The iconic Jawa motorcycle brand has made a grand comeback in India by launching three new motorcycles, the Jawa, Jawa 42 and the Jawa Perak. Here is everything you need to know about them.
The erstwhile Jawa used to be a motorcycle manufacturer from Czech Republic and had a solid presence in India too, till 22 years ago. In its second innings, Jawa has made a solid comeback in the Indian two-wheeler market with three new models which are the Jawa (Yes! The first model is called just Jawa), Jawa 42 and the Jawa Perak. Jawa has already started taking bookings for the Jawa and the Jawa 42 but the Jawa Perak which gets a slightly larger engine and a bobber design will hit the showrooms later. Here's a complete lowdown on the new Jawa Motorcycles.
The beginning of the new Jawa
It was about two years ago that the Classic Legends Pvt Ltd came into existence, with the idea of bringing in lifestyle motorcycle brands in India. It was founded by Anand Mahindra, Anupam Thareja and Bomani Irani (not the Bollywood actor). Anand Mahindra holds about 60 per cent stake in the company. So, the first thing that this company did was to bring back the iconic Jawa brand with the help of the Mahindra & Mahindra. Now, after a break of 22 years, Jawa is finally back and how! The company has launched three new motorcycles and are ready to go for the kill in the 200 - 300 cc segment in India, which is one of the fastest growing two-wheeler segments in India.
Jawa and Jawa 42 design
The overall design of the Jawa is pretty similar to the older Jawa 250 Type A from the 70s and 80s. Typically retro but with hints of modernity such as disc brakes et al. The engine in particular too looks as if it has been taken from the older Jawa models as it is. The chrome engine casing, faux fins and the twin cigar style exhausts complete the modern classic look. Needless to say, looking at the Jawa and the Jawa 42 just gets you swooning. The Jawa will be offered in three colours while the Jawa 42 will have a total of six colours out of which three will be matte and three will be glossy.
Jawa and Jawa 42 engine & dimensions
The Jawa and Jawa 42 use a 293 cc single-cylinder engine which is liquid-cooled and pumps out 27 bhp of max power and 28 Nm of peak torque. Jawa says that the catalytic converter future ready and the engine too is BS-VI ready. The engine is paired to a six-speed transmission and while there are no exotic electronics, the bike does get a single-channel ABS as a standard fitment. The engine has been designed and developed in India and Italy. It is not an exact match to the Mahindra Mojo engine but there are some components which have been borrowed. The bikes get telescopic forks up front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. The Jawa weighs 170 kg and has a seat height of 765 mm, which is one of the lowest in the segment. The fuel tank capacity is 14 litres.
Jawa and Jawa 42 price & competition
The Jawa is priced at ₹ 1.64 lakh while the Jawa 42 is the most affordable model, priced at ₹ 1.55 lakh. Needless to say, Jawa pleasantly surprised with the pricing and these motorcycles go right up the alley of Royal Enfield's 350 cc range. Jawa will initially have 105 dealers across India. The bookings for Jawa and Jawa 42 have already begun online for a token amount ₹ 5,000.
Jawa Perak
The Jawa Perak too was showcased at the launch event along with the Jawa and the Jawa 42. It is a factory custom motorcycle having a Bobber design and in our opinion it looks downright gorgeous. The good news is it will be on sale sometime in 2019. The prices have already been announced and it is priced at ₹ 1.89 lakh. It will be the most affordable Bobber in India upon launch and we do not see any other manufacturer launching a Bobber at a lower price point than that. Dressed in lovely shade of Matt Grey, the Jawa Perak uses the same engine as the other two but has a slightly bigger bore, which makes it displace 332 cc and the power and torque output are slightly higher too at 30 bhp and 31 Nm. It gets a rear disc brake and a monoshock at the rear.