The Preface
Ever since one of our family friends straddled me on the tank of his Yamaha RX100 and took me on a small ride around the compound of our apartment complex when I was 6 years old, I have been a petrolhead. I grew up watching cartoons like the Speed Racer, Swat Kats, etc. which instilled in me an appreciation for the designs and silhouettes of beautiful automotive machines. But this was the moment I’d fallen in love with the feeling of being on one. The deafening noise of the two-stroke rattling away under me, the vibrations of an angry monster shaking my bones, and the wind blowing in my face. It was enough to put a smile on the face of any 6-year-old; although in retrospect, I realize he was riding slowly and carefully for my sake.
Fast forward 15 years, when I rode off the ramp of the orange-draped KTM Cochin showroom in Dec 2012 with my brand-new Duke 200, this infatuation was further solidified. The noise of the high-revving engine, the kick of 25 horses at the twist of the throttle, and the lightweight flick-ability of the Austrian streetfighter brought back to me the same feelings that had flooded through me as a kid 15 years ago, re-awakening the love for motorcycles and the aspirations to be a biker.
In all this, it had always been motorcycles with IC engines that had been at the forefront of my mind. The silent hum of an AC motor powered by a big battery had never crossed my mind, until 2019 when I was looking to upgrade my Duke 200.
It had been my faithful companion for 7 years through college and corporate life, riding across different parts of the country for commuting as well as for leisure. My first two-wheeled love whom I had taken good care of and who had never given me any big maintenance headaches.
I was looking to upgrade to a 300cc motorcycle with a bit more punch and the bikes under consideration were the Ninja 300, R3, Apache/GS 310, Duke/RC 390, and the Benelli 302R. I had watched the ownership reviews of all these great motorcycles extensively and had also jotted down the pros and cons from my learnings in an Excel sheet, scrutinizing them thoroughly to make my decision.
During all this, I also remember watching the launch video of an electric motorcycle called the Ultraviolette F77 while having dinner one day after work. The video mentioned that it was the brainchild of a Bangalore-based company and showed two young hip-looking guys, the CEO, and the CTO explaining in detail, their journey as well as the futuristic features of a sexy-looking faired motorcycle.
However, the highlight of the event was when the CEO pushed a button on an app on his phone and a panel popped open on the belly of the motorcycle, revealing three black slabs of removable battery. The audience erupted in cheers at the sight of it and I remember thinking to myself “Wow.. all of this looks so frickin’ cool. But is India really ready for this?” because in 2019 EVs were unheard of in the country, let alone electric motorcycles.
Several months passed in test rides and rumination when suddenly in March 2020, Prime Minister Modi came on television and declared a nationwide lockdown for several weeks to counter the spread of a virus of “unknown origin”.
Gradually the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years as work-from-home became the new norm and the Duke as well as the upgrade plan gathered dust in the garage.
It was 2023 now and the country had opened up again. The public was back on the road and so was the upgrade plan. During these 3 years, not only had EVs become more mainstream with the launch and popularity of scooters such as the Ola S1 Pro and the Ather 450, I had also delved a bit into the phenomenon and written the article - Is the Future of Motorcycles Electric? where I had penned my thoughts on whether it makes sense to own an EV or not.
So in April 2023, after test-riding the latest models of all the contenders in my comparison chart, some of which like the R3 and the Benelli 302R were discontinued unfortunately, I decided to give the F77 a try. I had been following the brand closely ever since 2020 and was impressed by their social media content as well as the first ride reviews post the bike’s re-launch in Nov 2022.
Also, it didn’t hurt that Dulquer Salman was one of the high-profile investors of the company while also being the recipient of motorcycle number #001, boosting my curiosity about the brand further.
The Test Ride Experience
Saturday morning, the 15th of April, I walked into the Ultraviolette showroom in Domlur, which they had christened – UVH01, standing for ‘Ultraviolette Hangar -01’. (This is because the F77 design language is inspired by fighter jets and the entire brand follows aviation-derived themes, which itself was quite fascinating).
Initially, I was a bit apprehensive because as a petrolhead, this was going to be my first EV experience. But as soon as I stepped into the place, I was spellbound. Not only was the matte black monolithic design of the building, quite alluring against Domlur’s backdrop, the inside was like a museum in reverence to cutting-edge automotive technology and design.
