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The revival of the Yezdi brand in 2022 got many ardent fans and fanboys teary-eyed in nostalgia. Three models were announced – Roadster, Scrambler and Adventure. The bikes got off to a rocky start, with the nostalgia wearing off quickly courtesy severe refinement issues, stiff suspension setup and not a brilliant riding experience. As the pages on the calendar have rolled by, Jawa and Yezdi have worked hard to change the perception and more importantly the feel and rideability of its motorcycles. The first major update came to the Jawa in the form of the 350 a while back and now, two years later we have the Yezdi Adventure getting some much needed TLC. Superficially, the changes are hard to spot, but what’s happening inside is where Yezdi claims all the magic is. Will Hogwarts be happy?
Cosmetically, the changes are limited to a new mainframe around the fuel tank which bears an ‘Est ’69’ emblem, a throwback to when the original Yezdi company was established. The design of this frame is a lot more compact than before and hugs the bike closer now, making the bike itself feel more compact.. Apart from that, you also have small panels around the instrument cluster that do a good job of making things feel tidy, hiding all wires, hooks and screws from the rider’s POV. The final thing that is new, to your eyes at least, are the colourways. There’s one single-tone colourway – Tornado Black, and three dual-tone colourways – Magnite Maroon, Glacier White and Wolf Grey.
The changes targeted at improving the riding experience include an updated version of the 334cc single-cylinder engine called the Alpha 2. Each gear has a different tune and the focus has been to make the motor a lot more tractable in gears one, two and three without sacrificing the top-end performance that the motor was initially appreciated for. The NVH (noise, vibrations and harshness) was also a major area of concern that needed tackling and the boffins claim that they’ve achieved that. More on that later. Finally on the chassis front, the suspension has been tuned to be more pliant up to speeds of 50kmph and the ABS system has been calibrated to offer better performance, confidence and stability while reducing braking distances.
The engine outputs similar horsepower and torque figures as the model it replaces. To be specific 29bhp and 30Nm of torque is what you get to play with. The major problem with the predecessor was twofold. As an adventure bike, the first three gears had very little low-end torque. This made it extremely difficult to ride slow trails with ease, despite what the body style suggests. Secondly, the refinement levels were just not acceptable. The changes made with the implementation of the Alpha 2 engine hoped to solve just that. Riding the bike in slow-speed trails and slush proved that the engineers have actually done a stellar job of addressing the problems of yore. There is a lot more power and torque to play with at the low-end and this translates to you actually being able to do slow-speed off-roading or city riding without having to pump the veins in your left hand. The throttle response is smooth and refinement levels have shot way up. It is not vibration-free by any means but the few that are present aren’t nearly as bothersome as they used to be. In terms of riding on highways at higher speeds, the top-end performance is still present and accounted for. This new-found tractability without compromising on top-end performance has been achieved with the individual map and tune for the power and torque curves for each gear for each gear. Which is why gears one-three have a lot more low-end grunt while hour-six have a more defined top-end
Coming to the chassis setup, the suspension does actually feel more pliant and absorbent at slower speeds. This was something that just couldn’t be said for the older model, which were way too firm at slow speeds, robbing you of confidence while navigating bumps and obstacles when off road. The 2024 model does a much better job of going over undulations and that in turn also helps send a lot more feedback back to the rider without unsettling the motorcycle. Even when the speeds pick up on the highways, the suspension feels a lot more composed and willing to give in to the whims of the road. That being said, the ergonomic setup for someone my size feels like mixing oil with water. The lower half of my body just doesn’t have enough room or points to grip well enough. An addition of a heel plate or repositioning the panels above the footpegs might help. But that might compromise the riding position for thinner, fitter people. The handlebar could stand to be taller and wider as well, but that’s not nearly as much of a problem for me as the foot-peg to seat positioning is. Braking performance is solid and you have just the right amount of bite and performance when off road. But on the road, I would’ve enjoyed the bite to be a little sharper.
In terms of features, the 2024 Yezdi Adventure carries forward the same features available on the bike it replaces. , two USB charging ports, a tilt adjustable cluster, LED lighting and the luggage racks. Prices however have seen a change. Starting at an ex-showroom price of ₹2.1 lakh and going up to ₹2.2 lakh for the top-end colour way, the bike is cheaper than before by almost ₹6000. All the changes made to the Adventure make it a lot more competent than it ever was and in my opinion this is what the Adventure should’ve been all along. Now more than ever, this seems like a proper value for money proposition and with the departure of the Himalayan 411 from the scene, this Yezdi Adventure stands as a proper alternative for someone who doesn’t want something as beginner as an Xpulse 200 but doesn’t want to go for something as powerful as a Himalayan 450 either. Credit where it’s due, even if the Himalayan 411 were in the market, the Adventure now can hold its own and strongly.
