2015 Mahindra Mojo First Ride Review

Mahindra Mojo Review

Bike Tested: 2015 Mahindra Mojo

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 1,89,778/-

The Mojo is an excellent attempt by Mahindra and gets quality components, it’s apt for touring

The Mahindra Mojo, a bike which was first unveiled in late 2010 is finally coming to the market very soon. At first glance itself you get a feeling that Mahindra has taken a lot of time but it has utilised it well because the bike looks good and comes with quality components. Also the fact that it has tested the motorcycle all across India (numerous spottings till date!) has helped them iron out all the niggles that were there in the bike. Not too popular in the two-wheeler segment currently, the Indian automaker wants to change its image with the launch of the Mahindra Mojo. So, a lot is riding on the Mojo’s shoulder. Does it live up to the expectations? We find out just that.

Motor Quest: Mahindra developed the Mojo way back in 2010 when they displayed it in concept form. Post that, they faced a lot of issues while developing the motorcycle and this ended up delaying the launch by a massive five years.

Styling – When the Mojo was displayed in non-production form, not many liked the design. But the design has been changed quite a bit post that and the motorcycle looks much nicer now. Yes, there are some quirky elements on the bike but overall it is a balanced design. Upfront, the Mojo looks muscular due to its twin-pod headlamps and the mean looking DRLs. The beefy upside down forks at the front add to that look while the front tyre is thick enough to keep the looks proportionate. A small windscreen sits right above the headlamp cluster which is more for the looks than it is for functional purpose. If seen in the rearview mirror, one can easily get fooled and think that a Triumph Street Triple is behind them which is definitely a good thing.

The Mojo looks much bigger than other motorcycles in its segment

The Mojo is neither too tall nor too short and hence most riders will find the riding position to be perfect with legs easily reaching the ground. The golden exposed twin-tube frame on our test bike might not be to everyone’s liking (I liked it) but there are other colour schemes too which get the chassis in a different colour. The massive 21-litre fuel tank which the street-fighter sports is well designed and gels well with the design. Single piece seat with a contour for the rider adds up to the comfort levels. The free flow silencers on either sides look cool and sound fantastic. Moving on to the rear, the fat rear tyre serves its purpose well while the LED tail light with the grab rails on either side match with the contemporary look of the bike.

Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – The instrument cluster is one of the coolest things which the Mojo gets. Switch on the ignition and the tachometer needle does a full sweep. Yes, it gets an analogue tachometer. Not only that, along with the needle is a set of LED lights which light up in accordance to the RPM. When you shift from one gear to another, the LED light stays fixated at the RPM you shifted the gear at for a couple of seconds to help you ascertain whether you shifted at the perfect time or not. This is the first bike to get this feature in its segment and a few segments above too. The digital console gets a top-speed recorder, 0-100 km/hr timer, quarter mile timer which are nice-to-have features. Coming to the switchgear, the bike gets backlit switches which look cool in the night and the quality of the same is really good. The tactile feel of the switches adds up to the premium-ness quotient.

Ergonomics – This is one area where the Mahindra Mojo scores very well and beats the competition hands down. While it gets the street fighter look, the seating position is extremely comfortable for touring which is the bike’s main purpose. Once you sit on the seat and put your hands on the handlebar, you notice that the seating position is upright with the foot-pegs set right in the centre making it a very comfortable bike to ride. The slightly raised pillion seat supports the lower portion of the rider’s back when accelerating hard and ensures he/she stays comfortable. With saddle bags added to the rear, one wouldn’t even feel like getting off the bike on long tours. Two issues we noticed in terms of ergonomics were that the side stand locating pin is tough to find initially since it sits under the left silencer. The other issue is that pillion seat while not too bad, lacks a bit in terms of width and length making the pillion a little uncomfortable over longer runs.

Performance – The Mahindra Mojo gets a 295cc single-cylinder engine which produces a healthy 27 BHP of power and 30 Nm of torque. The high torque figure makes it a nice machine for touring as it helps a lot during those quick overtaking manoeuvres. Mahindra has done its research well on the engine and has developed a really good unit. Even though the bike weighs a hefty 165 kgs, it does the 0-100 km/hr sprint in 9.48 seconds which is very close to its nearest competitor, the KTM Duke 200. The top speed however is much higher due to the larger engine size and it is capable of touching 155 km/hr if ridden flat out. The 6-speed gearbox is a slick shifting unit which slots into gears well but gets a bit notchy if we try to go down too many gears in one go. It lacks a gear lever stopper too which makes it difficult to adjudge if the bike is in first gear when downshifting quickly.

The Mojo is an excellent tourer thanks to its strong mid-range

While the power figures are more or less in line with the segment, the high torque figure gives the Mahindra Mojo a different character. Riding in the city is not a big issue with the engine being capable of chugging along nicely at low speeds in high gears too, there is no signs of heating either. The gearing is on the shorter side and that combined with the lower redline, one needs to shift to fourth gear to touch 100 km/hr. The bike redlines at 39 km/hr, 64 km/hr, 91 km/hr, 114 km/hr and 132 km/hr in 1st to 5th gears respectively. Redlining in 6th gear requires a long empty stretch of road which is practically very difficult unless you take the bike out on a track like the Buddh International Circuit.

