Jawa 42 2.1 vs Royal Enfield Meteor 350: Which One To Buy?

Retro-modern roadster vs cruiser: We help you choose the right one

Jawa recently launched the updated Jawa Forty Two 2.1 in the country. One of its primary rivals is the Royal Enfield Meteor 350. If you’re planning to buy one and are confused between the two, this should help you make a more informed decision:

Buy the Jawa 42 2.1 if you value performance over anything else:

The Jawa Forty Two 2.1 is powered by a 293cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that makes 27.33PS and 27.02Nm. While it makes as much torque as the Meteor 350, the Jawa is a whole 7PS more powerful than the 350cc Royal Enfield cruiser. Moreover, the inherent sophistication of a liquid-cooled engine along with the 6-speed transmission means the Jawa shouldn’t shy away from sustaining speeds well above 100kmph.

The suspension is on the firmer side. While the ride quality may be harsh at low speeds, things smoothen up once you pick up pace. Moreover, the bike is quite agile for its class. Despite having a short wheelbase, it can hold its line along the corners too. However, you’ll have to be wary of the side stand or the exhaust scraping while cornering too hard. 

In terms of features, the Jawa Forty Two is still fairly basic. It continues to use a halogen headlamp, analogue instrument cluster with a digital inset for twin tripmeters, and an odometer. The info on the instrument cluster is run-of-the-mill really. There is no gear-position indicator or a real-time mileage indicator either. However, for optimum safety, Jawa offers dual-channel ABS as standard. To know more about how the bike performs in the real world, check this out.

Buy the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 if you want a feature-rich, laidback cruiser:

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350’s 349cc air-cooled counterbalanced motor is ideal for cruising at 90-105kmph. It may not be as performance-oriented as a liquid-cooled engine but is good enough for laidback mile-munching. Moreover, the upright riding stance, coupled with the forward-set footpegs, ensures you can cover long distances effortlessly. The wider steering lock angle also makes it easy to weave through traffic.

For the first time in its history, Royal Enfield is offering a smartphone-compatible instrument cluster in the Meteor 350. The bike features a dedicated pod for turn-by-turn navigation. Also, the primary semi-digital instrument cluster shows useful information like real-time mileage, gear position, and a clock, among other data. 

To top things off, Royal Enfield is providing a three-year warranty as standard on the Meteor. You could extend it to two more years, which should bring down maintenance costs substantially. Here is the pricing and every other detail about the warranty packages. And if you’re wondering how the bike feels to ride, check out our road test review here.