Woah there, India. We see you.
When I think about motorcycles made in India, I don’t know for
you, but I usually picture small-displacement bikes with relatively
standard silhouettes (unless you’re Royal Enfield
or Jawa). Think Bajaj—bikes that bank on practicality and on
versatility rather than on performance and looks. Considering Indian
riders use their motorcycles and mopeds like cars, the priorities are
not the same. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t performance Indian
motorcycles out there. Ultraviolette is making sure that everyone knows
that Indian bikes can not only look good; they can also be a lot of
fun.
Bangalore-based manufacturer Ultraviolette Automotive has
finally unveiled its first vehicle: the all-electric F77. The company
has been teasing what it claims to be India’s first performance electric bike for a few months now. The production-ready model has now shown its face.
Most
of the F77’s numbers and power figures are pretty standard “electric
bike” stuff and slightly less enticing than the ones the company was
trying to build hype over. The electric range is rated between 80 and 90
miles. The electric powertrain produces 33 horsepower, which allows it
to do the 0-to-62 (0 to 100 km/h) in 7.2 seconds and reach a top speed
of 91 mph. Charging times vary between 5 hours with a regular outlet and
1.5 hours for a full charge. Not all that impressive—we’ve been spoiled
by the likes of Energica and Zero in terms of range and speed.
The
one power figure that really stands out, however, is the torque. You
probably know this already but there’s one thing pretty neat that comes
with electric powertrains: insane torque. Well, the F77 is no different:
Ultraviolette advertises the bike with an output of 332 lb-ft of torque
(at the back wheel). And here we thought the Zero SR/F’s
140 lb-ft of torque at the back wheel was a pretty sexy number. Another
interesting number is the weight: the F77 clocks in at a tiny 348 lb.
For comparison, the SR/F weighs closer to 500 lb.
We’re
genuinely curious how well it will do and whether there will be a
market for it outside of India. The numbers might not stand out but its
look definitely does.
