YEZDI SCRAMBLER
The second motorcycle from the lineup is the Scrambler. What I like about it is that it’s a genuine Scrambler. Yezdi has put in the work here with tuning the engine and suspension to make it feel like a completely different motorcycle. There’s the styling too. It has a beak up front, the upright handlebar and that tuck and roll seat. It has a 19-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear (spoked!) wheel coupled with long travel suspension that makes it look really purposeful.
Fire the engine up to life and get moving, and you will notice that the engine feels different. The Scrambler has been tuned to have a flatter torque curve and so it makes more torque at lower revs, though it peaks lower than the other motorcycles here. At lower revs, it feels slightly more responsive. The meat of the power is still concentrated higher up but you have a little more leeway here than with the other two motorcycles. Unlike the
Roadster, it has a single port exhaust which then splits in to twin exhausts. That said, vibes are still intrusive and especially so when the engine starts pulling strongly. The Scrambler is plenty of fun to ride. The ergos are brilliant — you sit upright and with the kind of rider’s triangle I really like. Out on the road, it feels nimble and enthusiastic. I didn’t feel like I was getting enough feedback from the front on tarmac and so I refrained from pushing it. The suspension is set up a little stiff so undulations do rattle you. I wasn’t expecting it so the first time I hit a bad patch, and expected the long travel suspension (150mm front / 130mm rear) to be more cosseting. But you do get used to it. And once you’re comfortable, stand up on the pegs and you can hammer through everything.
Off road, the Scrambler is a peach. Since it isn’t particularly large, you can have fun with it without being intimidated by its bulk. The engine’s delivery keeps things
THE SCRAMBLER FEELS LIKE AN EASYGOING DO-IT-ALL MOTORCYCLE
lively and once you’re up on the legs, the suspension deals with trails agreeably. There’s an off-road mode for the ABS that allows you to turn it off at the rear and hang the tail out as well.
The Scrambler was my favourite of the lot. It has the most spunk. It feels like an easy-going do-it-all motorcycle that you can commute on during the week and go trail / corner hunting on the weekends. It is a blend that works well for India. And the best part? It has no direct rival. The Svartpilen 250 may come close but it’s essentially a street naked. Yezdi has found a nice niche for itself here!