Touring Combat: Mahindra Mojo 300 vs Honda CBR 250R

The awaited Mahindra Mojo 300 is finally ready to launch on 16th October 2015 and some reports are claiming that it will be priced at Rs. 1.6 ac. With this much low price, this tourer is looking a great deal for those who are searching a bike for weekend trips. If we talk about its competitors, Mahindra Mojo is one of its kinds in the Indian market. However, its price tag and purpose makes it an indirect rival of the existing Honda CBR 250R. So, here we are with a quick comparison of these motorcycles.

Also Read: Who is the real Predator? Mahindra Mojo 300 vs KTM 390 Duke

Design and Styling: Both the Mahindra Mojo 300 and the Honda CBR 250R have been designed to serve as a tourer. However, they have a completely different styling.

Mahindra Mojo 300 has a naked design with a touch of streetfighter aggressiveness offering relaxed seating posture and a large rake angle. The bike feels great on highways, but you might feel the steering a bit heavy on corners. It gets an aggressive appearance with owl eye headlamp, masculine fuel tank and wild shrouds. The overall design of the bike is a little weird compared to the other machines in India, However, some might like its transformer look.

Honda CBR 250R is a well designed and already successful motorcycle with supersport like full-faired styling. Most of the people in India believe that the CBR 250R is a race sport motorcycle, but actually it is a sport tourer based on the Honda VFR1200F. The seating position on the bike is not as comfortable as a cruiser, still you can sit upright. The biggest advantage of this motorcycle over the Mojo is its aerodynamic design with a wind shield, providing better wind protection at high speed.

Also Read: Mahindra MOJO First Ride

Engine and Performance Figures: Powering the Mojo 300 and CBR 250R are quite a similar type of motors as the both are single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 4-valve engines with varying displacements. 

The heart that beats in the Mahindra Mojo is a 300cc mill, which has been specially tuned for touring. The engine sounds good with its dual side-slung mufflers and you can feel its refinement. The power output of the motor goes up to 27bhp at 8,000 rpm and it delivers torque up to 30Nm at 6,000rpm. The engine has a good low and mid range torque and it comes mated to a 6-speed transmission with short gear ratios, providing an impressive acceleration to the bike.

Honda CBR 250R is a sport tourer and its 250cc engine has been tuned for a sporty performance. The smooth mill makes a maximum power of 26.15bhp at 8,500rpm, while the torque goes up to 22.9Nm at 7,000rpm. It also comes mated with a similar type of 6-speed gearbox via wet multi-plate clutch arrangement.

Also Read: Honda CBR 250R and CBR 150R Released in Three New Colours at Honda Revfest

Chassis and Equipment: 

Mahindra Mojo has been built on a very durable frame having two extra members called golden ribs, which aids to its styling as well. Its suspension set-up gets fat inverted telescopic forks at the front along with an adjustable mono-shock at the rear. The bike comes with a dual disc brake system and has the largest discs in the respective segment, a 320mm disc up-front and a 240mm at the rear. The 17” split-spoke alloys of the bike have been covered with excellent rubber from Pirelli Diablo Rosso II, 110/70 section front and 150/60 section rear.

Assembled on a twin-spar frame, Honda CBR 250R comes with telescopic forks at the front and an adjustable mono-shock suspension at the rear. It also gets dual-disc braking system with smaller 296mm front and 220mm rear discs. However, its brake calipers from Nissin works much better that the J.Juan calipers on the Mojo 300. Tyres on its 17” alloys are not so premium like the rival and it gets rubber from MRF Zapper or Metro Conti Go, depending on the availability. The size of the front tyre is same to that of the rival, but the rear one is a bit smaller 140/70 section tyre.The company also offers Combined Anti-lock Braking System (CABS) as an option for around Rs. 29,000 extra.

Price and Verdict:

The price of Honda CBR 250R starts from Rs. 1.59 lac, while that of Mahindra Mojo 300 is expected to be around Rs. 1.6 lac, which is almost similar to its rival. The Mojo stands higher on performance, ergonomics and equipment than the CBR 250R. However, when the matter comes to the brand value, Honda is the second largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India and Mahindra Two-Wheeler don’t have that good position in the market. Also, the fairing on the CBR 250R is a big advantage when you have to cruise on high speed. But if you go into detailing, Mahindra is offering a lot of high end features within a similar pricing. So, we would like to suggest you if you are going to buy a motorcycle in the respective segment, you should give a try to the Mahindra Mojo.

Also Read: Mahindra Mojo Offer: First Few Owners to Get a Free Weekend Trip