Classic Legends revived two dead brands, Yezdi and Jawa, and they can end Royal Enfield’s hegemony

Mahindra and Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra’s backed Classic Legends is turning the clock back for motorcycle evangelists in the country. The company last month announced that it was driving the nostalgia train to bring the legacy iconic brand Yezdi back into the market. Earlier, the company had reinvented the wheel by bringing the sturdy Jawa back into the motorcycle enthusiasts’ plans.  

Anand Mahindra, the chairman of Mahindra Group tweeted about the comeback of the legendary motorcycle. Posting a pic of the production facility, he wrote, “I guess I’ve got #Y on my mind. After all, the legend is back! #YezdiForever” 

Yezdi Adventure, Yezdi Scrambler, and Yezdi Roadster are three of the options rolled out by Classic Legends. The Yezdi Roadster gets a 334 cc engine that can generate 29.7 PS power at 7300rpm. The Roadster reaches 29Nm of peak torque at 6500rpm. The Scrambler comes with the same engine but gets you the power of 29.1 PS at 8000rpm and maximum torque of 28.2 Nm. 

Read more: Yezdi motorcycles are set to make a grand comeback in a brand new avatar

These offerings have the capability of becoming a major thorn in the flesh for Royal Enfield – the current undisputed leader in the bullet motorcycle segment. 

Criticism of Royal Enfield

Royal Enfield, for years, has been criticized by its fans and detractors alike for being stagnant and lacking in innovation. The company and its motorcycle offerings appear to be sitting on past laurels to drive the sales. It took the company ages to introduce the Anti-lock braking system (ABS) and that too at extra cost to the customers. 

It is important to mention that Royal Enfield Classic 350 still has an analogue speedometer and rear drum brakes while roadster smoke grey has a digital speedometer with disc brakes – rear and front. While Classic 350 costs 1.87 lakh, ex-showroom, the Roadster costs a little extra with Rs 1.98 lakh.  

While Royal Enfield is still stuck on halogen headlamps, all the major motorcycle brands have graduated to LED setups. Surprisingly most of the Royal Enfields did not have any fuel gauge, until a few years back.

Classic legends is looking to take on Eicher

Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. is a company that aims to re-introduce iconic marquee brands. In 2018, Classic Legends launched Jawa bikes for Indian bike-lovers. The beginning of 2021 witnessed Classic Legends applying for the trademark of Yezdi Roadking. 

Both Jawa and Yezdi, at their price points and overall design appear a much better choice and value for the buck than the dated Royal Enfield offerings. 

The launch of the said motorcycles should ring a warning bell in the Chennai-based company which needs to get its house in order. It may be in the green at the moment but the industry can quickly eject those, who try to take the safe route.