The engine redlines at 9000 RPM which is a bit lower than some bikes it competes with but its peak performance lies in the mid-range which makes it redundant to hit the redline every time. The peak torque kicks in at around 6000 RPM after which it pulls very neatly to 8000 RPM where the rider should up-shift. The engine is unbelievably refined and there are hardly any vibes which are felt by the rider. At 100 km/hr in 6th gear, the motor spins at 5500 RPM which eliminates the need to downshift in the case of an overtaking manoeuvre since the torque wave is just a slight twist of the throttle away. After riding the bike with a lot of enthusiasm, we ended up getting 30 km/l which is a respectable figure and is expected to be higher out on the open roads when one is cruising at constant speeds.

Riding Dynamics – While the Mojo does boast of excellent touring capabilities, it scores down on the nimbleness and cornering capabilities because the front end is very heavy making the handling a bit twitchy on the edge. Counter steering the bike does require some effort and so do U-turns. The suspension on the bike is simply amazing, filtering out most of the undulations without being too soft to bob around. The Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres deserve a special mention here which provide immense grip to the bike as well as confidence to the rider. These tyres alone uplift the riding fun by a few notches. However, attacking corners is not so easy on this bike since the weight of the bike along with the front end weight shows up when you lean but, if you dare, the bike is capable of letting you put that knee down.

The higher weight gives good high speed stability but hampers the handling a bit, the front-end is heavy

Let me put it this way, the Mahindra Mojo is bike a rider would love out on the open roads and long tours but it wouldn’t disappoint should he/she decide to attack a few corners aggressively. One problem it faces is that the wind blast at speeds in excess of 120 km/hr is a bit too much which is pretty much the case with most naked bikes. It can be sorted out by installing a bigger after-market windshield once it is available. One aspect of the bike we are a bit disappointed with are the brakes. Even though the front and rear discs are the largest in the segment, the front one lacks initial bite and hence the rider needs to be a bit hard on the lever to stop in time. At higher speeds however, the brakes provide good feedback and help shed speeds quickly without any drama. The lack of ABS is disappointing considering it is very useful in emergency braking situations.

Verdict – The Mojo isn’t your typical Mahindra bike. Don’t mistake it to be one. It is a really nice attempt by the company at providing riding enthusiasts in the country a practical touring machine with good amount of power, a massive 21-litre fuel tank and quality components which serve their function well. Yes, it might not be as fast as a KTM Duke 200 or as good looking as some other bikes in the segment. But it beats the daylight out of every bike in its segment when it comes to touring. A stellar engine, comfortable suspension, brilliant riding position and several nifty features make it a really good buy at the price point it will be offered at. Oh and did I mention the exciting exhaust note from those two free flow exhausts? They sound great even with the DB killers on and we can only wonder how well they would sound with those removed.

The Mahindra Mojo makes great sense for someone not looking for the nimbleness of a KTM Duke and is more into the relaxed cruising type of riding with some quick bursts of speed to keep the speed junkie in them happy as well.

What’s Cool

* Tractable engine which is great for touring and quick bursts of speed
* Loaded instrument console with many nifty features
* 21-litre fuel tank gives it an approximate range of 600 kms on a full tank
* Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres provide exceptional grip

What’s Not So Cool

* The brakes lack initial bite which takes time getting used to
* Heavy front-end means cornering in the ghats is a pain
* Lacks the flick-ability of a street-fighter
* Long term reliability unknown

Alternatives: KTM Duke 200, Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500, Honda CBR250R

Mahindra Mojo Specifications

* Engine: 295cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 4-valve, DOHC
* Bore x Stroke: 76 mm x 65 mm
* Power: 28.82 BHP @ 8000 RPM
* Torque: 30 Nm @ 5500 RPM
* Transmission: 6-speed
* 0-100 km/hr: 9.48 seconds
* Top Speed: 155 km/hr
* Fuel Consumption: 30-35 km/l
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Frame: Twin-Tube
* Suspension: Inverted Telescopic Forks With 143 mm Travel (Front), Offset Monoshock (Rear)
* Tyres: 110/70/ZR17 (Front), 150/60/ZR17 (Rear)
* Brakes: 320 mm Disc (Front), 240 mm Disc (Rear)

Mahindra Mojo Dimensions

* Length x Width x Height: 2100 mm x 800 mm x 1165.5 mm
* Wheelbase: 1465 mm
* Ground Clearance: 173.5 mm
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 21 litres
* Kerb Weight: 165 kgs

Testers’ Note:

Picture Editing – Sri Manikanta Achanta

Further Reading –

Mahindra Mojo Video Review