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Old 19th October 2015, 10:20   #1
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Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

I shall start this thread by sharing how I feel - like this -

I was in the first 100 customers list who had booked the Mojo from across the country. Much to my happiness and surprise, my Mojo is the first delivered bike in India to retail customers, thus making me a small part of Mahindra Mojo history in India. This is also the first Mahindra Mojo on our forum.

My search for a touring bike started 2 years ago. In my solo days, I toured on a Pulsar 180. Did long solo trips as long as 8,000 kms. Those were saddle sore trips - no, not the saddle sore record - bum sore tips in short. Nevertheless, they were adventurous and fun. Then, 7.5 years ago, I got the 4x4 2.2 Safari Dicor and the meaning of touring changed for me completely. The Pulsar did duties to the bread shop at the most and stayed parked ever since. I sold the Safari and the Pulsar last year.

The need for a tourer in my life is as basic as food. This time, I decided to look for 2 wheels first, yet again. The 4 wheels will come later. So, the search started by scouring all the bikes available in India from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 12 lakhs.

Eventually, I dropped the idea of a high end touring bike and came down to a budget tourer for all practical purposes. I was even toying with the idea of the Tiger. However, the thought of an expensive bike getting stolen or vandalized when I leave it parked in a mountain village, while I embark on a trek, was not very comfortable. Expensive maintenance, fat bills, that comes with fat bikes, thanks to the monopoly enjoyed by the service centers was another put off.

My requirements –
I'm 6 ft. tall and need a bike that provides upright seating and comfortable riding. It must have enough power to tackle everyday riding, highway overtaking and comfortably cruise at 120 kph without missing a beat. And of course, have a top speed of around 150 kph, so that I'm not left wanting or gasping for breath on the wide open highways that are now present in India. Finding the right bike for me was a dilemma, especially since there aren't many options to select from in the budget touring segment.

So, after almost a year of thinking, taking many test rides, in March 2015, I went and tested the Enfield Thunderbird 500, which I found most suitable for touring. The test ride bike was a 2013 model with 13,000 kms on the odo, rattled like crazy, and could exactly be described as a FATFATI (my definition – makes loud noise but doesn't cover the distance perceived vis-a-vis the noise generated). After riding a friends bike, I figured that the engine feels strained at 120 kph. The dealer assured me that the new bikes are a breed apart. However, the 10,000 kms warranty on the Enfield wasn't reassuring at all. If the manufacturer doesn't have faith in its product, I surely don't. I hold reliability high up there in my buying decision.

The Duke 390 and the Pulsars were not even in the reckoning due to the seating position and lack of comfort and don't qualify as allrounders for me. Anything below 200cc was a big NO.

Around May, I saw images of the Mojo surfacing and on the internet, but forgot about it. Around end of September, I read test ride reports of the Mojo. All the reports I read, seemed to point towards it as being a capable tourer. On 11th October, a good friend told me that the Mojo was available for a test ride with a Mahindra two-wheeler dealership in Bombay. I immediately went to the dealership and took a test ride. I was sold in 10 minutes. A year of waiting had culminated in finding exactly what I needed.

Major likeable points that sealed deals –
  • Upright seating position
  • Very comfortable seat
  • Torquey engine
  • Zero vibrations across the rpm range
  • 21 litre tank
  • 5 year Mahindra warranty

Immediately after the test ride, I booked the bike with full payment and a commitment from the dealer for delivery promised soon after the launch on 16th October. Mumbai on-road price - Rs. 1,91,000/-. I insisted on the delivery commitment, since I would be busy travelling due to work post Dussera and would not be able to take delivery later, nor ride the bike if delivery was delayed. The dealer stuck to his promise and I got the bike on the 18th. I was told that deliveries were scheduled for 22nd (which would be too late for me) and this delivery was being done as a special case. Thank you.

Regardless, I had paid upfront only on the precondition of immediate delivery and I appreciate the dealer sticking to his word. I wanted to ride the bike for a few days before I left it parked.

I've always been a fan of homegrown products and the Mojo is a superb bike, a wonderful effort by Mahindra. It fills the vacuum in the budget tourer space. According to me, there is nothing south of Rs. 2 lakhs, that is as comfortable to ride and has the power to make touring and everyday riding uber comfortable. The Mojo is a proper allrounder and excels on the highway.

