Motorcycle Jawa 350 Californian 1970 review
Description of the Jawa 350 Californian 1970 motorcycle is in the queue for publication of the article. Announcement: Today, for almost every new motorcycle that comes into being, marketers strive to carve out their own niche. This one is a road sport, this one is a recreational enduro. But what class should we include a motorcycle that has a little bit of everything? A good bike should have a reliable engine, comfortable ergonomics and simple controls...
Jawa 350 Californian is a motorcycle not sold in Russia, equipped with a low-power 18 hp engine. Despite the fact that good models of motorcycles have a very respectable price, and the season for their use is relatively short, the motorcycle market is developing rapidly. And if you believe the words of dealers, then some models of recently released motorcycles are selling like hot cakes at the beginning of the season, and the models brought to Russia are clearly not enough to fully satisfy consumer demand.
A motorcycle has long ceased to be an alternative to a car, and the times when this equipment was bought only because there was not enough money for a full-fledged car are forgotten. Nowadays, two-wheelers can be called technological marvels in many cases, and their cost can be compared with that of prestigious cars.
Many people have started buying motorcycles for hobby purposes as riding or even collecting them has become a good pastime for many people. Many motorcycles, for example the Jawa 350 Californian, whose technical characteristics make it possible to call the model a prestigious brand, are in demand among both beginners and experienced motorcyclists.
Currently, it is impossible to purchase a new Jawa 350 Californian motorcycle from the 1970 model year, since their production stopped 46 years ago. At the same time, the Jawa 350 Californian has excellent technical characteristics, so many people strive to purchase, if not a new, then at least a used version.
Motorcycles with an engine capacity of 343.5 cc / 20.96 cu in. see, appeared as a result of long work of inventors who sought to create a model that was not inferior in characteristics to other versions of the motorcycle. In some cases, these models are not only not inferior, but also ahead of other motorcycles, as they have minimal fuel consumption and other excellent parameters.
Motorcycles from 250 to 400 kb. see which includes the Jawa 350 Californian - this is the most common class of motorcycles. In this range you already have a choice among almost all classes of motorcycles. Many people call this category the most suitable for a first motorcycle. You can purchase a moderately heavy, powerful and flexible motorcycle for relatively little money. Many people advise taking a road bike with a 400 cc engine as your first choice. We cannot completely agree with this, because such motorcycles often weigh about 200 kg and have a sufficient power reserve. If your skills in riding a two-wheeled vehicle are limited to a training motorcycle at a motorcycle school, then you should not immediately take such a device. Many beginners get into ridiculous accidents simply because they do not know all the features of operating such equipment. After all, the heavier and more powerful the motorcycle, the better you should know how to handle it in different situations. Even a monkey can just drive in a straight line (no joke).
Go to the entire range of Jawa motorcycles, on this page you can find Jawa 350 Californian motorcycles from other years of production and information about them
Shards of the past: Jawa 350 Lux review
Once upon a time, Czech motorcycles rode and looked no worse than German ones: already in the 30s, red motorcycles with the word Jawa on the chrome tank were considered one of the most modern and progressive in the world. The Second World War hit the plant hard, and the post-war world demanded other motorcycles: simple and cheap. However, simple does not mean terrible: the first two-stroke Javas differed from their competitors primarily in style and quality.
It is not surprising that, against the backdrop of everything that the Soviet industry was doing, expensive Czech foreign cars looked especially good: people dreamed about them and stood in lines just to get the coveted “Java”. The 350 evolved, but remained true to its two-stroke concept, "old lady", "stripe", "banana" - each generation received a proper name.
"Java" attracts the views of others more than any "Harley"
It was high demand that ruined the plant: while competitors from capital countries had to scratch for the buyer, look for new meanings while simultaneously responding to the challenges of the time, in the Czech Republic they did not have time to satisfy the existing demand. Why come up with something new when there’s a turn for the old? That’s why the collapse of the USSR was a real blow for the Czech plant: there was no one to sell their motorcycles.
