Jawa Yezdi Adventure Touring Jacket Review

Construction and Features

Typical of an adventure touring jacket, this one features textile for the most part with just two vent pockets on the front and a large vent pocket at the back. The cover of each one of these mesh panels can be dropped down and fixed in place with two small magnets. There are abrasion-resistant Cordura patches around shoulders and elbows, YKK zippers, and a total of 5 pockets; two large ones at the front, two on the inside, and a pocket at the back which is large enough to keep the rain liner.

As for the protection part, the jacket comes with Level 1 Safe Tech armours for elbows, shoulders, and back. There’s no chest protector out of the box and it needs to be bought separately. At the back, you get a zipper to pair it up with riding pants.

Likes

Breathability is what truly stood out for me about this jacket. Adventure touring jackets are inherently more inclined towards safety than comfort and it’s the same case with this jacket. The lack of mesh around the jacket made me skeptical about its usability in a city like Mumbai where the weather is hot almost all year long. However, after riding it through peak hour traffic, I was surprised to find out it’s manageable! Of course, it’s not as airy as a city-oriented, full-mesh jacket. But if you keep the mesh pockets open, the air passes through pretty well, keeping you quite comfortable, unless you’re stuck in crawling traffic for minutes at a stretch.

It’s also good to have a lot of pockets on a long ride. I was carrying the documents of the bike in one external pocket, and some bills and a couple of protein bars in the other. One of the internal pockets had a phone. It was good to know that I had two more pockets left unoccupied. The rear compartment will particularly be useful during monsoons to carry the rain liner.

The outer material also repels dust and other external elements quite well. Our ride through the old Mumbai-Goa highway was extremely dusty in some parts where road construction was underway. However, by the end of the ride, it just took gently wiping the jacket with a wet cloth to make it look brand new once again.

Dislikes

This Jawa Yezdi jacket scores low in the protection department as it comes with Level 1 protectors throughout. The Viaterra Miller, which is my do-it-all jacket and costs Rs 1,000 less, offers higher quality Level 2 protectors with perforation for ventilation. Moreover, just like other jackets pegged at lower prices, Jawa Yezdi should offer chest protectors as standard.

Even the fitting of the jacket is a little odd. While the length of it is quite long and it reaches quite low to my waist, the sleeves are disproportionately short and there’s always some part of my wrist exposed while being in the riding position. It could also do with an adjustment Velcro strap for the lower portion around the waist to prevent it from looking flared. Also, when dropped down, the mesh flaps look like an eye sore as they stick out quite a bit and don’t settle flush with the jacket.

Conclusion

The Jawa Yezdi adventure touring jacket is a decent all-weather gear. It’s decently comfortable, even for city use, and five sizeable pockets make it very practical. With the mesh vents closed, it also looks stylish and goes well with most riding pants or denim.

Where it leaves you wanting for more is in terms of protection as you get Level 1 armours and no chest protectors as standard, which is a miss at this price point. In fact, some city riding jackets, like the Viaterra Miller, offer Level 2 protectors all around, including the chest, at a lesser price. Considering protection is the whole point of wearing riding gear, any compromise on that front cannot be discounted.

Having said that, if you own a Jawa or Yezdi motorcycle and intend to be a part of this brand community, even with your wearables, then this adventure touring jacket is a good option.

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi