Yezdi Scrambler: Fresh and Ambitious

Yezdi the legendary motorcycle brand is finally back from its hibernation of more than two decades. With the launch of Scrambler, Adventure and Roadster, Yezdi is gunning straight for the Royal Enfield. The launch event which was surprisingly short and sweet has just been concluded and I have come out mightily impressed. Here are 5 things that I liked about the Yezdi Scrambler.

1. Design

To me, the Yezdi Scrambler is the best looking motorcycle of the three launched today. Heck, it might be the best looking Indian motorcycle period. Ever since I saw those spy shots of it being tested on road, I was impressed by it. Even in camouflage, its silhouette looked perfect.

The Yezdi Scrambler takes design cues from other scramblers. From the front, it looks like the Ducati Desert Sledge which is not a bad thing at all because that motorcycle is a perfect representation of what a scrambler should be. Twin exhausts as well as the offset instrument panel complete the Scrambler look.

Scramblers are what you make of it which is why Yezdi offers it in 6 different colour options giving plenty of options to riders. There are many accessories options too which means you can create your own unique Yezdi Scrambler.

I want this motorcycle to do good because its success would motivate other brands to create this style of motorcycle and more options is always a good thing for the customer.

2. Engine

I was sceptical of the Scrambler coming with the 334CC engine from Jawa Perak. I thought it would be mated with the 293CC engine from the Jawa 42, but I was pleasantly surprised when they announced that indeed it would be powered by the 334CC engine.

Unlike Royal Enfield’s engine, however, these engines are high revving and produce a lot more power than the Enfield counterpart. For example, the 350CC engine in the Meteor and Classic 350 produces only 20.4PS and 27NM. The Yezdi Scrambler’s 334CC engine produces 29.10PS and 28.20NM. There is no info on the weight of 182KG, the Scrambler will be a hoot to ride.

3. LED lighting all around

Given how the Jawa and Royal Enfield have largely kept their motorcycles LED free, I was expecting the Yezdi trios to do the same. Yezdi however surprised us again by offering LED lights all around in all of the three motorcycles. Sure, there is a debate to be had over the advantages of LED over halogen but one thing is for sure, the LEDs look much better than the yellow halogens.

Since design is central to the Yezdi Scrambler, it is appropriate that it has LED lights. The motorcycle would have looked good with halogens as well but LEDs just bring the whole motorcycle to current times. Sure, there are easy fixes for changing halogens to LEDs in the aftermarket but it is always nice when the company adds these features by default. Just look at the new Dominar 400 with its accessories!

4. Twin Exhausts

There are major drawbacks of twin exhaust which is why they are not used in most motorcycles. The biggest issue is their weight which weighs down the whole motorcycle. It however cannot be denied that they look incredible. Particularly the silver-coated ones like the one on Yezdi Scrambler. Both exhausts bifurcate from the same single exhaust unlike the Roaster and Jawa 42, but they sound and look good which is what matters the most.

5. Price

Yezdi Scrambler starts at Rs 2.04 Lakh ex-showroom which is not very aggressive but I feel is okay for this class of motorcycle. For comparison, the Jawa 42 with 293CC engine and basic features starts at Rs 1.91 lakhs. The Honda H’ness and the Meteor 350 are similarly priced but they produce less power and are not as offroad capable.

First Impressions Verdict

These are all the things that stood out to me in the first impressions. On paper, this looks like a great motorcycle to me. There is however a big fat elephant in the room and that is “build quality”. Earlier Jawa models suffered from build quality issues as do most newly launched motorcycles. I hope Jawa and Yezdi learnt from those mistakes and worked on improving the quality issues that plagued those motorcycles.

Another issue that might sink these great looking motorcycles is the engine. Honda and Royal Enfield have perfected the recipe for a 350CC engine. Both Honda and Royal Enfield 350CC engines are smooth and well build. Engines are a much important part of a motorcycle than it is to another vehicle because of the simplistic nature of a motorcycle. Honda and Royal Enfield have won the country over with their engines, something that Jawa is yet to do. Let’s see how Yezdi fares in that competition. I hope the Yezdi Scrambler does well because I certainly want to see more of these motorcycles on-road as opposed to the ugly ones.