Last year Mahindra and Mahindra announced that it has shifted the focus of its two-wheeler business towards the premium niche market and will enter newer and previously untouched territories with its newly acquired brands - BSA and JAWA.
While BSA has no serious connection with the Indian market. Our interest should be piqued because the JAWA products will be made in India at Mahindra's Pithampur plant. Going by the pace of activity we can expect the first JAWA product out in the next year or so.
Interestingly, Mahindra will not be branding it with its name but will retain the JAWA moniker, allowing the heritage value to remain intact. Keeping our hopes up there JAWA in has recently introduced the two motorcycles launched in Europe with four-stroke units - 350 OHC and 660 Vintage.
Weren’t the JAWAs in India two-stroke? Yes, but the above bikes are four-stroke. A little research tells that the 350 OHC will have a capacity between 250 – 300cc, which, along with the local production could benefit buyers with a lower cost and after-sales service.
Specifications:
The 350 OHC engine currently is a 397cc, 4-stroke, which can produce a maximum power of 27 PS at 6,500 rpm and a peak torque of 30.6 Nm at 5,000 rpm. It is expected that the Fuel injection system and the incorporating of the India BS 4 norms will excel in less pollution and improved mileage.
In design language, it gets a full metal body work, Royal Enfield-like exhaust, round headlight with the top decorating double cup instrumental console, seat and the chrome spoke wheels, maximising on the unique. Not to mention the classic red and chrome colour scheme reminiscent of the 1970s Jawa.
Its 12-litre fuel tank also comes decorated in chrome, keeping it classic like always. The Jawa 350 rides on 19-inch front and 18-inch rear tyres and also comes with ABS. The 2017 Jawa 350 is priced at CZK 99,930 that is equivalent to Rs 2.61 lakh. Expect this price to be much lower when launched in India.
JAWA’s run in India
Ideal JAWA as it was called in Mysore is part of the fabric of the city. Jawa is said to have been derived from the first two letters of the words Janacek, founder of the popular Wanderer bike. The commercial production of Yezdi bikes began in 1961 with technical collaboration with Jawa Limited of Czechoslovakia. It was first sold under the brand name Jawa and later known as Yezdi. The catchphrase for the bikes sold by the firm was "Forever bike forever value". When the company was forced to shut down in 1996, it was producing the 175, Monarch, Deluxe, Road Kings and CL II. The main reason for the company's collapse was labour trouble and increasing levels of pollution control norms which were making the two stroke bikes that the company produced obsolete.
The Czech brand was a staunch rival of Royal Enfield in the ’70s and ’80s.
Images courtesy: Jawa