Do you ever find yourself scrolling foreign bike sites, lingering on retro rides that look so good you can’t help but feel a little jealous? That’s exactly the kind of reaction the new Yezdi Roadster might get from riders in the US. It’s not a name you’ll spot at your local dealer (at least not yet) but it’s a brand with real history.
Back in the 1960s, brothers Rustom and Farrokh Irani brought licensed Jawa motorcycles to India and gave them the Yezdi name. Those two-stroke machines became icons, loved for their ruggedness and distinctive sound. Production stopped in the mid-90s, but the legend never really died.
Fast forward to 2022, and Yezdi was reborn by Classic Legends, a Mahindra & Mahindra subsidiary that has made a business out of bringing storied motorcycle names back to life. Alongside Yezdi, they’ve revived Jawa for the Indian market and BSA for international riders, starting with the UK-built Gold Star 650. Having those three heritage brands under one roof gives Classic Legends serious credibility in the retro space.
Now we’re looking at the 2025 Yezdi Roadster, a cruiser that feels like it was built for people who want a little more style and personality in their daily ride. It’s got a 334cc liquid-cooled thumper putting out around 29 horsepower and 21 pound-feet of torque, enough to make city rides and weekend cruises fun without being intimidating for the uninitiated.
Meanwhile, the design takes cues from bobbers, with a chopped rear fender, fender-mounted number plate, split seat with a removable pillion, and a freshly styled tail light. LED lighting and a wider rear tire round it out, and if you’re the type who likes to make a bike your own, there are six factory kits with different handlebars, visors, crash guards, and touring accessories.
As for underpinnings, you get a 320mm front disc, 240mm rear disc, dual-channel ABS, telescopic forks, and twin rear shocks. Seat height is an easy-to-manage 31.3 inches, and the wheelbase sits at 56.7 inches, giving it a balanced stance that’s friendly to newer riders. Yezdi’s home market gets a long warranty, roadside assistance, and a wide service network, which makes it even more appealing. But that’s one of many things that would need to be figured out if it ever came to the US.
And that’s where the “what if” comes in. Small-displacement bikes have been steadily gaining fans stateside. They’re affordable, approachable, and perfect for riders who want something cool and manageable. We’ve seen it with the Royal Enfield 350s, Honda Rebel 300, and CFMoto’s crop of 450cc machines. The Roadster fits right in with that crowd, offering heritage, personality, and just enough performance to keep things interesting. It’s the kind of bike you could imagine as a first ride, a stylish commuter, or even a second bike for someone who already has a big touring rig in the garage.
So for now, we get to look at it from afar, the way we’ve done with plenty of bikes that never made it stateside, wondering how it would feel to roll one out of the garage on a sunny Sunday morning. And maybe one day, if Yezdi decides to take the leap across the pond, that curiosity will finally get an answer.
Sources: The Financial Express, Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles
