The combination of the new wheelbase, ground clearance, improved tyres, four point mounted wheels and responsive brakes definitely works in favour of the Duro DX 125. The Duro, is a fun machine to ride. At relatively high speeds, the scooter seems at ease, riding very stable, as good or maybe even slightly better than its peers. The underseat storage is very practical and can store your full face helmet comfortably. For a change it was a good feeling to have underseat storage on a vehicle we were testing, to stow away our camera and other stuff when riding. It was a simple matter of pushing the key in and a twist to unlock the seat and grabbing the camera for pictures.
The Duro DX also gets a halogen lamp for better visibility, and a brake lock lever, that you can engage when parked on inclines.
The design lines wrapping around the headlamp have been tweaked to make the Duro slightly aggressive. The rear view mirrors are slightly larger and better positioned to offer good rear visibility.
The white dials of the Duro have been restyled and now feature a slightly more trendy, yet still subtle black background with white fonts.
The switch gear has no changes. Nothing too fancy here, the usual assortment of switches in typical switchgear plastic.
On paper, the Suzuki Access 125 might have the higher ground clearance of 160mm, as opposed to the 155mm of the Duro. The battle leans in favour of the Duro in real world conditions.
| Ground Clearance in mm | 1 Rider (75 Kg) | Rider + Pillion (75 + 75 kg) |
| Mahindra Duro 125 DX | 147 | 127 |
| Suzuki Access 125 | 134 | 114 |
| Disclaimer: Data on ground clearance provided by Mahindra, Riot Engine is not responsible for any errors. | ||
As some of the journos pointed out, Mahindra should have gone all the way with the Duro. A digital dash and backlit key slot, maybe even an external fuel filler cap would’ve gone a long way. It makes all the more sense now that the Duro DX will be sold alongside the Duro.
The mobile phone charger still remains a Rodeo trick, placed just above the glovebox is the choke lever.
Verdict
Mahindra has built a really strong R&D team now, and can stake the claim to being one of the elites in the country. Mahindra has also is set on increasing its reach with more dealers and service centers. More products are also in the pipeline, and Mahindra wants its products to slot in every niche possible.
There is always the possibility of products based on the fantastic Italjet portfolio making their way into the lineup, which excites us. The PowerScooters moniker has been dropped from the DX, which leads us to believe Mahindra has internally raised the bar for ‘PowerScooters’. Though Mahindra says that there are currently no plans for dropping the Duro in favour of the Duro DX, and that both models will be sold alongside, we have a sneaking suspicion that come 2012, the older Duro will gracefully fade out of the picture. The Duro 125 DX is that much better than the Duro, we are sure you wouldn’t mind paying the premium for the welcome changes on the Duro 125 DX.
Mahindra 2 Wheelers is young and promising. At product launches, usually the gentlemen in suits are enthusiastic about their products, more so with the press around. This time, the vibe from the team makes us think that the management at Mahindra truly believes in their product and have high hopes for brand Mahindra itself. It was a reassuring sight, with the entire team making conversation and actually having a great time. I rarely did see any whispering around. That, in itself is a good start for a product, that seems to have established itself in various parts of the country and in a glorious way down South. Every second scooter in Hyderabad and Calicut, where we’ve spent some time, is a Duro. Why, even our previous Duro roadtest was done in Kerala.
Mahindra, we do wonder though, do you still see Duro as the spectacle wearing SRK in Rab Ne Bana di Jodi? We would suggest you revisit your opinion. The Duro DX with the muscular rear and the now aggressive nose and revised decals is far more appealing to a wider spectrum of customers. If we may make a suggestion, we think you should give up on the celebrities and have normal people, preferably the gentlemen in suits and the lone pretty lady at the launch, who seem to be an enthusiastic bunch with real understanding of the product, star in subsequent TVCs and connect with people.