Yezdi Scrambler

Why to buy it? 

- Looks fantastic

- Lots of modern features

- Multiple charging options

Why to avoid it? 

- 334cc engine has poor NVH

- Stiffer springs at the back

- Overall quality isn't upto the mark

India is quite new to the world of scramblers. There have been few in the market but either they are too expensive or just a cosmetic answer to the word scrambler. But slowly, it has been picking up momentum in the affordable spectrum, thanks to Yezdi. The brand launched a motorcycle called ‘Scrambler’ and to be honest, it is more than just a cosmetic scrambler. We had a test motorcycle for a few days, and we made sure to make full use of it. 

Now, this is where the Yezdi Scrambler scores the most. Obviously, there’s no rating system here, but a quick look at the Scrambler makes you give it full marks. There are a lot of things that the brand has gotten right when it comes to the aesthetics of the motorcycle. Firstly, the design flow – starting from the front fender to the fuel tank and seat and finally, the tail section. The lines are clean and there aren’t a lot of components to give the motorcycle a disproportionate look. Then, fork gaiters, dual-purpose tyres, scrambler seat, and handguards bring out the ruggedness of the motorcycle. This combination makes the Scrambler an extremely aspirational motorcycle.  

But then it starts to lose some points when we get into its quality aspect. The overall fit and finish aren’t up to the mark. The plastic quality could have been so much better. In fact, the chassis welds look quite poor and then there’s the tail rack that is hugely misaligned. These aspects clearly showcase the lack of finesse while assembling this motorcycle. 

The Scrambler gets a super accessible seat height. So it is quite friendly for all kinds of riders. However, once on the motorcycle, the taller riders could face some issues. While the overall seating ergonomics are quite good, thanks to a wider handlebar, centre-set footpegs, and wide seat, the higher position of the rider’s pegs makes things a tad uncomfortable. Now the bike feels fine in the city, but when you are on the saddle for long hours, that angular legs position creates some stress on the lower body. And sadly, there’s no fix for this. 

The 334cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor offers healthy performance figures. We are talking about 28.7bhp of peak power and 28.2Nm of torque. Now honestly, the numbers might be less impressive for some, but in the real world, the Scrambler churns out a good riding experience. The bike has linear and accessible power delivery. It has the ability to quickly reach triple-digit speeds and stay there for long. The throttle is responsive and crisp. However, the overall experience of this motor makes it less aspirational. The engine is vibey, feels harsh most of the time, and doesn’t want to stay at higher revs for long.  

That said, in the city, the Scrambler feels involving to ride. It gets a wider handlebar and that means you have more leverage. It feels lighter to ride around the city traffic. The clutch is light to use. The gear shifts are precise. The brakes, too, work quite well with good bite and progression. All these factors make the Scrambler a good city companion.  

The bike doesn’t really have the ground clearance that is needed for hardcore off-road fun and the travel on the front suspension is not too much. This clearly suggests that the Yezdi scrambler is more of an urban city bike. But to be honest, I had a lot of fun with the Scrambler. The motorcycle is super easy to ride. You can manoeuvre the way you want it. The wide handlebar allows you to have more control off-road. While the turning radius is quite large, the bike gives you the option to just slide the rear and get a quick turn done. This is obviously only possible in the off-road ABS where there’s no ABS activated at the rear wheel.  

The folks at Yezdi have managed to give this bike some relevant features. It gets liquid-cooling, a six-speed gearbox, and LED lights throughout. Then there are the multiple riding modes that also control the ABS. So when the off-road riding mode is activated, the ABS at the rear wheel is disabled. The instrument cluster gets a good layout, but it performs extremely poorly in daylight conditions. The fonts and the data were not legible at all. However, at night, things are far easier. 

The Scrambler is also equipped with USB as well as Type-C charging, which honestly, is a really good feature to have. However, the placement of this feature looks more like an afterthought. 

The Yezdi Scrambler returned a fuel efficiency of just 23kmpl and to be honest, this number is quite poor for a motorcycle this size. So, with a fuel tank capacity of 12.5litres, the Scrambler can be ridden for approximately 280km before needing to enter a fuel station. 

The Scrambler looks fantastic. Its overall design traits make it extremely aspirational. Then there are the features – it is not too exhaustive but things like multiple riding modes, switchable ABS, and phone charging options make it an excellent choice for daily as well as weekend use. And there’s the brand value of Yezdi that makes a lot of riders associate with it. However, this bike is still not a perfect package and definitely not a value for money – blame the unimpressive quality, harsh sound engine, and stiff rear springs. You should buy the new Yezdi Scrambler if you are in the market for something new, stylish, and want something that can be a little friendly in the dirt, but are also ready to live with some of its above-mentioned irritations.  

Photography by Kapil Angane