Here’s Why Jawa Bikes Are Threat To Royal Enfield

Find out what makes Jawa the biggest rival to the Royal Enfield motorcycles

Jawa has finally entered the Indian market and opened a new chapter in the Indian motorcycling history by introducing three new motorcycles to their lineup. The first motorcycle is simply called Jawa because it pays homage to the original Jawa 32 which was an iconic motorcycle back in its days of glory. The second motorcycle which is actually an entry-level offering from the brand is called Forty two and it has a mix of modern and retro styling to it which definitely worked for Jawa because the Forty Two garnered a lot of interest at the launch event itself. The last motorcycle which was introduced at the event was a Bobber styled motorcycle called Perak. The Perak is a factory custom motorcycle and is also powered by a slightly high displacement engine; the motorcycle gets a longer wheelbase and a different swingarm while unlike the other two it gets a dual channel ABS setup. Although Jawa has commenced online bookings for the Jawa and Forty Two in India already they will take some time to launch the Perak here. The Jawa has been priced in the territory of the Royal Enfield motorcycles and will be the biggest threat to RE for sure we explain why.

Royal Enfield dominated the entry level retro Cruiser segment (Rs. 1.20 to 2 Lakh) by offering some of the finest retro styled motorcycles that you can buy within a budget. They are one of the oldest motorcycle manufacturers of India who has a rich heritage and a long motorcycling history. The RE motorcycles are preferred for their complete metal body, rugged build quality, and their durability. There was honestly no competition to the RE motorcycles until now and thus they enjoyed a monopoly business in India until now with no real threat or rival. However, Jawa which too has a rich history and was one of the most loved motorcycle brands made their way back into the Indian market after a long time.

Now, the reason why it is a big threat to RE is that it too has a huge fan following and was also known to be a rugged and reliable machine back in the 90’s when people did not have a lot of option like they do now today.

Now that said let us get into the product details Jawa has launched two new motorcycles as of now which are priced in the same range as the RE motorcycles. Both these motorcycles are powered by a 293 cc, single cylinder, liquid cooled DOHC motor which generates more power than its rival the Classic 350 and the Thunderbird 350 (which by the way uses the same 346 cc, single cylinder air cooled twin spark engine).

Moreover, the Jawa Motorcycles weighs just 170 kilograms which makes them lighter than their rival (be it the Classic or the Thunderbird). The Jawa Motorcycles are lighter by almost 20 Kilograms which makes them more nimble and quick and perhaps even a better handler (we haven’t ridden the motorcycles yet) both in city as well as highway traffic. In terms of features both the Forty-two as well as the Jawa gets a fuel level indicator which was a much need feature which was missed out in RE Classic models. The seats to looks comfortable as well just like its rival. The only thing which the Jawa motorcycles lacks is the availability of a rear disc brake option and a dual channel ABS (Jawa offers a single channel ABS setup). The rest of the features are very much on par with its RE rival. So to conclude things the Jawa offers almost all the features which RE used to offer until now including retro styling, brand value, durable and torquey engine, and comfortable riding position. The pricing of the Jawa motorcycles is also kept in the same range as the RE motorcycles which will definitely make people think twice before picking up any motorcycle. Jawa also announced that they have plans to open at least 100 plus showrooms and service centres

in all the A+, A and B tier cities across India while the spare parts too will be available easily as these motorcycles are being manufactured completely in India. Lastly RE has not given any significant updates to their motorcycle for a long time and to be quite honest people used to buy these motorcycles because they did not have any other option at this price point. But now the scenario has changed completely thanks to Jawa.