We recently rode the new Mahindra Mojo from Bengaluru to Coorg, covering a distance of about 270km. The Mojo's strengths lie in its torquey engine, its ability to carry the rider in comfort on highways and great tyres for that extra bit of grip. While these abilities do set up the new Mojo to be a capable steed, the journey for Mahindra has only just begun as it will face tough competition from global heavyweights present in India, such as KTM with its Duke siblings, Benelli's soon-to-launch TNT 25 and finally, Honda's veteran CBR 250R. Here we take a look at what the specifications for these competitors look like when compared on paper.
Engine
All five of the motorcycles here are powered by single-cylinder and liquid-cooled engines. The KTM 390 Duke still dominates in the displacement battle, making 373.2cc. Mahindra's Mojo has a particularly torquey unit. Power wise, among the remaining bikes, the KTM 200 Duke offers the best power-to-weight ratio. All five motorcycles are equipped with six-speed gearboxes, shifting in the one-down and five-up pattern. KTM thoughtfully provides its elder 390 Duke with a slipper clutch system too.
Dimensions
The Mahindra Mojo is the longest motorcycle of the five and even its wheelbase measures the longest, by a considerable margin. It is, however, the slimmest bike here, with the exception of the CBR. In terms of height, the Duke siblings are the tallest here. Lightness and agility go hand in hand, and in that respect, the KTM 200 Duke, with the lightest kerb weight should handle best on road. The fully faired Honda CBR 250R is at the biggest disadvantage here, weighing the most in this comparison. However, we'll reserve our judgment on real-world performance till a proper, on-road comparison test.
Safety
The Mahindra Mojo uses a single disc brake up front and does not get an ABS system even as a paid and optional extra. Similarly, the 200 Duke and Benelli TNT 25 don't get ABS brakes either. The powerful KTM 390 Duke does get the safety feature as standard while Honda provides it as an option on the CBR 250R.
Of course, while we will have to wait for a full blown road test to verify this on-paper comparison, another important factor is the price. While the KTM 200 Duke is the most affordable here, Benelli and Mahindra are yet to announce prices for their respective bikes. Both are expected to bear a sticker price in the region of Rs 2 lakh and this could further heat up the exciting race for the segment crown. Watch our website for further updates.
Rayomand Buhariwalla
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
