2022 Jawa 42 Bobber Review: Affordable & Gorgeous, But Is It Practical?

• Highlights
• Design & Features
• Engine & Performance
• Ride & Handling
• Verdict

Highlights

• The Jawa 42 Bobber extends the Jawa Perak platform
• More youthful factory custom bobber with three colour options
• 334 cc, liquid-cooled engine makes 30 bhp @ 7,500 rpm, 32.74 Nm @ 5,500 rpm

The new Jawa 42 Bobber is the second factory custom bobber from Jawa Motorcycles, after the Jawa Perak. The basic premise of the factory custom is to offer good-looking, well-designed “custom” motorcycles with chopped fenders, single seat et al, straight out of the factory, but homologated for road use.

The Jawa 42 Bobber is one gorgeous motorcycle, and a guaranteed head-turner, if you are the kind who wants to make a style statement with your ride!

So, you don’t really need to customise it at an aftermarket custom shop, and can pretty much get that “custom” look straight out of the showroom. The Jawa 42 Bobber is essentially a sibling to the Jawa Perak, building on the same platform, but offering more colour options, with more flamboyance and youthful appeal.

The Jawa 42 Bobber extends the Jawa Perak family, with a more youthful and flamboyant take. Based on same engine and chassis as the Jawa Perak, but gets new colours, new ergonomics and new features.

The Jawa 42 Bobber is a gorgeous, yet affordable ‘factory custom’ bobber from Jawa Motorcycles. Based on the Jawa Perak platform, the 42 Bobber intends to extend the family with a more youthful and flamboyant take on the bobber design.

The 42 Bobber is one of the most affordable bobber-style motorcycles available on sale in India right now. It’s a more youthful take on the Perak, and comes with some changes, in components, design and ergonomics. If it’s one thing it doesn’t lack, it’s aesthetic appeal. But does it ride as good as it looks? And is it worth considering to put down your hard-earned money for? Here’s our take, after spending time with the new Jawa 42 Bobber.

New colours, different fuel tank, LED lighting, wider handlebar, different ergonomics give the 42 Bobber an almost new personality.

Design & Features

The overall shape and silhouette of the 42 Bobber is the same as the Jawa Perak, but when you look closer, there are some apparent changes. The LED headlight is new, and so is the single-pod, digital instrument console, as well as the switchgear, which are borrowed from the Yezdi Roadster.

Jawa 42 Bobber employs a round LC instrument console and new switchgear, shared with the Yezdi Roadster.

New colours, splashes of chrome, gloss finish on the fenders complete the “new” additions, along with a new fuel tank, which has decreased in capacity to 12.5 litres, but gets rubber tank pads for the rider to grip with.

Jawa 42 Bobber employs a round LC instrument console and new switchgear, shared with the Yezdi Roadster.

What has also been changed are the ergonomics. The handlebar is wider and flatter than the Perak and has been moved slightly higher up with risers. The footpegs have been moved forward, so the rider’s triangle has changed, compared to the Perak. There’s also a handlebar-mounted USB charging socket to juice up your gadgets on the go. 

The Jawa 42 Bobber is a low-slung, long, muscular and beautiful ‘factory custom’ bobber. If it’s one thing it doesn’t lack, it’s appeal! The seat height is 740 mm, low enough for riders of all kings of height and build. Kerb weight (without fuel) is 75 kg, while maximum ground clearance is 155 mm.

The seat is completely new with a new seat pan, and design, and its position is adjustable to move back and forth. The taillight has been moved from the seat to the rear fender, and according to the company, this frees up space, as well as visibility for an accessory luggage carrier for long rides.

The Jawa 42 Bobber is available in a choice of three colours. The Mystic Copper colour option is the most affordable, priced at Rs. 2,06,500 (Ex-showroom, Delhi)

334 cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine makes around 30 bhp and 32.74 Nm of peak torque. Maximum speed is a speedo-indicated 130 kmph, and it will comfortably cruise at 100 kmph. The engine is high-revving and the 6-speed gearbox needs to be worked to get access to the grunt of the performance.

Engine & Performance

On the move, the 42 Bobber is perky, and will cruise comfortably at highway speeds. The engine does rev, but if it’s aural pleasure you’re seeking, then you’d best look elsewhere. The sound and feel is okay, but as the revs climb, the sound of the engine gets harsher.

The oversquare engine doesn’t have that typical lazy long-stroke thump, but the upside is that it’s a higher revving engine. The chassis offers good dynamics, and the bike maintains composure, despite its long wheelbase of 1,485 mm.

