First look at the Mahindra Mojo
First unveiled by actor Aamir Khan in 2010, the Mahindra Mojo is finally coming on the Indian roads. Mahindra has taken a long time to launch this bike and let’s see whether they have done a good job of it or not.
Back in 2010, bikes of this kind were not common in India, but now with the KTMs, Enfields, Harleys, Ducatis easily available, the Mojo already has a list of competitors. The bike will compete against the KTM Duke 200, Honda CBR 250R, Kawasaki Ninja 300R and Honda CBR300 R.
The Mojo is powered by a 295 cc, single cylinder 4 stroke liquid cooled engine. The bike makes 27.4 PS of power at 8000 rpm and 30 Nm of torque at 5500 rpm. The engine is paired with a 6 speed constant mesh automatic transmission. The Mojo is good to drive between 110 to 120 kmph, beyond that power delivery is slow. Also, acceleration is a bit slow. People who want to travel on highways will love this bike as the bike is really stable at high speeds.
As far as touring specifications go, the seating posture is perfect for long drives. Seat is quite large and comfortable enough for driver and pillion rider. Coming to the suspension the bike is fitted with USD forks and monoshock unit which absorbs shocks and uneven terrain quite well. The bike is fitted with Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres so driving around bends is a quite cool experience. Overall riding comfort is just superb.
Looks wise the bike is not everyone’s cup of tea. You might love it or hate it. The styling is distinctive. Quirky would be a good word. The twin headlamps resemble the Triumph Street Triple and there is also and LED DRL. The overall look is quite muscular and bulky if you take into account the wheels, fuel tank, radiator shrouds and twin exhaust pumps. Fit and finish is really good and Mahindra designers and engineers have done a good job even though they have taken a long time to do it. The bike weighs 165 kgs.
The bike has a lot of equipment on offer. The rpm indicator displays the exact rev when gears are shifted. The digital computer display can also be used as a lap timer. Another great feature is that in case the bike heats up , the on board computer does not allow you to rev past 5000 rpm. The fuel tank capacity is huge at 21 litres with which you can drive around 600 km, a huge benefit to long distance riders. What is missing is the ABS. Let’s hope Mahindra reads this and adds this soon in the next generation. The exhaust note is loud and throaty.
The Mojo is singularly aimed at the tourers. And it is a very good product. But will it be able to stand upto the aspirational value provided by the Honda , KTM, Kawasaki and Royal Enfield ?? Remains to be seen. Mahindra does not command a premium valuation as compared to the other bike brands in this segment.
Also pricing is very crucial, especially when the bike is being sold in the Rs. 1.5 lac plus bracket. Indian buyers are always price conscious and they want their money’s worth. So though this bike per se is a very good option, will it offer the snob value that a buyer wants when he shells out more than Rs. 1.5 lacs ?? Again, remains to be seen.