Mahindra Gusto Long Term Report 3

Mahindra Gusto Long term report 3

A lot has been said about the unique and best-in-class features of the Mahindra Gusto. Sure, they are good, but what about the engine and gearbox of the scooter? Our long-termer has run for almost about 4,000km now, so I have a fair idea of how the motor of the scooter performs.

Stress-free and relaxed is what I will say if I had to summarise it. The Gusto is powered by Mahindra's all aluminium 109.6cc M-Tech engine which is tuned to deliver 8bhp of maximum power at 7,500rpm and 8.5Nm of maximum torque between 5,000 to 6,000rpm. It comes mated to a CVT transmission that performs without a glitch.

Though the Mahindra Gusto isn't quick to the mark, the engine gives a feel that it can go on and on. Despite continuous riding it doesn’t overheat nor is there any sign of it being battered. Till date, the starter has never given any problems and once thumbed, it fires up the engine without any hesitation. The engine noise is less; nothing to complain of here. Yes, there are a few initial vibrations at idling but they smoothen out with the twist of the throttle.

The Gusto doesn't lunge ahead like other scooters and the initial sprint is slow. However, it keeps on gathering pace and I even managed to do a GPS-based top-speed of 89kmph. Thanks to the calm and stress-free mill, I never felt that I was pushing the bike too hard. I could easily maintain speeds of 70-75kmph without high vibrations or hassles.

Mahindra claims a fuel efficiency of 61.5kmpl (ARAI-approved) for the Gusto. I never managed to achieve that figure. I had been riding the scooter with or without a pillion and in a mix of city traffic and highway riding. The best I could manage in these conditions is 42kmpl. So on an average, fuel economy figures are in the range of 37-42kmpl which, for me, are just about mediocre as competition also does about the same.

Mahindra asserts that to deliver power, efficiency and reliability, they have given stronger crankshaft and bearings, high inertia magneto, high energy HT coil and a series regulator. Their efforts show as their recipe has worked well in the overall process. The basic idea of a scooter is to provide low-power transportation to an individual or two and Gusto lives up to the plan. It is a slow but steady two-wheeler powered by an engine that delivers a seamless performance without any worries.

Last month, I spoke about the different features and utility of the Gusto. The next report will focus on ride and handling.