Jawa Perak

Jawa Motorcycles make some really good-looking bikes and the Jawa Perak is no exception in that case. But do the riding dynamics and engine performance complement the bike’s unique styling? 

The Jawa Perak gets gorgeous styling with the single floating seat and the revised swingarm compared to that of the standard Jawa 350. On top of that, the chopped fenders, slash-cut exhaust, spoked wheels along with the black and gold matte colour option add to the bike’s beautiful road presence. 

That said, the build quality of the Jawa Perak could have been better. The exposed wiring around the rear turn indicators, inconsistent weld marks and underwhelming switchgear quality do not complement the overall charm of the motorcycle.

Being a retro-themed bobber, the Jawa Perak doesn’t come with an extensive list of features. It gets an analogue speedometer with a fuel gauge and a digital inset for the odometer. A bigger digital inset would’ve allowed the console to give other readouts such as tripmeter, gear position indicator, average fuel efficiency and more. Also, the instrument console needs to be angled towards the rider because the current setup makes it hard to read under harsh sunlight. 

The Jawa Perak gets an accessible 765mm seat height and the hands sit comfortably when holding the handlebar. But the mid-set positioning of the footpegs might make taller riders feel a bit cramped. The bar-end mirrors are placed a bit too inward, making it a bit difficult to grip the handlebar properly. 

The generous ground clearance helps in providing a smooth ride over potholes and speed bumps and the suspension remains pliant and absorbs undulations quite well. 

The Jawa Perak’s 334cc, liquid-cooled engine offers brisk acceleration to reach 100kmph and the bike can maintain such speeds for long periods of time easily. Its roll-on acceleration is comparatively lazy and you might have to shift down a gear to overtake other vehicles on the highway. The motor could have done with some more bottom-end torque, as currently you have to keep the engine rpm quite high to cruise in city traffic conditions. 

The engine feels quite smooth out on the highway at speeds of 100-110kmph but vibrations can be felt at the handlebar and footpegs around the 80kmph mark.

The low centre of gravity and 1,485mm wheelbase aids in the Jawa Perak having good handling characteristics on both the straights and corners. It tucks into corners quite easily and remains stable, providing the rider enough confidence to find a line while cornering and maintaining that to come out of that bend without any discomfort. The Ceat Zoom tyres offer decent feedback as well. The overall suspension setup is a bit on the firmer side but it's not that uncomfortable. The brakes offer decent bite and stopping power but the feedback from the lever could have been better.

The Jawa Perak is a great option if you are in the market for a bike that stands out from the crowd and will catch everyone’s attention wherever it goes. Its low-slung stance with the single-piece seat, chopped fenders and the slash-cut exhaust gives it a very cool retro bobber look. But if you are looking for a more practical and feature-rich motorcycle in this segment, then you should consider the Jawa 350 in the manufacturer’s lineup or other motorcycles from different manufacturers.