Bog-standard fare

Making good quality motorcycles and at sensible prices is all it takes to go on top in the two-wheelers business. Unfortunately, the Stallio wasted a good opportunity. Mahindra should have been adventurous enough to design a tough-looking motorcycle. The Stallio looks like any other Indian commuter bike.

Looks
The Stallio's dual-tone front mudguard is smart, its lower half matching the black telescopic forks, silencer and alloy wheels. A steeply raked bikini fairing finishes up the front, housing a bright halogen bulb-equipped headlight along with LED pilot lamps.
The bike gets an alloy mounted chrome handlebar, quality switches, solid levers and mirrors. Palm grip quality is a let down. The Stallio wins some brownie points thanks to its smart fuel tank, slender but well-shaped knee recesses and a nifty central panel plus up-market fuel filler lid. It comes with an alloy grab-handle. The overall quality of plastic and rubber parts still needs to improve.

Engine
Power is delivered by a button-started, four-stroke, 106.7 cc engine. The Stallio lags behind on account of not being equipped with rocker arms with roller bearings, an industry standard friction-cutting measure that improves engine and fuel efficiency. The bike has four well-sorted gear ratios with gears shifting via a conventional heel-and-toe lever in the one-down, three-up pattern. Gearshift quality is disappointing, and finding neutral is really hard. The refinement from the 106.7 cc engine is a shade below par. The riding position felt good as did the comfortable, upright riding posture and high-set handlebar.

A base model Stallio has spoke wheels sans electric-start. In the age when alloy wheels and electric start are no longer considered luxuries, the Stallio has fallen short there. Price-wise, the Stallio finds itself in the same bracket with the bulk of Indian two wheeler leaders in its segment, without offering any outstanding value or USP. The top end model costs ₹44,699 (ex-showroom), close to the segment leader, Honda Twister.

Autocar India