Jawa 42 FJ vs Royal Enfield Classic 350: Which One Is For You?

Despite both bikes belonging to the retro roadster segment, there are still distinctive elements to make them appealing to customers with different taste buds

The Jawa 42 FJ has just been launched and it is quite well stocked in every department to take on its rivals like the Royal Enfield Classic 350. With both bikes belonging to the retro roadster segment, which one will suit you more? Let’s take a look:

Jawa 42 FJ

The Jawa 42 FJ is a neo-retro roadster as it gets a combination of retro looks and modern features. The FJ gets a rounded and muscular tank design with anodised, brushed aluminium cladding and an offset fuel cap. The colour schemes on offer are quite good looking and accentuate the bike’s design elements very well. The dual upswept exhausts gives the FJ a good road presence. 

The roadster is powered by a 334cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine producing 29.2PS and 29.6Nm and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch. The suspension setup consists of a 41mm telescopic fork and 5-step preload-adjustable twin shock absorbers. Braking duties are taken care of by a 320mm front disc and 240mm rear disc brake with dual-channel ABS as standard. In terms of features, the 42 FJ gets an LCD instrument console that has a speedometer, odometer, trip meter, a fuel gauge, and other usual readouts. It also gets a USB charging port and all-LED lighting. The bike’s prices start from Rs 1,99,142 and go up to Rs 2,20,142 (both ex-showroom). 

The Jawa 42 FJ has a retro yet youthful appeal to it. If you are someone who is interested in buying a retro looking bike that also has modern features like a fully digital instrument console and liquid-cooling, then the Jawa 42 FJ is the one for you. 

Royal Enfield Classic 350

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 is a retro roadster and oozes the retro from its looks to how it’s like to ride on an everyday. The round LED headlight along with the pilot lamps and the simplistic design language perfectly complement the relaxed nature of the bike. It allows one to ride at their own pace, whether in the city or the highway, and still has enough power for short bursts of some spirited riding.

The Classic 350 is powered by a 349cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder J-series engine producing 20.21PS at 6000rpm and 27Nm at 4000rpm and is paired to a 5-speed gearbox. It gets a suspension setup consisting of a 41mm telescopic fork and 6-step preload adjustable twin shock absorbers. Stopping the bike is a 300m front disc and a 270mm rear disc brake setup with dual channel ABS as standard. The features list consists of an analogue speedometer with a digital inset that has an odometer, a trip meter, and fuel gauge readouts, all-LED lighting (even the pilot lamps) and a USB charging port. The tripper navigation pod is available as standard on the Gun Grey, Stealth Black and Emerald colour options while the rest of the colour schemes get it as an accessory. 

The Classic 350 has been well-loved for its retro charm ever since it made its entry into the market years ago. It gives you the actual feel of a retro bike of the yesteryears that’s suitable for the modern world. If you want the full retro experience from the looks to the technology and features it gets, then the Royal Enfield Classic 350 will be more appealing for you.