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-   -   Mahindra is bringing Jawa back. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 1.55 lakh (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/181224-mahindra-bringing-jawa-back-edit-launched-rs-1-55-lakh-18.html)

Bang on!

I only wish Jawa had given us the option for a disc at the back and dual channel ABS. I know the Perak has the option but that's a different bike.

Cheers

Well done by Mahindra and Classic Legends (Motorcycles) on bringing back the Jawa brand and how. Beautiful machines and well kitted too, for the price they are going to retail for.

Boring launch aside, what matters is long term availability and reliability of these bikes. By initial looks, all 3 motorcycles are a looker, seem well finished and to high quality. The Perak was a wonderful rabbit from the hat. :thumbs up

The Jawa and Jawa 42 now make complete sense as a formidable option compared to Royal Enfield's offerings (the 350cc and few 500cc bikes). The pricing are on point and hardly anything to complain on, on that front.

Hoping the Jawas do well and more bikes come out, with higher capacities and with high quality. With an option other than RE, it can only be good for the Indian motorcycling market and biking enthusiasts. :)

Thanks for the beautiful pictures. The quality and the attention to detail have come out crisply, and it indeed feels like a job well done!
Maybe Mahindra is already looking at that segment, to be targeted under the BSA brand? In any case , the Bajaj - Triumph duo is already targeting that particular segment, with a rumoured 650cc offering. Combining Bajaj's expertise in frugal engineering and Triumph's strengths of engineering and quality should result in a powerful, capable, solidly-put-together, affordable motorcycle. Of course they will have to match RE on price, which, all said and done, looks rather difficult as of now.
The fit and finish certainly look top notch. Seems like Mahindra has done their homework well and have really focussed on all round quality. I hope it translates into a superior driving experience.

The lines are classic Jawa /Yezdi - and from whatever I remember of seeing Jawas/ Yezdis , the new designs are true to original - good show Mahindra!:thumbs up And the way the bikes have been finished screams quality. At least from the looks of it , the bikes seem very well put together. RE has serious competition on their hands - at least in the 350~500 cc category. Now if only Mahindra could market it aggressively, differentiating it meaningfully from the offerings from the RE stable and increase the visibility of these bikes on road. That would pique the interest of the common buyer.
Why is getting a tubeless spoked tyre such a big deal? Given the volumes they do and leveraging economies of scale, I'm sure RE could have easily provided spoked tubeless tyres on all their bikes. But I guess, it's all about extracting the maximum moolah from your investments.

Also, the refined Mojo engine (or its derivative doing duty here) should be the high point of the motorcycle. Liquid cooled with decent power (nearly 35% more than RE 350 I might add) and torque figures coupled with a appreciably lower kerb weight should render significantly higher power/torque to weight ratio compared to the RE 350 CC offerings. This will result in a higher top end as well as in gear acceleration for the bike vis-a-vis RE 350 . Also given the refinement and driveability of the engine and the fact that it has an extra cog, it should translate into an ability to comfortably cruise on highway speeds all day. If the ergonomics are right (which they should be) it has the makings of a capable cruiser / tourer, apart for being a good looking retro bike. Maybe we will see a lot more Jawas making it to Ladakh (without breaking down hopefully:)) a few years from now? It might be sound business strategy for Mahindra to open service stations in Srinagar, Manali and Leh, and taking a leaf out of RE's book, organise tours/rides to these remote places like Spiti/ Ladakh/ Sikkim/ Arunachal.

Cheers !

A lot of people have complained about the Engine being too modern-ish. I think the engine is fine, and while they could have put some effort into fine tuning the exhaust note (does anyone have any audio other than the ad?) It has the potential to be a real differentiator.

My bigger beef is that given that they are are doing a very faithful retro design, one lost opportunity was to provide a full size seat similar to the original and the RX100/RD 350. This seat looks more like the thinly padded plastic shells we find on most modern bikes. A good thick seat would have been a welcome addition (and looked more retro), and make it more appealing to an older category of buyers who are put off by the excuses for seats we have on most powerful bikes

All is not lost - They can still provide an aftermarket addition

Considering the multiple "wow" views being shared here, is there a proper detailed on-road review of the Jawa bike? All I see online are reviews of how it looks and supposed performance basis the specs and the past history (of the bike and the engine)

Media drive is yet to happen. Showrooms/service center are still under construction, so I don't think we will see reviews anytime soon. Not sure where should a prospective buyer should book for one.

