Is the Jawa 42 worth buying?

With a budget of Rs 2.1 lakh, which of these bikes make for a better purchase - the Jawa 42 or the Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350x?

Published On Aug 24, 2019 12:00:00 PM

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Which one should I pick between the Jawa 42 and the Royal Enfield Thunderbird? Is there any other similar bike you can suggest for under Rs 2.1 lakh?

Baljinder S, Navi Mumbai

AAA - The Jawa is a better performer than the Royal Enfield in almost every aspect and it comes across as a better-put-together motorcycle as well. The issue is that Classic Legends is yet to begin supply in any serious numbers and the waiting periods are enormous. There are plenty of good motorcycles available at this price point, but they’re all rather sports-oriented.

You could give the Bajaj Dominar 400 a look, but if you want an old-school, cruiser-style machine, our suggestion is to extend your wait for another year or so. By that time, Jawa should have stepped up its supply and we will have a good understanding of how its bikes fare over the long run. More importantly though, Royal Enfield is readying a massive update for its motorcycles and there will be an all-new Thunderbird coming out, which should be vastly improved over the current one.