Royal Enfield Himalayan vs Mahindra Mojo: Comparison test

Looks & Styling

We know styling is subjective, but between the two, the Himalayan’s appeal lies in its purpose-built outlook, while the Mojo looks like a confused mix and match of styling elements. The headlamp assembly that houses twin lamps and daytime running lamp (DRL) makes the Mojo look unattractive. We liked the tank design, but the gold chassis tubes and the unnecessarily big radiator cover adds to the oddness. The tail section looks decent and the presence of two exhausts makes the bike look as if it’s from a segment above.

On the other hand, the Himalayan follows a very simple, no nonsense design approach. Royal Enfield has included the chassis tube as a part of its overall styling. The tank design is strictly utilitarian, so is the headlamp cluster. There’s a small frame that holds the instrument and headlamp cluster and the way Royal Enfield has included it as a part of the styling is smart. Look at the Himalayan from the rear, and you’ll see the typical adventure bike DNA.

Royal Enfield Himalayan:7/10

Mahindra Mojo:6/10

Ergonomics & Quality

Ergonomically, the Mahindra Mojo is sorted in many ways – high-rise handlebar, comfortable seat, neutrally set footpegs and more than enough area to hug the fuel tank with your knees. And the result is a nice laid back riding experience. Being an adventure bike, Royal Enfield has worked in many ways to make the Himalayan look and feel practical. For example, with a seat height of 800mm, the bike is more accessible to a wide range of riders. And then the upright seating position, coupled with the ability to sit tall results in a better view of the road and this, eventually aids city riding. The quality is decent on both bikes but with some room for improvement. The switchgear, paint finish and the overall attention to detail can be better on both.

Royal Enfield Himalayan:7/10

Mahindra Mojo:6.5/10

Features & Technology

The Himalayan and the Mojo are almost equally equipped. The Mojo gets a nice snazzy and sporty instrument cluster with the tachometer lighting up in red. And there’s a side stand and shift indicator as well. It also gets a maximum speed recorder. The Mojo comes with ‘limp home mode’, which restricts the engine speed to 5000rpm whenever an engine malfunction is detected. In terms of cycle parts, it gets USD front forks, an adjustable rear monoshock, and Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres that offer excellent grip on tarmac.

The Himalayan gets the typical round instrument cluster that displays riding data like average speed, gear indicator, ambient temperature and time readouts, and two trip meters. Tachometer and fuel level indicator are all analog, unlike the fancy compass which is digital. There’s also a hazard lamp button on the cluster. As far as suspension and tyres go, the bike is equipped with 41mm front telescopic forks with 200mm of travel and a rear monoshock with 180mm of travel. The tyres are on/off-road Ceats similar to the ones we have seen on the Hero Impulse. The Himalayan also gets a bash plate to protect the engine from road debris or gravel while riding off-road.

Mahindra Mojo:6/10

Engine & Performance

The Mahindra Mojo is powered by a 300cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine, and it is an excellent motor. This engine develops 26bhp of max power and 30Nm of peak torque and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. The refinement, smoothness, linear power delivery and the ability to cruise at 110kmph with ease makes the Mojo an excellent choice for highway. The gearshifts too feel light and offer precise shifts. Within city limits, the Mojo performs well thanks to the low-end torque, which is handy from as low as 1500rpm. Overall, the Mojo’s engine is well mannered, friendly, and the power output is accessible and practical.

The Royal Enfield Himalayan gets a 411cc engine, which like the Mojo’s unit uses a single cylinder. However, this one is oil-cooled and carburetted, and, it isn’t as refined as the Mahindra either. Vibrations aren’t so much of an issue here, but the noise the engine makes leaves you with an impression of it being an old and rackety unit. And the harder you rev it, the worse it gets. It’s best then to ride the Himalayan at around 90kmph, which honestly, isn’t good for a bike meant for touring. The clunky gearbox and the heavier clutch pull only add to the Himalayan’s woes.