Competitors have long mastered four-stroke engines and much larger motorcycles, and little-worn Japanese equipment has poured into the expanses of the former USSR: why do you need a stunted “Java” when for the money you can find an old Japanese “liter” that looks like it came straight out of a science fiction movie? Everyone forgot about “Java” for a good two decades, except for rare true fans.
The new headlight does not look as authentic as the old one, but the turn signals are elegant, old-fashioned
It was necessary to try all the Japanese consumer goods, set the teeth on edge with Italian and American delicacies in order to remember again about it, the motorcycle from childhood. Surprisingly, unlike dozens of other factories, Jawa remained afloat and continued to produce motorcycles, the same old ones, although with some changes. One of them, Jawa 640.143 Lux, turned out to be our test.
Video version of the review and test drive of Jawa 350 Lux:
The motorcycle is almost new, differing from the devices of the current 2018 model year only in the presence of an Oilmaster separate lubrication system and an electric starter. Yes, on new motorcycles, like on old Soviet ones, these options will not be available. Back to the Future! By the way, the motorcycle itself, which we will talk about today, appeared already in 1984, it was called Jawa 638-5-00 and was actually a transitional model between the previous generation with the index 634 and the new one, which received a different tail design and the index 638-0- 00 in 1987.
The chrome-plated exhaust raised up is a characteristic feature of all 640s
It was he who was destined to become the last mass "Java" in the post-Soviet space, and it was with him that the plant entered a crisis. It is not surprising that the next update happened already in 1995 and came down solely to replacing the expensive steel tail with cheaper plastic. But the motorcycle received a front disc brake and a new index 640, with which it has survived to this day practically unchanged.
Cornering in Java is not comfortable - thin wheels and low torsional rigidity of the chassis do not contribute to the ride on the ears
The height of the fashion for retro and nostalgia spurred Jawa to create several nostalgic models of a classic look, including the 640: in 2013, a “classic” version of this motorcycle appeared, different from the basic version, with a metal tail from the 634 model, fashionable in the early eighties last century. The motorcycle turned out to be beautiful, however, due to the too high price, it was not widely used in our market, while the regular 640 sells relatively well, although its price tag cannot be called low. So why do people pay themselves 300 thousand rubles as adults?
The cost of Java is lower than other old-timers that can be bought new today
If you have driven the 638 Java, consider that you have already read the test; there are no changes to the chassis, and the landing remains the same: vertical, with a narrow steering wheel close to the pilot and a not wide tank. The eighties as they are! And this is great, because competitors are only trying to copy the aesthetics of bygone times and hide newfangled electronics under shiny trinkets, but Jawa is not trying to look old, it is old.
A two-stroke engine on a road motorcycle today looks like an anachronism, but it’s not like everyone else’s
And even though the plastic wing with tail feathers looks cheaper than metal, the Czechs’ attempt to rejuvenate the appearance only emphasizes its real age. The same applies to the dashboard - the old-style tidy with two glasses and metal arrows looked more interesting than a monochrome monitor. But the functionality is wider - here you have a whole set of indicator lamps, a speedometer with a tape tachometer, and a watch with an odometer and two daily mileage counters. I think I even found a stopwatch in it!
The digital dashboard doesn’t look good on Java, but it’s much more convenient than analog needles
Especially such “modernities” look contrasting against the background of old remote controls, the switch bosses of which are on steel legs, and the chrome tank cap, which, it seems, has not changed since the 60s. The same applies to the old, original “Java” steering wheel handles and levers - little things that create the mood and only sharpen the tactile sensations of this time machine.
From the saddle, a classic in its purest form!
But once you start the engine... It’s not so simple: first open the fuel valve, pull out the choke, and only then press the electric starter button. By the way, the Java does not have a separate kick starter; instead, you can start the engine by first turning the gearbox pedal to the upper position. Sweet blue smoke fills the air around until it warms up - it smokes especially, remove the choke, and you're good to go! What, greenhouse kids, with their injectors, forgot how normal motorcycles start?!
