Wednesday 2 December 2015

MOJO VS CBR250R - BATTLE OF SPORT TOURERS

Indian performance biking scene is booming from past few years. Started by karizma and Pulsar 220, a new revelation came when Yamaha introduced R15. The 1st fully faired technologically loaded performance bike with all the performance oriented gadgetry on a small capacity machine. Its prowess was clearly visible from its performance no.s and lap times with respect to its on paper figures but what about TOURERS?? Companies weren't focusing on these as maximum indians look for looks and performance rather than usability and reliability. Thats why RE was enjoying no competition until Honda launched is CBR250R in 2011. It introduced us with proper sports tourer category of bikes with adequate comfort for long rides with minimum vibrations, fairing to reduce windblasts and bullet proof Honda reliability to back its touring credentials. Thats why even today many avid tourers prefer honda as it proved its reliability over the span of 4 long years but it is long in the tooth now. Although it got minor updates to engine (**1ps increase in power with better low end, dual horns ,better built quality, different lock etc) in 2012, it looks exactly the same with different graphics and doesnt go well with todays modern design language as honda now focuses mainly on commuter end. Surprisingly, despite all this **CBR's sale registered a hike in the past few months which shows its lack of competition on a touring perspective.
(** marked are those points which many readers might not know)

ENTER MAHINDRA MOJO which is aimed directly on RE and CBR to get a pie of the sales aimed at hardcore tourers.I dont know why some people compare it with duke200 as they are vastly different bikes and it makes no sense to compare them. It had been in development from 5 years when finally it rolled out in oct,2015. Many test mule spotted ,showcased multiple time at auto expo so it took a long time to mahindra for understanding the market. It started as a street bike concept but moved towards a naked cruiser may be by seeing very stiff competition by KTM in India but looking at todays age ,i think it should end with a Adventure tourer. Nevertheless, there is a lot what meets the eye when MOJO is considered. So this is all about a sport tourer comparison as when a practical guy thinks about a bike in a budget of 2lakhs , now he has 2 bikes to choose from. Lets get started. (Thunderbird isnt included in the shootout as it has old technology and its not fair to compare it with advanced machines)

PRICE AND COLORS
Mahindra mojo - 1,83,000 on road Delhi
CBR250R(non abs) - 1,75,913 on road Delhi

CBR and MOJO both come in 3 color options BLACK ,RED and WHITE (Here CBR used for comparo is 2012 model tri color)


BLACK
RED

   
WHITE


  DESIGN ,BUILT AND FEATURES
Quirky, Big and attention grabber. You all know what i am talking about. Mojo is definitely a head turner and people keep asking about it whether its a modified bike as its dual exhaust is a 1st in segment and it looks massive with more mass up front. If you miss to see it, your ears will be attracted towards its loud and bassy exhaust note specially without DB killers (yes you can remove them easily!!). LED drls along with dual headlamps complete the head which provide adequate illumination as these are 35W lamps only ,one for low and one for high beam. Look down and there are beefy golden USD forks with long 143.5mm travel and rear comprises a mono shock which is almost horizontally mounted. Forks are mounted on triple clamp for added stiffness.Brakes are sourced from j juan with 320mm front and 240mm rear disc plates.The ribs and long swingarm are also painted in golden(except for red/white color on which they are black) but i don't find the welding on golden swingarm pleasing to look at. Twin exhausts have a very basic design and it looks like there is no heat shield provided but actually it is covered with it. Rear is complemented by 12 unit LED taillight which looks smashing from rear. Overall built quality leaves nothing to complaint about but i would like to see the durability of normal bolts around the instrument cluster in long run. Switchgear quality feels nicer than many Indian bikes thats certain.
MOJO looks equal to ER6N 650cc, Now guess its size!!

On the other end CBR is here in our market from 4 years and generally there isnt much to talk about its design as its showing its age (honda please give us CBR300r or at least new CBR250R) . Nevertheless, its a smart design and looks like a big purposeful sports tourer from every angle with raised clip ons , slightly tall windscreen and chunky tyres. V shaped headlamp is taken from VFR1200F as that is also a sports tourer. ** It was named as CBR because it cant be named as VFR as VFRs have V4 type configuration engine while CBR is obviously a single only.Headlight has a good throw and its rated at 55/60W so certainly better than MOJO's. Indicators and taillight look basic as they are big and non LED which isnt the norm nowadays.Built quality has improved by leaps and bounds in past few years as CBR had quality issues with previous batches but now its very good throughout and plastics are built to last. Switchgear quality is typical honda and feels great to touch. Overall while MOJO looks unique and quirky with polarizing appeal(i dont like it much) but the CBR is dated but has a smart looking mature design which i don't excessively love either !!!

Coming to features Mojo provides quite unique features to the table like its unique digital analog instrument cluster, backlit switches , ultimate sticky pirelli Diablo Rosso 2 tyres, 21l fuel tank, DRLs etc. The instrument cluster looks smashing at night specially its following LEDs alongside tachometer needle with added features like 0-100 and top speed recorder as well but** I found the tacho needle annoyingly moves loosely when coming down in rpm range.
MOJO's instrument cluster

Compared to this, CBR has a very basic instrument cluster but it provides all the basic info that you will require on daily basis with engine temperature bar graph as additional over MOJO. It is surrounded by silver finished panel that looks quite pleasing even now. Added to that CBR comes with a windshield to reduce windblasts from chest and shoulders and adds to its aerodynamics for more stability at high speeds. Wheels are made of cast aluminium and **New CBR comes with new MRF zapper FY and S soft compound combo which does the job in Yamaha R3 as well and there are not more features to offer but buyers can opt for Combined ABS model if they want extra security and Mahindra claims that it is working on it too. For ABS CBR though you have to stretch the budget to 2 lakhs which is worth it but it reaches dangerously close to duke 390.
CBR's cockpit


ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND BRAKING
Mojo is a fresher bike and its 295cc engine produces 26.8bhp of power in a very linear fashion with massive 30nm of torque on offer at just 5500rpm that's where maximum highway cruising will be done as mojo cruises at 100kmhr at 5600 rpm and feels totally at home at speeds between 100-120kmhr with butter smoothness. Mahindra has done a great job to control the NVH levels of the bike which maximum indian bikes don't have. Limiter is at 9000rpm but redline starts at 8500rpm and the engine gets a bit clattery below 4000rpm so its best to downshift and stay from 4-7000rpm to get the best out of it. Initially gears are spaced shortly but the 6th gear is long for relaxed cruising. It climbs to 100kmhr in 9.5sec and top speed is 156kmhr according to speedometer (70kg rider). Ride normally and it gives a mileage of 28kmpl in mixed conditions and a little over 34kmpl on highways.

Compared to this, the 50cc less capacity engine of CBR produces a respectable 26.15bhp and 23nm of torque in the higher revs and is just as smooth if not smoother than MOJO's. It is also capable of cruising at triple digit speeds where 100kmhr comes at 6100rpm on the tacho. Similar to MOJO, CBRs engine also doesnt like low revs but can pull from lower 3000rpm all the way upto its 10,800rpm limiter (redline at 10,500 rpm) which makes it actually quicker to 100kmhr at 8.7 secs and achieve a top speed of 166kmhr. This is also possible as CBR is full 21kgs lighter than MOJO (wet weights) which propel it with urgency ,easily making it the quickest and fastest bike in sub 2lakh price bracket. In gear acceleration of MOJO is better thanks to more torque and CBR's gears are placed tall so it helps in driveability in city conditions friendlier than short geared MOJO. It returns the same fuel efficiency ranging from 28-34kmpl.

MOJO has biggest in class 320mm front disc brake with steel braided lines sourced from J juan but it is very progressive in nature and provide very little initial bite and feel from the lever. The stretched out rake further keeps the confidence low under hard braking. The rear 240mm disc is almost opposite in comparison and has very sharp bite which results in easy lock up. CBR's non abs BYBRE(BY BREMBO) units are noticeably strong and have a better bite when braking hard but front suspension is soft which results in nose dive too. Rear is progressive but initial bite is missing. (CBR ABS has very potent brakes in comparison both in terms of feel and bite backed by safety net of abs which doesnt allow locking up the tyres but comes with a premium of 27k over non abs model ,still preferred!!) 

ERGONOMICS ,RIDE AND HANDLING
MOJO's seating position is set only for touring with raised handle bars, front set footpegs and a very soft sofa like seat. It might sound very pleasing at 1st but long rides would be a pain as one starts to sink in the seat after a while which gets uncomfortable.Dont worry seat is an easy fix but Surprisingly the suspension setup is very complaint at high speeds and only at low speeds you can feel the bumps and Front end also absorbs the undulations without any drama. Handling wise the bike feels heavy in city traffic with a heavy clutch and the turning radius is very large due to its wheelbase which positively makes the bike extremely stable at highway speeds. Dont expect it to be a cornering tool as there are some things which rob your confidence. Firstly the raked out front end gets upset at mid corner bumps and doesnt communicate well with the rider's inputs and secondly the exhaust starts to scrape at moderate lean angles which feels scary sometimes but the rosso 2 tyres sticks to the tarmac like glue and i wonder how MOJO behaves when owners change the set with a budget tyres after these super sticky tyres worn out as ** they are very costly to buy again.
Upright comfortable position of MOJO

slight lean forward yet comfortable seating of CBR

The CBR has comfortable yet sporty seating posture with slightly rear set footpegs and a adequately padded seat.You can hug the tank while braking unlike MOJO and its pillion seat has more space than small perch which the MOJO provides. Suspension is set soft at both ends which proves to be comfortable on long rides and rear monoshock is linked type which provides excellent damping to ensure supreme stability at high speeds and like MOJO it can also be stiffened via preload to tackle twisty bits better(it is used in one make races so with few tweaks in front suspension it can handle very fast pace too). It feels lighter than MOJO in city but manageable at all times with extremely light clutch action. While cornering, it feels completely neutral and you can hold pretty good lean angles as the MRF zapper FY and S tyres holds the road very well specially when its dry but it cant match Rosso's grip in mixed conditions like wet and mud. 
With CBR you can do this if you wish to!!

