First-Ever Jawa Yezdi Nomads Trail Attack: Off-Road Training & Riding Experience

Even in its modern avatar, Yezdi has decided to keep this culture of group rides going. One of the first initiatives taken by the brand to keep it going is the introduction of the Nomads Trail Ride. It is an off-road ride experience targeted specifically at owners of the Yezdi Scrambler and Yezdi Adventure. If this gets you wondering just why Yezdi chose to go the off-road way first, read on.

Yezdi & Its Off-Road Heritage

There is no doubt that Yezdi's motorcycles of the past were a beautiful sight on the almost empty Indian roads back then. With their gleaming chrome engine covers and twin exhaust pipe, the iconic metallic exhaust note, etc. They were a hard-to-miss sight on the roads of some Indian cities.

However, these motorcycles created a much better impression off-road. Yezdi's motorcycle absolutely dominated the Indian rallying theatre for several years in a row. These motorcycles would rumble down rally stages at full throttle leaving behind a trail of dirt and a whole lot of white smoke.

These were road motorcycles like the Yezdi Roadking that were then modified for off-road use and they left motorsport enthusiasts mesmerized. Even to this day, Yezdi's motorcycles remain among the most iconic rally bikes to ever grace Indian roads. Little surprise then, that Yezdi launched two off-road-ready motorcycles when it returned to the market earlier this year.

The Off-Road-Ready Yezdi Motorcycles

Yes, it is the Yezdi Scrambler and the Yezdi Adventure that we are talking about. Though it looks like both motorcycles are powered by the same engine, they are completely different machines. The only common ground between them is their ability to go off-road.

It is quite obvious that these motorcycles are off-road ready. The Scrambler features minimalistic bodywork with a dirt bike-style mudguard up front, the spoked wheels shod with MRF Kurve dual-purpose tyres further make it look more off-road-ready. The Scrambler features a ground clearance of 200mm.

Then comes the Yezdi Adventure. This motorcycle is a proper ADV and certainly looks the part with its tall stance. The Yezdi Adventure rides on spoked wheels shod with off-road Ceat GRIPP tyres. Furthermore, both motorcycles feature switchable ABS modes - Road, Rain & Off-Road. In off-road mode, ABS is active only on the front wheel while the rear wheel is free to slide about, which is a necessity in the off-road mode.

Both the Scrambler and the Adventure are powered by the same 334cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine. The output though, has a slight variation. The Yezdi Adventure is the most-powerful motorcycle here with a maximum power output of 29.7bhp at 8,000rpm and a peak torque output of 29.9Nm at 6,500rpm.

The Scrambler makes do with a little lower output. The same engine puts out 28.7bhp at 8,000rpm and 28.2Nm at 6,750rpm. A 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch drives the rear wheel on both motorcycles. Quite obviously then, these are motorcycles that were meant to go off-road.

Any motorcycle with a dedicated off-road mode is obviously meant to be taken off-road and that is exactly what Nomads Trail Attack made owners of these two motorcycles do.

The First-Ever Jawa-Yezdi Nomads Trail Attack Off-Road Ride

Nomads Trail Attack, in the words of Yezdi, is a one-of-a-kind rider training program aimed at enabling customers to get to know their motorcycles better by learning the riding techniques to take them off-road. It is an easy self-paced training program that allows the users to ride their bikes safely on gravel roads & trails.

The location plays a major role in the success of such an event and Motofarm - The Dirt Playground seemed like the perfect place to do it. The huge dirt track, the remote location, and the many natural trails on the hills that surround the property give riders a perfect mix of different types of off-road terrain.

The professional riders at Motofarm were on hand to train participants in the little nuances of off-road riding. Nilesh Dhumal, Dishank Gowda, and Durgesh were there to take us through the training session before we actually got to ride the bikes off-road.

Minimal Usage Of The Clutch

The first exercise for the riders was aimed at minimizing the usage of the clutch. Using the clutch while braking is one of the most primitive mistakes made by off-roading newbies and this exercise was designed to teach riders not to do so.

It involved going around a circle marked by cones without using the clutch. In order to make sure riders weren't using the clutch, we were asked to have our left hand in the air. The next level of riding we were asked to do was to have the left hand in the air while standing and riding.

