Revolt RV 400 First Ride Review

The Revolt RV 400 is the first electric motorcycle from Revolt Intellicorp, a Gurugram-headquartered start-up headed by Rahul Sharma, former co-founder of Micromax Mobiles. The Revolt RV 400 lays the claim of being India's first electric motorcycle with artificial intelligence. It's positioned as a commuter motorcycle, albeit with an electric powertrain, and will compete with conventional 125 cc commuter motorcycles. So, what exactly is the Revolt RV 400? And does it live up to its claim of being India's first artificial intelligence enabled motorcycle? We spent a few laps around a small Go Kart track to get a sense of India's newest electric motorcycle.

Also Read: Revolt RV400 Launched In India

uof7q3ho

The Revolt RV 400 is a decent-looking motorcycle with its sharp and muscular design

Design and Features

The Revolt RV 400 looks sleek, sporty and definitely different. The overall design resembles a conventional street naked motorcycle, but it does get some splashes of premium-ness. The face is sharp with a modern LED headlight, upside down front forks, and it has sculpted and muscular haunches, with a sporty stance. The overall design isn't superlative, but it's quite likeable. And it's not an entirely new design, with quite a bit of resemblance to the Chinese-made Super Soco TS1200R electric bike. Revolt Intellicorp though maintains that almost the entire bodywork of the RV 400 is made in India, and only the battery and electric motor are imported.

Also Read: 5 Things Which Make The Revolt RV 400 Special

jehlakng

The distinch LED headlight gives the Revolt RV 400 fresh appeal

The instrument panel is full-digital, and the RV 400's claim to fame of being India's first artificial intelligence-enabled motorcycle is backed by a few unique features. An embedded 4G LTE SIM enables all internet and cloud-connected features of the RV 400 and a dedicated Revolt mobile app offers a long list of unique features. Riders can access motorcycle diagnostics, satellite navigation, bike locator, geofencing, doorstep battery service, and online payment gateway for swapping out a fully-charged battery, as well as the dedicated battery swapping network and locations, all from the mobile app. And the RV 400 also offers the rider the option of using several synthesised sounds which can be selected from the app. The sound quality isn't that impressive, but the feature certainly is a gimmick worth talking about.

1k9sg8jo

The removable battery is placed where the fuel tank usually is on an internal combustion engine motorcycle

Battery Range & Charging

Revolt Intellicorp says the RV 400 will offer complete peace of mind from range anxiety, and will have an on-board charger which can be used on any conventional 15A power socket to recharge the battery in less than 4 hours. The removable battery can also be easily carried to the rider's workplace or home to be charged. And there will be a dedicated network of battery swap locations where recharged batteries can be swapped out at a nominal cost. And of course, there's also the option of ordering a fully-charged battery through the dedicated Revolt app to be delivered at any location of choice within a preferred time slot, quite like how any conventional e-commerce platform works.

901s6j38

The Revolt RV 400 has an ARAI-certified range of 156 km on a single charge, ridden at a constant 65 kmph

The RV 400 offers a choice of three riding modes - 1 (Eco), 2 (City) and 3 (Sport). Revolt says in Eco mode, ridden at a constant speed of 65 kmph, the RV 400 will run on a single charge for 156 km. In City mode, range is expected to drop to 80-90 km, and Sport mode will depend on riding style and terrain. Our brief first ride didn't permit us to test the actual range of the battery; something we'd be looking forward to test once we get to do a real-world test ride of the RV 400.

Also Read: What We Know About The Revolt RV400

rdrgua1o

The Revolt RV 400 has smooth and linear acceleration and reaches 60-65 kmph fairly briskly

Performance, Ride and Handling

The Revolt RV 400 has comparable performance with its target competition segment - conventional 125 cc motorcycles. The instant torque of the 3kW electric motor gives it a sense of urgency, and although acceleration is linear, it isn't exactly a fast motorcycle. On the move, the motor is silent, but what is likeable is that it's easy to handle, thanks to its low kerb weight of 108 kg. On the short straight section of the small track, we saw a speedo indicated speed of around 69 kmph, before it was time to brake into the left-hand corner. We suspect the Revolt RV 400 will have a top speed of around 80 kmph, but again, we'll reserve our judgement for its true performance once we get it for a real world test ride and review.

ej4i2oos

With a 108 kg kerb weight, the RV 400 is light and nimble, and handling is quite likeable around corners

