2022 Yezdi Scrambler first ride review
The Yezdi Scrambler has to the most unique offering that the company has for India at this time, given the fact that there currently isn't a scrambler style motorcycle available in the market at this price point. The Scrambler costs about Rs 2.05lakh ex-showroom and the next scrambler motorcycle available in India right now (barring the incoming RE Scram 411) is priced in excess of Rs 10 lakh.
On the looks frontier the Scrambler is a very handsome machine. The Yezdi Scrambler looks like a motorcycle that's more expensive than it actually costs. It rocks the scrambler look with its round headlamp, the double mudguards up front, the fork gaiters, the offset round instrument cluster, wide handlebar, narrow tank, ribbed seat, flat side panels and sizeable spoke-wheels clad in chunky dual-purpose running shoes.
There is even a generous amount of Yezdi branding all over the motorcycle like on the tank, handlebars, seat, etc., which looks good! Ground clearance here is at a respectable 200mm which will clear practically all obstacles that any of India's municipalities deem fair, and although the twin exhaust cans are upswept, the pipes are a bit low slung and can get battered when you gun the bike over some rough off-road terrain. Also, the open welds on the heat shields over the stock twin pipes did look a bit suspect.
In terms of features, the scrambler also gets all-LED lighting, three ABS modes (off-road, road and rain), and even USB and type C charging sockets - features that are standard fitment on the Yezdis' flagship Adventure, but those which the Roadster misses out on. This can be toggled between on the go via the handlebar-mounted buttons on the go, but it does take up a little bit of time to set into play. The Scrambler misses out on Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation which the Adventure gets as well. Features that distinguish the Yezdi Scrambler from the Yezdi Adventure and Yezdi Roadster are the spoke-wheels and tyres setup â€" which is 19-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear shod with 100 and 140-section tyres repetitively, the minimalistic display unit, the ribbed bench seat and tyre hugger-mounted number plate.
Now all three of the Yezdi motorcycles house a slick 6-speed gearbox and the same liquid-cooled 334cc single cyl motor, which is derive from a motorcycle from Yezdi's sister company stable Jawa â€" the Perak. But the materials of the engine components in the Yezdi engine are very different. The three bikes' engines come in different states of tune to complement their individual character. The Scrambler's engine is tuned to produce 29PS and 28NM a higher amount of torque at low rpm in comparison to the other two Yezdi's at this time, but its torque curve is rather flat compared to the other two. The result is that it feels a bit can feel a bit jumpy when you initially set off, but the longer you ride it, the more you get used to it. But even still, the steering of the test bike I rode wasn't very light as compared to the other two bikes and this could prove to be a bit tiring over a relatively long off-road stint.
After riding the Scrambler both off-road terrain, first of all it comes across as a nice fun bike to ride. There's a generous amount of power on tap and you won't be found wanting more power low down the powerband in the first two gears. The suspension is a bit on the stiffer side so it does tend to get choppy over the touch stuff, but the tyres hold up reasonably well which inspires confidence.
The fact that you have ABS modes where you can switch to off-road mode which kills the ABS at the rear is a boon which helps you have a good amount of control of the rear, especially if you want to slide it around. It's a very manageable bike to ride with the wide handlebar and narrow tank with grip pads which gives you a good amount of control of the bike with your knees once you stand up. But my arms kept getting whacked by the mirrors once I did so, so they had to be adjusted on the go in order for me not to test the crash guards, though I'd have liked for them to be taken off completely when off-roading. The steering of the test bike I had was rather stiff and a little bit more effort than I'd have liked when it came to changing direction off-road, especially on a decline. This could prove tiring over a long day of hitting the trails.
On the road, however, the bike managed fairly well on the bends though it should be said that the stiff suspension setup wasn't the most comfortable of the three Yezdi bikes. The bike roars the higher you climb up the powerband and is more than willing to relegate other vehicles to its rear-view mirrors. It'll for a good amount of hop in its step to put a smile on your face. I'd say that scrambler is the most entertaining and fun of the Yezdi bikes to ride but on first impressions, I'd like to think it to not be the easiest or the most comfortable of the three to manage a ride over a long stint in the saddle.
Given its nature, capabilities and pricing, the Yezdi Scrambler exhibits a very distinctive character and comes across as a unique proposition in this class of motorcycle. A scrambler motorcycle is all about having fun on the run and at its core, that's what the Yezdi Scrambler essentially provides. It's kick-started a new segment of affordable scrambler machines which is absolutely brilliant, and it's off to a flyer. RE better have done its homework with the upcoming Scram 411 because it definitely has a worthy adversary to recon with.