The 334 cc single-cylinder unit is liquid-cooled though, and in numbers, it makes around 30 bhp at 7,500 rpm and 32.74 Nm of peak torque at 5,500 rpm. The oversquare engine doesn’t have that typical lazy long-stroke thump, but the upside is that it’s a higher revving engine and maximum speed of over 130 kmph is achievable.

Straight-line performance and stability is quite good. As long as you stick to good road surfaces, the Jawa 42 Bobber is a good companion. Engine refinement could have been better, but what’s slightly bothersome is the stiff ride quality over broken roads.

Straight-line performance is quite good, and with its respectable power and torque output, grunt is something which you will have, as long as you’re in the right gear. The slip and assist clutch makes light work in traffic, and the six speed gearbox does require some work, to keep the engine on the boil to be in the powerband.

You have to work the six-speed gearbox to keep the engine on the boil to access the powerband. A higher gear at lower speeds does result in stalling. The slip & assist clutch though offers a light feel of the clutch lever.

The feel of the engine could have been slightly more refined, and at higher revs, the engine does feel and sound a little gruff. If it’s engine refinement you’re looking for, there are other 350 cc motorcycles which feel more refined than the 42 Bobber.

The Jawa 42 Bobber offers a stable ride, and when you hit the twisties, there’s no nervousness or twitchiness. The chassis offers good stability and handling, and the brakes offer decent stopping power with dual-channel ABS.

Ride & Handling

When you do hit the twisties, the Jawa 42 Bobber remains planted. Stability isn’t an issue, and despite its long wheelbase, the 42 Bobber remains planted around a set of corners. But the lack of cornering clearance somewhat robs you of fun and spirited riding. Otherwise the 42 Bobber has a taut chassis with good dynamics.

The chassis maintains good handling and composure. The problem is with footpeg clearance. Even the slightest spirited riding around a set of corners will make you scrape footpegs of the Jawa 42 Bobber.

If you like to push around a set of corners, even moderately, you will end up scraping the footpegs, so be wary of that. The brakes, with discs at both wheels, and standard dual-channel ABS, offer decent stopping power in this segment.

The retuned suspension and stiffened swingarm aids in stability, but the ride quality is still, particularly the rear suspension which makes most bumps felt by the rider.

According to the company, the suspension has been retuned to aid in the bike’s handling, and the swingarm has been stiffened up for better straight-line stability. The result is a slightly stiff ride quality. The front forks are well-damped, but the rear monoshock offers a stiff ride. Over smooth surfaces, it’s not much of a bother, but the moment you hit a broken patch, or the odd speedbreaker, then you will feel the bumps translating up to your body.

The Jawa 42 Bobber certainly is an attractive, stunning motorcycle. If it’s looks one is looking for, it certainly makes a solid statement at its price bracket.

Verdict

The Jawa 42 Bobber is priced from just over Rs. 2.06 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi), going up to Rs. 2.09 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi) for the top-spec dual-tone colour variant, which is at the same price as the Perak. The single-colour options of the 42 Bobber are, in fact, more affordable than the Perak.

The Jawa 42 Bobber does has its strengths – great looks, affordability and solid road presence. All qualities which may make it find its fan following.

The Jawa 42 Bobber doesn’t come with a pillion seat, even as an option. So it’s low on practicality, if that’s a consideration.

But like the Perak, the Jawa 42 Bobber doesn’t come with a pillion seat, not even as an option. So, if you want to have a friend, wife, or girlfriend along for the ride, sadly, that will not be possible. The front forks are well-damped and take care of road undulations, but the slightly stiff rear suspension will offer a rather stiff ride if you encounter bad roads, or the occasional broken patch, so that is something which you may want to consider. It’s a compromise, but something which has to be kept in mind.

The Jawa 42 Bobber certainly is a good-looking motorcycle. At Rs. 2,06,500 (Ex-showroom, Delhi), there’s nothing quite like it available at that price point.

If you want to make a style statement with your ride, there’s nothing quite like the Jawa 42 Bobber available in that price bracket. Yes, the engine could have been more refined, the ride quality better, and the fit and finish better. But if it’s an affordable factory custom bobber you’re looking for, something to make a statement with your ride, the Jawa 42 Bobber does offer something different, something which may appeal to you. Go on, take a test ride at least, it could be the bike you may want to add to your garage.

(Photography: Apoorv Chaudhary)

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