Royal Enfield Himalayan vs Jawa 42 both are renowned names in the motorcycle world.

Royal Enfield Himalayan is an Indian adventure touring motorbike unveiled in February 2015 and rolled out in early 2016.

On 11 February 2021, the iconic Indian motorcycle manufacturer launched a new 2021 model of Himalayan compliant with BS-VI (Bharat Stage 6), the latest emission norm that all vehicles in India must abide by, 1 April 2020.

The latest model has received significant upgrades such as a redesigned Jerrycan Holder and tripper navigation powered by Google maps.

Jawa 42 is a cruiser motorcycle first rolled out in India in 2018, along with Jawa Pérák and Jawa 300.

In February 2021, Classic Legends, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra aiming to re-introduce iconic marquee brands, launched a new iteration of Jawa 42. It gets compliant with the BS-VI norms and a host of new features and modified looks. The bikes get manufactured in Pithampur.

Let’s look at both the motorcycle to find the difference between Royal Enfield Himalayan vs Jawa 42.

Latest updates: Royal Enfield Himalayan vs Jawa 42

In July 2021, Royal Enfield increased the price of the Himalayan by Rs 4,469 to Rs 4,617. In August, the road-biased version of the adventurer tourer with minor changes got spotted on the test.

The upcoming model has a different headlamp, modified tank extensions, shorter rear fender, and it does not have the Jerry can holders. The new bike is likely to be called the Royal Enfield Scram.

In July 2021, Jawa 42 received a price update and was priced at Rs 1,64,487 ex-showroom (for 42 Single Disc BS6 293 cc), Rs 1,73,489 ex-showroom (for 42 Double Disc BS6 293 cc), and Jawa 42 2.1 was priced at Rs 1,91,412 (ex-showroom).

In the same month, the Jawa Motorcycles launched Jawa Khaki and Midnight Grey special edition colour variants commemorating the golden jubilee of India’s victory in the 1971 war.

In March, the company offered a pair of bar-end mirrors and alloy wheels wrapped in tubeless tyres for Jawa, and Jawa 42 got purchased by the end of the same month. It made the parts available at a discounted price of Rs 7,999, as opposed to its original price of Rs 14,498, under its Golden Scheme.

Moreover, a Jawa dealer in Surat made news by offering customised Jawa 42 bikes at zero additional cost.

Highlights: Royal Enfield Himalayan vs Jawa 42

Price

The base variant of Royal Enfield Himalayan has priced at Rs 2.02 lakh, which is pricier by about Rs 37,000 compared to the base model of Jawa 42 that carries a price tag of Rs 1.65 lakh.

Variants

Royal Enfield Himalayan is available in three variants:

• Himalayan Standard BS-VI [2021] priced at Rs 2,02,586 (ex-showroom)
• Himalayan Dual Tone BS-VI [2021] priced at Rs 2,05,400 (ex-showroom)
• Himalayan Green and Granite Black priced at Rs 2,09,259 (ex-showroom)

Jawa 42 is available in three variants:

• 42 Single Disc BS6 293 cc at Rs. 1,64,487 (ex-showroom)
• 42 Double Disc BS6 293 cc at Rs. 1,73,429 (ex-showroom)
• 42 2.1 293 cc at Rs. 1,91,412 (ex-showroom)

Colors

Royal Enfield Himalayan is available in six shades options:

• Gravel Grey
• Lake Blue
• Rock Red
• Granite Black (updated)
• Pine Green (new)
• Mirage Silver (new)

Jawa 42 is available in nine shade options:

• Galactic Green (Matte)
• Halley’s Teal (Matte)
• Lumos Lime (Matte)
• Starlight Blue (Matte)
• Comet Red (Glossy)
• Nebula Blue (Glossy)
• Allstar Black
• Sirius White
• Orion Red.

Design

The design of the Royal Enfield Himalayan is that of an adventurer tourer bike.

The round headlamp is water-proof and designed to show light in extreme weather conditions. A windshield is attached to it, which can get adjusted manually for two positions for height.

A pair of rearview mirrors give the motorcycle a stunning look. The bike’s half-duplex split cradle frame gets built to last.

