Is this the new Yezdi?

Back in November 2018, Classic Legends had announced that it was working on a Yezdi comeback as well, after reviving the Jawa brand. Now, what appears to be a test mule of its first product has been spotted out in public, and there’s certainly a lot to talk about.

Around the same time as the Jawa launch, Anupam Thareja, founder, Classic Legends, confirmed in a conversation with Autocar India that the brand was working on “a new-generation Yezdi, which will certainly hold tremendous appeal, is not going to be a rebadged Jawa and will demand independent and wholesome development.” From the looks of it, this new product could be a scrambler.

Upcoming Yezdi scrambler: engine

While there’s no information on exact engine specifications, the radiator and  engine head design seem identical to that on the Jawas, and this could mean that this motorcycle will feature an iteration of the Jawa engine, as expected. More importantly, the lower casing sports the distinctive Yezdi stripes and, at the moment, it’s the only piece of evidence that ties this bike to the Yezdi moniker.

Upcoming Yezdi scrambler: design and hardware

With the Jawa brand, Classic Legends did a remarkable job at recreating the old-school Jawas’ visual appeal. If this is in fact a Yezdi, the manufacturer has clearly taken a different design approach. The motorcycle resembles a modern day scrambler, featuring a narrow, short tail, a tyre hugger, tall handlebar and a flat seat. The test mule is far from production-ready and that’s evident from the unfinished exhaust.

Upcoming Yezdi scrambler: launch 

Considering that this bike appears to be in the early stages of testing, it doesn’t look like it will be ready in the next few months. However, we are given to understand that the Yezdi brand could be launched this year. Whether it will be with this bike or something else remains to be seen. When it does go on sale, though, it will join the hotly contested modern-retro segment that currently comprises popular models like the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (and the upcoming models that Royal Enfield is working on), the Benelli Imperiale 400, the Honda H’ness CB350, the recently launched CB350RS, and its own Jawa counterparts. 

Also see:

Meteor 350 vs H'ness CB350 vs Imperiale 400 comparison