Launched: Jawa, Forty Two and Perak

If you are a fan of neo-retro styled motorcycles and are bored of reading about new, lightweight, superbikes that’ll do 300+kph, then we have something for you that might cheer you up. Jawa is back! Finally. And if you millennials are hearing this name for the first time, then let us give you a small history lesson. The bike maker started producing motorcycles in 1960, but due to production issues, the company had to shut shop. But, thanks to Classic Legends, a part of Mahindra Group, we can now again see classic-looking Jawa bikes running on our streets. Classic Legends has launched three motorcycles called the Jawa, the Forty Two and the Perak. The Jawa is priced at Rs 1.55 lakh, the Forty Two will cost you Rs 1.64 lakh and the Perak has a price tag of Rs 1.89 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom). These are introductory prices and may increase once the deliveries begin. However, while the Jawa and the Forty Two are on sale right now, the Perak will go in to production later next year.

“It’s rare to get an opportunity to resurrect a legend. Jawa is an authentic and iconic brand that represents the desire and yearning in all of us for freedom and adventure,” says Anand Mahindra, chairman, Mahindra Group. And they did exactly that.

The standard Jawa pays homage to the first Jawa motorcycle that was made, the Type 353. The Forty Two, with its offset speedometer and bar-end mirrors, gives it a modern-retro look. Both the motorcycles are mechanically the same. Both are powered by a 293cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke motor that puts out 27bhp and 28Nm of torque. The motor is paired to a six-speed gearbox. The Perak, on the other hand, gets a bigger engine as it has a bigger bore. The 334cc, liquid-cooled motor churns out 30bhp and 31Nm of twist. The Jawa and the Forty Two sit on a double cradle frame and tip the scale at 170kg. Braking duties are taken care by a 280mm disc at the front and a drum unit at the rear. In terms of suspension, they get a telescopic hydraulic fork up front and twin-shock absorbers with gas-charged canisters at the rear. Both these motorcycles feature 90/90 18 tyre at the front and a 120/80 17 tyre at the rear.

Jawa has already identified 105 dealers and more are in the pipeline. The bike maker has started taking pre-orders and deliveries will commence by early 2019.