In an attempt to offer its customers a wider range to choose from, UM Lohia Two Wheelers has added two new variants to its Renegade Commando model—Commando Classic and Commando Mojave. Both the Classic and Mojave get their own unique characteristics and features. We drove the Renegade Commando Mojave and here are our thoughts.
The Renegade Commando Mojave is basically a Renegade Commando with an exclusive matt sand brown paint scheme that reflects the theme of Mojave Desert. From the exhaust to the wheels, all the chrome bits that you would expect of a cruiser have been painted black to keep up with the theme. The Mojave gets a minimalist design and is very American cruiser-like (reminds you of previous generation HD models). The round headlamp gets a square housing, brown leather seats, black side panels with Mojave branding, handle grips finished in brown and a green saddle bag that come as standard. The indicators get a special texture exclusive for Mojave.
The instrument cluster is placed on the petrol tank instead of the handlebar, which is not a good place to view while on a ride. Attempting to check the speedo or any other information while on the go is a task in itself and you need to take your eyes off the road for a few seconds. The digital display (despite offering information like gear indicator, fuel gauge, odo and trip meters) is too small to gather information in that few seconds. The 18-litre petrol tank also gets a green fabric cover while the fuel filler port sits beside the instrument cluster but gets no overflow drain. The seats offer good comfort with correct cushioning and the pillion gets the additional back support. Overall, the Commando Mojave looks great (special mention goes to the black wheels) and kudos to the company for keeping it simple and real. There’s also a USB port on the side of the instrument cluster for your mobile charging needs.
Power comes from the same 279.5 cc engine that powers the rest of the range. Maximum power is a healthy 25.15 PS at 8500 rpm and 23 Nm of peak torque at 7000 rpm. The engine feels refined for most of the part and lets the vibrations to take over only on the high revs. The 6-speed gearbox has been tuned for highway cruising with the short first and second gears and the gear ratios are longer. The sixth gear is purely for the highways but you need to downshift to overtake. Though the bottom end response is not as good as we would have liked, there’s a strong middle range to use from the engine. Get close to the triple digit mark on the speedo and the revs start to make their presence known but not too intrusive.
Sitting upon a dual cradle frame, the riding characteristics of the Commando Mojave is what you expect out of a cruiser. The bike feels relaxed and so does the rider with a relaxed seating position thanks to the low height and forward set foot pegs. The handling is similar to the Renegade Commando and the bike feels stable around the curves and corners. Take it on a straight line and the bike shows its cruiser colours in a good way. The 41 mm telescopic front suspension and twin hydraulic rear shocks do a great work on absorbing the holes and bumps. The 280 mm disc brake to the front and drum to the rear offer good stopping power but fails to inspire confidence.
Priced at Rs 1.8 lakh ex-showroom, the UM Renegade Commando Mojave comes as a great alternative in a field completely occupied by Royal Enfield. With a bit more attention to build quality and some tidy bits here and there, UM can really play in the big league much better.