I just happen to browse through the Jawa website. There was an option to book by paying Rs.5000.

Here is the link Jawa Motorcycles

A vast majority of people buying an RE350 are not buying it for handling, performance or any other rationale.

They are buying a 'Bullet'. Period.

A Bullet purchase is one of the most irrational ever, and expecting such buyers to now step back and consider options is being very ambitious. A 'Jawa' does not have a fraction of the emotive pull of a 'Bullet', except amongst some enthusiast pockets. Bullet is brand that became a segment by itself (am no fan, I hate the bike and the noise its riders make).

Even the name Jawa is forgotten except for people mostly past their 60s - Yezdi probably has a bigger recall in India than their parent brand.

Therefore expecting this motorcycle to sell on merits and technical advantages is being ambitious. A classic retro is always about brand pull, emotions and several other intangibles (or even merchandise and fancy-dress costumes like HD and RE ), never about numbers or performance.

I have never been a fan of Jawa/Yezdi's styling. So, when I saw the spy shots of Jawa a few days before the launch, I was not keen. But the since the launch event, the 42 has caught my attention very well. It looks like a perfect modern-retro (or should I say retro-modern?) street bike. The seat height of 765 mm along with the 170 kg weight is surely a boon for shorter riders like me. While the RE interceptor's height is not that bad for me, the 200+ kg weight definitely puts me off.
The 42 has got me thinking now.. Should I go for the 650 or the 42? I know they are in different leagues but still..
Should I upgrade from my GS150R to 42 or 650?
My heart says 650 - Enjoy the retro looking and very well put together package with the extremely value for money as the icing factor.
My mind says 42 - Save the 1 lakh rupees difference and still enjoy the retro looking bike.

:OT It was disappointing to see that there are no rear disk brakes in the Jawas. 300cc costing more than 1.5L and yet no disk brakes? Come on...:Frustrati

I have been sent a number of photos over Whatsapp. Sharing them here.


I must say, the more i look at them, the more i fall in love with these. The designers have done a fantastic job. Also isn't it just the most beautiful looking engine block? Not just in India, mind you.

+1 . I too liked the 42 very much. I was interested in GT650 than the Interceptor 650. But buying a 3L+ bike though, financially possible, will need a lot of discussion, escalation and approvals from family and home ministry :D

42, if made well in terms of quality, will satisfy my urge to own a retro-modern bike and will not cost a bomb.

PS:I don't hate RE Classic/STD/Electra, but don't want one since every other bike on the road is a bullet.

I read somewhere in this thread that the build quality looks good. But to me it looks like the fit and finish is not that great and also some cost cutting measures are evident. I understand that certain aspects like commuter-bike-like rear brake pedal and gear lever, absence of clock and gear indicator, etc can be justified so as to maintain the retro feel but it is hard to accept misaligned mudguards (both front and rear), MRF nylogrip tyres and absence of rear disk brakes.

Also does anyone have an idea about what the round button-like thing on the headlight chrome ring? Is it just a fancy screw head?

On the original Jawa, that was the headlight height adjustment.

Powerdrift video is out and it covers most points that have been discussed here. As usual, it is well made, and visually brings out the build quality of the motorcycles . I actually paused the video to pore over Perak which looks really great - understated with just a hint of quiet menace !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc6XOjddEn8

Cheers !

Very nostalgic to see the Jawa brand revived. Dad owned a Yezdi in which I learnt to ride and I regret that we sold it for pittance. I should have restored and kept it running :Frustrati

Jawa twins are nicely priced for whats on offer and I hope they turn out to be a proper alternative for the Classic 350.

I like how the designers have kept the design very simple and not gone overboard. It is similar to the yesteryear bike with very minimal modern elements to make it retro cool clap:.

The erstwhile rivalry (Bullet vs Jawa) resumes.

Old Vs new