Intro
When you think of modern classic motorcycles, automatically you imagine yourself riding easily and comfortably on some empty roads, then stopping at some café and ogling at the motorcycle. The majority of motorcycle enthusiasts would do this, including me. But early this week, Classic Legends decided to change how the world perceives modern classic bikes. They invited BikeWale to Natrax – Asia’s biggest automotive testing grounds, and handed over the keys to their not-so-new Jawa 42 FJ and showed the entry point of the handling track.
The Bike
The Jawa 42 FJ is not a new launch. It launched in mid-2024, however, the deliveries started months later. Sadly, we couldn’t be a part of the media ride early this year but we finally had a chance to get up close with this Jawa.
For starters, the Jawa 42 FJ is a brand-new motorcycle. The 334cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine may have first gone to another bike, but the chassis is new and most of the cycle parts are too. Classic Legends claims that a lot of work has gone into refining this 334cc engine to bring down the overall NVH levels and increase the refinement.
The other things that can be seen on the bike are a neatly designed dual exhaust, blacked-out engine, and multi-spoke alloy wheels. There’s a base model as well that gets spoke wheels. The feature list isn’t a big one as it gets LED lights, single-pod instrument cluster, and a USB charging port.
The Ride
The Natrax handling track had a lot of exciting sections. There were back-to-back corners, a region where I could try to hit the top speed of the 42 FJ, and places where heavy braking was a must. I ended up riding at least eight to nine laps on this 3km long track, and honestly, I craved more. A lot of these cravings are due to that 334cc engine and the chassis of the 42 FJ. Both worked well to put a big smile on my face.
Firstly, the performance of the 334cc engine makes you rethink the modern classic nature of the bike. The 42 FJ in the low revs feels easy and sober, but as the revs start to climb, the bike feels so much livelier and quite sporty too. It reaches triple-digit speeds in no time, and it does that without much engine fatigue and vibes. Even the tractability of the engine feels apt for a bike this size. However, due to the Natrax track, I barely spent any time riding slowly. The NVH is well-controlled and honestly, I think this is the most refined motorcycle in Classic Legend’s lineup. The other aspect I loved about this motorcycle is the throttle response – it is on point.
Now coming to the handling – well, the 42 FJ is not supposed to be a bike that has to be ridden on a track. But in case you do, you will notice how fun the motorcycle feels around the corner. Firstly, the cornering clearance is quite good. The dual exhausts weren’t scraped nor were the foot pegs. And then when ridden around corners, the motorcycle feels quite at home. It isn’t too exciting but gives you good joy.
Despite these positive attributes, the one area where the 42 FJ needs some heavy work is the brakes. The slow speed performance, like we see in city riding, is fine. It is when the speed is high that the braking power is negligible. Even the feedback on the lever needs massive improvement.
The Verdict
This brief track time on the Jawa 42 FJ has truly made me believe that modern classic motorcycles can be fun on a track too. They don’t need to be about just daily commuting or even occasional long distance for that matter. The 42 FJ with this new frame and the revised 334cc engine offers a good amount of excitement. It also looks quite aspirational with this new design language. Plus, with its interesting colour options, this Jawa looks like a proper modern motorcycle. But this motorcycle is yet to be ridden on public roads, and that is when I’ll tell you whether the Jawa 42 FJ will add any value to your life.
Gallery
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Jawa 42 FJ Windscreen Adjusting Knob
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