The good points, in addition to those mentioned above –
  • Pirelli Diablo Rosso tyres - very sticky
  • Very good horn - sounds sweet and people actually move out of the way
  • Switches are backlit - very good at night
  • Speedo console is easy to read
  • Suspension is good - we tested it on the Western Express Highway in Mumbai with a pillion. It absorbs craters, deep uneven flyover expansion joints, ruts, etc. without unsettling the riders

The not so good points / scope for improvement –
  • Seat is too narrow for a pillion - maybe Mahindra wants me to go touring alone. However, my wife and me don't agree. It would be nice to have a better bolstered seat for the pillion with more sq. inches added.
  • Headlights could have been much better especially considering there are 2 bugle eyed headlights that do look quite cool and add a special character to the bike. I would want better lights for touring without having to add an extra led light as an accessory. Projectors could have been better.
  • A hazard light would be a very welcome addition for touring.
  • Brakes are good and have a progressive feel. However, I would prefer a bit more bite from the front brakes. I got a sense of brake fade on the front brakes. ABS (under testing) will be a very welcome addition.

I rode 100 kms on day 1 in Mumbai traffic with my wife as pillion. Absolute no sense of discomfort, unease, no bum pain, no back pain, no shoulder pain for both of us. I'm saying this after being pampered by a Tata Safari’s ride comfort for 7.5 years. I will have to do something to increase the length and width of the rear seat by a few sq. inches though. A must for a long tour.

I hope Mahindra adds a few official accessories to their list -
  • Charging socket
  • Windscreen, good quality lockable pannier systems like those available on the Triumph Tiger, rear luggage box options, engine guard
  • Main stand without compromising ground clearance

I bought the Mojo to start bike touring again and I believe it will not disappoint me. In my solo touring days, the longest tour I had done was approximately 7,500 kms. I believe Mahindra will back the Mojo with good service and return my trust. We are looking forward to many long trips together.

Some pics of the Mojo follow along with my initial riding impressions. I shall keep updating the thread as this relationship matures.

Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India-20151018_171921.jpg

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Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India-img20151019wa0013.jpg

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Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India-moj1.jpg

Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India-moj2.jpg

Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India-moj3.jpg

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Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India-20151018_171726.jpg

Initial Riding impressions -

Starting the bike:
Twist the key and the tachometer needle does a full sweep of the dial. Looks very colourful, like that seen on other Mahindras. I'm happy that there is no audio chime of a lady saying - Hello Sweety!

On the left of the console, are the tell tale lights. Neutral, indicators, side stand on and service light. I would personally like the N (neutral light to be bigger and brighter). In bright sunlight, with polarized riding glasses on, it's barely visible. I had to search for it. Mahindra, please increase the size and brightness of the N on the console.

The speedo is digital. Being backlit, its big digits are clearly visible in all light conditions. It comes with 2 trip meters, clock and a top speed recorder.

The switchgear is good, but does not feel premium. The indicator switch feels a little tacky. All other switches feel crisp to use.

Switching the headlight switch to first position starts the DRL and all the switches are backlit. I found this a very useful feature for night riding.

A hazard light is missing and should be a basic feature on all bikes, especially touring bikes. Mahindra, please note.

Riding:
Fire up the engine and you are treated to a sweet sounding gurgle that sounds purposeful. The silencers come pre-installed with DB killers. I'm told that they can be removed with an allen key, and then it sounds better. Experienced folks here will know better. I'm happy with the sound as it is and will not be removing the DB killers.

For starters, this bike is not a commuter segment bike and cannot be ridden like a Hero Splendor in fourth gear at 20 kph, despite its torquey nature. So, those looking for such characteristics will be disappointed. This bike has to be ridden in the right gear at all times. You cannot lug the engine at 30 / 40 kph in a higher gear. The action starts around 4,500 rpm and above and I haven't gone beyond 5,000 rpm yet.

Mounting the bike, the first thing you notice is the upright seating position, regardless of your height. The seat is wide enough and very supportive, unless the rider is too wide. The rear half of the seat for the pillion is not wide enough for normal people too and could have been redesigned.

