Best Vintage Style Motorcycles: 7 Of The Best Vintage Bikes In India

The older-gen Royal Enfield Bullet 350 really stands out as the king of vintage bikes! 

 

• Its cast iron engine emitted a certain sense of nostalgia and thump that no other bike ever could
• Yamaha, meanwhile, had legendary two-strokers like the RX100
• Honda got a piece of this pie with the iconic CD100 as well

 

Retro, vintage bikes are more than just two-wheelers that help you get from one place to another. In fact, they weren’t exactly bikes that packed performance that was way ahead of their time. What they packed was a truckload of emotions. Ride them once and you’ll be overwhelmed by the sheer charm and character they had. 

Some like the Bullet had the thump, while bikes like the RX100 had the ‘ring ding ding’ and wild character of a two-stroke engine. All in all, they packed something that people would remember for decades to come. So today let’s celebrate all those bikes and embark on a trip down memory lane to remember seven of the most important ones: 

 

1) Older-Gen Royal Enfield Bullet

 

Specifications	Royal Enfield Bullet 350
Engine	350cc engine
Maximum power	18PS
Maximum torque	32Nm
Transmission	4-speed
Tyre Size	Front: 3.25-19 Rear: 3.25-19

 

If you think the current-gen Royal Enfield Bullet 350 has a lot of character, you really should’ve ridden the older-gen one. The cast iron engine meant that the bike had a very heavy crank feel. And given that there were no electric starters back then, you had to kick-start the bike each time, which sort of did increase the emotional quotient between the rider and the bike. 

What the heavy crank feel did was ensure a connection between the rider and the bike. With each gearshift, there was so much mechanical noise that the rider truly felt that there was something butch going on below him. Yes, that ensured a lot of vibrations but it was often seen as the bike’s character. And to put all of that torque down, the Bullet used 18-inch wheels at both ends wrapped in chunky rubber.

 

2) Yamaha RX100

 

Specifications	Yamaha RX100
Engine	98.2cc
Maximum power	11PS
Maximum torque	10.39Nm
Transmission	4-speed
Tyre Size	Front: 2.50-18 Rear: 2.50-18

 

The Yamaha RX100 stands as a truly influential bike from the 1980s. Rolled out between 1985 and 1996, the RX100 redefined accessible performance and brought affordable two-stroke bikes into the spotlight. With 11 Bhp harnessed from a 100cc two-stroke engine, this 100 Kg motorcycle provided India with the speed it craved.

One inconvenience about the RX100 though, was its wire-spoke wheels, which obviously could only tubed tyres. So repairing punctures was always a task. 

 

3) Jawa Yezdi 350

 

Specifications	Jawa Yezdi 350
Engine	350cc engine
Maximum power	21PS
Maximum torque	NA
Transmission	5-speed
Tyre Size	Front: 3.25-16 Rear: 3.25-16

 

The Yezdi 350, a lesser counterpart to the Yamaha RD350, offered diminished power and torque compared to the Yamaha beast. Nevertheless, the simpler Yezdi 350 came at a more affordable price, a strategy Ideal Jawa banked on. Despite their efforts, the 2-stroke, parallel-engined Yezdi 350 never gained traction. Still, the Yezdi 350 retains a devoted fanbase as an iconic relic of the 1980s.

 

4) Honda Z50A

 

 

 

Specifications	Honda Z50A
Engine	49cc engine
Maximum power	4.5PS
Maximum torque	–
Transmission	Automatic
Tyre Size	Front: 3.50-8 Rear: 3.50-8

 

Honda revolutionised how the world saw commuting with the Z series of motorcycles. These were what the world called mini bikes. They were tiny, packed engines that were less than 100cc and had small wheels with quite skinny tyres. But what they packed was a lot of fun! Their engines were peppy and their small sizes meant that flicking them around in the city was a lot of fun. 

They were engineered in a manner that somehow even bigger riders felt quite comfortable on it. These bikes could be taken through corners, through small gaps in traffic and just cutting through traffic was a lot of fun. And with all of that, the engine had a retro, laidback feel that was quite joyous to ride. In fact, even if they were revved out, these engines stayed pretty smooth, in typical Honda fashion.  

 

5) 1964 Jawa 250

Specifications	Jawa 250
Engine	249cc engine
Maximum power	14PS
Maximum torque	21Nm
Transmission	4-speed

 

For those who found even the Yezdi 350 too furious, the Jawa 250 was a good alternative for them. The 249cc packed a punch that was just enough to keep the youngsters happy while not scaring them silly. At the same time, it was also enough for more experienced riders to have fun and the bike definitely did not feel slow. 

But like all Jawas from yesteryear, this one too packed a lot of character. The 2-stroke engine had a lot of character to it and every time one rode it, they got down feeling that they had ridden something masculine and macho. Arriving at your work or even school on it gave the rider a feeling that they really stood out among the crowd. 

 

6) Yamaha Rajdoot RD350

 

Specifications	Yamaha Rajdoot RD350
Engine	347cc engine
Maximum power	30.5PS
Maximum torque	32.3Nm
Transmission	6-speed
Tyre Size	Front: 3.00-18 Rear: 3.50-18

 

Preceding the RX100 was the Yamaha RD350, making its Indian debut in 1983 under the name Rajdoot 350. Sporting a 350cc twin-cylinder two-stroke engine, it churned out 28 Bhp in Low Torque mode and 31 Bhp in high torque mode. This power made the RD350 the envy of every speed enthusiast. However, the RD350 lagged behind 100cc bikes in fuel efficiency, which resulted in lacklustre sales and its discontinuation in 1989.

 

7) Honda CD100

 

Specifications	Honda CD100
Engine	97cc engine
Maximum power	7.5PS
Maximum torque	7.16Nm
Transmission	NA
Tyre Size	Front: 2.75-18 Rear: 2.75-18

 

Amongst all these retro beauties, people often end up sidelining the iconic Honda CD100. It was an icon because of two things: its looks and the engine. Despite being a 100cc bike, the CD100 looked like a relatively bigger one and packed an engine that was extremely charming.