Yezdi Roadster - Likes & Dislikes

The dark horse from the Yezdi stable?

The Yezdi brand has made a comeback in the Indian two-wheeler market after an over two-decade hiatus. The new range of bikes doesn’t share much with the Yezdis of the yore, except for the Roadster, which pays homage to the transformation of the Jawa motorcycles to Yezdi.

The bike is called the Roadster, but looks like a cruiser. It seems like a confusing product, doesn’t it? Well, we got to ride the bike for a couple of hours, and here is what we liked and what we didn’t about it:

Things we like

Performance
Powering the Yezdi Roadster is a 334cc motor as seen on its siblings. This is the same engine as the Jawa Perak, but retuned. The first impression of the powerplant is that it revs so freely, and the brisk acceleration that it has to offer. This snappy nature of the engine makes the Yezdi Roadster a hoot to ride, and I enjoyed hustling it around the twisties of Lonavala. Adding to the fun element is the throaty exhaust note, which is pretty good for a BS6 motor. Also, the 6-speed gearbox is able, and the slipper clutch ensures light clutch action.

Handling
The chassis is the same unit as the one on other Jawa bikes, but it has been modified a bit with different rake angle and increased wheelbase. The Yezdi Roadster relishes corners, and the bike feels absolutely stable around the many sweeping bends on the mountains of Lonavala. Unlike other Jawa bikes, which need a bit of muscling for quick direction changes, the Roadster felt easy and organic. This easy-going nature should make it fun to ride in city traffic as well.

Comfort
While it looks like a cruiser, the riding stance is that of a roadster, with a wide handle bar and centre-set footpegs. This not only gives the rider better leverage while cornering fast but also results in a comfortable riding stance. While we couldn’t clock many miles as it was a first ride, I didn’t feel tired even after riding for a few hours.


Things we didn’t like

Quality
While Classic Legends has worked hard at bettering the quality of its motorcycles, there is still room for improvement. The weld finish on the frame and swingarm looks crude. A lot of wires are visible, which I felt could have been better packaged.

Another big area of improvement is the fit and finish, as there are inconsistent gaps in switchgear and a few body panels. While the paint quality and black finish on the components is impressive, the above misses aren’t befitting for a bike worth over Rs 2 lakh.

Ride quality
The excellent handling dynamics, though, come at the cost of ride quality. The suspension setup is on the firmer side, but not stiff. This means that you can power through rough roads, but on potholes and big undulations, you will have to cut speeds or risk injuring your back.  

Engine vibes
While the performance is likeable, it could do with more refinement. Vibes can be felt at speeds as low as 40kmph, and while these aren’t very harsh, they do get irritating. Also, the mechanical noise from the motor could have been controlled better.

Verdict
Prices for the Yezdi Roadster start at Rs 1.99 lakh, which is great value for a bike of this segment. It is a pucca roadster and not a cruiser. All in all, it’s a bike with character and one that’s fun to ride, something that’s rare in modern motorcycles.

In fact, among all the six bikes launched by the company, the Yezdi Roadster is our clear favourite. However, Classic Legends doesn’t have a good reputation with respect to quality, so we will request you to hold your purchase for a couple of months, so that issues with the first lot of bikes, if any, are ironed out, and you get a better product.