[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by lordrayden

I'm sure this has been said many times, but it's worth saying again. Irrespective of how good/bad these bikes are, in my eyes they have nothing to do with the Yezdi that most of us remember fondly.

Isn't that the case even with RE? Bullets were known for the "Thump" which has slowly faded into the oblivion as the engines evolved CI->UCE->J Series. For Jawa/Yezdi, it's a radical shift, considering they had to move from 2 stroke to 4 stroke.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

Isn't that the case even with RE? Bullets were known for the "Thump" which has slowly faded into the oblivion as the engines evolved CI->UCE->J Series. For Jawa/Yezdi, it's a radical shift, considering they had to move from 2 stroke to 4 stroke.

Except for the name Royal Enfield, and the look, there is nothing of the original Royal Enfield in any Royal Enfield post the unit construction engines takeover.

The LB 500 was still essentially the Royal Enfield engine with an Austrian makeover to the top end. That was the LAST Royal Enfield using the same yardstick.

Cheers, Doc

[Sudarshan42]

The Scrambler looks the best of the 3, only that the subframe incline angle seems pretty steep. That might be Yezdi's strategy towards millennials- to give the rider an excuse to push the pillion closer to themselves upon even moderate braking.

[lordrayden]

Originally Posted by Gansan

The generation that have an emotional connect with Jawa/Yezdi will be in the age bracket of 55+, many would be in their 60's.

I beg to differ, don't think emotional connect works that simply. It isn't a cold equation that applies only to those who were around when the bike was on sale in showrooms. It can be formed from seeing a hero on that bike in an old movie, from an older brother who had a poster of it on the wall, from father who tells his son that one day this bike will be his, heck, it can be just because of a longing for an older and simpler time, even if that time is when one wasn't even born .

I know many in their 30s and 40s are have a soft spot for Yezdis and Jawas. If you look at the multitude of Yezdi/Jawa clubs, you will see a big chunk of younger people in them. All of them potential target customers for such new bikes.

[Cyborg]

All three models look very complete, a wholesome looking package, each with their own function. More power to us buyers straight off without having to do much modification to suit individual style. Just wish they had more powerful engines or at least the roadster model could have been differentiated that way.

The output may be comparable to Royal Enfield their main competitor and inspiration but it’s still puny to me. Hope they have done proper work beforehand so there are no niggles or major problems.

Cheers

[shivasuma]

Originally Posted by Gansan

The generation that have an emotional connect with Jawa/Yezdi will be in the age bracket of 55+, many would be in their 60's. They definitely won't drive the sales, even if they somehow are convined this is really Yezdi!

The millennials definitely won't relate to the brands.

I owned a Roadking in the 90s and I am definitely not in the 50s yet, though young folks sometimes call me an “uncle”��. I would have thought hard if they had launched something similar to the Roadking. Back in the mid 90s, it was a bike that left the Rx100s and shoguns in the dust once it hit 3rd gear!! And that sound from the exhausts!!! I miss those days.

[TheHelix0202]

Tried booking a test drive on Yezdi’s website after being quite impressed by the initial impressions video. Everything but the web design on their page has been thoughtfully carried out. For some reason, the silly thing wouldn’t register my booking, stating nonsensical errors.







There’s so many dealers in Bangalore apparently, but the darn drop down menu wouldn’t work.

P.S: I found a dealership named after me!

[i_rock098]

I feel the 3 bikes are very similar to

Royal Enfield Himalayan

Royal Enfield Meteor

Honda CB 350 RS

While that is not a problem, what the problem is that the Jawa Engine from what I had seen in the reviews was inferior to both Honda and RE in terms of the vibrations.

Additionally the delivery experience and after sales has also been poor compared to both Honda & RE. Not sure in such a scenario how well these bikes will do. Lets wait and watch for the road reviews now.

[Pkumarblore]

Hello, I dont know if its just me, but I feel the new Jawa's resembled the old ones in many ways, the DNA was still there. But I cant relate the new Yezdi's to the old ones.

