Renegade Commando motorcycles score high on riding pleasure and safety

Customised for long-distance riding, the new Renegade Commando motorcycles score high on riding pleasure and safety

The new Renegade Commando Classic and the Renegade Commando Mojave (pronounced Mohaave) from UM Lohia Two Wheelers are ready-to- ride cruiser motorcycles. They come fitted with a saddle bag, a tank cover — which is basically a fuel tank cell —a phone pad and a leg guard. The Renegade Commando Classic comes with a high gloss metallic two-tone paint job and more than 3,430 square inches of chrome. Apart from the chrome finish that distinguishes it from the Mojave — which has been coated with a dull matte colour — the Classic has a polycarbonate windshield and an alloy back rest. While both the bikes have a saddle bag, the one attached to the Classic is a lot classier. The tank mounted zipper pouch is very practical for keeping your mobile phone and your wallet safe. There is a USM mobile charger at the speedometer mounted on the side of the tank. 

The seats are comfortable with premium high-density seat covers that are great for long distance riding. Both the bikes come fitted with oversized leg guards that add to the safety of the biker. As for the pillion rider, there is a back rest for added comfort. I wish the digits on the analog speedometer had a bigger font and were clearer. The same goes for the digital information on the dial. These motorcycles have a fuel tank  capacity of 18 litres, with a kerb weight of 179 kg. The bikes also come with Electronic Fuel Injection and a lazy torque delivery. The bikes achieve their peak torque and power at around 7,000 to 8,000 rpm. That is way up the rev band. Someone who wants to take off instantly will find it disappointing. 

Renegade Commando

 

What makes them special is their above-par ground clearance of 200mm and a very functional telescopic suspension in the front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. I deliberately went over pot holes of Kashipur to find out how these bikes took the battering and I came back quite impressed by the amount of abuse they were able to handle. If one were to compare these new UM motorcycles with the Enfield motorcycles, the UM motorcycle do long-distance cruising much better than the Enfield. 

The UM motorcycles have got the right ergonomics when it comes to seats and handle bar designs. The handling of the bikes is not bad either, and the liquid-cooled engine did not show any signs of heating up. An ABS variant would have been an added advantage. If UM is able to ensure a  and consistent manufacturing quality, then it definitely has winners in the new Renegade models.

Reports: Motown India; www.motownindia.com