Ultraviolette F77 SuperStreet

Ultraviolette has been selling high-end electric motorcycles for a few years now. It started the business with the launch of the F77, and then it launched the F77 Mach 2, an upgraded motorcycle. But this one was positioned as a fully-faired sporty motorcycle, a type that Indians are fond of. However, this segment is limited, and to expand its business, the company needed to enter a more widely accepted segment – street bikes. That is why they developed the F77 Super Street, an electric bike based on the Mach 2 but more comfortable to ride. We got a chance to ride the F77 Super Street on a newly laid-out karting track and some village roads.

The F77 Super Street looks striking from all the angles. Based on aviation design styling, the F77 is possibly one of the finest-looking electric motorcycles on the planet. Much of that has to do with how the various design elements come together to make the motorcycle look sharp and flowing at the same time.

The overall stance of the F77 Super Street is quite intimidating, and much credit goes to those fat front fork tube covers and battery panels. However, the riding stance isn’t as aggressive as the Mach 2, due to the revised ergonomics.

Visually, there’s a minor difference between the Mach 2 and this new Super Street that can be seen on the handlebar area. The handlebar is new and wider, and as it sits on a new aluminium triple clamp, it is far more visible.

The F77 Super Street is a well-packaged motorcycle when it comes to features. In fact, at this price point, there's barely any motorcycle that offers such an extensive list of features. This EV is equipped with 10 levels of regenerative braking, traction control system, various ABS modes, dynamic stability control, and various display modes. Additional features like a tyre pressure monitoring system are also available at extra cost.

In terms of powertrain, this F77 produces 36bhp and 90Nm of peak torque in the standard model. There's a Recon variant as well that produces more power at 40bhp and 100Nm. While the top speed of both variants remains the same at 155kmph, there's a marginal difference in acceleration. The riding range figures are also different- the standard model can do 211km, whereas the Recon has a claimed range of 323km.

The F77 Super Street is one fast electric motorcycle. It is fast enough to put some other quick bikes to shame, and this happens primarily in the ‘Ballistic’ mode. There are a few other modes, but as I had a karting track to myself, I decided to use the most exciting mode and am glad I did, as it uncovered a lot of aspects of this electric motorcycle. Firstly, there’s a fun factor that makes the experience quite interesting. Even while riding on village roads, that factor remained present. However, around the corners, some front heaviness could be felt, due to the large battery pack.

Around the fast corners, the Super Street feels quick and planted. There’s good stability when exiting corners aggressively, and when you keep doing this for back-to-back laps, there’s no drop in performance. It seems the BMS does a really good job there. Due to a brief road-riding experience, it’s difficult to tell if the F77 Super Street is a comfortable to ride for regular use. We’ll tell you about this when we get the motorcycle for a longer duration back in Mumbai.

The major aspect of the bike that I didn’t like was the braking, especially the front. The bite should have been much better, along with the overall feel. It felt as if there’s a lot of brake dust on the disc, when there wasn’t any. I tried this on a different bike and experienced the same issue. An electric motorcycle at this price point and with such performance deserves a superior braking system.

The Ultraviolette F77 Super Street is a good attempt by the company. In the world of nascent and premium electric motorcycles, the Super Street is likely to make a bigger difference than the Mach 2. I understand that everyone loves sporty motorcycles, but when it comes to living with them, things take a dramatic turn because that aggressive seating position is unsustainable and impractical. Comfort comes as a top priority these days, and the Super Street manages to accomplish that. Even though this was a brief media ride, this EV managed to showcase its performance as well as the comfort sides. At Rs. 2.99 lakh, the Super Street isn’t a value-for-money proposition yet, but it should be considered if you want to enter the world of green vehicles but don’t want to compromise on performance and riding range. The F77 Super Street has it all.

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi