Team-BHP - Jawa Perak, launched at Rs. 1.95 lakh

Took a brief test ride of Perak to check what the fuss is all about. Will list down my experience with showroom as well.

Showroom experience

Called up showroom before visit, the person on other end was quite courteous. He informed that test rides are available 7 days a week upto 7 pm and I am free to visit any time.

Showroom had a neat layout, reminded me of Enfield showrooms. Few books were available to read apart from some merchandise, Godfather was one of them.

Total 5 bikes were on display - Jawa (black) and 42 (blue and lime).

Made it clear to guy on reception that I am looking for extended test ride not some pre decided route and I am willing to pay for test ride if required. He asked me to go ahead without any worries.

Jawa and 42 were not available for test ride, so had a feel of seating position etc in showroom. 42 has a flat handlebar with little forward position. Jawa has handlebars angled towards the rider, much like older Jawas. Foot peg positions felt same for both, little high and not too forward. I am 6' and it can be little uncomfortable on long rides. Seats were wide but with little cushioning, might not be suitable for longer rides. Tank capacity is 14 ltrs, expect a good tank range.

Jawa Perak

Perak is a beautiful bike, I don't think anyone will disagree. Classic Legends have done wonderful job giving the bike the gorgeous looks.

Bobber and practicality don't go hand in hand. They are uncomfortable for long rides, good enough for city rides or short highway rides. No options to mount your luggage make them a poor choice as a tourer. Perak is no different.

Seating position/ stance is low but it didn't feel out of place surprisingly. I was expecting it to be too low but it works ok for a person with 6' height too. People with height 5'8" will feel at home. Foot pegs are high set and midway forward but feels manageable. Ground clearance is very less, it will scrap tall speed breakers.

Bike feels heavy when you have to move it off side stand. In comparison, 42 feels just like my 390. There is a solid iron like built feel to Perak which is absent in RE 350s nowadays.

Engine is same as Jawa/ 42 but with bigger bore making it 343 cc producing 30 ps and 31 Nm of torque, liquid cooled. Engine heat was negligible during my short test ride.

Firing up the engine, bike has a wonderful exhaust note which is quite loud. I don't think any after market exhaust upgrade for sound is required, stock silencer does the job very well.

Bike has decent pull off the start and doesn't feel slow. Total 6 gears, second gear is bit short. Bike pulls clean upto 120 kmph and overtakes are easy. You will not notice shortage of power in city use or highways, unless you are comparing with bigger engine capacity motorcycles. Bike feels at ease at 90-100 kmph.

Brakes are phenomenal and have excellent stopping power. No complain whatsoever.

Vibrations are present in handlebar as well as foot pegs and are bit annoying. Hope engine smoothens out after run in.

Bike feels heavy while leaning in corners or taking U turns or may be I am used to 390 and Xpulse, both of them are easy and light in corners.

No provision to mount centre stand. Good luck if you get a puncture and mechanic doesn't have proper arrangement.

140 section tyre in the rear gives the bike big bike look. Stock tyres are Ceat.

Bike can be started only by pressing clutch lever, it is required even in neutral. Clutch is heavy and will be difficult in stop and go traffic.

Bar end mirrors are all show in my opinion and aren't too functional. Right side mirror was loose and I could not get it to set it to my position.

Test ride bike was in bad shape, paint coming off at quite a few places and whitish surface being exposed from the base. I don't know how it will behave in the longer run. On the other hand, a customer bike parked near by was looking terrific.

Speedo and fuel gauge like all Jawas are a problem to read, especially between 60-100 kmph. You need to guess what speed you are on. It will take some time to get used to.

Engine check light came up half way into my test ride, bike started feeling jerks and there was noticeable power loss. Showroom should at least keep a bike in proper working condition. No wonder why there are lot of complaints on internet. :Frustrati

Seat is all about looks minus the comfort, I found it a bit hard. Long rides will be little uncomfortable. Brake light integrated into seat looks fantastic.

Gear shifts are little on the harder side or may be test ride bike wasn't maintained very well. 390 gearbox feels smooth in comparison.

Suspension is on harder side, you will feel feedback from uneven road surface.

Next option available for bobber to bobber upgrade is Triumph Bonneville Bobber which costs 12 Lacs+ !!!

Ex-showroom price is Rs. 1,94,XXX making it Rs. 2,20,XXX on road.

Forgot to ask about any extended warranty options available. May be some one else can add.

Waiting period is 2 months. Jawa and 42 are available immediately.

Final question - Is it worth buying? 2.21 Lacs isn't exactly cheap with Jawa service experience having mixed reviews. At 80k more, Interceptor makes more sense and is lot more practical. Unless you are looking for classic bobber looks, Perak makes a difficult case to recommend. Having said that, I would like to have a bobber in my parking lot some day, just for the looks may be. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by NikhilReddy (Post 4845769)

Received following email from JAWA.

Welcome to a new era of motorcycling... you undoubtedly are one of the pioneers of this new era. While the breath- taking design of Perak captivates anyone who sees it, not everyone will dare to step forward to own it......

I couldn’t be more elated to inform you that we’ve managed to crank up the torque to 32.74 Nm & up the power to almost 30.64 PS....

Ashish Singh Joshi,
CEO, Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd.

I'm not sure that so glowingly "selling" any bike is quite necessary... If it truly captivates me / makes me breathless, I should not need anyone to tell me so - I'll FEEL that automatically!

Now, can I be as elated as the writer about "nearly 30.64PS"???

I guess tbat depends on what (for example), 30.63PS feels like... lol: (why do I get the idea this was not written by a highly technical individual?).

More seriously, it does indeed seem a bold move, and anything over 30bhp is looking pretty advanced vs. the RE / Honda 350's.

I had never heard of these till today when a neighbor told me she'd bought one... Curiously, I'd caught a glance of a Perak for the first time a few hours earlier, but figured it to be a modded Meteor or ???

I will never be able to convince my wife (or myself as a family-man) that a single-seater is justifiable/viable, but there are some for whom it may fit their lives perfectly... it is indeed daring as a design / market-entry / purchase, and with the outgoing RE500's and Himalayan pricing having risen to about the same level (and the top model Meteor not too far off, with much lower performance and no real exclusivity) I'd think it represents pretty okay value.

-Eric