Ultraviolette F77 Review: 5 Likes & 3 Dislikes

We ride the fastest EV on sale in the Indian market on a race track and the mountain twisties

The journey for Ultraviolette has been a rather long one, and with good reason. When the Indian EV space was filled with slow, cheap and sluggish electric scooters, the Bangalore-based brand decided to enter the world of performance electric motorcycles with aviation as an inspiration. As expected there have been massive delays, but the Ultraviolette F77 finally made its debut in 2022 and we were invited to ride the electric motorcycle. The ride was split into two parts: track and mountain roads. In this article we shall be talking about the pros and cons of the fastest and most expensive EV two-wheeler on sale in India. 

Likes

Styling

The most intriguing aspect of the Ultraviolette F77 is its styling. Its design cues have been taken from aircrafts and the motorcycle looks futuristic, sleek and stunning. The best aspect of the styling is that the designers managed to not only maintain the design and form factor of the concept motorcycle, but also added few elements to make it look even better. 

The electric motorcycle looks best in profile, with its mass-forward design that gives it a butch stance. Other interesting details are the sleek LED headlight and the USD fork covers and the compact tail section. The production version also sports a winglet, which I am not too sure how effective will be with respect to downforce, but will definitely deflect some impact in case of a crash. 

Performance

The purpose behind the F77 was to create an electric motorcycle that offers thrilling performance and on that note they have delivered. The Ultraviolette F77 is available in two variants and what we rode was the top-spec Recon variant. What impressed me the most was how good the throttle calibration is; it feels like you are riding any other ICE vehicle from this segment.

It has three riding modes, with the Glide mode being the most gentle, equivalent to eco mode, and top speed is limited to 50kmph. Then comes the Combat mode, which is good for urban riding and highway riding. You can cross speeds above 100kmph, but the throttle response is gentle and very useful in stop-and-go traffic. According to me most riders will prefer this riding mode of the F77. And then there is the Ballistic mode, that stands true to its name. In this mode, the F77 unleashes its full arsenal of power and it will take you by surprise. 

Off the line, the bike doesn’t shock you, but once the bike crosses 15-20kmph, it pulls with a strong surge and you cling on hard to the handlebar. We didn’t encounter long stretches of roads, but I was able to clock a speedo indicated 130kmph. You can check out the claimed performance numbers in the below table, but we shall verify these numbers with a proper road test. But the overall performance of the F77 is very impressive. 

Handling

To accommodate the larger battery pack Ultraviolette engineers had to redesign the frame as well and this meant more weight. With a kerb weight of over 207kg, one wouldn’t be wrong to assume that it will be a lazy steering bike. And you wouldn’t be more wrong. The F77 loves to corner, even around the tight hairpins and chicanes around the gokart track, the bike felt so enjoyable. It inspires confidence and pushes the rider to lean more and more. 

Even around the fast sweeping corners of Nandi Hills, the F77 felt rock solid and it was a delight to ride on the curvy mountain roads. The reason for this is the balance of the chassis and the MRF tyres that have been specifically developed for the Ultraviolette F77. My only criticism is the rather wide turning radius and the rider can feel the heft of the bike while taking slow-speed turns. 

Range

It’s no secret that range anxiety is one of the biggest limitations for the adoption of EVs, but that isn’t the case with the F77. Ultraviolette claims an IDC figure of over 300km, which in real world conditions should be around 210-230km, by far the highest for any EV two-wheeler on sale in India. We will be able to verify these claims after a thorough road test. 

Also, for charging you have two options: standard charger and the optional boost charger. The standard charger is compatible with a 15amp socket and takes a rather long time owing to it having a rating of just 1.3kW. The boost charger has a rating of 3.3kW and is much quicker but you will have to shell out an additional Rs 30,000. 

Quality

For a brand’s first attempt in mass scale manufacturing, the quality levels are worth praising. The panel gaps are tight and none of them rattled or squeaked during the ride. Even there was no noise from the chain sprocket, which wasn’t the case with the 2019 prototype. I particularly liked the finish on the handlebar and everything that the rider touches and feels is premium. Even the switchgear quality, shared with the TVS Apache RR 310, is fantastic. My only grouse is the battery socket cover that looks flimsy and isn’t lockable. 

Dislikes

Brakes

The F77 features disc brakes on either end and dual channel ABS comes standard. Similar to the Supermoto mode on the KTM bikes, you can disengage the rear ABS rather easily. While the brakes offer good bite and feedback, the ABS calibration felt off. Under hard braking, you can feel the front-end judder and that isn’t a good feeling especially given the performance on tap. Another thing is the squealing noise from the sintered pads that feels a bit odd on an electric motorcycle. 

Ergonomics

While the F77 looks like a futuristic streetfighter, the riding ergonomics is that of a proper supersport. The clip-on handlebars are set low, footpegs are rear-set and slightly high, so the ergonomics is properly committed and sporty. While this is great for the track, I am not sure how comfortable it will be for commuting or say touring, but then again there are a lot of KTM RC and Yamaha R15 fans. 

Seat height is also on the taller side at 800mm and the battery pack makes it a slightly wide bike, so shorter riders might find it a bit intimidating. The 241kg kerb weight does make its presence felt while parking the bike in tight corners and the wide turning radius doesn’t help you much. What will help you is the reverse park assist, but the lack of hill-hold on such a hefty motorcycle is a big miss. 

Price

Prices for the Ultraviolette F77 starts at Rs 3,80,000 and the Recon variant which we rode carries an eye watering sticker price of Rs 4,55,000. For the same amount of money one can buy interesting ICE options such as the KTM RC 390 or the Royal Enfield 650 Twins. In fact, one can actually buy the TVS Apache RR 310 and invest the remaining money in riding school and good quality riding gear. What works for the F77 is that the on-road price is less then equivalently priced ICE options owing to the lesser tax and that running cost is significantly lower. 

Verdict

With such a premium price tag, the Ultraviolette F77 will remain a niche product. What the F77 demonstrates is that a high performance electric motorcycle of this calibre can be manufactured in India and for this reason we have to appreciate the efforts of its founders, who have invested more than 7 years in ensuring the bike makes it to production. 

While it will not be a sales success, the F77 showcases that electric motorcycles can be fun and engaging to ride something that we have only experienced in ICE motorcycles. The F77 in that sense showcases the future of performance electric motorcycles in the Indian market. I remain a staunch petrolhead, but the F77 proves that fast EVs can be exciting!