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Bike india special Booklet for

Mahindra two-wheelers

The ultimate urban Powerscooter, the

Mahindra Duro has not only won our hearts, but also

managed to grab the coveted Scooter of the Year award

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aspi Bhathena

froM the editor’s deskWhen I thInk of the neW Mahindra Duro, words like practicality, power and value offering come to my mind. After taking over kinetic’s two-wheeler division, Mahindra and Mahindra had a major responsibility to shoulder. It included introducing products that were in tune with the M&M heritage of technology and quality.

the Duro Powerscooter is Mahindra’s first indigenously developed product for the Indian two-wheeler market. the aim was to provide a practical, hassle-free Powerscooter with enough power and strong underpinnings to take on the worst of road conditions and the harshest of rider demands

perfectly. the Duro isn’t just another 125cc offering from the automotive giant, but a clever product that offers more than what an average buyer would want. It also goes without saying that this Powerscooter more than deserved the crown of the best scooter of 2009 and hence our choice for the nDtV Profit - BIke India and CAR India ‘Scooter of the Year’ award.

this BIke India special is a tribute to the spirit of M&M which enables the power of dreams to be realized by many. Revel in the ride experience as we take you on a hot visual and literal blast – very stimulating, very Mahindra. What better way to power and live the dream. Presenting the award winning Mahindra Duro.

truly deserving

value Buyfor me, the Duro makes a very good value buy. Where else will I get a punchy 125cc engine, a sturdy suspension and comfortable ergonomics in this much money?

adhish alawaniStAff WRIteR, BIke InDIA

Bunny puniaDePutY eDItoR, BIke InDIA

workhorseI have used the Duro a lot recently including riding with my friend as a pillion. I love power and needless to say, the 125cc engine doesn’t run out of steam easily - a boon in traffic.

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truly deservingAt the recently concluded nDtV Profit - CAR and BIke awards 2010, the Mahindra Duro was crowned the Scooter of the Year. there were a dozen reasons for this - power, value offering, comfort, convenience

and practicality to name a few. the award, as seen in the picture above, was presented by Rajeev kapoor, Ceo and President - fIAt India to Anoop Mathur, President - Mahindra’s two-wheeler division.

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BIke India: M&M has entered the two-wheeler space by taking over Kinetic Engineering. Do you think the company no longer has the brand equity it had built during the Kinetic-Honda heydays?Anoop Mathur: The journey of Mahindra Two Wheelers started with the acquisition of business assets of Kinetic Motor Company Ltd. (KMCL) which was completed in Nov ’08. Our research indicated that consumers would like to see Mahindra branded two-wheelers. Moreover, it helps us channelize and focus our investments and energies to build brand Mahindra in the two-wheeler category. Kinetic had a reasonable recall, but over the years the brand has shown a decreasing trend in consumer acceptance.

BI: Will M&M continue its technical association with SYM or are you looking at other partners as well?AM: We believe in and are committed to innovation, customer centricity and delivering trust, reliability and excellent value for money. As per our game plan, we will be leveraging strategic partnerships with international two-wheeler players in order to provide the best products to the Indian consumer. We have signed a Licensing and Technical Assistance Agreement with SYM from Taiwan for technology support in the scooter segment.

LOOKSThis award winning Powerscooter boasts of solid styling and durability. Get astride this power machine to explore your freedom and scale new heights of fun and excitement. The Powerscooter is big in size and also when it comes to the style quotient. The beauty of the Duro is that it looks simple at first glance, but as you look closer, you notice the great amount of detailing that has been put in. Every inch resonates of innovation and practicality. The rear view mirrors are not only smart but reflect practicality as well. Carry your world as you travel for there is enough storage space under the seat and in the front storage box to stash all that’s important to you. The ergonomically designed seats are wide and comfortable with contours at the right places for adequate support. This Mahindra will never make you feel claustrophobic with its extra legroom which is the best in its class. Now the only thing that would need a stretch would be the road. Born out of EUROSTYLING, the Duro comes in a range exciting colours from provocative maroon to elegant black, but it looks the sexiest in all white! Power, smartness,

freedom and sensibility are the qualities this Mahindra Powerscooter stands for. Why settle for less?

PRACTICALITY AND COMFORTThe word Duro comes from ‘durability’ which, to summarize, means permanence by virtue of the power to resist stress or force. Since Mahindra already had the Flyte and the Rodeo in its portfolio as flashy and youth oriented Powerscooters, the onus in the case of the Duro was to provide a thoroughly practical, convenient and comfortable Powerscooter that was also rugged enough for Indian road conditions. The Duro’s longest wheelbase in its class ensures top rank stability on various road conditions while the biggest fuel tank among scooters means trips to the fuel bunk are fewer. Then there is the ample underseat storage space which eats up everything from your lunch box to grocery items. Further, the well padded wide seat offers a lot of room when riding with a pillion. The powerful battery ensures clearer honking, a powerful headlamp and an instant start up. The suspension has also been optimized for harsh Indian roads. The Duro is tough, but not on the rider.fa

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the duro’s longest wheelBase in its class ensures top rank staBility on various road conditions

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BI: The motorcycle segment is another opportunity for M&M. Again, will the company continue its association with SYM or look at developing its own products or partner with another company?AM: We will be present across all segments of the two-wheeler industry over the next three years. We will be entering the motorcycle segment in F11. All these products will be developed with the help of Engines Engineering which is a part of the Mahindra Group.