The fuel tank is uniquely designed and gets mounts on either of its sides, serving as tank guards and jerrycan holders. The rear comes with a luggage carrier with mounts and aluminium panniers.

The design of Jawa 42 is that of a cruiser motorcycle. The round, retro-styled halogen headlight gives brilliant light, and it gets fitted with an attractive visor.

Two rearview mirrors get fitted at the end of both its handles. The tear-shaped fuel tank gives it a vintage look, and the chassis gets built up of a double-cradle frame.

Engine type

Royal Enfield Himalayan gets powered by a 411 cc, single-cylinder air-cooled four-stroke single overhead camshaft (SOHC) engine. The engine churns out a maximum power of 24.31 PS at the rate of 6500 rpm and a maximum torque of 32 Nm @ 4000 – 4500 rpm.

Jawa 42 get powered by a 293 cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine that can generate a maximum power of 27.33 PS a peak torque of 27.02 Nm.

Mileage

Royal Enfield Himalayan offers a mileage of 39.96 kilometres per litre of petrol on the highway and 32.04kmpl in the city.

Jawa 42 can cover a distance of around 40 km per litre of petrol.

Top speed and acceleration

Royal Enfield Himalayan can clock a top speed of 122 to 145kmph and sprint from 0-60kmph in three seconds and from 0-100kmph in 12 seconds.

Jawa 42 can achieve a peak speed of around 121 to 143kmph and accelerate from 0-60kmph in 5.5 seconds, 0-80 in 7.7 seconds, 0-100 in 13.5 seconds.

Braking

Royal Enfield Himalayan’s base variant incorporate disc brakes at both wheels and a dual-channel anti-lock braking system. It means that each wheel is modulated individually and has a separate sensor. The front brake diameter is 300 mm, and the rear brake diameter is 240 mm.

The base variant of Jawa 42—42 Single Disc BS6 293 cc—comes with a disc brake and a drum brake fitted at the front and rear wheels.

The motorbike has a single-channel anti-lock braking system, which means that only the front wheel is modulated and has a sensor at the disc brake. The front brake diameter is 280 mm, and the rear brake diameter gets 153 mm.

Suspension

Royal Enfield Himalayan features telescopic suspension in the front, whereas the rear gets equipped with a mono-shock. The twin forks in the front are 41 mm with 200 mm of travel, while the rear mono-shock with linkage gives 180 mm wheel travel.

Jawa 42 gets equipped with telescopic hydraulic forks in the front and a gas canister – twin shock hydraulic at the rear.

Wheel size and type

Royal Enfield Himalayan comes with a pair of spoke wheels, where the front is larger than the rear by over 100 mm. The front measures 457.2 mm, while the rear gets 431.8 mm.

Jawa 42 comes with a pair of alloy spoke wheels, where the front is marginally large than the rear. The front measures 533.4 mm, while the rear gets 431.8 mm.

Tyres

The factory-standard tyres of Royal Enfield Himalayan measure 90/90 21-inch at the front and 120/90 17-inch at the rear.

The tube tyres (of the motorcycle sold in the domestic market) are manufactured by CEAT, while Pirelli (MT-60) manufactures the tyres of the models sold in North America and the UK.

The factory-standard tyres of Jawa 42 measure 90/90 18-inch at the front and 120/90 17-inch at the rear.

Ground clearance

Royal Enfield Himalayan gets a ground clearance of 220 mm.

Jawa 42 entail a ground clearance of 165 mm.

Fuel capacity

The fuel tank of Royal Enfield Himalayan can store 15 litres of fuel.

The fuel tank of Jawa 42 can store fuel up to 14 litres.

Kerb Weight

The Royal Enfield Himalayan’s kerb weight gets 199 kg.

On the other hand, the Jawa 42’s kerb weight gets 172 kg.

Loading Capacity

The loading capacity of the Royal Enfield Himalayan is about 175 kg.

The loading capacity of Jawa 42 is about 165 kg.

Seat

Royal Enfield Himalayan features a step-up seat that can comfortably seat two people. With a front seat height of 800 mm, the upright seating position offers comfort to the rider even after hours of riding and is designed explicitly with touring in mind.

