Oben Rorr EZ Review: Most Affordable Electric Bike You Can Buy in India Currently

There are many electric scooters in the market, but when it comes to electric bikes, the options are limited. The good ones are often either too expensive or too sporty with a committed riding posture. To address this, Oben Electric has launched the Oben Rorr EZ, an electric retro-roadster that offers impressive performance, a relaxed riding experience, and eliminates the hassle of changing gears, to provide a comfortable ride. We got a chance to ride the Rorr EZ for some time and here’s how it turned out to be:

Grabs Attention

The Oben Rorr EZ is undoubtedly a good-looking bike, it does grab attention on the road and made a few people curious, who walked up to me and asked about the bike. The Rorr EZ features the same design as its premium sibling, the Oben Rorr. Both these are currently the only electric bikes on the market with a retro-roadster design.

The Rorr EZ has a boxy design but the edges are rounded. At the front, it gets a round LED headlight which sits inside a square headlight cowl. The Rorr EZ features clean and compact body panels, making the bike look sporty. It comes with a single-seat setup with a slightly raised pillion seat. The tail section looks sleek, but the tyre hugger looks a little too long. The Rorr EZ stands out with its funky and modern graphics, which enhances the bike’s overall look. It comes in 5 vibrant colours: Flux Grey, Electro Amber, Surge Cyan, Lumina Green, and Photon White.

Impressive Performance

The Rorr EZ has a powerful electric motor producing 7.5kW and 52Nm to compete with the 125cc-135cc petrol-powered bikes. The electric bike claims to accelerate from 0 to 40kmph in 3.3 seconds and has a top speed of 95kmph (claimed) which is more than sufficient for riding around the city. The motor is super quick to respond as soon as you twist the throttle. Riding in the city with a pillion of 60kg isn’t an issue for the Rorr EZ, however, it does struggle a bit on a steep incline.

The Oben Rorr EZ has three ride modes: Eco, City and Havoc, but it misses out on a reverse mode which is there in most electric bikes and scooters. The Eco mode focuses on getting the most range but makes the bike very slow. So, it is only good when you need to get the best range out of the electric bike. The Havoc mode is the fastest and our favourite mode, it unlocks the best performance of the bike. The City mode falls in between Eco and Havoc. It offers a balance between range and performance and is what most people would use on their daily commutes in the city. We mostly used the City mode inside the city and Havoc on the open highways, where the bike had no complaints in overtaking fast moving vehicles..

The Rorr EZ is available in three different LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery pack options: 2.6kWh, 3.4kWh and 4.4kWh. 

Lightweight & Agile

The Oben Rorr EZ is a good handler like its sibling. It is lightweight and agile and that can be felt while taking tight turns. You can easily lock your knees on the slim and squarish fuel tank. It is an overall balanced bike and its chassis also responds well when you are turning into the corners. The brakes are very responsive have a good bite, and make the bike stop quickly. 

The telescopic front fork works nicely and absorbs most bumps and potholes nicely, however, the monoshock at the rear is on the firmer side and makes you feel the undulations and bad roads slightly more as compared to the front fork.

What about Comfort?

The Rorr EZ has a long and well-padded seat, which keeps both rider and pillion comfortable. The riding posture is relaxed and upright, thanks to the easily accessible handlebar and mid-set footpegs. I felt comfortable throughout, whether riding in the city or on the highway. With a seat height of 810mm, it is slightly on the taller side and shorter riders may face difficulty in placing both feet on the ground. However, I being a rider of average height (5 feet 8.5 inches) did not face any issues with the seat height. The Rorr EZ is also a lightweight bike, measuring 138kg to 148kg (kerb), depending on the battery variant.

What features does it pack?

The Oben Rorr EZ is equipped with LED lights all around and features a colour LCD instrument console. It shows speed, odometer, battery percentage, range and other basic information. However, what we didn’t like was the large bezels around the screen which makes the console look small and cluttered, despite the large text on the display. The switchgear quality could have been better, it sometimes lags a bit as well, but it isn’t something that cannot be fixed with an OTA (over-the-air) update.

The electric bike also has a unique storage inside the tank, there is also a USB charging port for you to charge your phone on the go. Moreover, the Oben Rorr EZ also has geo-fencing and theft protection features.

The rear-view mirrors are pretty functional and offer a good field of view behind you. The bike also has an underseat storage to keep the charger. It is belt-driven like most EVs, so, you don't have to worry about chain maintenance and all.

Verdict

Starting at Rs 89,999 (ex-showroom, including subsidy), the Oben Rorr EZ is the most affordable high-speed electric bike in the Indian market and seems to be a value-for-money product. It stands out with its unique design and vibrant graphics, impressive performance and a range of modern features. 

In conclusion, the Rorr EZ can be a great choice for someone who is looking to shift to an electric bike for their daily commute in the city. Even on the highways, the Rorr EZ performs well and can be used for short weekend rides as well. But you will have to plan your charging stops before you hit the road. We would suggest you to go for the top variant with the bigger 4.4kWh battery pack providing a longer range.