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With Mahindra resurrecting the Jawa brand and seating it squarely in Royal Enfield's territory, a spec comparison has to be made. The closest rival to the Jawa is the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and that is where we are going to start.
Much like the Royal Enfield Classic, the Jawa was built around an idea, a sentiment some would say, but was given modern day tech to stay up to date with the current class of motorcycles.
Retro styling and typical exhaust notes defined the Jawa and the Royal Enfield while it pulled on heart strings throughout the country. But getting down to brass tacks, there are quite a few differences between the two machines.
What do they look like?
Starting off with the design, the Royal Enfield Classic is a big bike compared to the Jawa. While its stance and silhouette does resemble the motorcycles of old, a clear view of the Classic does show a little modernity in styling features.
The Jawa on the other hand screams retro. While modern tech bits are littered and scattered throughout the bike, nothing can take focus away from its bulky 14-litre tank, flat seat and chrome finishing.
The round headlight, like the Classic, has the instrument cluster embedded into the housing, but the Jawa's twin muffler setup again harks back to a time long gone for the brand.
What about the engine?
Now while the Royal Enfield is powered by a bigger engine, the Jawa does generate more power. How this performs on the street however, is still to be seen. For now, knowing technical specs can't hurt, can it?
The Classic's 346 cc air-cooled engine delivers 20 PS with a peak torque of 28 Nm and is mated to a 5-speed transimission. The Jawa's smaller 293 cc oil-cooled single-cylinder, on the other hand, puts out 27 PS with peak torque of 28 Nm and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox.
Anything else you want to know?
How about the suspension? Both bikes feature conventional telescopic forks at the front with preload-adjustable gas-charged dual rear shocks. The Classic is a big bike that sits on 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels and puts the seat at a height of 800 mm.
With a similar wheelbase, however, the Jawa sports an 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel with a seat height of 765 mm. The Classic is also heavier at 192 kg, while the Jawa comes in at 170 kg.
Braking is taken care of by a 280 mm disc up front and a 153 mm drum in the back. The difference here is that while Royal Enfield will offer ABS soon, it is not available yet, but the Jawa comes with single-channel ABS as standard.
How much will you have to pay?
The Royal Enfield Classic 350 starts at a price of Rs 1.39 lakh (ex-showroom), while the Jawa is priced at Rs 1.64 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
It is worth noting, however, that the Classic 350 gets a Signals Edition that features disc brakes on both ends with dual channel ABS priced at Rs 1.62 lakh (ex-showroom).
Conclusion
While both bikes offer the good old vintage feel, they also get modern technology which helps them slip into the current generation of motorcycles.
However, there are some significant differences when it comes to technical specs. But a true comparison can only be made on the road.
The Royal Enfield already has a firm grip on the market and it will be interesting to see how the Jawa does. Bookings for the Jawa and Jawa Forty Two begin today and deliveries start early next year.
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