Keeway V302C vs Jawa 42 Bobber: Image Comparison

We recently got the chance to ride the Keeway V302C as well as the Jawa 42 Bobber. While they look quite different, the crux is that they’re both retro-looking bikes with modern, punchy engines. So how exactly do these two beauties fare against each other through images? Find that out here:  

The Keeway V302C is definitely a handsome motorcycle to look at. It’s got its own design flair with a hint of some sporty, bobber genes. The chopped fenders, fat inverted fork and meaty tyres complete the brawny cruiser aesthetic. The Jawa 42 Bobber’s design is based on the Perak; a more modernised and sporty version of the same. The muscular fuel tank with knee recesses and redesigned LED headlight make it look properly burly.

The meat of the matter for the V302C is its 298cc liquid-cooled V-twin mill. Its torque band is fat and juicy with tonnes of shove arriving in the lower revs. Be it city handling or blasting down the highway, this doesn't disappoint.  The Jawa 42 Bobber’s 334cc single cylinder, liquid-cooled engine, while punchy, is different from the Keeway’s. It’s not as tractable and has a peaky, revvy nature. While it’s fun to be a hooligan on it, the engine does feel a bit too clattery and busy throughout the rev range.

Staying true to its cruiser genes, the V302C sports a premium belt drive. The 42 Bobber, on the other hand, gets a conventional chain drive system. 

The Keeway V302C flaunts a premium USD fork and dual shock absorber suspension setup. For braking, it gets a 300mm disc up front and a 240mm disc at the rear with the safety net of dual channel ABS. The 42 Bobber, meanwhile, sports a telescopic fork and monoshock. It gets disc brakes at both ends along with dual-channel ABS. 

The Keeway V302C comes with a 16- & 15-inch wheels setup with a 120-section tyre up front and a 150-section one at the rear. On the 42 Bobber, you have an 18-inch wheel at the front and 17-inch one at the rear. The tyres are a lot thinner too, with the front being a 100-section and the rear a 140-section one.  

The Keeway V302C’s LCD console looks rather basic and doesn’t go well with its overall premium look. The 42 Bobber's LCD console, meanwhile, looks better and the new switchgear on the handlebar makes it easier for the rider to toggle through the console. 

The Keeway V302C is essentially a 300cc V-twin belt-driven motorcycle, which sounds mouth-watering, but comes at a price. The Rs 3.89 lakh (ex-showroom India) price tag is high and Keeway also has a limited dealership network. For Rs 2,09,187 (ex-showroom Delhi), the Jawa 42 Bobber sounds quite a mouth-watering deal if you want to escape the cliche of owning a Royal Enfield bike while still sporting that retro vibe.