BI: Will M&M be looking at the entry-level commuter segment or the performance end of the market?AM: We intend to be a credible player in the Indian two-wheeler industry and aim to build a robust end-to-end global two-wheeler business with a presence in all product segments.

BI:Will M&M consider making electric scooters too?AM: Environment protection is a part of everyday being at the Mahindra Group and we are always exploring options and opportunities to develop greener and superior products.

BI: How do you see the two-wheeler market in India evolving over the next five years?AM: The Indian two-wheeler industry is currently going through a good phase. After the recession in calendar year 2008, the two-wheeler market bounced back quickly, consistently recording y-o-y growth from February 2009 onwards. Our estimates have shown that the fundamental demand drivers of this category will remain robust and the segment is poised to show a healthy growth.

BI: Can you tell us what the Duro’s success means to you and that too in such a short span of time?AM: The award is a certification from the industry experts on our commitment to create value for money products for our customers. It will be our source of inspiration to develop products in future which will not only meet the growing customer demands but surpass them.

BI: Will you update the Duro in the coming year with features like fuel injection or disc brakes?AM: We have been constantly engaging our growing customer base to get feedback. Our future products/variants will be based on consumer insights. With an ever changing market, it is imperative that we are always aligned to the market demands. Hence updating and upgrading our current and future product portfolio constantly will be done as required.

BI: Given M&M’s wide reach, will you look at marketing your Powerscooters in semi-urban and rural markets as well?AM: There has been an increase in the demand for scooters in the semi-urban markets. Being the largest manufacturer of tractors, we are closest to rural consumers and have the advantage of having the pulse of the rural market. We are leveraging these insights to strengthen our product portfolio as well as develop our sales and marketing strategies to cater to the rural market.

Mr. anoop Mathur,President two Wheeler Sector & Member Group Management Board, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

what Makesit different?

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PERFORMANCE 1111

Mahindra duro

CHASSIS 1112

performance testing by adhish alawani

Type �-st,single cylinder, air-cooledDisplacement 12�.� ccBore x Stroke �2.�mm x ��.8mmValvetrain OHV, 2-valve/cylinderComp Ratio 10.�:1Fuel supply CarbMax power 8PS@��00rpmMax torque 9Nm@��00rpmPower To Weight ��.19 PS/tonIgnition Digital CDIStarting Electric/Kick start

ENGINE 11112

GENERALDATA

Overall* �1.� kmplHighway �0 kmplCity �8 kmplFuel Tank Capacity(usable) � litresRange 2�9 kms*is ��% city riding and 2�% highway

FUELECONOMY 1111

Type Frame high rigidity underbone

Suspension (Front) Hydraulic Suspension (Rear) Hydraulic singleunit shock absorber

Brakes (Front) 1�0mm Drum brake

Brakes (Rear) 1�0mm Drum brake

Tyre (F/R) �.�x10” / �.�x10”

Clutch Automatic Centrifugal Type with torque sensor Gears VariomaticGearshift Pattern N/APrimary Drive GearFinal Drive Belt

TRANSMISSION 1111

oVeraLL 1111

PRICE Rs 43,477 (OTR, PUNE)

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100

80

60

40

20

00 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22

ACCELERATION

TImE, sECONds

1.71

5.70

12.20

Standing Quarter Mile (0-�00m) 2�.01s@80.�2km/hROLL - ON �0-�0 km/h 8.��s sPEEdOmETER ERROR True speed Indicated speed ��.8km/h �0 km/h ��.� km/h �0 km/h ��.� km/h 80 km/hTOP sPEEd 87km/h 95 km/hBRAKING*�0km/h to standstill 2�.28metres / 2.�2s(* drum Brakes)

Width ��0mm Kerb Weight 10�kg Battery 12 V / 9.0 Ah, Analogue speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge and tell-tale lights

Wheelbase 1290mm

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Length 1819mm

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Ground Clearance 1��mm

1. The optional white colour further brings out the best in terms of the EuroStyling that the Duro boasts of proudly

2. Shark fin type design elements are present at the rear as well as the front. The grab rail is generous and easy to hold for a pillion

3. A punchy engine is nothing without a throaty exhaust note. Thankfully, the Duro sounds very good at full throttle inputs

4. The Duro Powerscooter has one of the toughest front suspension on any Indian scooter

5. This is where the action lies. The white background twin pods look amazing. The right kind of road (and rider) will have the speedometer needle inch close to the 100km/h mark!

6. There is ample underseat storage space - even a helmet fits in there

7. A sturdy hydraulic suspension at the rear goes about doing its duty very ably, especially over bad roads

8. The Mahindra Duro - highly recommended by BIKE India

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one of the main strengths of the Duro is its powerful engine. while most manufacturers in the country today offer scooters with a 100-110cc engine, with the Duro, it was essential not to compromise on the powerplant front and hence the wise decision of going ahead with a 124.6cc four-stroke mill. In fact, with a low kerb weight of just 105 kilos, the Duro has one of the best power-to-weight ratios in the scooter segment today. the

engine puts out an impressive 8bhp of power along with an impressive 9nm of torque. this only means one thing – the Duro performs well in all kinds of road conditions and even with a pillion on board, lack of power is never an issue. Given the right kind of roads, the engine is potent enough to hit a true top speed of 87km/h with a 12.5 second 0-60km/h timing. Impressive to say the least! apart from the sheer amount of power on play, another parameter which is of mention is the smooth nature of the engine even while going flat out at high speeds. with this kind of performance, an overall fuel economy of 41.5kmpl is very commendable.

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