Electric vehicles are going to be the future of mobility around the world. Many manufacturers have already started manufacturing and selling electric cars, two-wheelers and three-wheelers across the globe. In India too, several manufacturers have started taking initiatives to move towards electric mobility and one such manufacturer is Revolt Motors. Revolt had unveiled their electric bike RV400 last month and a couple of weeks ago we got a chance to ride it and here is what we think about the new Revolt RV400 electric motorcycle.
Let’s start with the looks first. One word that would explain the look of Revolt RV400 is ‘modern’. The design looks new and is nothing like a conventional electric motorcycle. Revolt has chosen to give it a naked street fighter look. The bike gets upside down forks at the front and a monoshock suspension at the rear. The monoshock suspension can adjusted to suit rider’s comfort. The footpegs and the handlebar is positioned in a way to give a relaxed riding position. But, if one wants a bit more aggressive riding posture, then he/she can achieve that by swapping the footpegs from left to right. The RV400 gets LED headlamps, LED taillamps and indicators.
The Revolt RV400 gets a 17-inch black coloured alloy wheel and disc brakes both at the front and the rear. It also meets new safety norms and is equipped with Combined braking system. The instrument cluster is also a fully digital one with all the essential information displayed on it. It shows the speed, amount of juice left in the battery, tripmeter, odometer, temperature and riding mode (we’ll talk about this in detail later). The Revolt RV400 is powered by a Lithium ion battery which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours to fully charge. The battery is connected to a 3KW motor that powers the rear wheels using a belt drive. Revolt has used belt drive to reduce noise. The battery is placed where u would usually find the fuel tank. Under the flap there is a small storage space with a removable tray. Under that is where the battery is stored. Revolt says the battery used is water proof and rains or water would not affect it. Battery is also placed higher to avoid water damage if in case.
We had already told in our last article that there are four ways to charge the battery.
1. Directly plugging into the wall socket.
2. Take out the battery from the bike and charge.
3. Swapping the drained batteries to fully charged ones at swapping stations.
4. Delivering fully charged battery to your location.
All the features mentioned above can be monitored using a mobile application connected to the bike via Bluetooth. One of the talked about feature of RV400 was the exhaust note sound. While there is a default note set on the bike, this can also be changed using the mobile application as per your likings. I found this feature quite interesting because normally electric vehicles don’t make any noise and for that reason pedestrians and other vehicles on road never notice them and at times involve in some minor accidents. but, with this exhaust note this can be avoided.
Now let’s get to the riding part. We spent enough time with the bike and to be honest it initially felt very weird with no gears to shift and break lever under your right foot. But after a couple of laps around the Go-Kart track we got used to it and started enjoying the bike.
Most of you might know by now that electric vehicles have minimum energy loss and all the power from the motor reaches the wheels making it quick. Same is the case with RV400. All the power and torque stored in the engine is available to the rider from the second he/she twists the accelerator. There is no lag, no drama or no judder, just pure power.
Unlike petrol powered bikes the RV400 acceleration is instantaneous and before you know you’ve hit the 60 kmph mark. After this point it takes some time to hit 84 kmph mark, which is in fact the top speed of RV400. The rider will not feel tired even if he/she has to ride it for hours because of the well cushioned seats and upright seating position. The suspension feels plush and is favorable towards city riding conditions. As mentioned above the rear monoshock can be adjusted to rider’s liking. The disc brakes at the front and rear do their duties but personally i would have wanted a bit more bite in them.
At approximately 108 Kg, RV400 is a very light bike and that makes it very nimble. Even around the corners one can confidently lean in and get out without putting in too much effort. The Revolt RV400 is meant to be a city bike and during rush hours one can easily squeeze this into tight spaces. It handled pretty well on the track and we are sure that same will be the case during city usage.
The Revolt RV400 comes with three different riding modes (1-Eco, 2-Normal, 3-Sport) to choose from. The power and torque distribution differs on each mode with one being the least powerful mode and the third being the most powerful one. Rider does not have to stop the bike to switch between the modes. It can be done on the go as well and the difference is felt instantly.
The MRF Zapper tyre did a good job and provided sufficient grip. It has a 90/80 – 17 inch tyre at the front and 120/80 – 17 inch tyre at the rear. It has a seat height of 840 mm, even a rider with shorter height can place him easily on it. RV400 has a wheelbase of 1350 mm and a ground clearance of 235 mm. According to Revolt, RV400 has an ARAI certified riding range of 156 Km at a speed of 65 Km/h, but we think that it might drop a bit in real road conditions .
So, that is the Revolt RV400. It has decent looks, decent range, good handling and ride comfort, pretty advanced and is featured loaded as well. Only missing piece in this puzzle was the pricing which Revolt announced on 28th of August. The RV400 will be offered for Rs 3,499 per month while the RV400 Premium will cost Rs 3,999 per month. The customers will have to pay the EMIs for a total of 37 months. However, there is no option of making the payment upfront and buying the bikes. Also, there is no down payment for the bikes. Electric vehicles are the future of mobility and with the launch of Revolt RV400 we might be witnessing the start of an electric era in the Indian two-wheeler industry.
Also Read: Revolt RV400 electric motorcycle: First Ride Review
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