A fully stripped F77 with its massive 10.3kwh battery lies suspended from the ceiling, in all its glory to your right as soon as you enter. To your left, is Dulquer Salman’s F77 Limited Edition motorcycle displayed to be ogled at by all who entered.
Gleaming examples of the three color variants – Shadow, Airstrike, and Laser are displayed at one corner of the ground floor while the first floor sees a slew of accessories like side panniers, aero-discs, lever guards, etc. displayed on the wall.
An eye-popping Thrustmaster gaming rig sits towards one corner of the floor which guests can use to play the air combat video game - Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Various illustrated books on automotive design, Moto GP racing, etc. are also kept on the coffee table which you can read at your leisure.
I felt like a kid on a school field trip and I spent a solid 1 hour inspecting the bikes, playing the games, and browsing the books before leaving for the test ride.
The first thing I noticed while swinging my leg over the bike was that it was heavy, and that got me a bit nervous as 207kgs was no joke compared to the 130-odd kg wet weight of the Duke. The startup sequence felt a bit complicated at first as there were several menu buttons to configure the different riding & regen modes on the dashboard menu before starting, something which I was not used to, and also a certain combination of buttons and levers to pull for starting up the bike. However, the UV test-ride assistant handheld me through the process smoothly and the bike was finally on. But unlike the Duke, there was no engine rumble. Everything was silent.
Slowly twisting the throttle set in Glide Mode, I gently merged with the traffic led by the ride assistant in front of me. The riding posture was a bit more forward-leaning than the upright position of the Duke and not having a clutch felt unsettling at first, but soon proved to be quite relieving in the Bangalore traffic. The weight of the bike also seemed to disappear as we started moving.
As the road opened up and we picked up speed, I switched to Combat Mode and I could feel the throttle response quicken dramatically. The color scheme of the dashboard changed from eco-green to sky-blue. There was also a jet engine turbine-like whine coming from the motor which was quite interesting for someone who had grown used to the high-pitched scream of the Duke’s quick-revving single-cylinder powertrain.
I was finding myself getting used to the feel of the bike when the road opened up a bit more and the ride assistant twisted his throttle, speeding off into the distance in a flash. I realized that this was the ideal moment for me to test the F77’s famous Ballistic Mode.
One tap of the ride-mode button and the dashboard turned an angry red. I twisted the throttle and what followed can only be described by comparing it to the drag race scene from Fast and Furious 1, where Brian pops the nitrous and the entire world becomes blurry. The speedo hit 3 digits instantly and the jet engine whine became more pronounced. Within seconds I was side by side with the ride assistant, weaving through traffic.
Suddenly a Maruti leaped onto my lane and I pulled the brakes hard to avoid hitting the car, which is when I realized that the sintered pads of the Bybre braking system had ample bite to slow down the heavy F77 in time.
The entire experience was quite exhilarating and back at the Hangar after the test ride, several thoughts were racing through my brain. This was unlike anything I had experienced before with the other competitors on the comparison list.
I left a positive test ride review, thanked the sales staff, and left.
The Purchase Decision
Any motorcycle enthusiast reading this would know that deciding to purchase a motorcycle is as much an emotional decision as it is a logical one. Of course, you look at the performance, mileage, and long-term ownership cost figures, etc. but at the end of the day, the heart desires what the heart desires. You wanna own a machine that gives you the joy of looking forward to riding it every day even if it’s a mundane morning commute, a machine that you park and look back at in admiration at the end of a ride, a machine that raises your pulse when you twist the throttle and last but certainly not the least, a machine that doesn’t compromise on your peace of mind.
Since the majority of my use case was for city use in bumper-to-bumper Bangalore traffic, deep in my heart I knew that the 300+cc motorcycles I had in my comparison chart, with their low city mileage, high service costs, and calf-cooking heating issues would not be my way forward. A quick comparative calculation of the maintenance and fuel costs 2-3 years down the line also made the F77 make more sense theoretically.
But of course, as with any EV, the F77 came with its own set of questions like What would be the resale value like? How long does the battery life last and does it degrade drastically over time? Since it’s a new player in the market, can I trust this brand? What is the after-sales service like? Is the charging network available? and many more.
I knew that as an early adopter, there would be uncertainties and since the EV market in India was nascent, it was too early to answer some of these questions.
