Jawa Motorcycles: What to expect upon the brand's revival in India?

The first offering from Jawa Motorcycles for India will be unveiled on November 15, 2018. Here's what to expect when the brand finally re-enters our market. 

A couple of days ago, Mahindra made it official that they will be finally reviving the Jawa brand name in the Indian market. And in the build-up to the unveiling ceremony on November 15, 2018, the company has already revealed the details of the powertrain of the upcoming Jawa motorcycles. So, while we wait for the iconic nameplate to return to our shores, we thought it’d be worth to give you a low-down on what’s in the offing and what we know so far,

Powertrain:

Let’s first take a look at its powertrain, which has been officially revealed by Mahindra. The first product from Jawa Motorcycles for India will come powered by a liquid-cooled 293cc single-cylinder engine with DOHC and fuel injection. The motor will push out 27bhp of peak-power and 28Nm of torque. Although the engine specs sound similar to that of the Mojo, Mahindra claims that it’s a brand new unit, built completely from the ground up. In addition to this, Mahindra insists that a team of sound technicians ensured the new 4-stroke motor replicates the glorious sound of the old 2-stroke engine. That said, apart from the noise from the exhausts (it's a twin setup, you see), the engine is going to be a fully modern unit that’ll be BS-VI ready.

Design:

While the underpinnings will be modern, expect the design of the upcoming Jawa motorcycles to take heavy inspiration from yesteryears. That means the styling will be retro classic instead of modern or cutting edge. There is no news on how many variants of the motorcycle will be offered at launch, but Jawa is reportedly going to offer three versions, based on the same platform.

Price:

Since the Jawa brand carries a legacy and is a prestigious brand, we expect it to carry a slight premium. The pricing, as a result, should start at around Rs 2.5 lakh (ex-showroom).

Competition:

Jawa will only have one real competitor and that’ll be Royal Enfield. Considering the specs of the upcoming Jawa motorcycle, it’ll be pitched squarely against the Royal Enfield 350 Classic.

Market launch & dealer network:

Although the official unveiling will take place in Mumbai on 15^th November 2018, the sales operations will only begin early in 2019. As for the sales outlets, Mahindra is reportedly going to set up over 100 new Jawa dealerships across the country before the motorcycle goes on sale.