The Himalayan engine produces 24.5bhp and a peak torque of 32Nm, which puts it more or less level with the Mojo on paper. But, on the road, the Mojo is faster under flat out acceleration and it outperforms the Himalayan in the ride-ability stakes as well. The Himalayan also runs out of steam earlier than the Mojo recording a slower top speed. And it must labour to get there.

Ride, Handling & Braking

The Himalayan might have struggled to keep up with the Mahindra Mojo in terms of drivetrain prowess, but when it comes to dynamics, the RE has an edge. The Mojo has a softer suspension setup, which makes it comfortable at slower speeds and over nicely tarred roads. It also manages to level out undulating roads with aplomb. But, as the speeds rise and the road surface gets more challenging, the Himalayan clearly has an edge helped by its larger 21-inch front wheel and higher suspension travel. It feels surer, more settled and sturdier than the Mojo. And it isn’t exactly uncomfortable or unlivable at slower city speeds.

Additionally, the Himalayan, thanks to its seating position, near neutral weight distribution, and a tighter turning circle, is the easier of the two bikes to ride and live with in the city. The Mojo in comparison can be quite a handful while maneuvering in heavy traffic conditions thanks to its significantly forward biased weight distribution. Around corners, the Himalayan might not have the same outright grip levels of the Mojo (down to the tyres) but the RE has more cornering clearance. It also reacts to steering inputs with a higher degree of predictability. Plus, its front end offers more feel, and with it higher confidence levels to push harder.

On the braking front, we didn’t like either. But, the Himalayan is a tad bit worse. Both bikes run single disc setups front and rear and neither is impressive in terms of bite, feel or stopping power. The slight edge that the Mojo has here – and only on tarmac – is courtesy its grippy front tyre.

Royal Enfield Himalayan:8/10

Mahindra Mojo:7/10

Fuel Efficiency

In terms of fuel efficiency, the Himalayan and the Mojo returned almost the same figures. The Royal Enfield Himalayan returned 32.4kmpl in the city whereas the Mojo’s figure stood at 36.2mpl. But with a fuel tank capacity of 21litres, the Mojo can easily do close to 760km while the Himalayan has a riding range of about 486km with its 15litre tank.

Royal Enfield Himalayan:4/10

Mahindra Mojo:5/10

Price & Warranty

Here, both the motorcycles have an edge over each other in some ways. The Royal Enfield Himalayan is priced at Rs 1.78 lakh (on road Mumbai) and comes with a 2-years/20,000km warranty. However, Mahindra Mojo gets a 2-years/32,000km warranty, but is Rs 11,000 expensive at Rs 1.89 lakh (on road Mumbai).

Royal Enfield Himalayan:3/10

Mahindra Mojo:3/10

Desirability

The Himalayan is from Royal Enfield while the Mojo is a Mahindra. So do we really need to talk about desirability here?

Royal Enfield Himalayan:7/10

Mahindra Mojo:5/10

Verdict

Rank 1: Royal Enfield Himalayan

60/100

Why? The Himalayan can do most things that the Mojo can. It can commute, it can tour (though at a slower pace) and it can go around corners. But additionally, the Himalayan can go where the Mojo might struggle – off the road. But, this isn’t the reason why the Himalayan wins here. It might not have the same refinement and performance levels of the Mahindra’s drivetrain, but in almost ever other regard, the RE does better, no matter how slim the margin. It has a better ride, better cornering ability, better ground clearance, better seating ergo, better fuel economy, and better pricing. It is our winner even though the gap is small.

Rank 2: Mahindra Mojo

58.5/100

The Mojo runs the Himalayan close and that’s mainly down to its engine, its performance, its gearbox, and some high-end cycle parts it uses. It can tour and it can commute. And as a motorcycle it’s not bad or awful in any way. But, the Himalayan just manages to do many things better. And, the Mojo needs improvements in areas like weight distribution. Plus, it would help if it were more palatable in terms of design and slightly lower priced. So, as things stand today, as a product overall, the Mojo is a close second to the RE.

Photography by Kapil Angane

Final Scores