one, but three bikes. All three models are priced in the premium range, with the sporty 293 cc Jawa Forty Two priced at Rs 1.55 lakh and the 334 cc Jawa Perak, the costliest of the three, at Rs 1.89 lakh. The Jawa, a 293 cc retro-cruiser with which the company seeks to tap into the glory days of the classic Jawa line, will be priced at Rs1.64 lakh.
Despite having a better build, a six-speed gearbox and a more powerful engine, the design of the Jawa is sure to remind one of the glorious bikes of old — complete with its horn below a round headlamp.
Jawa first entered the Indian market in 1961 as a joint venture with Jawa Ltd, based in Czechoslovakia. The Yezdi came in from the same stable much later. Generations of bikers who grew up on that low-maintenance vehicle get nostalgic recounting their experiences.
Pre-bookings for the new bikes opened on Thursday, at Rs 5,000, with deliveries expected to begin by February next year. Test rides will be on offer by early December, and the company plans to propel sales through 105 dealers and 64 dealerships across most major cities.
The Jawa’s re-entry is sure to make the fight for India’s premium motorcycle market more interesting, with the line placing itself in direct competition with the current dominant market leader: Royal Enfield.
Resurrected by Classic Legends, a Mahindra & Mahindra-owned firm, the Jawa line is expected to play an important role in the company’s two-wheeler fortunes.
“It’s rare to get an opportunity to resurrect a legend,” M&M chairman Anand Mahindra said. “Jawa is a never-ending story. We want to make the journey as comfortable as it gets.” Mahindra also said the company was not placing too much importance on volumes, with the line not intended for the “mass segment”.
Jawa
293cc, Rs 1.64 lakh
27bhp max power
28Nm max torque
Jawa Forty Two
293cc, Rs 1.55 lakh
27bhp max power
28Nm max torque
Jawa Perak
334cc, Rs 1.89 lakh
30bhp max power
31Nm max torque