Jawa Classic motorcycle now available in Black & Grey colours

Classic Legends has introduced two new colours on the Jawa Classic – Black and Grey. Both colours make the motorcycle look very retro. The chrome heavy look is carried over in the new colours as well. The fuel tank gets the maximum chrome, just like the original Jawa Classic. Dealer bookings for the Jawa Classic and 42 models will officially opened yesterday. Dealer-level test rides are also expected to commence shortly.

Meanwhile, a high point on the black coloured Jawa Classic is the gold pinstriping. This little but highly significant design detail adds a whole load of character to the motorcycle. Previous owners of the two stroke Jawa Classic are expected to get very nostalgic at this colours, and a good lot of them could put down deposits for the new motorcycle in this colour. Good move, Jawa.

Apart from the addition of new colours, nothing else changes on the Jawa Classic. The motorcycle is powered by a 293cc, Mahindra Mojo-derived four stroke engine. Reworked extensively to fit the Jawa character, this engine has a characteristic twin barrel exhaust, just like the original Jawa. The exhausts even get removable baffles that give the motorcycle a nice bass.

The short stroke engine makes 27 Bhp-28 Nm, and is paired to a 6 speed manual gearbox. Liquid cooling, fuel injection ,a four valve head and twin camshafts are the key bits of this engine. The engine is shared with the 42, another retro styled Jawa that’s the entry level model. While the Jawa Classic is priced at Rs. 1.64 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi, the Jawa 42 starts from Rs. 1.55 lakhs.

Suspension on both bikes is handled by telescopic front forks, which get gaiters for a period-correct look. The rear suspension consists of gas charged shocks, which again is chromed for a retro look. Braking is handled by a disc brake up front and a drum brake at the rear. A single channel ABS is standard. Both Jawa motorcycle confirm to the upcoming Bharat Stage 6 emission norms, and are among the lowest emitting motorcycles in the country presently.

Competition for the Jawa Classic and 42 models will come chiefly from Royal Enfield motorcycles, which are the only other retro-styled, affordable motorcycles on sale in India presently. The Jawas are more powerful than Royal Enfields, and are significantly faster. The resurrected brand is likely to use performance and retro-styling as a major selling points.

Jawa is not the only retro-motorcycle brand that will be resurrected by Classic Legends. The company has plans to bring back two other legendary nameplates that once operated in India. While one brand is BSA, which stands for British Small Arms – a motorcycle company that was Royal Enfield’s rival up to the mid 19th century, the other is Yezdi – a name plate used by Jawa to sell motorcycles. While the Yezdi brand will make its India comeback sometime next year, the BSA brand will take a while longer to make its comeback. Classic Legends will introduce the BSA brand in international markets first before bringing it back to India.