Revolt RV400: First Ride Review

On paper, the Revolt RV400 does sound promising enough for us to abandon our ICE bikes and go green.

• A light kerb weight of 108kg kerb makes city manoeuvring on the RV400 a breeze.
• The removable battery on the bike makes charging easier.
• We wish the throttle calibration was a bit better as it’s a bit jerky, particularly in Sport mode.

We've seen a lot of electric scooters in India so far, so we know what to expect from them. The Revolt RV400, on the other hand, is a first of its kind - India's first electric motorbike. And we were able to test it ahead of time. 

Naturally, we have a slew of questions that must be addressed. Most importantly, will the RV400 persuade people to switch from internal combustion to electric? Let’s find out: 

Revolt RV400: Design & Features

Revolt has chosen Super Soco as its platform partner. The Revolt RV 400 electric bike is strikingly similar to the Super Soco TS. For a comfortable riding posture, the bike has a sleek LED headlight up front and easy-to-reach wide handlebars. The side panels are completely covered, and the fuel tank has a lid. 

It houses the removable lithium-ion battery and has a lockable compartment. The rider's foot pegs can be swapped out if he or she prefers a mid or rear-set footpeg position. The long wing, which also serves as a licence plate holder, dominates the rear. The LED indicators are also mounted on the wing.

According to what's on the bike, there are three riding modes that can be selected via a slider button on the right. One useful feature is the keyless start, which allows you to keep the key in your pocket and simply press the power button located behind the handlebar. The display is a simple black-and-white unit with no touch functionality, and you must use the high-beam switch to switch between trip modes - quite fiddly. Then there's the artificial exhaust note, which can be turned on with a button on the right switchgear.

This works through a speaker hidden within the bodywork and is, to be honest, quite gimmicky. It might be entertaining to 'blip the throttle' for your friends a few times while the bike is parked, but on the road it just doesn't feel natural, so I turned it off after the first minute or two.

Revolt RV400: Motor Specs

The RV 400 is fast enough, and the riding modes improve performance and response as you progress from Mode 1 to Mode 3. In Mode 3, it feels almost as quick as an Ather 450X, and hitting the top speed of 85kph on the street should be simple.

The motor has the typical instant response that EVs are known for. I believe there is still room to smooth out the noise and mild vibrations produced by the 3kW frame-mounted motor. The refinement levels are adequate, but one area that could use improvement is the response when the rider presses the accelerator.

Regardless of riding mode, the power comes on abruptly, and while this was an issue when trying to be smooth through the corners, I imagine it will also be annoying when moving in heavy traffic. I also dislike the fact that applying the brakes disables the accelerator, which means that all of the burnouts seen in Revolt's advertisements aren't possible with the stock bikes.

Revolt RV400: Chassis

The RV400 has a front inverted fork and a rear preload-adjustable monoshock. A go-kart track is not the place to test ride quality. Revolt, on the other hand, amused us with a small speed breaker on the track. When you hit it fast, the bike did bounce a little because it is set up a little stiffer.

But approach it with caution, and the RV400 handled it admirably. In fact, some of the track's corners were a little bumpy, but they never interfered with the riding experience, even when the bike was leaned over.

Revolt RV400: Dimensions

The RV400 is, in no way, a big bike and it feels the same. It feels stable and confident in the corners but if you push it a bit too hard, the soft suspension will remind you what it’s made for: commuting, and not corner-carving. 

Revolt RV400: Variants & Price

Now yes, a Rs 1.35 lakh price tag isn’t very cheap for a bike with the performance of a 125cc bike. But when you factor in the sheer amount of money you save through fuel, it wouldn’t be long before you can actually recover the extra payment you made up front on the RV400, instead of going for a similarly-powered 125cc ICE bike. 

Conclusion

The most remarkable aspect of this Revolt RV400 is how unremarkable it appears. Don't get me wrong: this isn't a criticism. However, the mental adjustment required to transition from a gasoline-powered motorbike to this electric one is minimal. So, while it's not the best bike for long highway rides or even fun weekend riding, it's enough for many urban commuters to go green. 

And not just for environmental reasons. However, because this is a simple, easy-to-use, no-nonsense motorbike, it will be far more cost-effective to operate than any petrol-powered bike.