[amol4184]

The new Yezdis might not be copies of those from old days but they look sufficiently "classic" to me.

IMO, they don't have to look like their former self, why should they as long as there is enough retro DNA in them and are modern enough with good mechanicals and engine.

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by ebonho

The LB 500 was still essentially the Royal Enfield engine with an Austrian makeover to the top end. That was the LAST Royal Enfield using the same yardstick.

Darn, how could i forget the LB, thanks doc.It still is one of my favourite Enfields, if I am not wrong they were a hot favourite for races, especially hill climbs where it used to create havoc.
On the Yezdi Scrambler, didn't understand the design philosophy of the pillion seat being raised high. To me it looks like one of those stunt motorcycles.

[AlQuazi]

This is the Mojo + Himalayan Love Child I've been fantasizing about.

Now only to check if the dealerships have test ride vehicles ready! The scrambler looks dope! Definitely the best of the lot.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

Darn, how could i forget the LB, thanks doc.It still is one of my favourite Enfields, if I am not wrong they were a hot favourite for races, especially hill climbs where it used to create havoc.
On the Yezdi Scrambler, didn't understand the design philosophy of the pillion seat being raised high. To me it looks like one of those stunt motorcycles.

My LB (most std 500 oldies in the mid 90s, when Rider Mania used to be max 300 guys from across the country who knew each other on first nane basis, used to own their first std 500, and a second LB 500 in their garage) I always have maintained was the BEST Royal Enfield 500 EVER built (I include the Redditch originals in that claim).

The std 500 was sweet thumpy and kadak. But in an out and out race, and yes in the twisties and hills with a lot of shifts, the 5 speed box of the LB had that slight edge on the 4 speed original Brit built and designed Albion box of the std 500.

Both were and are legends.

My LB with my own designed and fabricated reverse cone megaphone, TM 29 flat slide Mikuni carb, and UNI pod foam filter would do close to 145 true on the gun. From a standing start. Inside a kilometer (as I recall, around 800 meters).

Cheers, Doc

[bravo82in]

These yezdi bikes may disappoint few, for not being replicas of original Yezdis'. But neither the Interceptor nor the CB350 H'ness are replicas of the original bikes. These are Neo retro bikes and they look good in their own way, with some resemblance to the bikes of yesteryears. I personally find them handsome looking bikes. The team at Classic legends have done a good job, with both roadster and scrambler. Adventure being a copy cat of Himalayan is the only exception.
Honda with its super refined engine and reliable workhorse have been able to decent numbers with CB350. Jawa and Yezdi still have a long way to go to break the monopoly of RE in the segment.

[drt_rdr]

Complaining that the Yezdis don't resemble the old ones is a pointless thing.

The new Jawas and Yezdis do not have the Czech connection. The Czech involvement stops at the rights to use the name. Everything else about the bikes is un-Czech-ed.

Engine designed by i̶t̶a̶l̶i̶a̶n̶s̶ chinese, the rest envisioned, modified, and made by Indians.

So, even if the new bikes were to resemble the old ones in style, the ancestry, pedigree, authenticity + the vision of the Czech company for the current era would still be missing. This is Parle G, but not made by Parle.

So, what would really give meaning to Classic Legends resurrecting these brands? They need to make bikes that live up to the spirit of the old ones. If CL makes bikes that are fun to ride, built tough and worth preserving, I'd say that's mission accomplished!

The Jawas are definitely fun to ride... though I don't know about the rest. Let's hope CL makes strides on the build quality and reliability front.

And instead of rehashing another set of nostalgia-bait bikes with the Yezdis, I'm very happy CL decided to move the game ahead by making versatile bikes that enthusiasts can get enthusiastic about. This is truly welcome stuff, and a hell of a lot more useful for brightening up the market than making another chromed up relic-replica.

So far, going by people's impressions, the scrambler has got a lot of hearts scrambling after it. Heck, we even need more non-RE cruisers on the market. They've also got the jump on RE as far as scramblers and higher-performance cruisers go.

If only they also had the engineering and manufacturing prowess to get the weights down by 15-20 kilos....