Jawa 42

To me, the Jawa 42 often seems like the slightly ignored Jawa. Among the super retro Jawa 350, the new and updated 42 FJ and the two beautiful bobbers (Perak and 42 Bobber), people often tend to miss noticing the 42. And that’s a bit sad because the Jawa 42 is a genuinely fun bike to ride and in this lot, I’d even say it’s the second best Jawa after the FJ. So if you’ve been wanting a retro bike and have been eyeing the Royal Enfield Hunter 350, I’d say give this review a read first:

Jawa 42 Design

The first time I saw the Jawa 42, I thought it was an extremely handsome bike. In fact, that’s how these so-called neo-retro bikes should look, in my opinion. The 42 looks beautifully old-school but it has just enough modern elements to not make it look old or dated. The modern-looking alloy wheels and little windscreen make it look new-age, and a bit aggressive. But then again, those bar-end mirrors remind you about its retro roots. The bike is also available with spoke wheels. In those variants, the bike also loses the windscreen and bar-end mirrors, and while that does make it look a bit more no-frills, that actually works in favour of its retro character.

Jawa 42 Colours

The Jawa 42 is available in as many as 15 colourways! From no-nonsense matte colours to bright shades of red, you have a lot to choose from. So instead of boring you with all 15 of them, I’ll tell you two colours I really liked. The Orion Red Matte colour looks really nice - for the contrast between the bright red panels, and the black finish on the wheels and engine looks very attractive. And then there’s the Sirius White Matte. The white colour looks bright, yet it’s not too flashy. In fact, the simple white adds a touch of classiness to the retro bike. Jawa launched the new 'Ivory' shade for the Jawa 42 in February 2026, and it slots just below the top-end colour variants.

Jawa 42 Wheels

The Jawa 42 is available in both alloys and spoke wheels. The alloys look modern and quite nice. The spoke wheels have their own charm in making the bike look even more old school. That said, the spoke wheels come with tube tyres so getting punctures fixed might not be the easiest thing. There’s an 18-inch wheel at the front and a 17-inch unit at the rear. Its front tyre size is 90/90, while there’s a 120/80 tyre at the rear. 

Jawa 42 Build Quality

The Jawa 42’s build quality is good but has the potential to be excellent. Be it the plastic panels or the paint quality, the bike’s quality levels have gone up in recent years and they’re much better than what they were a few years ago. That said, on closer inspection, I couldn’t help but feel that the finish levels could’ve been a bit better. The Triumph Speed 400 has set really high standards in terms of finish levels and it makes even the best bikes in this segment look ‘okay.' Hence, when compared to a direct rival, like the Hunter 350, the 42 holds its own well but there is still work to be done to be the best in segment.

Jawa 42 Safety Features

The Jawa 42 gets disc brakes at both ends and dual-channel ABS. The safety suite is more than adequate for the kind of performance capabilities on hand.

Jawa 42 Convenience Features

The Jawa 42’s console depends on the variant that you opt for. Both the base and mid variants have the analogue instrument console with the needles that go from right to left. It also has a little digital inset that shows the odometer. These reverse needles truly enhance the bike’s appeal and the first time I saw it, I thought the dials were straight out of an exotic analogue watch. It’s a sweet and simple console, so who cares about not having things like a gear position indicator on a retro bike!

On the top variant, you get the fully digital console that we’ve already seen on some Jawa and Yezdi bikes. It is the same as the one on the other bikes, meaning it has the same quirk - below par readability under direct sunlight as well as when on the move. But apart from that, there’s not much to complain about the console. The bike also gets a handy little USB charging port.

Jawa 42 Rider Comfort

In its last update, Jawa also tinkered around with the seat, using better foam for it. And that has definitely made the bike much more comfortable than before. I must say, this one’s genuinely nice. That said, it’s still a bike that’s suited for shorter riders and after about an hour of continuous riding, my 6’0 frame wanted a bit of a stretch. And that’s more to do with the tighter lower body ergonomics - meaning my legs were just locked into position.

Jawa 42 Pillion Comfort

The Jawa 42’s pillion comfort levels are decent but not exactly very touring-friendly. The seat is better than before, but once again, it’s the ergonomics that make things tricky. My 5’7 pillion said that the footpegs were higher than he would’ve liked. So short city rides are okay, but anything for more than 40-45 minutes and he wanted to get a breather.

Jawa 42 Engine

The 42 doesn’t have the 334cc engine that we’ve seen on the 42 FJ. Instead, it gets the smaller 294.7cc liquid-cooled engine that makes 27.3PS and 26.8Nm. The power and torque figures are healthy and at no point did I feel that the engine was underpowered. In fact, it’s one of the few bikes in the segment to have liquid cooling and that’s nice. 

