Jawa Returns – One of the country’s most beloved motorcycle brands makes a comeback after two decades

Jawa Motorcycles made a historic return to the Indian market, with launch of 3 new motorcycles on November 15.The brand’s rebirth takes place at a time when the motorcycle market, particularly for nostalgia-rich retro standards appears to be expanding rapidly. It’s resuscitation can be directly credited to Classic Legends Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of the Mahindra Group which owns 60% of the venture, the remainder belonging to Anupam Thareja and Boman Irani.
Boman Irani’s father Rustom Irani founded Ideal Jawa – the brand which sold licensed Jawas in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Jawas were Known for their compact frame and robust, reliable engine.
After 22 yeras of comeback the company has launched three motorcycles of which the Jawa and Jawa 42 are available immediately while the Jawa Perak will be made available after some time.
The new breed of Jawa is all about maintaining the original retro-sporty feel of the Jawas of old while being modern and upmarket. The makers have been fairly successful in that and the model which has been named just as Jawa definitely looks like it hasn’t forgotten about its ancestors. The bike retains a lot of the design elements of the original Jawa 250 sold in India. This includes the fenders, headlamp casing and instrument cluster design, handlebar design and placement, twin silencers, engine silhouette, tank shape and exclusive red-chrome shade among many other details. Hats off to the designers as they have done a commendable job at making this bike a perfect blend of retro-modern.
With a modern heart, classic good looks and the backing of stalwarts like Anand Mahindra, Jawa’s second innings are likely to be far more profitable than the first.