The rear portion of the seat allows a passenger (pillion rider) to be seated relatively high compared to the rider. The seat designed distributes rider and passenger weight evenly and provides greater comfort and a better riding experience.

Jawa 42 features a flat-type, wide seat that also can comfortably accommodate two people. The seat height is 765 mm and gives a standard riding position to a rider. The Jawa 42 2.1 gets an updated seat to provide better comfort to the riders.

Bore and stroke

The bore of the Royal Enfield Himalayan is 78 mm, while its stroke is 86 mm.

The bore of Jawa 42 is 76 mm, while its stroke is 65 mm.

Starting

Both Royal Enfield Himalayan and Jawa 42 come with self-starting mechanisms.

Dimensions

Royal Enfield Himalayan gets:

• 2190 mm long,
• 840 mm wide,
• 1370 mm tall
• a wheelbase of 1465 mm

Jawa 42 gets

• 2122 mm long,
• 789 mm wide,
• 1165 mm tall,
• A wheelbase of 1369 mm.

Dashboard

Royal Enfield Himalayan comes with a sophisticated dashboard featuring a tachometer and an analogue speedometer. The odometer is digitally displayed, and the same is with the trip-meter, gear position indicator, and the Ambient temperature gauge. It also features a digital compass, an analogue fuel gauge, and a low fuel warning lamp.

Jawa 42 comes with a single-pod instrument cluster, in which the analogue fuel gauge and speedometer get featured in vintage style. However, the odometer is digital and also has a small digital screen to show the time.

Side indicators and tail lights

The headlamp fits two orange side indicators in the front of Royal Enfield Himalayan. The rear mudguard gets fitted with similar side indicators as in the front. The tail lamp gets light-emitting diodes.

Jawa 42 features halogen side indicators both in the front and rear, and the round tail lamp is fitted just above the number plate.

Exhaust system

Royal Enfield Himalayan gets equipped with a chrome-plated, upward-sloping exhaust pipe that gives its thumping sound.

Jawa 42 comes fitted with a set of twin-exhaust pipes that gives it a retro look and a raspy and impressive sound.

Rear (pillion) grab rail:

Royal Enfield Himalayan features a small, traditional grab rail for the safety of pillion riders. In the previous BS-IV version, a rear luggage rack was in the place of the rail.

Jawa 42 comes with a new design for the pillion grab rail, which is small, sleek, and stylish.

Warranty

Royal Enfield Himalayan comes with a standard warranty of three years or 30,000, whichever comes first.

Jawa 42 comes with a standard warranty of two years or 24,000, whichever comes first.

Pros And Cons: Royal Enfield Himalayan vs Jawa 42

Pros Of Royal Enfield Himalayan:

• Good power and torque despite meeting BS-VI norms
• High ground clearance
• Excellent suspension
• Good touring and off-roading abilities
• Comfortable riding stance
• It gets fitted with several mounts and carriers, which can carry a wide range of luggage.
• Equipped with modern features such as LED lights and tripper navigation
• Some components feel and look more premium and rugged.

Pros Of Jawa 42 has:

• Robust brand image
• Allow wheels to provide extra convenience
• Improved fit and finish levels
• Tractable and usable motor
• Good 300cc engine
• Jawa 42 2.1 comes with a good dual-channel ABS

Cons Of Royal Enfield Himalayan

• Misses out on kickstart
• The seat height of 800 mm can be a bit too long for short riders
• Heavier than its predecessor
• The front screen has considerable optical distortion.

Cons Of Jawa 42

• The slightly unnatural riding posture
• Heavy gear shifts
• Lacks modern features such as LED lighting and connectivity module
• Little small and stocky in looks
• Built quality could get better

Conclusion

When it comes to comparing Royal Enfield Himalayan vs Jawa 42, both motorcycles have fierce competition.

If you want a tourer adventure motorbike for off-road and adventure biking, then Royal Enfield Himalayan 2021 is a good choice.

However, if you prefer to own a cruiser that evokes the charm of a classic motorcycle, then Jawa 42 is the right motorcycle.

Even though the two motorcycles offer similar power, speed, and mileage, their purpose of manufacturing makes them as different as chalk and cheese.