November of 2018 will be known as the month where big changes happened in the Indian motorcycle Industry. On one side there was a company asking big questions to the other “big bike manufacturers” and on the other there was one making an iconic comeback. Both Jawa and Royal Enfield have their stories deep rooted not just in the history books but also in our hearts.
But history apart, both these manufacturers inevitably now will be locked in a battle for supremacy.
The recently announced Jawa Motorcycle range with its pricing and styling is in direct competition for the Royal Enfield 350 range. But if we were to pick one it has to the new ABS enabled Classic 350 Signals edition that is the closest rival.
Performance wise both motorcycles are powered by a single cylinder engine but the similarities end there.
The 350 Signals has a 346 cc one that produces 19.8 bhp @ 5250 rpm of power and 28 Nm @ 4000 rpm of torque. The Jawa engine though, is of a slightly smaller capacity at 293 cc but still produces 27 HP and 28 Nm of torque.
Another key point here is the fact that the Jawa has a liquid cooled engine with a Double overhead cam shaft (DOHC) making it the modern and reliable one. (RE air cooled, shaft driven).
Coming to the gearbox, the Jawa has a 6 speed one while the Classic 350 Signals has a 5 speed one. With the 6 speed setup the Jawa is expected to have a quicker initial acceleration and also a better cruising speed, expect it to be around 100-110 km/h comfortably.
Weight wise the Jawa (Jawa and Jawa Forty Two) has a very distinct advantage by being 22 kilograms lighter that Classic 350 Signals. And clearly, that also gives Jawa the advantage in terms of easier handling.
Coming to the braking, the Classic 350 Signals at least on paper seems to be the better bet. It has dual channel ABS with disc brakes at both ends. The Jawa though has a single channel ABS with disc brake only at the front wheel and a 153 mm drum brake at the rear.
Looks wise it’s never going to be easy to make a call between these two. The Jawa with its twin exhausts and styling definitely has strong competition from the Classic 350 Signals which has a strong macho look.
So, which one would you choose?
