Rumour: Mahindra Mojo to get a restyling and a full fairing?

Nearly three years have elapsed since the Mahindra Mojo 300 was first showcased in October 2010 in concept form, and the motorcycle is yet to make the transition from concept to production. The latest time line for the Mahindra Mojo 300's launch in India has been revised to early 2014. An interesting bit of information about the Mojo has surfaced through a report carried by AutocarIndia. The report goes on to suggest that the motorcycle will get a complete stylistic makeover. 

Note: Mahindra Mojo 300 Concept used for illustrative purposes.

As a part of the new styling package, the Mojo 300 could dump the unfaired route and go with a full fairing.  The Mojo 300 began life as the Malaguti MR250, a two stroke motorcycle that was developed by Italian engineering firm, Engines Engineering. The Malaguti MR250's styling and chassis was used as the base for the Mahindra Mojo while the 292cc four stroke engine was an all new unit developed by Engines Engineering, then a Mahindra group company.

Now, Engines Engineering has bought back stake from Mahindra as the former's clients raised eyebrows at a possible conflict of interest given that Mahindra also operates in automotive space.  The decision on Mahindra's part to go ahead with the supposed stylistic makeover for the Mojo, including the full fairing, could have to do with Indian motorcycle buyers's preference for fully faired motorcycles.

Although full fairings aren't very practical in high city traffic conditions, the mere presence of a full fairing gives the motorcycle a sporty air, translating into higher sales at the hustings in India. Bowing to customer demand, motorcycle makers in India have begun offering full fairings on their motorcycles, even on air-oil cooled motorcycles such as the Karizma ZMR. The utility of a full fairing on motorcycle rests in the realm of aerodynamics and better wind protection for the rider at high speeds.

So, powerful sportsbikes capable of high speeds use full fairings in order to minimize performance-reducing wind drag and also to keep the rider comfortable at speeds when the wind resistance could prove very tiresome and fatigue inducing. On street/commuter bikes, the addition of a full fairing limits maneuverability and this is a reason why most commuter bikes are mostly unfaired save for the bikini fairings around the headlamp.  

The Mojo 300 is expected to retain its fuel injected, 292cc liquid cooled four stroke engine as it is, along with the five speed manual gearbox. The suspension, that includes upside down front forks and a gas charged monoshock rear, is also expected to be carried over to the fully faired Mojo 300. A sub-2 lakh rupee price tag is likely for the motorcycle, which will be Mahindra TwoWheelers's flagship offering.