Revolt RV BlazeX

The Indian two-wheeler market is dominated by frugal commuters, and it is an established fact that motorcycles are largely a means of Point A to Point B transportation. With the growing adoption of electric two-wheelers in the country, it was about time that a commuter electric motorcycle entered the market.

The Revolt RV BlazeX promises to offer the convenience and flexibility of a commuter bike while being easy on the pocket, considering the economics of an electric motorcycle. A quick spin on the bike at a go-kart track gave us a brief idea about what it is all about.

The RV BlazeX turned out to be even better looking than what the pictures suggested when I first saw the bike. It is a commuter electric motorcycle but there is a bit of flair to the design, which I liked. From the round LED headlight with an integrated DRL, to the cuts and creases on the body panels that cover the battery and motor, there is some effort that has gone into making the bike look modern.

Even the side and tail sections are integrated quite nicely, as is the case with the LED tail light as well. The dual-tone colours on the bike add to the visual appeal, and for an electric two-wheeler, the Revolt RV BlazeX is good-looking.

As for the quality levels, they are decent for the most part. The plastics and the paint quality are par for the course, and the way everything is put together suggests that the bike should hold up to the abuse that Indian roads will throw at it. That said, the plastics of the switchgear could be of better quality as the current ones feel rudimentary. The rubber flap that closes the charging socket on the side panel was flimsy, and it would barely take any effort to break it. Perhaps a better quality cover made of plastic and one that fits flush would be ideal.

The bike has a 4KW motor which gets its juice from a 3.24kWh removable battery. Revolt claims that the bike can hit a top speed of 85kmph, which is usually the speed up to which most commuters prefer to go on a motorcycle.

Revolt claims that the battery lasts 150km (IDC range) on a single charge. It takes three and a half hours to charge from zero to 80 per cent while using the standard charger that the bike comes with. Using the optional fast charger, however, will drop the time taken to just 1 hour and 20 minutes.

The battery, as we’d mentioned, is removable, but one must be cognizant of the fact that it takes some strength to lift the 20kg unit from its housing. Not to mention the effort to haul it up to your home or office.

As for the features, there’s all-LED lighting and three ride modes: Eco, City, and Sport. There is a reverse mode as well, which can be handy at times. Lastly, a large LCD display offers a lot of information, including battery temperature, speed, SOC, and more. The display also has an inbuilt GPS and 4G telematics.

Moving on to the chassis, the bike has a steel frame that is suspended by a telescopic fork and twin shock absorbers that can be adjusted for preload. Braking, meanwhile, is taken care of by a disc brake at both the front and rear, with CBS as standard.

The moment you get on the RV BlazeX, the riding position feels neutral, like you would in most commuter bikes. The handlebar is within easy reach, the seat is spacious and even the footpegs are in a neutral position.

I began riding the bike in Eco mode and to my surprise, it wasn’t as lethargic as I’d thought it would be. The response was quick and the bike got up to 40-45kmph which is enough to keep pace with congested city traffic while seeking maximum range. City mode, in fact, is ideal for everyday commutes, as it allows the bike to quickly accelerate to speeds of up to 60kmph while remaining responsive. In Sport mode, the bike felt the most eager, as expected.

That said, the throttle calibration in Sport mode is quite snatchy and it will take some time to get used to. The bigger issue, however, is that the motor cuts off the moment you touch the brakes. That can get quite irritating, especially in the case of those who like to feather the throttle and tap the brake a little, say while negotiating your way through traffic, or while taking U-turns.

Overall, the performance of the bike is good and even after spending the second half of my track time going full pelt for about 45 minutes in Sport, there were no signs of overheating or a significant drop in performance in relation to the drop in state of charge.

What also impressed me a lot about the bike was the handling. The weight distribution is spot on, and it requires very little effort to turn the bike or flick it from one side to the other while changing direction. The go-kart track that we were on had some slow corners and a couple of long, sweeping ones. The bike remained planted and predictable through them all, aided by the grip offered by the OEM JK Tyre MBlaze rubber.

As for the ride quality, it felt absorbent at the front but the rear shocks were stiff when riding solo. That is understandable, considering it has been set up to be ridden mostly with a pillion or a sack of potatoes and what have you. After all, it has a payload capacity of 250kg.

Braking was consistent and predictable as well. However, I wish that the rear brake lever was at the foot, like in the case of an ICE motorcycle and not the left lever on the handlebar, as is the case with scooters. That would make for a more natural-feeling motorcycling experience.

The Revolt RV BlazeX, at Rs 1.15 lakh (ex-showroom) presents itself as an interesting alternative to petrol-powered commuter motorcycles. While a short spin on go-kart track isn’t enough to make a conclusive judgement about its real-world abilities, the bike appears to be built well to cater to the demands of commuting.

It looks good, the seating ergos are nice and it has enough performance to keep up with city traffic. It makes sense for those who are looking for an economical mode of transport, with around 100km (real-world) range.

That said, Revolt will have to work on improving accessibility and ensure reliability for the RV BlazeX to become a viable alternative to petrol-powered motorcycles. For now, they do have a promising product in this bike.

Images by Kaustubh Gandhi