The Jawa and Jawa 42, priced at ₹1.55 lakh and ₹1.64 lakh, respectively, will go up against the Royal Enfield Classic 350 which retails at ₹1.47 lakh
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From (left) Jawa Perak, the Jawa and Jawa 42 at their launch
event in Mumbai on Thursday. Photo: twitter@reach_anupam
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Mumbai:
More than two
decades after they disappeared from Indian roads, the iconic Jawa Motorcycles
are back. Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd,
on Thursday launched two bikes—Jawa and Jawa 42—while a third—the
bobber-style Jawa Perak—will be launched next year. The Indian operations
of Jawa, a brand born in erstwhile Czechoslovakia, were wound up in 1996.
Jawa and Jawa 42, the two models
launched on Thursday, are powered by a 293cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder
engine in a double-cradle chassis, generating 27bhp of power. The firm claims
the all-new engine uses a double overhead camshaft (DOHC) configuration, which
increases the efficiency of the engine at higher speeds.
Priced at ₹1.64 lakh and ₹1.55
lakh, respectively (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Jawa and Jawa 42 are seen as the
first real challengers to Royal Enfield in the retro cruiser segment of
motorcycles. However, both cost more than Royal Enfield Classic 350, which
retails at ₹1.47 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
Having first entered the Indian
market in the early 1960s, Jawa was founded in Czechoslovakia more than 90
years ago. In its heyday, Jawa bikes were exported to more than 120 countries.
The new engines are developed on
a platform that already complies with the Bharat Stage VI emission norms, the
company said in a statement, adding that the motorcycles will be manufactured
at M&M’s Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh, facility.
Anand Mahindra-led Mahindra
Group, Anupam Thareja and Boman Irani are the shareholders of Classic Legends,
with Mahindra holding a majority stake of 60%.
“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,” said Mahindra.
The company said it has appointed
105 dealers across the country, with the first dealership likely to open next
month. While bookings have commenced, deliveries will begin in early 2019.
Classic Legends, incorporated in
2015, also unveiled the Jawa Perak, which will be powered by a 334cc engine
that develops 30bhp and 31Nm of torque, and is priced at ₹1.89 lakh. This model
will be launched in 2019 .
Since Indian consumers have
looked to upgrade to pricier and more powerful motorcycles since the past few
years owing to rising disposable incomes, which have in turn led to an increase
in demand for leisure, analysts are positive on the brand’s success in India,
at least in the short term.
“The (premium) segment is hot
right now because of Royal Enfield’s success; they have made retro leisure
biking a trend because of their heritage, history and motorcycles that people
like to ride. Jawa has a similar story; they are likely to obtain initial traction
based on the prices. In the long run, only the on-road performance of the bikes
will tell,” said Deepesh Rathore, co-founder and director at London-based
Emerging Markets Automotive Advisors.
“This seems like the right timing
to have come up with this range of motorcycles, as the Indian premium
motorcycle market is not only growing but also evolving in consumer tastes and
preferences,” said Ashish Joshi, chief executive officer of Classic Legends.
Tags: #JAWA MOTORCYCLES #ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC 350 #MAHINDRA JAWA BIKES 2018 PRICE IN INDIA
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