Mahindra Mojo review, test ride

When you twist the throttle, the Mahindra Mojo does not go on a rampage; it revs quite hard, but still stays quite civil. The motorcycle has been built for the highway, and that is where it shines. It reminds me somewhat of an English butler, who takes a moment to respond, but gets the work done efficiently. 

Highways in India always come with their fair share of bumps and rough patches. To handle that, the Mojo gets upside down forks at the front, and a gas-charged monoshock at the rear. I found the suspension setup to be quite well tuned, and it soaked up the road undulations nicely, while staying composed on corners. Rough patches or even small speed breakers don't seem to upset the Mojo, and it can take these at reasonable speeds too. 

The most impressive bit on this new motorcycle is the tyres Mahindra is offering. The Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres are known for their excellent road-holding ability, and that is exactly what you get on the Mojo too. A 110/70 x 17 unit on the front, and a 150/60 x 17 unit on the rear gives ample grip, whether it is a corner that you are taking or a wet surface. The brakes offered are made by European maker Jijuan, and work quite well too. It feel progressive, and offer good feedback. However, I found that the rear brake locks up quite easily, which can be a little unnerving in tricky situations. ABS is not offered. 

The riding position on the Mahindra Mojo is quite comfortable, and although I'm 6 feet tall, I was always comfortable on the ride to Coorg. The seat is on the higher side though, and short riders might end up on their toes when stationary. The long wheelbase of the motorcycle lends it good stability on the highway, but makes it a little difficult to muscle around in city traffic, as I found out while leaving Bengaluru. 

Mahindra has made the motorcycle quite distinctive as mentioned earlier, and in line with that, it has given the Mojo a one-into-two exhaust system. It gives the motorcycle a unique sound, but with two exhausts the weight of the motorcycle has increased, a step backwards instead of forward. 

A torquey engine, comfort and great tyres sounds like a good recipe for a sports tourer. However, at a suspected price of Rs 2 lakh, the Mahindra Mojo must take on some really able competition, notably KTM's exceptional Duke singles – the 200 and 390, and how it holds its own versus the others in this growing market will be what really defines its future. 

Arpit Phillips