Jawa sells two bobbers in India, the Perak and the 42 Bobber, unlike others who do not sell such a model in the market, let alone two. Styled to appeal to youngsters and the young at heart, the 42 Bobber is a cool-looking machine. But is it all show and no go? We might have found the answer to that.
Painted in a very nice Mystic Copper shade, we reckon there is no other motorcycle that looks as good as the 42 Bobber in this price range. However, the Bobber is best admired from a distance. Should you come closer, you do end up seeing some imperfections here and there, and the paint quality may not appeal to everyone.
The crudeness, though, is easily forgotten when one looks at the bike, because, frankly, that is what this motorcycle is all about. The 740 mm tall single-seat (adjustable), single-pod instrument cluster, twin exhausts, bar-end mirrors, and circular lights make for a package that does make one want to turn back and take a second to admire its lines and curves.
But what good is it if it does not have the power to go like a stink? Powering the Jawa 42 Bobber is a 334cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor with a bore and stroke of 81x65 mm. The engine is good for 29.92 PS and 32.74 Nm, and with 185 kg to lug around, the power-to-weight ratio is much better than something like an air-cooled, single-cylinder cruiser that Jawa's competitors sell.
The engine is gruff and coarse at lower gears, but once past 4,000 RPM, it really starts to come into its own. Since it has 30 PS, the 42 Bobber can really shift when the throttle is opened. At speed, the sound coming out of the exhausts does seem to improve, but you have other important things to concentrate on when at triple-digit speeds.
And there's more good news. The gearbox, a six-speed unit, is slick to use at higher revs, and the suspension, comprising 35 mm telescopic forks up front and a mono shock absorber with seven-step adjustable pre-load, is tuned well. Also, there's nothing wrong with the way the motorcycle handles, with the staggered wheel setup (18 inches in the front and 17 inches in the back) playing its part, and it stops really well too with its 280 mm front and 240 mm rear ventilated discs with ABS assist.
However, there are some drawbacks. The ground clearance is so little that one ends up scraping the underbelly, and sometimes the exhausts, quite often. The LED headlight could have been more powerful, and then there is the gearbox. Remember when we said the box is slick to use at high revs? That is because gears one, two and three at low revs are quite clunky when they are slotted in. There are no problems with the other three whatsoever. Fuel efficiency, however, is not its forte.
Available in Chrome Black Dual Tone, Moonstone White, Mystic Copper, and Jasper Red Dual Tone, the 42 Bobber is offered both with alloys and spoke wheel options. The motorcycle is only available in limited colourways, and quite frankly, brighter shades, like a crisp yellow or blue, would liven up the looks of the machine more.
For what it is worth, the Jawa 42 Bobber is a good product. But in this day and age, good does not cut it. We reckon Jawa has got a bit more finessing to do to make the bike the best it can be, and since the current base is good, that should not be unattainable with a bit of elbow grease.
Priced at INR 2,28,187/- (ex-showroom, Chennai).
