Mahindra Flyte 125

Mahindra’s foray into the market for two-wheelers kicks off with the Mahindra Flyte, pitched as a quick, lightweight scooter that attempts to challenge Honda’s dominance of the market.

Design and Style

Mahindra Flyte's body is designed to look speedy, modern and versatile - and it’s pretty successful. The impact-resistant mirrors, made in the body color, are smart and quite distinctive looking, and are complimented by the bike’s bright, horn-rimmed headlamps. The body graphics on the body’s side and front cowl are bold and eye-catching in all of the shades. It borrows the shape of its front mask from the sibling model Rodeo, while the rest of its front face is in a grey shade that adds a nice accent to the main body color. The tail light and rear design are simply shaped but look attractive and quite sophisticated. In many ways, it strongly resembles competitors such as the TVS Scooty – it’s a strong design, but not particularly ground-breaking.

Instrument Console

The instrument console is standard for a scooter of this kind, with no stand-out features. It is a broad, well-sized console with white background illumination that makes it easy to view in low light. As is to be expected, all of the gauges are analogue, but the fuel gauge and accelerometer are clear and easy to read, and are accompanied by a well-shaped low fuel and low battery indicator.

Engine and Gearbox

The Mahindra Flyte features a 124.6cc four-stroke, air-cooled engine, with a maximum power of 8 Bhp at 7000 rpm, and a maximum torque of 9 Nm at 5500 rpm. This positions it squarely in the middle of the market, equal to the many 125 cc scooters on offer.

Acceleration and Top Speed

The bike’s top speed is a nippy 80kmph, a respectable speed for a bike of this type. Its acceleration is strong and quick, and it makes the jump from 0 to 60 in less than 10 seconds, demonstrating decent pick-up.

Mileage

Mahindra claims that Flyte has average fuel consumption of 35 to 40 kilometres per litre. However, many users report that the bike’s actual mileage is probably closer to between 25 and 35 kilometres per litre, which is slightly less than you’d like for a bike of this kind.

Comfort While Driving

The Flyte features extra-large seats that have been carefully designed to be ample and comfortable for all riders, making the bike well suited for long journeys as well as short. There is ample legroom set aside for the driver, and the pillion rider also has plenty of space as well as a handy grab bar for a more secure ride. The foot pegs are well positioned to make the bike quite ergonomically friendly. You’ll find it a pleasant ride over short and long distances.

Safety features

The design of the Flyte doesn’t neglect safety, incorporating a strong rear grab rail to ensure the safety and security of the pillion rider.

Storage space

Storage space is one of the Flyte’s standout features, and it’s among the best in its class. The under-seat storage is a massive 22 litres, more than enough space to stow a helmet or bag if necessary. This storage is also handily LED-illuminated, so you can make use of it day and night.

Suspension

The bike is equipped with telescopic fork suspension with hydraulic dampers at the front and unit swing arm suspension with hydraulic dampers at the rear. The standard shock absorbers work well, but they’re unsuitable for bumpy off-road driving – the Flyte is definitely an urban vehicle that performs best on flat smooth roads.

Brakes

At the front and the rear, the bike features 130mm drum type brakes. The brakes are balanced and stable, and responsive to the driver’s squeeze, with a good stopping distance.

Ride and Handling

The Flyte is designed to feel fast on its feet, and it certainly handles well. The bike’s compact size and narrow wheels make it very speedy and easy to manoeuvre, and it handles corners neatly and easily. The bike’s excellent handling is also aided by its lower saddle height and relatively generous ground clearance.

Tyre Size

The Mahindra Flyte is designed with metal alloys, and features 3.5”-10” 4PR tyres, typical for a scooterette of this class. They’re the ideal size for the bike’s lightweight design, and narrow enough to provide quick, responsive manoeuvring, so it’s a great power scooter for those who want to dodge in and out of traffic. Disappointingly, the bike doesn’t feature any technology to reduce the likelihood of punctures, something you’ll find on many of its competitors.

Shades

The Flyte’s body design is intended to be neither masculine nor feminine, but the bike acquires a distinct personality when a different body color is applied. It comes in five shades – Black Mystique, Silver Flash, Jade Charisma, Red Oomph and Lavender Groove – of which the red and lavender are the most charming.

Accessories

Like many bikes of this type, the Flyte comes with few accessories, so if you want to personalize it you’ll have to purchase the additional extras separately. However, the bike’s many nice features mean that you won’t feel cheated.

Variants

The Mahindra Flyte comes in just one variant – the standard model.

Distinctive Features

Like some of its rivals, the Mahindra Flyte includes front fuelling for its tank, meaning that the rider doesn’t need to alight from the vehicle in order to refuel. It’s a small but welcome addition. The bike also includes an on-board mobile phone charger beneath the seat. The Flyte also comes with a four-in-one anti-theft key system, a pretty unique addition that starts the bike, opens the fuel lock, locks the handle, and locks the bike, at the single turn of a key. It’s a nice touch, and one that helps to set it apart from the competition, particularly as bikes of this kind can be thief-magnets.

Reasons to Buy and Value for Money

Light, fast and good-looking, the Flyte has a powerful engine, excellent handling, and class-beating storage space. Thanks to its generous storage and decent engine power, the Flyte more than earns its price tag.

Verdict

The Flyte is a very welcome entry into this segment of the market by Mahindra. It’s a thoughtfully designed and practical vehicle with lots of additional features that you’ll love.

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