Ultraviolette F77: Review In Pictures

If lengthy texts aren’t your thing, you may want to check out our picture gallery for an in-depth look at the Ultraviolette F77 

The electric motorcycle segment is starting to gain some momentum. What started with Revolt and its RV400 targeting the mass market segment is transitioning to Ultraviolette and its F77. A proper electric sports bike, if you may. With the F77, the brand intends to change the perception of electric two-wheelers, which until now, have been thought of as slow and utilitarian. We recently had a go at the Ultraviolette F77 and came back thoroughly surprised. Is this what the future holds? The answer lies in the barrage of pictures we’ve compiled for you. 

Design:

Ultraviolette F77 looked awkward to me when I saw the images from the launch event. However, my opinion changed the moment I saw the bike in the pits. In person, the F77 is a very striking motorcycle and something that will attract loads of attention. 

Its styling is also unique as it has a full-faired bodywork but the split seats and low-set handlebars make it look like a naked. So it’s a rather strange combination of a naked and a full-faired bike, and yet everything comes together rather well. 

The sculpted lines give it a modern look. But KTM Duke influences can also be seen in the LED headlight, the raked-out rear section and even in the “tank.” 

Another interesting detail on the bike are the fork covers, which the brand claims improve aerodynamics but we feel it gives the electric bike an aggressive stance.

The party trick of the F77 is the hydraulically operated battery compartment that swivels out and puts on a show of its own. 

Other interesting visual elements include the beautiful multi-spoke alloy wheels, anodised finish on the subframe, the edgy swingarm, and the small vent on the fairing. 

Ultraviolette claims the production-spec bike will get a TFT screen but the bike we rode was running a fixed screen while its switchgear was borrowed from the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V.

In terms of fit and finish, all the panel gaps are tight and consistent. 

The seat padding on the bike we rode was very firm but company officials confirmed they are working on a softer seat cushion for the production bike. Given its compact size and 800mm seat height, even shorter riders won’t find themselves nervous on the new bike. 

Clip-on handlebars, slightly high and rear-set footpegs mean the riding posture is committed and sporty. While the riding posture is aggressive, it isn’t as sporty as the pictures might suggest.

The F77 features three riding modes: Eco, Sport and Insane. There’s also a built-in GPS chip for real-time location information, 9-axis IMU (it also gets a magnetometer), a built-in sim card for smartphone connectivity and navigation. You can also track your bike via an app, use geofencing, check ride history, run diagnostics and even set up custom riding modes! 

Other notable features include shock and impact sensors for crash detection that send out an SOS to an emergency contact. 

Performance:

The F77 felt natural and very similar to a conventional internal combustion motor-powered bike. My only complaint at low speed is the excessive chain noise that robs the bike of the “silent experience”, but at higher speeds you have a typical whine associated with EVs. 

The air-cooled  25kW AC motor is rated at 33.5PS and 90Nm of torque! Ultraviolette claims the F77 can accelerate from 0-60kmph in 2.9sec and the 100kmph mark is achieved in 7.5sec. In reality, the performance of the F77 is equivalent to that of a TVS Apache RTR 200 4V rather than the Apache RR 310.

The F77 feels peppy and quick upto 60kmph. Post this mark, it struggles and the fact that it took 4.5sec to add another 40kmph is a clear indication of the same. 

Range & Charging Details:

The F77 features three removable lithium-ion battery packs, weighing 8.5kg each, with a total capacity of 4.2kWh. The F77 can even run on a single battery pack, but the performance will be equivalent to a 150cc motorcycle with a range of around 50km. The combined claimed range for the F77 is 150km on a single charge.

It comes with a built-in 1kw AC charger, which plugs into your household three-point power socket. The claimed full charge time is 5 hours. A 3kW DC fast charger (Rs 20,000), which will be offered as an option, has  a claimed charge time of just 1.5 hours. The final option is a “Home Charging Pod”, which can hold upto three battery packs. Basically, you can simply remove the battery packs from the motorcycle and charge them at home on the pods. To reduce range anxiety, Ultraviolette will also be selling the battery packs separately.

Ride & Handling:

The KTM connect isn’t restricted to just the styling as the suspension hardware, wheelbase, rake angle and even the braking equipment is identical to the KTM 390 Duke. This is no coincidence as Ultraviolette engineers feel the KTM is the benchmark of the segment and hence the identical underpinnings.

It entered corners with such swiftness that it really surprised me. This can be credited to the lighter alloy wheel (1kg lighter than the 390 Duke’s unit) and the wide handlebars. In fact, the steering is even quicker than the 390 Duke’s and that’s quite a statement.

A critical aspect enhancing its handling dynamics is its low kerb weight of just 158kg (KTM 390 Duke is 149kg dry and TVS Apache RR 310 is 169.5kg). Another surprise was the F77’s tight turning radius, which will be a boon while riding in the city. 

The brakes on the Ultraviolette F77 were the same Bybre units as seen on the KTM 390 Duke and they offered good bite and feel through the levers. The production unit will come with dual-channel ABS (developed by Continental) as standard and the rider will have the option to completely disable it or disengage rear ABS.

The F77 that we tested was running on Metzeler Sportec M7 radials, which is the benchmark of the segment so no complaint there.

Verdict:

Purely from a product standpoint, it’s a very good effort and I am glad Ultraviolette’s focus was on performance over building an EV for point A to B commutes. It has the right dynamics to be fun around a corner and the futuristic styling will certainly be its USP. On the downside, there’s the price of the bike, which is likely to be around Rs 3 to 3.25 lakh. And that’s a lot of money!

While it has the basics covered, it doesn’t deliver the hard blow expected from a performance electric bike to make bikers stand up and take notice. Having said that, they do have time to find a solution.