Whenever you hear the word bobber, chances are bikes like the Triumph Bonneville Bobber or Harley-Davidson Street Bob come to mind. However, there are quite a number of these cruiser-style machines on offer from smaller manufacturers, particularly in the Asian market. One such model just recently broke cover, and it’s from Indian manufacturer Jawa, who recently made a comeback in the Indian market under Classic Legends.
Jawa has always been known for its retro-inspired machines that pack fairly modern technology packaged in a lightweight machine, usually with displacements in the 300cc range. Well, the Jawa 42 Bobber is no different, and at a glance, looks very similar to how Triumph has designed its Bonneville Bobber. That being said, the performance—and not to mention the price—of the Jawa is far behind that of the British twin. With that, let’s take a closer look at what Jawa has to offer with the new Bobber.
Right off the bat, the similarities between the Bobber and Jawa’s other model, the Perak, are uncanny. Everything from the body lines to the premium fit and finish look just like the Perak. However, the Bobber is slightly slimmer and more naked than the Perak, which features a streamlined headlight cowl. Apart from that, the Bobber gets a compact LED headlight with a revised instrument console. The wide handlebar with inverted bar-end mirrors is a nice touch, too. The bike gets a muscular tank with knee indents, and an all-new saddle which can be moved fore and aft up to 25 millimeters according to your ergonomic preferences.
A 334cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine that produces 30 horsepower and 23 ft-lbs of torque powers the Jawa 42 Bobber. It uses a chain drive and a six-speed gearbox to provide power to the back wheel. As for suspension, the Bobber packs a conventional telescopic front fork sans any adjustability. It does, however, have a preload-adjustable, centrally mounted rear monoshock.
The Jawa 42 Bobber is available in a variety of colorways consisting of Mystic Copper, Moonshine White, and Japer Red. It retails for the reasonable price of Rs 206,500, which translates to around $2,524 USD. That said, its pricing is slightly premium when compared to rivals from Royal Enfield such as the Classic 350, which is more affordable starting at Rs 190,000, or approximately $2,322 USD.
