Mahindra bikes hit speed-breaker

Production has stopped for Mahindra 2-wheelers debut motorcycle, the Stallio, and this has been pulled out of company showrooms, facing serious problems within its gearbox.

While efforts are underway to resolve the problem, Mahindra 2-wheelers claim they have initiated a process to rectify bikes already on the road. As per SIAM, Mahindra 2-wheelers sold 5,135 Stallios since sales commenced in October 2010.

When contacted, Mahindra 2-wheelers could not clarify the nature of the Stallio problem, but stated they want to set matters right before June 2011. Autocar India remains the only publication to have carried a detailed road test of the Stallio (December, 2010), within which the Stallio gearbox woes were highlighted as ‘an area of grave concern,’ apart from pointing out several other severe shortcomings on this commuter bike.

The Mahindra group needs to take a long hard look at how to get their two-wheeler foray back on track, for even their second bike (still to be tested by us) the 300cc Mojo, scheduled for an early 2011 launch seems disproportionately overpriced at Rs. 1.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune), in light of Honda having already introduced the exciting, single-cylinder CBR250R at well under this much money.