Mahindra Gusto vs Yamaha Saluto

The Mahindra Gusto was with us for over five months and the fact that I rode it for about 1,000km per month speaks a lot about my love for scooters. They have spoilt me. Primarily, for the ease of riding and also for the quality of this two-wheeler being convenient over motorcycles. No wonder I chose the Gusto over the option of other bikes/cars for my daily use.

Our Mahindra Gusto long-termer has been used for more than 5,000km till date and hasn't given any kind of trouble yet. I have used it in different traffic and road conditions and it is still as good as new. The engine note is the same and the scooter still provides the same ride feel as it did at the beginning. Neither do the panels rattle nor have the brakes lost bite.

A lot has been said about the unique and best-in-class features of the Mahindra Gusto. Sure, they are good, but what about the engine and gearbox of the scooter? Our long-termer has run for almost about 4,000km now, so I have a fair idea of how the motor of the scooter performs.

The Yamaha Saluto is a very perplexing motorcycle. Having established its roots in the more enthusiast-oriented 150cc segment with the FZ-S and the YZF-R15, Yamaha launched the Saluto as a replacement for the ageing SS125 with an eye on the lucrative 125cc commuter segment. On paper, it almost seems like Yamaha has taken a step backwards. The Saluto is more than 2 horsepower down on the motorcycle it replaces and loses out on a lot of features and flair thereby adopting a very civilised and sober design. So what was Yamaha actually thinking when they brought in the Saluto?