2024 Yezdi Adventure review: A more complete ADV bike
If you were previously in the market looking to buy yourself a sub-500cc single-cylinder proper off-road adventure motorcycle, the Yezdi Adventure wouldn't be on the top of your shopping list.
That's primarily because it did not tick a couple of boxes as far as hardcore off-road adventure motorcycles are concerned. And of course, when Yezdi launched this bike a couple of years ago the motorcycle, looked like a carbon copy of the Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 â€" a bike which was selling in decent numbers by that time. Now times have changed. The RE Himalayan has moved on to the 450 and Yezdi have carried out a substantial amount of changes, they say, to the internals of this motorcycle and a couple of bits on the externals as well. So is it a complete road motorcycle? Let's find out.
On the design front, Yezdi have executed some subtle but noticeable changes. Those big tank rails that were on there before have now shrunken down in size, and have therefore helped shave off some kgs some of the bike's overall weight. The next thing you'll immediately notice is the level of fit and finish, which clearly has been addressed. The paint finish on the metal parts, the curved plastic bits, even the quality of welds and the sticker work â€" it [[all looks a way neater than before. That's all well and good from the aesthetic perspective, but the main talking point about this updated bike is its updated motor â€" which Yezdi is calling the Alpha 2 engine.
It is the same 334 cc single cylinder, liquid cooled motor that we have seen previously in the Java 350 Classic. Now obviously the displacement is the same, but then the power and torque. Well, that has gone up to suit the configuration of this motorcycle. It produces slightly under 30PS of max power, under 30 NM of max torque. And the best part about this is that the previous Adventure model seemed to be lacking in terms of low end torque because you really have to wring the throttle, get it to above 2,500rpm for that nice juicy torque to kick in. Not anymore. Because with this motor, well, that torque is a lot more accessible from lower down the powerband at around 1,500rpm. It kicks in nicely and that really helps you when you're off road, in a sticky situation, or even if you're cruising around the city at low speeds, before, well it's not going to stall like before. So that's a real good thing.
Yes the even six-speed gearbox has been tweaked around with to better cater to your adventurous ambitions and provide slicker shifts. And we're told that there the engine mapping has been altered to suit each of the first three gears for better low-end tractability and it is all there to be felt. Shifts are a lot smoother and less clunky too.
Another noticeable difference is the revised exhaust routing which now sees a more centrally located header, while it was previously located on the side of the engine, and this has in turn resulted in a shorter piping system in the process. The coolant reservoir is relocated to the rear of the bike, near the rear suspension so as to not cut down on the 220mm ground clearance. You'll also notice the smaller radiator on there, which is another part that's common with the Jawa 350 Classic, as well as a redesigned bash plate which looks quite nice on there too. We've been informed that these last couple of changes have been carried out to address the heat issues that some customers found with the older bike.
Previously you would find the Yezdi Adventure a bit of a handful if you were stuck in a tricky situation off-road, or while were stuck in traffic at low speeds, because the bike's clutch lever felt heavy and unwieldy. And Yezdi has addressed this issue in particular by throwing in a slip and assist clutch on there, which makes frequent lever usage more manageable in that these scenarios.
In terms of ergonomics, thankfully Yezdi hasn't messed around with the existing model too much. So you still have the fairly decent, ground clearance of around 220, I believe. And the writing posture is pretty much straightforward and very upright with things within reach. But once you get off-road, the sad thing about this is I find it a little too forward set for my liking, because once you actually stand up on the motorcycle, there's not a lot that you actually get to grip in terms of, with your heel.
There's this small panel out here which you can see, it has borne the brunt of some off-road riding. And although it's a new motorcycle, well, if this part, keeps getting scratched, then it doesn't really look all that nice. And this is just the first day of riding off road. So, yes, this panel, I would have changed, but otherwise ergonomically quite sound. Well, yes. Yezdi have told us that they have changed, the texture of the seat. I mean, the comfort level of the seat, which I'm not too sure is a good or bad thing because I've barely had enough time to test it out. I'll have to get around four or five hours in the saddle to really see if this seat works.
Now the previous iteration of this motorcycle was known to be a comfortable kilometer cruncher more than a thoroughbred off-road bike, and Yezdi have made some minor adjustments that have turned things around for the better. And although it's mainly to do with the tractability of the Alpha 2 engine, there's a little more to it than that. Like, if you happen to drop the bike on one of your adventurous trails, it's not as tough to get back upright thanks to its lower centre of gravity with the lighter tank rails. But if I had to pick out one stand-out odd bit about this updated Adventure, I'd have to talk about the mid-section of the motorcycle which doesn't allow you to get the best grip of the bike once you're standing up and sending it off-road.
Also, lastly, on the topic of features and tech â€" you still get Bluetooth connectivity with turn-by-turn navigation. Like before, you also get some conveniently located charging ports. No ride modes, no traction control. And in terms of riding aids you just have three levels of ABS that you can toggle through on the go. You see, this is a fairly simple motorcycle that is rather uncomplicated in its way of function. And there's nothing wrong with that really, considering this bike's asking price.
In conclusion, is the SD adventure now a more complete off-road motorcycle? Well, in short, yes, it definitely is, because the company has been listening to all the feedback that it has been receiving from the media and from the customers. It has made a good amount of changes not only to the aesthetics, but to the components and the actual functioning of the motorcycle.
The levels of fit and finish have improved the NVH levels are a lot better. The ride quality is pretty decent, feels about the same as it was before, even with the tweaked damping. But when it comes to performance, low-end performance, that's what this motorcycle was missing in the first place and now it gets it. And that's the best part, really. Now this motorcycle is priced at around Rs 2.10 lakh to Rs 2.20 lakh depending on the color scheme you choose. And yes, it still lies in the same, ballpark price wise, as the Royal Enfield Scram 11and the Suzuki V-Strom SX . Now this is a more complete, I would say off-road motorcycle. But the sad part is this motorcycle. Well, it is the motorcycle that should have been launched a couple of years ago in the first place. Now it still appears to be slightly dated, but if you're in tune with the entire dynamics of the Yezdi brand, you will fancy this one a lot better than you ever did before.