How Good of a Touring Machine is the Jawa 42?

Jawa 42 and the Jawa Classic were launched by the company in India just last year and in the short time that the two bikes have been in the market, they have seen a huge demand from the customers. The demand of the bikes has been so high in the market that the company had to close the bookings for the duo at least for until the ninth month of 2019. The two bikes though similar in terms of mechanics, have a lot of difference between them as far as the looks are concerned. The Jawa 42 sports a cafe racer inspired modernised retro design elements. On the other hand, the Jawa Classic, as the name suggests, comes with a more classic design that can be termed similar, if not same to the old timey bikes of the Jawa brand in India.

The two bikes, especially the Jawa 42 will face a huge challenge from the Royal Enfield Classic 350. A staple for the neo-retro bike lovers in India. The Classic 350 has for the same reason always led sales in the market ever since its launch here. Therefore, it is only natural that the capabilities of the two bikes in the Indian market are compared. This comparison would have a special emphasis on the touring prowess of the Jawa 42 as the Classic 350 is kind of a proven tourer – if not the perfect one – in the Indian market.

This video talks of the same comparison and the Jawa 42 used here is on a tour of the mighty Himalayas currently. The video states that the best part about the Jawa 42 is the oil cooling of engine as this allows the bike to go longer distances without heating up to higher levels. This will be a boon for the customers who will use this bike in the cities as no one is a fan of hot engines in start and stop traffic. The next concern of the cruising speed is also answered as the video goes on to say that the ideal cruising figure for the Jawa 42 is around the 80 km/h mark.

This is a significant point for the Jawa as the Classic 350 is known to get vibey at higher RPMs especially at high speeds. This is not to say that the Jawa 42 does not vibrate, as the vibes do make their presence noted after 100 kmph, but they do not get uncomfortable and users won’t mind vibrations at this speed. The next point handled by the video is about the headlight of the Jawa 42, which is adequate for city rides and tours but for people who want more out of the headlight, an aftermarket solution would be a better option.

Finally the video takes up the question most tourers have in mind, the comfort level of the seat on Jawa 42. The video says that short commute users will find the seat ideal but if one plans on going long distances on the bike, an aftermarket seat or an extra layer of padding will go a long way in making the ride more comfortable for the tourers. Talking about the Jawa bikes, the two bikes come with the same single cylinder 293cc engine rated to deliver 27 Bhp and 28 Nm. The engine comes with a 6 speed manual gearbox as standard.  Whereas the prices for the Jawa 42 start at Rs. 1.55 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi.