Kinetic launched the Sym Flyte way back in 2007. After acquiring Kinetic in late 2008, Mahindra relaunched the Kinetic Flyte in 2009. The Kinetic Flyte is a good 125cc cylinder scooter that compares well against its peers like Honda Activa and is targeted at the women. The scooter comes with front fueling, telescopic front suspension and 130mm brakes at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 41,200 in Delhi.
Kinetic Flyte Mileage
According to the official releases, Kinetic Flyte can offer its riders a mileage of around 45 kilometers for a liter of petrol. That’s not saying a lot considering that the official mileage claimed for rivals like Activa, Dio and Wego are much higher. Activa claims a mileage of 54 kmpl, Dio claims 55 kmpl while the mileage for Wego is 50 kmpl.
Mileage Reviews from Customers
Considering that the officially claimed fuel efficiency is itself not much, I don’t expect customers to see drastically different results. On TeamBHP, the popular automobile forum, a customer who tested it with a pillion rider observed 40-42 kmpl fuel consumption on the Flyte (apparently this dropped to between 35-40 after few months of usage and servicing). Another female rider who rides single though says she consistently sees above 50 kmpl on her scooter.
On MouthShut, 79 customers have cumulatively rated the Kinetic Flyte an ordinary 3/5 for mileage. A lot of customers report a mileage of not over 40 in city traffic conditions – even customers who are otherwise fine with the scooter say you cannot expect a mileage of over 45 in highways.
On Olx, people selling their used Kinetic Flyte claim mileages between 30-35 kmpl on an average. The only outlier is a person who claims to see a 55 kmpl on his scooter. I guess if he indeed was seeing that kind of a mileage, he wouldn’t be selling this rare piece.
Final Verdict
The Kinetic Flyte does not come cheap at an ex-showroom price of over 40K. At that price, you have much better scooters that not only come with amazing mileages, but also much stylish looks. Mahindra is an awesome company but they need to do better if they have to gain a better foothold in the two wheeler market. A mileage of 35-40 kmpl is nothing to brag about. Avoid this if you can.
| Source | City Mileage (kmpl) | Highways Mileage (kmpl) |
|---|---|---|
| Official | 45 | — |
| Team BHP | 35-40 (50 by a female rider with no pillion) | — |
| MouthShut | 40 | 45 |
| Olx | 30-35 | – |
Don’t buy flyte if you are in Hyderabad. I am using it since 2008. You can repair this scooter only at Mahindra service centers. Outside mechanics will not get its spares. You have to visit service center for simple things like changing defective headlamp switch. If you want to get a hang of how difficult it is to get spares, go to any Mahindra service center and ask them for “side guard panels, original headlamp or side view mirrors. They will not know this scooter has fiber guards on each side, they don’t stock mirrors and will not have the headlamp that comes with the bike and will offer an alternative. In Hyderabad there are only 4 service centers. You have to leave vehicle with them for at least 2 days for general service. It is very easy to find out how pathetic Mahindra after sales service is if you are in Hyderabad like me. Just go to Malakpet service center (behind the show room) at 9 am and see how customers fight with the representative about mileage, kick rod problem and so many other things. And don’t forget to see the old “duros” that are waiting from weeks or even months because there are no spares. Cost of spares is also high. Mileage fluctuates wildly between 27 kmpl to 45 kmpl depending on speed at which you ride it. This scooter gives very low mileage in lower speeds. You can expect mileage between only at speed between 40kmph to 50 kmph. If you travel at any other speed it will return mileage between 27 to 30. Worst problem is its center stand will hit every speed breaker on the, road big or small, if you have a pillion rider. Can’t resell it. Very very low resale value(Less than Pep+ or super xl) However pick up is better than most scooters but cant compare with 125cc bikes. Engine is super smooth. You can carry lots of luggage on this scooter. Though spares are not available, this scooter dosn’t need lot of maintenance unless there is accident or something (unlike Duro). Please think twice before buying Mahindra’s 2 wheelers. You can’t even get rid of it.