Yezdi Adventure Road Test Review: Likes and Dislikes

By ‘benchmarking’ the Himalayan, does the Yezdi Adventure set new standards for entry-level adventure tourers in the country?

Ever since netizens caught a glimpse of the Yezdi Adventure, the comparison with the OG – the Royal Enfield Himalayan – was inevitable. And yes, before you ask, we will no doubt detail that slugfest, and soon. But before we go into that, today we set the stage by mentioning a few things we liked and disliked about the Yezdi Adventure.

Quick To Get To Cruising Speeds

The first thing you’ll like about the Adventure is the sense of urgency it’ll impart to all of your rides, a clear by-product of the fact that it runs a retuned version of the Perak’s 334cc short-stroke, liquid-cooled mill.

The interesting part, however, is that the Adventure hits both 60kmph as well as 100kmph from a standstill quicker than the Perak, despite being about 12kg heavier. Besides, the Adventure can hit an indicated 130kmph, more than enough for most die-hard bikers. 

Light And Easy Handling

Another facet of the adventure which clearly complements the engine is its engaging handling. Now it’s not a light bike per se, but the wide handlebar, rubberised tank grips and high-set footpegs put the rider in a slightly attacking seating position. This makes it easy to hustle your way through city traffic, through the twisties and all the way to your favourite sunrise spot. One must also commend the wider section rear tyre that lends great cornering stability.

Strong brakes

Despite the 21-inch front wheel setup, braking never felt vague or uninspiring. it had composure when going hard on the lever, with positive progression, and the bite from the 320mm front disc is reassuringly strong. Besides, it didn't have any major ABS shenanigans that we have experienced on some other ADVs.

Additionally, as per our test results, the Adventure’s braking behaviour trumps not only the Himalayan, but is just a smidgen behind the KTM 390 Adventure!

Dislikes

Firm ride

A pliant ride should usually be at the core of an adventure bike, more so on one conceived seemingly to dethrone a bike that already ranks highly when dealing with the rough stuff. Unfortunately, the Adventure doesn’t seem to fit the bill quite right. 

Right off the bat, the Adventure’s tyre sizes and suspension travel are very close to the Himalayan; and yet, they don’t seem to pull their weight. The firm ride, which made the handling a breeze, unfortunately makes the Adventure feel somewhat jittery over ripples or rumble strips, which might be a particular bone of contention for riders aiming to simply cruise comfortably.

And this uncertainty gets progressively worse when going off road. The front suspension seems to thud over larger bumps, with the rear skipping about, which does lead to the motorcycle getting unsettled pretty quickly.

Engine vibes and tune 

A related aspect which once again gets in the way of touring, and sometimes even spirited riding, are the harsh vibes post about 6000rpm, which start off as a light buzz on the pegs, and graduate to the tank. And this is a particular bother for average-sized riders, as the sharper end of the tank grip may start to poke the inside of the thighs.

Another fly in the ointment related to highway manners is in the engine tune. Remember how we said the engine eggs you on to go faster? Well, that seems to peter out fairly quickly as well. As a result, the rider will compulsorily need to go down a gear or two to overtake slow moving traffic in top gear on the highways.    

Build and finish

We start off with the first thing you’ll notice on the Adventure when it’s standing still, and that’s the frame that goes around the tank and engine, and the fact that it seems just a bit off-kilter. This carries on to the rear luggage rack, which once again looks off-centre.

Next, the way the tank flows into the side panel makes locking your knees in place while standing and riding that much more difficult. 

Additionally, the console leaves you slightly disheartened as well, since Yezdi hasn’t done justice to the dash space on offer. The two unequally sized circular displays don’t require much room and the plain-jane strip of tell-tale lights could have been integrated better.

And finally, though the pod which houses the USB and C-Type ports is a thoughtful touch, it juts out unflatteringly on the handlebar. 

Verdict 

Yezdi set out to make THE adventure tourer, but unfortunately it’s a swing and a miss. As it appears, it has the makings of an ADV, but one that’s primarily suited for the road rather than the rough stuff. Yezdi had benchmarked the Himalayan and still the Adventure falls short on a few counts. Besides, the Himalayan update is due, so this was the time to make a mark. And the fact that it couldn’t is, by far, the Adventure’s biggest failing.