And the smoke of the patronymic is sweet and pleasant to us! The characteristic blue exhaust is another feature of Java.
The main feature of the Jawa 640 is the so-called “semi-automatic”. In fact, it is an ordinary mechanics with some semblance of a quickshifter, which allows you to change gears without the participation of a rather tight clutch lever on the steering wheel in the process. In fact, it is duplicated by the gearbox pedal, which, before engaging the gear, itself depresses the clutch. It looks especially great at the moment of start, when you can move away smoothly by releasing the gearbox pedal, and not the clutch lever. Original and really convenient!
Semi-automatic clutch - the ancestor of modern quick shifters
But the engine, by today’s standards, is simply not there: 23 horsepower, which, according to rumors, can be increased to 26 simply by removing the limit washer located between the carburetor and the cylinder, is decidedly not enough for a motorcycle in the twenty-first century. The two-cylinder two-stroke engine is in no hurry to spin up and reluctantly responds to the extremely tight throttle grip, vibrations that turn into itching, a characteristic sound and smell.
The rear brake pedal is not very informative, but quite effective
If you are close to the aesthetics of engines of the past, you can’t imagine anything better, but if not, “Java” can become a real nightmare! The acceleration dynamics are sluggish, the engine's bottom end is not enough, and the main torque reaches thousands of three or four revolutions. It’s not for nothing that they say “he who understands life is in no hurry” - if you drive the Java too fast, you will no longer be able to enjoy the delight of passers-by who recognize the motorcycle of your youth.
The ergonomics of the saddle are far from modern ideas about comfort, which is good!
The eighties also reign in the chassis - the concept of torsional rigidity seems to be absent, the wheels are thin, which is why it’s better not to even think about quickly cornering and filing sliders on a racing suit. The frame and suspensions are played with, and the overall geometry is unusual - it seems that the device itself goes into a turn, and unlike modern motorcycles, you don’t have to tilt it down, but, on the contrary, lift it up so as not to drop it on its side.
The device cannot be called dynamic, but for a weekend motorcycle the engine is sufficient
But maneuverability - the dry weight is only 149 kilograms, the motorcycle is narrow, the steering wheel turns at a fairly wide angle, which makes squeezing into the aisles a real pleasure. The suspension was also pleasantly surprised - the rear shock absorbers are dense, even too dense, and do not contribute to the swing, it is a pity that the fork is somewhat softer and desperately bites when braking, but, again, in comparison with modern standards.
The thin fork cannot boast of having adjustments, but it works decently
Surely you can’t compare a motorcycle from the past with them? After all, it will immediately turn out that there are not many brakes here, although they exist: in front there is one disc with a two-piston floating caliper, in the rear there is an original “drum” with a rather soft, but too high pedal - in order to press it, you have to lift your foot from the footrest. At the same time, the front brake lever, on the contrary, is too rigid and not transparent: you have to press very, very hard, receiving a not very linear deceleration in response.
The disc brake does not spoil the look, and it works somewhat better than the drum
However, it is easier to modify a disk mechanism, if desired, than a drum mechanism. The same applies to suspensions, because today nothing prevents you from pouring thicker oil into the fork. But the wheels on spokes and chrome rims, mufflers and old turn signals with shiny rims look up, the chain hidden in the casing and the beautiful aluminum engine crankcase set a mood that cannot be achieved by tuning something else.
From the rear, the motorcycle remains recognizable; Czech charisma cannot be confused with anything else.
And in general, the opportunity to put your hands on a motorcycle today is not a problem, but, on the contrary, a feature, because these motorcycles are not bought at all in order to ride them every day. It is precisely the title of a “weekend” motorcycle that allows you to look past the dynamics and handling from a different perspective, because for ten years now they have moved from the category of shortcomings to the category of features that make up this device. Real, iron, with its own unique character.
Photos of Jawa 350 Lux:
We thank the “Java to Order” motorcycle dealership for providing us with a motorcycle for testing.
Accreditation and organization of test drives – Denis Sokolov | | +7 (999) 851-49-71