The footpegs are set forward, so no acute angles for your ankles or your knees, which I feel, is very important for comfortable riding. Upright handlebars result in a straight back and shoulders. Mahindra says the handlebars have been damped to ensure no vibrations and i did not feel any vibes at all. These small points go a long way in making the ride comfortable and enjoyable. One drawback of upright seating is that you feel the wind blast in your face.

Gears: 6-speed transmission - gear slotting is crisp and I have not experience any false neutrals yet. I'm unsure if I can do clutchless gearshifts (after second gear onwards) on this bike, so I won't be trying it until the Mahindra guys confirm its safe to do so. My old Pulsar 180 worked like a charm with clutchless gear shifting, however, a Karizma that I rode for a short while, developed gearbox issues. So, no experiments will be done by me on this bike.

Engine: 300cc liquid cooled - open up the throttle and the bike pulls clearly. I have been shifting gears at 5,000 rpm at which point, the Mojo is beginning to develop more Mojo. Throttle response is precise.

The exhaust note is superb - I love it. Riding in any gear at 5,000 pm and then closing the throttle causes firecracker explosions in the exhaust. That sounds very, very good. You can upshift and downshift seamlessly, without any fuss and no engine knocking.

Brakes: 320 mm petal discs at the front - disc brakes are supplied by a Spanish company - J Juan. The discs look huge and give the Mojo a premium and big bike feel. But, I feel braking could have been better. I felt that the bite missing a bit, though the brakes feel progressive in nature. This does not mean that they don't stop the bike as desired. It just means that a crisper bite without any brake fade feeling is much more confidence inspiring.

Tyres: I must compliment Mahindra for offering Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres as OEM spec units for this bike. They are really, really sticky and very confidence-inspiring, especially around corners. I've stopped just short of scraping the pegs on a few occasions, while checking their grip levels. In a straight line, you can feel the gluey effect of the tires and some amount of tyre noise too due to the sticky nature. But, I'm not complaining, the tyres are very reassuring.

Fuel tank: 21 litres (a big +) - I'm told that out of this, 1.5 litres is unusable reserve that protects the fuel pump from going kaput. Mahindra claims 30 kpl in traffic and 35 kpl on the highway in real world conditions. That's an effective range of 585 - 680 kms on 1 tank of regular petrol. I couldn't ask for more between tank fills.

The looks: To me the bike looks very modern and fairly stylish. The golden trellis frame stands out and is also a unique style statement along with the golden swingarms and golden upside down forks.

The ET (extra terrestrial) looking bug-like twin headlights look charmingly wicked and add character. Again, looks are subjective, but, this bike certainly gets a lot of eyeballs, especially with the twin silencers belching out some very audibly appealing sounds. I saw people clicking away at signals and many asked about the price and were impressed with the Rs. 1.9 lakh on-road price. Surprisingly, no one asked me - kitna deti hai? I guess, India is moving on to "kitna dena padega?"

I'm an average Joe and not a professional rider / tester, so you may find many points missing from a professional review perspective. Please feel free to ask anything about the bike and I shall answer to the best of my abilities. I will update this thread as I discover more about this bike.

I would recommend taking a proper test ride before forming any opinions. It's totally worth it. One thing is for sure - this bike will surely rattle the Rs. 2 lakh segment.

Reliability will be known with time, but, Mahindra's confidence in offering a 5 year warranty with 2 years roadside assistance says a lot about its confidence in the bike.

If you are looking for a comfortable bike, that's reasonably fast, capable and won't get you tired, then check out the Mojo.

Special thanks to amansanc from our forum and Mahindra, the dealer S.M. Auto and My Mojo, for making me a part of Mojo history.

Excuse the poor quality of phone clicks. I will post better pics later.

Thanks for reading.

Last edited by Aditya : 22nd October 2015 at 08:37. Reason: Formatting, spacing
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Old 21st October 2015, 11:44   #2
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Congratulations on your new acquisition!

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorbikes Section. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 21st October 2015, 12:14   #3
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Congratulations for being the very first owner of Mojo. This bike has been tested thoroughly and I guess that shows on the finished product. I had a 1st gen Pulsar 150 for 6 years and I miss it a lot. I did try a lot of bikes post the Pulsar but none came near it in riding position, even the next gen Pulsars. My city will get Mojo after a long wait as its a tier 3 city. If you have driven a 1st gen Pulsar, how would you rate the riding position of Mojo? Does this also have a short wheelbase which makes it easily chuckable in corners?

