I’m Tragically in Love with This Under-the-Radar Motorcycle Brand’s Insanely Affordable New Cruiser

The Jawa 350 Legacy Edition presents a tempting little package of pluckiness and price, tempered by heartbreakingly limited availability.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published February 26, 2025

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Updated March 4, 2025

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“You want it all but you can’t have it / It’s in your face, but you can’t grab it.”

So sings Mike Patton in the epic Faith No More song, um, “Epic.” And those are exactly the words that come to mind when I behold the new Jawa 350 Legacy Edition motorcycle.

jawa 350 legacy edition green — The windshield, crash guard and backrest are specific to the Legacy Edition. The classic good looks come standard.

Because my fellow two-wheeling Americans and I are so ready for a punchy little cruiser like this one, but barring an unforeseen miracle, it won’t be hitting our highways.

We can always daydream, though, can’t we? Let’s take a look and see if this eye-catching bike justifies such a flight of fancy.

Cheap thrills

Quick background on Jawa as a brand: It was founded by František Janeček in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1929, after he acquired the motorcycle division of German vehicle manufacturer Wanderer.

He derived the brand’s moniker by combining the first two letters of his last name and that brand name.

The Legacy Edition features a 334cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine delivering roughly 22 bhp at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. That’s not exactly mind-blowing power, but it’s enough oomph for flicking around the city and even hitting the highway — though I’d steer well clear of any nearby semis.

The company grew into a top moto maker, selling its good-looking, smooth-riding 350 model in more than 120 countries, peaking in the 1950s before dropping off in the 1990s.

In late 2018, Indian auto maker Mahindra & Mahindra licensed the name and its Classic Legends sub-brand began bringing Jawa’s iconic style back to life.

Naturally, they had to revive the 350, and this Legacy Edition honors one year of producing that bike for the Indian market.

Like the standard Jawa 350, the Legacy Edition features a 334cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine delivering roughly 22 bhp at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm.

jawa 350 legacy edition denim — Legacy Edition assets are quite limited, but this 350’s mods give you a pretty good idea of the look.

That’s not exactly mind-blowing power, but it’s enough oomph for flicking around the city and even hitting the highway — though I’d steer well clear of any nearby semis.

It also features a double-cradle frame, spoked wheels, telescopic forks in front and twin shocks in back, plus disc brakes and dual-channel ABS.

The 6-speed gearbox’s slip-and-assist clutch makes for easy shifting, while the saddle height of just over 31 inches should keep things fairly manageable for shorter and newer riders.

Where this new iteration departs from the standard model is with three notable touring-oriented upgrades.

It gets a windshield, a comfort-boosting pillion backrest (for the passenger) and a crash guard, which protects the engine if, God forbid, the bike were to tip.

jawa 350 legacy edition sand — The ratio of red paint to shiny chrome is perfectly balanced to turn heads without getting you pulled over on sight.

Of course, the real draw is that retro look, which instantly issues a challenge to brands such as Royal Enfield, which reliably delivers stunning retro looks in surprisingly small packages.

I specifically recall a weekend spent test-riding RE’s Meteor 350 a few years ago, and I imagine this new Jawa would deliver a similarly charming experience.

But whereas that bike had a starting price of $4,399 in 2021, the Jawa 350 Legacy Edition’s price tag is roughly equivalent to $2,400 USD.

Which means even with taxes and other fees, this bike would be one hell of a deal if it ever landed stateside. Dream on.