Odysse Evoquis Electric Bike Road Test Review: Likes And Dislikes

Odysse – a Mumbai-based EVmaker has the Evoquis as its flagship model on sale here currently. This is one of the most sportiest-looking electric motorcycles available in our market. But does it just look the part, or does it ride like one too? We tested the bike to find that out:

LIKES

Styling

Yes, we don’t deny that the Odysse Evoquis shares its design with the Yamaha YZF-R3 and the Kawasaki Ninja 300. But it is one of the sportiest-looking e-motorcycle on sale. “One of the sportiest-looking” because the Kabira KM3000 and the Joy e-bike Thunderbolt have a similar design. But that’s a story for another day.

The angry-looking front-end with the LED DRLs and projector headlight is great to look at. And the muscular tank, coupled with the sporty bodywork adds to the visual appeal of the motorcycle.

Range

The Odysse Evoquis returned an impressive range of 142.26km. This is on par with the range we achieved on the Ather 450X Gen 3. Now, the Evoquis has the advantage of having the biggest battery pack that we have tested, and for anyone who’ll be using this e-motorcycle for everyday commutes won’t have to worry about charging it everyday.

Ease Of Changing Modes

The bicycle-like dial on the left clip-on bar makes switching through the Sport, Drive, Park and Reverse modes quite easy. Especially, when you are in a parking lot and moving the bike around, you can easily switch between reverse and drive modes. 

Dislikes

Performance

Even though the Odysse Evoquis looks sporty, the performance of the motorcycle is not even comparable to a Hero Splendor Plus Xtec. The acceleration doesn’t have the urgency you would expect from an electric motorcycle. And with a top speed of 79kmph (VBox tested), it doesn’t have an impressive top speed either. 

Yes, the Odysse Evoquis is slower than a 100cc commuter. This is more disappointing considering you’ll be paying Rs 1 lakh over the Splendor for this EV.

Ride And Handling

The ride experience with the Odysse Evoquis wasn’t that great either. In fact, the e-motorcycle wouldn’t ride straight. This probably could be a one-off issue, but the Odysse technician couldn’t completely fix the problem.

The bike that we got on the test used to waiver towards the left if you ease your grip on the handlebar. If this problem is not limited to our test bike, Odysse seriously needs to get its basics right like cone-set settings and wheel alignment.

The suspension of the Evoquis is not great either. Even though the telescopic fork and link-type monoshock is similar to that of the Ninja 300, it is very crude. The telescopic fork is soft and absorbs impacts, whereas the rear is too stiff. And adding to that are the hard compound Ralco tyres. Every bump and undulation is transferred to your back, you’ll find yourself tossing out of your seat when going over potholes or rumblers.

Needless to say, with a suspension setup and handling characteristics like this, we couldn’t really push the bike to its limits.

Brakes

Despite the twin disc setup at the front, the braking performance is poor. It doesn’t have the progression or feedback at the levers that you’d expect from a bike like this. Furthermore, the lack of ABS or even CBS raises safety concerns and dissuades you from pushing the bike.

Verdict

The Odysse Evoquis demands Rs 1,71,251 (ex-showroom), which is quite expensive considering it doesn’t have a long list of features. For reference, products like the Ather 450X, Ola S1 Pro and even the Tork Kratos are more affordable than this bike.

One of the most disappointing things about the motorcycle is the fact that it lacks originality. We managed to find the original Chinese motorcycle which is available for an equivalent of Rs 84,000. 

Yes, the range is impressive, and if you can live with all the issues that this bike has, you can consider this. However, we would prefer to have the Ather 450X, or if budget is not a problem, the Ultraviolette F77 is the top dog in the e-motorcycle game in our market currently. However, as an EV experience, you are better off staying away from the Odysse Evoquis altogether, or, for that matter, the Joy e-bike Thunderbolt or the Kabira KM3000.