The launch of the Royal Enfield Himalayan has created quite the stir amongst motorcycling enthusiasts in India. It seems there was a latent need for a mid(ish) capacity touring motorcycle with the ability to tackle a variety of terrain and the Chennai-based bike maker has catered to this rather well. But let’s not forget that just last year, another manufacturer had also launched a motorcycle that seems quite well-suited to touring duties. Granted that the Mahindra Mojo started off as a performance-oriented bike early in its planning phase, there’s no denying that the end result has great highway legs and in fact seems more at home there as opposed to carving corners on a twisty mountain road or a race track. So how do these bikes stack up, at least on paper? Take a quick look…
Engine and gearbox
At 411cc, the Himalayan’s single-cylinder carburetted motor might have the capacity advantage, but it’s the Mojo’s higher revving fuel-injected 295cc single-cylinder engine that makes more power with 26.8bhp on tap as compared to the RE’s 24.5bhp. The Mojo can also rev higher because it comes equipped with liquid cooling whereas the Himalayan’s engine is air-cooled (though it also features an oil-cooler). However the long stroke configuration of Himalayan’s motor means that it makes more torque – 3.26kgm versus the Mahindra’s 3.06kgm. The Himalayan gets a five-speed gearbox while the Mojo gets an extra cog in the transmission department.
Dimensions (that matter)
It really is miraculous how Royal Enfield has managed to package such a fairly low-saddle height of 800mm while also keeping a massive 220mm ground clearance. This was clearly done with the bike’s operating conditions (of broken or missing roads) in mind. The tarmac-focussed Mojo has a slightly taller seat height of 814mm, while its ground clearance of 173.5mm is decent for a road-only machine. Both these bikes though, sport an identical wheelbase figure of 1,465mm. When it comes to weight though, the Mojo has a distinct advantage tipping the scales at just 165kg(dry), while the Himalayan weighs in at a heavier 182kg(wet).
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