VERDICT
Both MOJO and CBR250R represent what modern age tourers and Sports Tourers feels like and they both do the job well in there own regards. On one hand MOJO is solely aimed for touring and a bloody good at that as its 21l fuel tank can take MOJO so far that the tourer has to give up before the bike runs out of fuel ,CBR on the other hand is a relatively more all rounder bike which is easier to manage in city and can do cornering at a good pace with proven touring ability too but sadly it requires a update with more sleeker looks while the MOJO looks more contemporary with its new touches. So in the end ,it all boils down to personal preference and one has to compromise a little bit in both the bikes.If you want a proper tourer with good road presence, fresher looks and features and dont care much about weekend cornering or outright performance MOJO is a perfect buy but if you wish to own a fully faired bike with "Do it All" attitude backed with proven reliability, much larger service network, extra performance, decent cornering abilities and dont care much about its 4 years old design and features, CBR will serve you better. Rest assured that no one will be disappointed after buying any of these 2 as they are very capable machines in sub 2lkh price bracket.


Bike Credits (MOJO) - Bhavish Parwani                                         

SPEC SHEET MOJO CBR250R
Engine type Liquid cooled DOHC EFI 295cc Liquid cooled DOHC PGMFI 249.6cc
Maximum Power 26.8 BHP @ 8000rpm 26.15 BHP @ 8500rpm
Maximum Torque 30NM @ 5500rpm 23NM @ 7000rpm
Suspension Front Upside Down Forks 143.5mm travel Telescopic Forks
Suspension Rear Gas charged Adjustable Monoshock Pro Link 5 step Adjustable Monoshock
Wheelbase 1465 1367
Seat Height 814 780
Ground Clearance 173.5mm 145mm
Wet Weight 182kg 161kg(non abs)
Fuel Tank 21L 13L
Compression Ratio 11:1 10.7:1
Tyre Size Front 110/70-17 Diablo Rosso 2 110/70-17 Mrf zapper FY
Tyre Size Rear 150/60-17 Diablo Rosso 2 140/70-17 Mrf Zapper S
Brake Front 320mm Disc J Juan 296mm Disc BYBRE(non abs) NISSIN (abs)
Brake Rear 240mm Disc J Juan 220mm Disc BYBRE(non abs) NISSIN (abs)
Headlamp 12V 35/35W*2 12V 55/60W
0-100 acceleration 9.5 secs 8.7 secs
Top Speed(70kg rider) 156kmhr 166kmhr
Mileage(city/highway) 28/34 Kmpl 28/34 Kmpl

11 comments:

  1. Awsome review and much help full for those who confused between mojo and cbr

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  2. Awsome review and much help full for those who confused between mojo and cbr

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  3. Although ur review was awesome... But I have seen ppl choosing Duke 200 for touring purpose too...
    With lesser price isnt it a good option...????

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    Replies
    1. People use Rc for touring purposes too, they can use anything which they bought. D200 is an excellent city bike but not a good option for highways. Here s why in detail
      1. D200 is very short geared, so much so that it stays at 7400 rpm at 100kmhr(compare it with cbr and mojo above) that's very high(Unicorn 160 stays at lower rpm) so it vl feel busy and return same mileage on highways as cbr n mojo despite being lower in displacement.
      2. It's very light without fairing so nimble in city but it feels flighty on highways after 100kmhr and doesn't give confidence to cruise comfortably n moves with wind direction easily
      3. Lack of space on rider and pillion seat is the biggest drawback. U knw abt pillion seat and might also heard that rider seat is stiff but most importantly, seat is small and while touring doesnt give much space to move around to adjust ur butt and feels very uncomfortable after sometime. It's sibling 200ns is a better touring bike as it has larger seat, more weight and mainly taller gearing, same is the case with rs200 with fairing, both even cheaper to buy. Hope it helps! :)

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  4. Perfect review bro
    Very informative n detailed review.

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  5. very detailed review, its been very useful to me choosing btwn these. good writeup buddy

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  6. how is benelli tnt25 compared to these two as mrf tyre model is also priced below 2 lacs and i heard its comfortable too, add that in comparison too

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    Replies
    1. I rode tnt25 last week and its no match for these two. ride quality ,dynamics, comfort and looks are fine but basic things like engine and brakes are pathetic. There r a lot of vibes and it feels underpowered too, brakes require a full hand of squeeze to slow the bike. They have to work a lot to make it better

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