Wishing you a very happy and safe riding as well as touring.
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Old 21st October 2015, 12:20   #4
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Bike looks completely different(in a positive way) in white! any comments about how heavy the bike feels? seems heavy on paper.
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Old 21st October 2015, 12:35   #5
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves View Post
I shall start this thread by sharing how I feel - like this - .....Thanks for reading.
I love the look of unfaired bikes and this one is no exception! Seems pretty compact too.

Many congratulations and wish you a million miles of safe and happy touring

Cheers,
Vikram
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Old 21st October 2015, 12:52   #6
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Congratulations on a beautiful acquisition that looks mindblowing in white!

All the photos and reviews of the Mojo I've seen are in black, but the moment I saw your ride, it gave me a completely different impression of the bike. Beautiful - that's the right word.

Irrespective of it's critics and doubters, I am convinced that the Mojo has to be the best naked-tourer in it's category and I hope to see it on Khardung La top soon.

Anyway, you've made a fantastic choice to go with this flawless package that Mahindra has offered. Here's wishing you countless miles of joy and satisfaction!

Do keep this thread updated and get yourself some neat gear, especially a good helmet. Cheers!
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Old 21st October 2015, 13:24   #7
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Mate congratulations on acquiring the Mahindra Mojo. Although this is one of the most delayed bikes ever, but I still feel it is better to be late than never. I liked your choice of colour from the usual Black loving crowd. Can you share more details on the cycle parts(alloy rims, plastic panels, rvm's, wiring, etc.) and their quality apart from the tyres and switches. It would be great if you can share something more about the EFi unit used like whether it comes with an O2 sensor, closed loop/open loop system, etc.

Also share more details about its cruising ability and riding in city traffic with regards to engine heat. One good thing that I noticed is the bike comes with steel braided brake lines in addition to many other features. Like most of us in the forum feel I think this model will shake up the segment. Only thing bothering me is the Mahindra after sales service given the limited number of dealers they have.
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Old 21st October 2015, 13:40   #8
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Congrats Jay! Now this thread needs lots and lots of photos taken at unexplored remotest of places which is your cup of tea
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Old 21st October 2015, 13:46   #9
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Congratulations jaysmokesleaves on your Mahindra Mojo. Thanks for the detailed review. I really liked the looks of the motorcycle. It seems that Mahindra has tested the bike for an extended period of time and the reliability should be at par with the others. The price is really enticing for the segment it has targeted. Hope that it is not an introductory offer.
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Old 21st October 2015, 13:53   #10
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Congratulations on the new acquisition and special cheers for being the first retail customer in India. Ride safe and enjoy the bike.

- Couldn't help but notice, I am sure you did not feel distressed or humiliated (that is what chagrin means) by being the first retail customer. Please edit
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Old 21st October 2015, 14:00   #11
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Congratulations Jay. Look forward to seeing the bike on the WEH soon. happy riding!

The bike certainly looks good in white.
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Old 21st October 2015, 14:14   #12
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Many Congrats Jay for your new Mojo! I must say, this bike suits very well for your built. Have to give a for your selection of color. Looks very attractive. By the way you've accomplished may "first's" after purchasing this bike, I know how great it feels!

Couple of days back saw this bike, just had a glimpse of the bike as the rider was cruising away on the roads. Definitely an eye catcher it is. I wanted to know for how many kilometers Mahindra have quoted the first service?

On a funny note, now you can tell to other riders, like Austin Powers "You Have Swag? Cool Story Bro, I Have MOJO...And It Has No Limits"
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Old 21st October 2015, 14:29   #13
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Congratulations Jay! Mojo looks promising and I'll keep following this thread to keep myself updated on the preformance. Honestly, for me, Mahindra is not a name to recon with when it comes to bikes, especially performance ones and to cap it the delay in launch of Mojo. From the look of it, I feel Mojo could be what Pulsor is for Bajaj.
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Old 21st October 2015, 14:45   #14
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Congratulations Jaysmokesleaves. Looks good and your ownership review is comprehensive indeed.
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Old 21st October 2015, 15:35   #15
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Re: Mahindra Mojo - First bike delivered in India

Congrats Jay. Nice looking bike there! And what a whopping tank capacity. Use her well.
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