Nevertheless, I tried to learn what I could about the ownership experience from interviews of the owners from the “Pilot Talks” series hosted by Ultraviolette themselves on their Youtube channel, and also from several individual content creators. Thankfully most of them had similar use cases as mine, the same thought process as mine, and gave raving reviews which bolstered my confidence to go with my gut feeling.
So, the very next night, the 30th of April, I took the plunge. I logged onto www.ultraviolette.com/configure, selected the specs of my motorcycle, and paid the booking amount.
The Ownership Experience
a). The Delivery
If you’re on the lookout for performance electric motorcycles, there really aren’t many offerings besides the F77 in the Indian market right now. So, after spending some time choosing between the base F77 – Original and the higher-end F77- Recon variant, I decided to go for the Original. (There is also a top-end F77-Limited Edition variant which had only 77 units made and got sold out within minutes after booking launch, as per Ultraviolette.)
Within some time post booking, I was assigned a sales spoc named Anu, who guided me through the document and financing process which was completed quite seamlessly. He also informed me that there would be a waiting period of 1 to 1.5 months, which I was fine with.
I waited patiently for the weeks to pass by and finally, on June 17th, my bike was ready for delivery.
With a small photo session, a welcome kit, a few minutes of prayer and blessings from my parents over the phone, I packed the charger into my backpack and rode my F77 for the first time out of the Hangar. I was buzzing with excitement, but I rode slowly and cautiously because I knew I had a long way to go before getting used to the motorcycle. I didn’t want to embarrass myself on the public road, other motorists of which were peering curiously at the bike through sidelong glances.
Alas! Little did I know how attention-grabbing the machine would turn out to be.
b). The Community Ride
During the delivery, Anu had mentioned that as part of World Motorcycle Day celebrations on June 21st, Ultraviolette was organizing its first owners’ community ride the next day – Sunday, June 18th, to a nearby adventure camp where the movie ‘Sholay’ was shot.
This was exciting news as I was looking forward to meeting the other owners whose interviews I had watched online because a close-knit brotherhood of riders was what enticed me into motorcycling when I’d first purchased the Duke 200 many years earlier. (see ‘My Story’ section).
The next day, early morning at 6 am, I reported to the Hangar and waited while the other pilots started trickling in from all over Bangalore as well as outside. There were pilots of all ages surprisingly, and as expected, it was great fun making friends with these like-minded individuals, listening to the stories of what had drawn them to motorcycling in general as well as to the country’s first electric sports motorcycle.
However, it was the stories of Mr. Bala Manikandan, the first Pilot to ride all the way from Chennai to Leh on his F77, and who was subsequently awarded the title of “Sky Captain” by Ultraviolette, that stood out the most. I had known that someone would achieve this feat eventually but to see it being done so fast after launch, one could not help but appreciate the guy’s tenacity.
At sharp 7:30 am, after a quick briefing on how to ride single-file and a photo session, we set off for Ramanagara. It was awesome seeing so many F77s riding silently in a single line, down the Mysore highway while drones flew all around us capturing the ride footage and the traffic slowed down to sneak a peek at the procession.
The Ultraviolette Customer Experience team had planned the event beautifully because as soon as we reached the venue, we were greeted by a sumptuous breakfast followed by a fun ice-breaking session and a plethora of adventure activities like rock climbing, zip-lining, boating, etc. By mid-afternoon, we were all physically exhausted but quite happy and content for a day well spent. After an equally delicious lunch, we took our leave, promising to keep in touch through the Whatsapp group.
c). Pros & Cons
Pros
1. Performance:
The F77-Original variant puts out 36.2 bhp of power and a whopping 85Nm of torque at the rear wheel which is powered by a 7.1kwh battery, the biggest in any electric two-wheeler in the country. The lack of gears also means that all this oomph is available right from standstill, which is quite exhilarating if you want to leave the traffic behind.
There are 3 ridings modes – Glide, Combat, and Ballistic. Below are the range and top speed figures for the Original variant as per my observations.
Besides the above, there is also the Park Assist mode in which you can put the motorcycle in reverse at a max speed of 5kph. The other specs like the 0 to 60 and 0 to 100 times you can find in the official brochure attached below.
Note: The above video is of the 'Recon' model and not the 'Original'
2. Design:
As mentioned earler, it is an attention-grabbing conversation starter. With a design philosophy inspired by fighter jets, of which the founders are a huge fan of, the bike looks fast even while standing still. There have not been many days during my daily office commute when other motorists have not stopped and asked about the bike, the queries about which are often focused on the on-road price and the range. I opted for the Airstrike color scheme because it felt more muted than the loud red color of the ‘Laser’ variant, but still, it turns heads as you zoom down city roads.
3. Service & Customer Care:
The 1st service is within 30 days of delivery/1000kms, and the service interval is every 5000kms, with the first 2 services being free. The overall after-sales service experience was quite satisfactory as they attended to every concern I’d highlighted. For Eg: The bike’s front end was feeling very heavy while riding making it difficult to zip through traffic and the angle of the headlights, even in high beam, was way too low to see long distance. Both these issues were promptly addressed during the service.
I’d deposited my bike to the Hangar for service on a Saturday afternoon and received it back by Monday afternoon. The customer care team also called 1-2 times post-service to check if everything was okay and for feedback if any.
Cost Incurred: Rs. 578
4. Ride Quality:
Despite the suspension being on the stiffer side, the ride quality is outstanding once you get used to the committed riding posture. Many times, I’ve had the misfortune of misjudging a pothole on the Bangalore city roads and braced myself for impact while panic braking, but never have I felt a jarring thud or been thrown out of balance, as the bike always feels solid and planted in its stance. Despite the bulk, the weight distribution is such that the F77 is quite flick-able through the traffic and doesn’t feel heavy while on the move. The specially made MRF Steel Brace tires are also sticky and confidence-inspiring while blazing through the hairpins during weekend getaways.
As someone coming from an IC motorcycle experience, the F77 comes loaded with connected technology. The F77 is powered by Linux OS and is connected to the internet through LTE connectivity via an integrated SIM, which helps it receive periodic OTA updates. The GPS-enabled onboard navigation is powered by Mappls (Map My India) and can be activated by entering the destination on the mobile app.
It’s also packed to the brim with sensors including a 9-axis IMU, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, impact sensor, etc. which the UV backend team can analyze to build ride statistics and rectify any faults if needed.
Besides this, the F77 also comes with dual channel ABS, pre-load adjustable suspensions, and ride-by-wire as standard. It has a 5’in TFT dashboard, which can be interacted with four menu buttons on the handlebar, where you can view all information about the motorcycle, store documents such as RC, insurance, etc., switch between dark/light mode, and also set the regen braking,
The app has basic features such as locating the bike, activating navigation, viewing the current range, battery level, and charge history as well as scheduling the service among others. It is in the beta testing phase currently and is not available on Play/app store. Hope when the full version of the app gets released, there will be a lot more features available.
There are also 5 levels of thermal runaway protection built into the BMS as per the UV team, which means that the battery will not catch fire like some EV scooters we’ve seen in the past. The motorcycle also comes with up to 3 years/30,000kms of warranty as standard which can be extended to 5 years/50,000kms at an additional amount of Rs.21,500.
5. Accessories:
Panniers, lever guards, aero wheel discs, tank pads, and rear set foot-pegs are the accessories currently available right now, all of which are not only functional but also quite cool looking.
I have had the lever guards and wheel discs installed on my F77, which can be added in the online configurator during booking.
6. Community Activities:
As the units are starting to get delivered across India (and across the world in the coming years), the owner’s community is getting stronger. The World Motorcycle Day Ride was the inauguration event held in Bangalore, but more are expected to be scheduled in the near future, as the brand finds its footing.
Meanwhile, the Domlur Hangar holds meet-ups every few weeks with music, food, and fun activities which the Pilots can attend upon paying a small registration fee. The online WhatsApp group is also quite active where there are almost daily interactions between the Pilots and the UV team, garnering constant feedback for them. Ultraviolette says that soon they’ll be setting up a proper online forum for queries and feedback.
Cons
1. Cost:
At an ex-showroom price of 3.8lacs, the F77 Original cost me a bit north of 4lacs on-road including the accessories and warranty extension. It is definitely more expensive upfront than other IC motorcycles in the market providing the same performance figures. But personally, this price point made sense considering my use case as well as in comparison to the ownership costs of the other 300+cc motorcycles in my list, 3-5 years down the line. It is a niche product at the moment, being purchased by motorcycle enthusiasts who don’t mind being early adopters.
Nevertheless, I’m positive that Ultraviolette will come forth with more affordable, mass-market offerings like all the other EV brands out there, as the segment becomes more mature and established in the country.
2. Seating Position:
The F77 is a sports motorcycle, not a cruiser or a tourer. Therefore, the seating position is rather committed and forward-leaning, although not as committed as the track-bred RC or the R15 in my opinion. This means that long-distance riding without breaks in between is going to take a toll on your wrists and neck. Also, since the F77 has a naked front fascia, there is no windshield to protect you from the high wind buffeting while going 130+kph. Solution? Take ample breaks in between while riding long distances and ride at a comfortable 110 or 120kph.
3. Charging & Charging Network:
The F77 comes with a 1.35kw Standard Charger which takes about 5 hours to charge the 7.1 kWh battery from 0% to 100% . Th ere is also a Boost Charger which costs Rs. 26,000 additional, which can do the same within 2 hours.
This is fine for charging at home, but what about on the move? The F77 follows the IEC 62196- 6 charging standard (the same as Ola S1 and Simple One scooters), but unfortunately, there are no public charging stations available for the F77 at the time of writing this article. Since the majority of the charging stations across India support only the CCS2 standard, long-distance riding is currently not feasible unless you carry your own charger.
There are rumors of Ultraviolette tying up with Bolt Earth to set up the charging network, but we’ll have to wait and watch for updates
Note: Team-BHP article on different types of charging standards that are used by EV two-wheelers in India - click here.
Credits: Pradeep On Wheels
4. Showroom Network:
Currently, there is only 1 showroom in the country which is the UVH-01 at Domlur, Bangalore, and the vehicles are being delivered to other cities like Mumbai, Pune, Kochi & Chennai at venues where the owners are invited, and a delivery event is hosted. Service, however, is seamless are there are active service teams across all these cities who support pick-up and drop facilities.
New Hangars are expected to open Pan India within FY23-24 as the volume of motorcycles delivered increases in the coming months.
5. Other Drawbacks:
As with all EVs, the electric motor overheats after some time when going full throttle, and the top speed gets limited till the motor cools down.
Hill hold control is currently not available which means that unlike an IC motorcycle, in which one can engage a gear to stop the bike from rolling back on a slope, on the F77, you’ll have to keep the brakes engaged which makes long pauses on mountain roads rather uncomfortable. (Issue has been highlighted, the UV team is working on a fix).
The rear-view mirrors are not very adjustable. You can only move the mirror glass a few degrees to adjust it, unlike other motorcycles where you can move the entire mirror assembly. (Issue has been highlighted, the UV team is working on a fix).
The time on the dashboard only gets updated when the motorcycle is connected to the internet. This leads to time freezing on the display and weird readings on the trip start & end timings on the app. (Issue has been highlighted, and the UV team is working on a fix).
The Mappls navigation is not very accurate and sometimes the location on the map is a few hundred feet behind the actual location, as per the inputs of some of the owners. (Issue is expected to be fixed in upcoming OTA updates as per the UV team).
The 5’in screen as well as the fonts used on it are way too small which makes reading anything besides the speed, rather difficult while riding. (Issue is expected to be fixed in upcoming OTA updates as per the UV team)
The seats are made of a relatively hard compound which means that the onset of saddle-sore can happen sooner than expected. (Take breaks while riding or you can install aftermarket gel-based cushions).
The Epilogue
As highlighted by Narayan Subramaniam, the CEO himself, the F77 is the achievement of a 200-strong team of passionate motorcycle enthusiasts who have put in their blood, sweat, and tears over the past 6 years to realize their singular vision of producing a segment-defining world-class motorcycle, while competing with other brands in the country who have decades of experience and 10x the team size. The cognizance of the Ultraviolette team’s dedication, the commitment to the brand’s vision, and the core belief that the future of motorcycling is electric are the inspirations that compel evangelists like us to stand with and support the brand.
Although there are slight inconveniences, the overall experience of owning the F77, using it for the purpose it was intended for, and building relationships with other like-minded individuals has been nothing short of spectacular in the last 2 months.
Here’s to hoping that Ultraviolette soars to greater heights and puts Indian engineering and ingenuity on the world stage.