And finally, Mojo is ready to cast its spell

After delays beyond belief, Mahindra is all set to launch the 300 cc Mojo. From being the performance based sports bike to a tourer, the vehicle has raised the eyebrows of critics and enthusiasts alike

It feels like decades ago, when Mahindra announced the launch of a 300cc motorcycle, thinking it would have its mojo working over at the automotive industry.

The promises were astounding and even uncanny. Consumers were assured of vehicle that would be, “A naked sports bike at the premium segment, priced at around Rs 1.75 lakh.” Mahindra had also claimed the product would be the fastest Indian bike on sale.

As magical it may have sounded, back in the day when the announcement came, a premium sports bike from an Indian maker was rare. There were limited bikes to choose from.

And as far as performance based motorcycles went, either you could drool on the poster of a superbike on your bedroom or buy a Bajaj Pulsar.

The announcement of the muscular two-wheeled missile came from on rather unsuspecting souls. When most automobiles barely put out double digit power outputs, Mahindra came up with a motorcycle that claimed to better it.

I mean, what were they thinking? Because whatever it was, it was brilliant. The said missile was called Mojo, meant to be part motorcycle part magic.

Mojo seemed as futuristic to the Indian consumer, as an AK-47 was to the Taliban in their early days. In their early days…But then, Mahindra messed up, really bad.

This futuristic masterpiece took forever to be built eventually losing out on its USP, for other brands showed us how much better future can look like.

The design also started getting ridiculed by the entire industry and since then the whole motorcycle has metamorphosed to become very different from its initial offering.

The bike that was portrayed as a track tool with oodles of power and a high performance engine and suspensions became a tourer.

But then the most exasperating part were the tests mules, every day for the last half a decade or so, a Mojo was spotted being tested at some part of the country.

The bike also made a cameo in the 2014 Auto Expo, and then again was gone forever. By this time, brands like Benelli, KTM, Kawasaki, made a solid base in the country, and Mojo lost out on being the only player with a peculiar product in the 300cc segment.

But finally the winds of change, bookings have started, the website has gone live and Mahindra is all ready for the launch of the much awaited motorcycle, on October 16.

According to a report on Autocar Pro, the Mojo will not be a volume spinner rather it will be an image builder for the company. Even the logo has been changed.

Engine

Powering the new Mojo is the 295cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine which is tuned to pump out 27 bhp of power at 8,000rpm and a peak torque of 30Nm at 5500rpm with 6-speed constant mesh gearbox.

Chassis and suspension

Underpinned by twin tube exposed frame, in the Mahindra Mojo, the suspension is taken care of by an upside down front fork with 143.5 mm travel and a high pressure gas charged monoshock with internal floating piston at the rear.

Dimensions

The Mojo measures 2,100 mm in length, 800 mm in width and 1165.5 mm in height. The tourer has a wheelbase of 1,465 mm and seat height 814.5 mm with a ground clearance of 173.5 mm. The Mahindra Mojo comes with a fuel tank capacity of 21 kmpl and has a dry weight of 165 kg.

Brakes and tyres

The Mahindra Mojo gets 110/70 ZR17 M/C 54W front tyre and 150/50 ZR17 66W rear. While the 240 mm rear disc employs floating calliper, the 320 mm front gets radial calliper.

Colour

The Mahindra Mojo will be offered in three body paints –White with Golden, White-Red with black and Black with Golden.

By:Augustin Kurian