Around the corners, the Revolt RV 400 gets some time to get used to, but it's quite easy to handle, although the front end does feel like it could do with some more feedback. Designed for intra-city traffic, the RV 400 will be easy to handle within the city, thanks to its low weight. Braking is decent, with discs on both wheels and the combined braking system works well. The easy road manners are complemented by the taut handling, but ride quality feels little stiff for everyday commuting. It will be interesting to see how the RV 400 feels like on actual public roads, over speedbreakers, potholes and the like.

snfn3mak

The Revolt RV 400 is a likeable electric motorcycle, but overall fit and finish, as well as build quality could have been better

Verdict

Revolt Intellicorp is one of the first movers in the electric motorcycle space in India. The Revolt RV 400 is a commendable product, despite its design and technological origins; whether it has been completely developed in India, or based on an existing Chinese platform. Primarily targeted at the lower end commuter segment, the RV 400 is quite a likeable electric motorcycle. And it ticks all the right boxes to be used as an urban, intra-city motorcycle, which is green, and yet boasts of next-generation artificial intelligence.

f1sg9kog

The Revolt RV 400 is packed with new generation features, like cloud connectivity, synthesised sounds and a dedicated mobile app

The build quality could have been better, and it doesn't exactly have superlative fit and finish. The synthesised sounds are more of a gimmick, than to be of any practical use. But primarily as a commuter electric motorcycle for the masses, it certainly makes a strong statement. And with its revolutionary battery swapping network, and doorstep re-charged battery delivery, Revolt Intellicorp has completely negated the charging infrastructure worries for its customers. The Revolt RV 400 is offered with a monthly plan starting from Rs. 3499 going up to Rs. 3999 spread across 37 months and it certainly makes for decent value, and will be sure to find appeal, and many takers in the electric mobility space.

(Photography: Rakesh Singh)



from NDTV CarAndBike - Reviews

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Harley-Davidson Streetfighter Spotted In Flesh For The First Time

Image
Harley-Davidson unveiled a range of new motorcycles last year that included an adventure tourer, streetfighter and Custom range. This, along with the LiveWire electric motorcycle defines the new-age 21st century offerings from the manufacturer as it taps into newer markets and caters to an evolving customer base. Now, giving a glimpse of the new models out in the open, the new Harley-Davidson Streetfighter was spotted in the prototype version at what seems to be a trade show in the US, giving a good glimpse at motorcycle looks like in flesh. While board says 'Styling Prototype', the production-spec version of the Streetfighter is likely to stay identical to the model showcased here. In addition to the Streetfighter, the Pan America was also showcased at the same event. The production spec versions of both bikes could be unveiled at EICMA this year. Also Read: Harley-Davidson Livewire To Be Unveiled In India In August The Harley-Davidson Streetfighter is a completely new mot...
Read more

Brixton 1200 To Rival Triumph Bonneville T120

Image
A 1200 cc modern classic with similar design lines as Triumph's iconic Bonneville series, has reportedly been cleared for production. The bike was showcased as a concept at last year's EICMA motorcycle show, and from the looks of it, this is a model developed in China with the Triumph Bonneville T120 in its sights. The Brixton brand though is part of Austria's KSR Group, which imports bikes from several Chinese manufacturers, including CF Moto. And while the new Bonneville rival will be manufactured in China, the design and engineering has been created at KSR's design centre in Krups, Austria. Also Read: Triumph Bonnville T120 First Ride Review The Brixton 1200 cc motorcycle has not been named yet, or a launch timeline announced So far, the company has not committed to a launch date yet, but says that it will eventually make it to production. And from the looks of it, that may well be sometime later this year, maybe even at the EICMA 2020 show in Milan, Italy, in...
Read more

Zongshen Cyclone RX6 Based On Norton 650 Nearing Completion

Image
While there still doesn't seem to be a buyer for iconic British brand Norton Motorcycles which went into administration in January this year, the firm's 650 cc parallel-twin seems to be finding life in China. While Norton apparently sold off the engine rights of its 961 engine to China's Jinglang just before the brand went into administration, the deal for the 650 cc engine was finalized way back in 2017 with Chinese giant Zongshen. The 650 cc parallel-twin engine was due to be used in Norton's Atlas and Superlight models, but now it looks like that engine platform will make its debut in a Zongshen motorcycle, called the Cyclone R6. Also Read: How Much Is Norton Motorcycles Worth Now? One of the patent designs shows the Cyclone RX6 with full touring accessories and luggage Two prototypes fitted with the 650 cc parallel-twin engine were shown in China late last year, on the Zongshen Cyclone RX6 adventure bike and the RX6 sport tourer. Both bikes used Zongshen-made...
Read more