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Yezdi Scrambler & Adventure test ride: Initial observations

26th January 2022, 15:05 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

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Compared to my Suzuki Gixxer, the pillion comfort is better on both bikes. But for long distances, the pillion would be more comfortable on the Adventure.

BHPian Shumi_21 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So I had a fair go at the Yezdi Scrambler and Adventure. My observations/opinions are as below:

The welds could be better finished on both the models, but I didn't find the ugly under-seat finishing as observed by @neiljericho earlier. So quality levels may not be as consistent yet. Paint and switchgear quality seemed good to me.
The seating position on the Scrambler is perfect for my 5'8" frame. On the Adventure though, my legs felt a little more splayed out than usual. My 6'1" friend found the Adventure to be more comfortable.

Would have loved it if the exhaust was blacked out too.

The brake and clutch levers have that "gap" in them so that in case the bike is dropped only a part of the lever will break off, still leaving you with a functional brake/clutch lever. I actually witnessed this as a potential customer ended up dropping the Scrambler while taking off.
The instrument cluster was out of my peripheral vision on the Scrambler and I could barely read it under the afternoon sun. It's much better on the Adventure, in the sense it's in your peripheral vision and you can read everything, even the tiny gear position indicator.
Both the test bikes did not have rearview mirrors, which made me a little uncomfortable filtering through traffic. Availability of accessories is up in the air at the moment. Although, I was assured that the availability of spare parts is not going to be an issue. A regular service cost should be around the 2k mark.
The footpegs on the Adventure did foul my shins while walking the bike in traffic. I ended up ripping my jeans while trying to plant my foot further out to avoid hitting the footpeg. The Adventure also feels very noticeably heavier than the Scrambler, both while at standstill and on the move, even though the weight difference is barely 8-10 kg.
A big omission (IMHO), on both bikes, are heel plates. People intending to ride these bikes in slippers may get their ankles burnt by the engine case.

Notice my Gixxer in red in the background & also the Meteor in blue.

The Scrambler is an absolute hoot to ride. It's quick off the line, but the midrange is where the fun is at. It also darts into corners faster than I expected. The brakes are superb with their feedback and bite.
The Adventure literally glides over the bad stuff. I tried going over a large crater at around 50 km/hr on both bikes, while the Scrambler gave me a slight bounce, the Adventure went over it without breaking a sweat. I would have had to slow down to a crawl on my Gixxer for the same pothole. The Adventure does feel lazier than the Scrambler, but it's definitely livelier than the Himalayan in both agility and performance as confirmed by my friend who owns a BS6 Himalayan. The Adventure is definitely the smaller looking bike though.
The pillion comfort is better on both bikes compared to my Gixxer. But the pillion would definitely be more comfortable on the Adventure for long distances even though the seat felt a little "harder" than the Scrambler.
I don't have any complaints regarding the refinement of both engines. Put a gun to my head and I'd say the Adventure is more refined, but not by a very large margin.

My pick would be the Scrambler in the Yelling Yellow shade. It seems to be the best do-it-all motorcycle for our conditions. Although I've decided to wait for a few months to put my money where my mouth is, just to make sure there are no quality issues in/after the monsoons.