Jawa 42 City Performance

Jawa updated the 42’s engine a couple of years ago and that has made its engine feel a little bit nicer to ride. I quite enjoyed it. The 42 doesn’t have a lot of power right off the line like say the Royal Enfield Classic 350. But it has a really nice mid range, which feels nice and strong. It also feels reasonably tractable so I could slot the bike in 2nd or 3rd gear in the city and that’d cover most of the riding. That said, it takes a bit of time to get going if you’re in a gear higher than it would like. I enjoy riding my bikes a little spiritedly and to make those quick overtakes in the city, I had to go down a gear more often than not. But if you’re ready to work that gearbox a little bit, the Jawa 42 can be quite a fun bike in the city. The mid range punch means you’re flying past other vehicles in the traffic and the 42 feels quite exciting. 

Jawa 42 Highway Performance

Out on the highway, the Jawa 42 feels even more at home. 100kmph in the 6th gear is effortless and while there are some vibrations here and there, they’re far from being bothersome. In fact, the vibrations feel nice because they remind you that there’s a throbbing engine under you. Go above around 105kmph and you’ll start feeling the engine getting stressed, but a steady 100kmph is more than enough for most highways in India. So if you’re thinking about touring on your Jawa 42, please do so. As long as the ergonomics are comfortable enough for you, touring won’t be a challenge because making the seat more comfortable is a relatively easy fix.

Jawa 42 Mileage

In the time that I rode the Jawa 42, I got 28-30kmpl consistently and that was despite me riding in a spirited manner. If you enjoy riding a bit more sedately, you could even get close to 35kmpl, which is quite healthy for a bike in this class. Combine that with the 13.2-litre fuel tank and that means you’ll go well above 320km before the bike goes into reserve.

Jawa 42 Underpinnings

The 42’s underpinnings are what you’d expect. There’s a 35mm telescopic fork at the front and twin shock absorbers at the rear which are gas-charged and have preload adjustability. There’s a 280mm disc brake at the front and a 240mm unit at the rear, backed by dual-channel ABS. Staying true to the original Jawas, the 42 has a twin exhaust setup as well and the bike does sound quite nice, especially under hard acceleration. 

Jawa 42 City Handling

As I mentioned above, the Jawa 42’s handling was what really stood out for me in this entire package. The 42 weighs 184kg, making it one of the lightest bikes in the segment. And you feel that the moment you get it off the stand. It changes directions without a lot of effort and most importantly, the bike itself feels like it’s eager to go a bit quickly. In its last update, Jawa also redesigned the bike’s side stand and that means you won’t hear it scraping as quickly as it used to before as well. Corner it a bit much and you’ll hear the exhausts scraping and that’s basically the bike telling you ‘that’s enough’. Jokes aside, the 42 is genuinely fun and because historically the retro bikes sold in India have been lazy and heavy, the Jawa feels refreshing. 

Jawa 42 Highway Handling

The Jawa 42 was just as much fun out on the highway too. And that’s down to not only the engine but also its handling. For context, Pune highways are crowded, pothole-laden and it’s often that the average speeds out on the highways are just marginally more than that in the city. But despite all of that, I had quite a good time on the 42 on the highway and that was because of the engine. The engine, as I said, is quite strong between 70-100kmph and the handling complements that perfectly, meaning I could change directions confidently at speeds of above 60-70kmph and filter through the traffic easily. Just like the city, the bike feels eager out on the highway too and it’s almost like it encourages you to ride in a spirited way. 

Jawa 42 Braking

Braking has been a strong point for most Jawas and Yezdis and thankfully that hasn’t changed with the Jawa 42. The brakes, especially the front disc, has a sharp initial bite and I had no issues getting the bike stopped. The 42’s low weight comes into play here as well, for it doesn’t take a lot of effort to stop the bike. And that’s something I really appreciate, especially on our roads. There are a lot of elements that pop up at the very last moment and it’s always nice to have a bike that stops quickly and confidently. 

Jawa 42 Ride Quality

The Jawa 42’s ride quality is firm but acceptable. You will feel that the bike is dealing with speed bumps quite well, absorbing most of them nicely, but it doesn’t feel as plush and comfortable as the Royal Enfield Hunter 350.

Should You Buy The Jawa 42?

The Jawa 42 isn’t a typical relaxed retro bike, let’s just get that out of the way. If a super chilled-out riding experience is what you’re looking for, the Classic 350 is still the king of the segment. But if you want a bit of spice in your retro bike, if you want that fun factor in there, you will like the Jawa 42. It’s like that pav bhaji which has just that much more masala in it and every time your morsel has that masala, it hits hard and you get those feelings of bliss. Also, in a segment dominated by Royal Enfield, getting a Jawa 42 might even give you that feeling of exclusivity - something some buyers would definitely like.

Jawa 42 vs Royal Enfield Classic 350

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 is the more easy-going bike of the two, giving you a more chilled-out riding experience. The Jawa, on the other hand, feels more energetic, sportier and enjoys being ridden hard. A test ride would immediately make the buying decision clearer. 

Jawa 42 vs Royal Enfield Hunter 350

The Hunter 350 is quite sporty to ride too and in that way, the Hunter and the Jawa are comparable. There’s obviously the difference in engine characteristics: the Hunter has the Classic 350’s relaxed engine while the Jawa’s is a bit more spirited. But where the Hunter 350 edges out is with its price. Its base variant is considerably less expensive than the Jawa’s base variant, meaning those on a budget might just prefer the Hunter.