Lots of the new electric motorcycles that have been making headlines come from India. And while a lot of them are small-capacity scooters meant for shuttling around the busy metropolis, there are some that focus on performance and, in a way, transitioning the joy of motorcycling into the electric era.
One of these brands is Ultraviolette, a company with big ambitions for the electric motorcycle market, not just in India, but all over the world. We’ve talked a lot about the company in the past, with its big plans for the future including an all-electric racing series. This time, however, it’s pulled the covers off its newest model, the F77 Mach 2. And we really wish it was going global.
Just like the original F77, the Mach 2 retains its sharp and sporty styling and upmarket componentry. We find a full-color TFT display, inverted front forks, and a triangular LED headlamp. Low-slung clip-ons and high rearsets give the bike a sporty and aggressive stance. And when the time comes to recharge the battery, the port is located on the “fuel tank,” reminiscent of refueling gas-powered motorcycles.
On the performance side of the spectrum, the F77 Mach 2 gets a permanent magnet AC motor. There are multiple battery options available, with the smaller 7.1 kWh battery version outputting 35.7 horsepower and 90Nm (66.6 pound-feet) of torque, and the bigger 10.3 kWh version pumping out 39.6 horsepower and 100Nm (74 pound-feet) of torque.
Ultraviolette claims a zero to 60 kilometer-per-hour sprint (0-37 mph) of just 2.8 seconds, and a top speed of 155 kilometers per hour (96 miles per hour). Furthermore, both models have a claimed range of 323 kilometers (200 miles) on a single charge.
The company says that it takes three to five hours to fully charge the bike via a conventional outlet, however, charging times drop to 45 to 60 minutes through a 12kW DC fast charging station.
On the tech side of things, Ultraviolette throws in a bunch of performance features like multiple ride modes, switchable ABS, and traction control. There are even advanced safety features like collision alerts and blind spot monitoring. There’s even an increased regenerative braking feature that comes standard on the top-of-the-line Recon variant.
In the context of the US and European markets, a bike like this would carry a price tag close to if not more than $10,000 USD. However, UV has priced this bike at a seemingly unbelievable price tag of just 299,000 rupees, or about $3,586 USD for the base model. Meanwhile, the Recon variant is priced at 399,000 rupees, or about $4,785 USD. That's pretty insane for the performance and specs.
More and more performance and fun-oriented electric motorcycles have been springing up in recent years throughout the world. And it should go without saying that this is a good thing. Bikes like the Ultraviolette F77 deliver similar performance as the 300cc class of gas-powered motorcycles, and could be the “beginner bikes” of the not-too-distant future.
Suffice it to say that if I were given the chance to test this bike, I’d be all for it. And I’m sure that if and when this bike is made available outside of India, it would surely strike a chord among enthusiasts.
