Oben Electric’s Debut E-bike Is Aimed Squarely At Tork Kratos

The Bengaluru-based startup’s upcoming offering has a 200km claimed range and a 100kmph top speed

• Oben Electric has four EVs in the pipeline.
• The first will be an electric bike, scheduled to be launched by March 2022.
• Will likely be priced at around Rs 1.2 lakh (ex-showroom, including FAME II subsidy).

Bengaluru-based startup Oben Electric -- founded by IIT Kharagpur & IIM Bangalore Alumni in August 2020 -- recently announced that it has four offerings coming up, each scheduled for a launch six months apart, essentially spread over the next two years. Its debut product will be an electric bike aimed squarely at the Tork Kratos, going by its specifications.

It seems the Oben Electric bike has a proper neo-retro design, with a circular LED headlight. The e-bike gets rather simple-looking silver tank extensions, a cowl for the battery pack, and a raised tail section with a split-seat setup. The handlebar is easy to reach, which, coupled with the mid-set footpegs, should offer an upright riding stance. 

Powering the Oben Electric bike is a frame-mounted motor linked to a belt drive. Oben claims the EV can accelerate from 0-40kmph in 3 seconds, 0.5 seconds quicker than the Tork Kratos R. Its top speed is limited to 100kmph. The motor draws power from a lithium-ion battery pack that claims to offer a range of 200km in Ideal Driving Condition (IDC) and has a charging time of two hours.

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The Oben Electric bike is built on a trellis frame linked to a telescopic fork and a rear monoshock. It rolls on alloys wrapped in MRF RevZ-FC1 (front) and MRF Masseter-X (rear) tyres. Braking is courtesy of petal disc brakes at both ends. And, as expected from a modern electric bike, it gets a full-digital instrument cluster with smartphone connectivity.

Expect Oben Electric to price this e-bike at around Rs 1.2 lakh (ex-showroom, including FAME II subsidies). It will go directly against the Tork Kratos and be a more performance-packed alternative to the Revolt RV 400. If you're looking for even better performance, you might want to wait for the Ultraviolette F77, which is likely to be launched soon.