Mahindra Gusto review, test ride

A unique and really clever feature on the Gusto is its height-adjustable seat, which can be adjusted 35mm up or down in a jiffy, with minimal effort, a first on an Indian scooter. The seat opens towards the back of the scooter, instead of front. A stopper built in the hinge hinge to clamp the seat open ensures that it doesn't fall when held open to access the roomy underseat storage bay.

The Gusto comes with well designed pillion footrests and a flip-down lady footrest. On the other side, a silencer protrudes backwards with its heat shield. The kick-start lever is well designed to ensure easy starts without calling upon undue rider effort.

The Gusto's grab-handle looks smart, as does its large, rear tail-light section. Overall build quality is adequate, although fit-finish as well as rubber and plastics all need improvement on the Gusto.

The Mahindra Gusto is powered by a four-stroke, 109.6cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine with peak power output of 8bhp generated at 7,500rpm, and 0.8kgm of torque coming in at 5,500rpm. Mahindra Two-Wheelers tell us the Gusto uses their M-TEC engine technology, featuring a strengthened crankshaft and bearings, a silent-chain, higher inertia magneto with greater energy ignition coil and an efficient regulator. Once fired up and on the go, the carburetor-fed Gusto engine does well to feel butter smooth, and vibe-free throughout its powerband. A distinctive whine does, however, infringe on this otherwise refined sounding engine. Acceleration could also be better - the Gusto lacks good enough low and mid-range pep for this class of scooter, calling for riders to open an undue amount of throttle to gain adequate performance. The Gusto can power you to scooter respectable speeds, an indicated 80kph being easily achieved on this gearless Mahindra scooter.

Padding on the Mahindra Gusto saddle feels much too soft, and also fails to allow riders to settle into and sit comfortably. We found that we had to constantly re-adjust our posture for there's a tendency of to slip forward on this seat. The riding position is good, upright and roomy with the flat floorboard that's comfortable enough as well.

The Gusto comes with telescopic suspension in front, but ride quality isn’t as good as expected - the suspension feels too rigid and lacks adequate plush feel. The Gusto, surprisingly, does not absorb small road undulations with adequate grace, despite its large wheels for a scooter with 12 inch rims. Tyre grip is reasonable; the Gusto gets tubeless rubber as standard. A good turning radius is also a boon on the new Mahindra scooter; the Gusto comes with a comparatively longer 1,275mm wheelbase. The Gusto, whilst no segment topper, handles reasonably well, although it feels slightly heavier than rival scooters in city riding conditions.