Riding the Yezdi Adventure Powering the Yezdi Adventure is a 334 cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine that produces 29.2 BHP and 29.8 Nm. Over the years, the company has updated the engine mapping and gearing to better suit the bike’s character. In its current form, the engine impresses with its free-revving nature and strong low-end grunt. The motorcycle feels brisk off the line, and closing gaps in city traffic is easy. The motor is also tractable; I could comfortably ride at 30 km/h in 3rd gear without any hesitation. I didn’t face any stalling at low speeds, but there were a couple of instances where the bike needed an extra crank during cold starts. As for heat management, the radiator fan kicks in frequently, and some heat can be felt on the inner calves, though it isn’t enough to be a deal breaker. On the highway, the engine feels relaxed at triple-digit speeds. At 100 km/h, the motor sits at around 6,000 rpm in 6th gear, with enough power in reserve for quick overtakes. The Yezdi Adventure is well-suited for long-distance touring, aside from the slightly cramped lower-body ergonomics for taller riders. The six-speed gearbox is easy to operate and slots cleanly for the most part. The clutch lever is light too, making traffic conditions manageable. The loud, brappy exhaust note may sound unrefined to some, but I feel it adds character. As mentioned earlier, there are three ABS modes. Rain mode is the most intrusive and cuts in early. Off-Road mode disables the rear ABS, making it easier to slide the rear and navigate tighter off-road turns. Road mode is the default setting and felt non-intrusive on tarmac. Do note that the bike always starts up in Road mode regardless of the mode selected previously.Suspension and Handling The Yezdi Adventure uses telescopic forks up front and a 7-step preload-adjustable monoshock with linkages at the rear. While we don’t have the exact suspension travel figure, it feels generous. The setup absorbs bumps well at slow speeds. However, it isn’t as plush as the Hero XPulse 210 or the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. There’s a hint of firmness, which helps with high-speed stability, but the rear could use better rebound damping. On a couple of occasions, I was tossed off the seat when hitting large bumps at higher speeds. For a motorcycle weighing over 190 kg, the Yezdi Adventure handles reasonably well. Despite the 21-inch front wheel, manoeuvring through city traffic feels easy, and quick direction changes don’t require much effort. Beginner riders might find the motorcycle slightly top-heavy. Lifting it off the side stand is straightforward, though. As noted earlier, our test unit didn’t have the standard tank cage fitted, which would add more weight up top.Off-roading with the Yezdi Adventure On paper, the Yezdi Adventure has most of the hardware needed for competent off-road performance. It gets a large front wheel, 220 mm of ground clearance, long-travel suspension, and a linkage-type monoshock. However, the high kerb weight and top-heaviness do hold it back slightly. It took me a couple of days to get fully comfortable pushing the bike on off-road trails. Thanks to the improved low-end grunt, the engine has enough punch to pull you out of tricky situations, and I didn’t need to constantly feather the clutch over rocky sections. With traction control turned off, the rear wheel spins easily with a hard twist of the throttle. Grip from the tyres on loose surfaces could be better, though. The rear suspension also tends to kick back when riding fast over broken terrain, which reduces confidence during aggressive off-road riding.Refinement & NVHRefinement levels are well-sorted. Vibrations are minimal up to 6,000 rpm. Beyond that, a slight buzz can be felt through the pegs and handlebar, gradually increasing as you approach the 8,500 rpm redline. Overall, NVH levels are well controlled.BrakingBraking hardware includes a 320 mm front disc and a 240 mm rear disc with ByBre calipers. Performance is more than adequate, with the front delivering decent bite. The rear lever has a soft feel, which helps modulate braking off-road. Under very hard braking, the tyres tend to squeal, which limits braking performance to some extent.Closing ThoughtsTo sum up, the Yezdi Adventure feels like a much-improved motorcycle compared to its early versions. There’s still room for refinement, particularly in the rear suspension damping and tyre performance. While we didn’t encounter any major mechanical issues during our test, small quirks-like the extra cranks needed during cold starts and the traction control not working on our unit-do leave a sour aftertaste. The company also needs to ensure its service centres are equipped to handle issues reliably. That aside, the rest of the package is well-sorted, and the Yezdi Adventure now fills the gap left by the Himalayan 411. Its styling, engine refinement, performance, and touring ability work in its favour. And with prices starting just under the Rs 2 lakh mark, it stands out as a solid value-for-money adventure-touring option. Read Team-BHP’s detailedYezdi Adventure Review here.