This section also involved throttle modulation as we were asked not to brake while negotiating the circular off-road section. The next section of the training too would involve throttle modulation.

Slalom Section

Any motorcycle training session is bound to involve the usage of a slalom section. Cones were lined up on a section of Motofarm and riders were asked to ride through them, obviously without touching the cones.

However, this was much more than just avoiding the cones. It was an exercise to train the riders in clutch modulation, brake loading, and throttle modulation. The brakes were to be loaded throughout the manoeuver while the clutch and throttle were to be modulated.

Loading the brake simply means, there is lesser upward movement of the front suspension while accelerating, and this, in turn, results in increased grip levels at the front end. The slalom course also trains riders in the necessary hip movement to counterbalance cornering while off-road.

Off-Road Emergency Braking

There will always be a scenario while riding off-road where one would have to hit the brakes in order to avoid hitting something. This section of the training was to help riders gauge their motorcycles' off-road braking prowess.

A pair of cones indicated where the riders must brake while another pair of cones indicated an obstacle that the rider must not hit. Each rider was allowed to reach a comfortable speed before reaching the braking zone.

This test also demonstrated the effectiveness of the three ABS modes seen on the Yezdi Scrambler and Yezdi Adventure. In the road mode, the wheels didn't lock up, but there was quite a bit of struggle from the ABS module and this was felt through the pulsating brake levers.

The pulsation increased when it was switched to rain mode as the ABS sensitivity increased too. However, the most effective ABS mode as you might have already guessed was the off-road mode. The rear wheel locked up pretty easily while the front didn't lock up at all. This allowed for more control especially when we wanted to make a directional change while braking.

Once this was done, it was time to hit the dirt track, or as Motofarm calls it, the dirt playground.

The Motofarm Dirt Track

Comprising jumps, corners, loose mud, tight mud, undulations and a couple of fast sections, the dirt track at Motofarm was an absolute riot to ride on. All the riders on their respective motorcycles were led out by Durgesh in a single file and each rider tackled each obstacle at a pace comfortable to them.

There were a couple of crashes, but it was nothing serious. A few others were more comfortable with going a bit faster and a few overtakes took place. After an exhausting four laps in the scorching sun, riders went scampering for some shade and a water break was due. This was even more so because up next was the trail ride.

Yezdi Motorcycles On The Trail

The main man at Motofarm, Dishank Gowda led all the participants out of the Motofarm property and into the hills that surround it. After riding on tarmac for around 5 kilometres, we went off the beaten path.

It was a fast-paced ride and some of us kept up with the lead rider while others caught up once we stopped. It was here that Dishank revealed, that this track we were riding on was a rally stage in the Indian National Rally Championship. This certainly lifted spirits. The trail became narrower as we went and then came the point where we were asked to turn back.

According to Dishank, the trail ahead was too narrow and treacherous for everyone to ride through. However, recognizing that we were a little more adventurous and experienced, he offered to give us an exclusive ride through this trail.

It was indeed a challenging trail. Extremely narrow and full of rocky declines, we made it out safely and then suddenly realised that the Yezdi Adventure we were astride was surprisingly good.

Yezdi Scrambler & Yezdi Adventure Off-Road Performance

During the first ride review of the Yezdi Scrambler& Yezdi Adventure, we didn't really realise just how good these motorcycles could be off-road. This was because we didn't really spend enough time astride them. Now though, thanks to the Nomads Trail Attack, we spent a few hours astride the Yezdi motorcycles and it is a revelation.

Both motorcycles are extremely capable off-roaders and depending on the rider's skill, can tackle most off-road obstacles and trails. However, the Yezdi Adventure thanks to its higher ground clearance, longer travel suspension and proper off-road tyres, has the edge when it comes to off-road ability.

It has a very comfortable stand-up riding position and one can easily spend hours standing up and riding it. With its liquid-cooled engine, it is calm and relaxed even at highway speeds, making it a brilliant touring motorcycle too.

Thoughts On Jawa Yezdi Nomads Trail Attack Off-Road Ride

Riding a motorcycle off-road is a fun experience and is something everyone must experience at least once, but it is no child's play. Some training is required in order to have a safe off-road ride and it is good to see brands taking the initiative and training their customers in safe off-road riding. The Yezdi Scrambler and Adventure, on the other hand, were simply fabulous and left us wanting more.