News

May 10, 2023

India’s Ultraviolette Electric Motorcycle Company Wows With Two Impressive New Bikes

It may not be the fastest thing on the street, but the Ultraviolette F77

It may not be the fastest thing on the street, but the Ultraviolette F77 definitely looks the part.

This story was update with new information provided by Ultraviolette.

I’ve recently returned from India and it was quite an education about motorcycles as transportation rather than recreation, as cities and towns were swarming with small 110 to 125cc Hondas, Heroes, scooters and bigger Royal Enfield Bullets and more with one to five people aboard (three was most common) and also a day's worth of cargo. Quite the scene out on the roadways.

But India is also a booming tech center these days, and electric motorcycle startup Ultraviolette is looking to the future of motorcycles with two electric models, one for racing and one for riding. Both bikes are styled like sci-fi movie props, with the civilian F77 looking rather rakish and unlike most other electric motorcycles on the market.

The Ultraviolette F99 race bike makes about the same power as a 250cc club racer. But more quietly.

The other machine, the F99 (above), is a race-spec model. Ultraviolette says the bike will be an entry into "the world of Electric Motorsports." The F99 Factory Racing Platform should turn laps by the end of 2023 or early 2024, according to an Ultraviolette spokesperson.

While the bikes look exotic (kudos to the styling team), they are priced and designed for India - so far. That means the angular F77 makes "only" 40 horsepower (and a stout 74 pound feet of torque), with a top speed of just over 90mph. Not that fast, you say? It's nearly the speed of sound in India, where most highway traffic moves at 50 mph - or less. A 10.3kWh battery pack should give it about 190 miles of range, according to Ultraviolette and the pack is over twice the size found in other domestic electric cycles.

The company says the price for the F77 converts to $4640, while the F77 Recon variant will come in at $5,550 - a princely sum in India, but comparable to the current top-line Royal Enfield 650 twins, which make about the same power but run on gas and look like "regular" motorcycles. There will be three F77 models total, the Limited Edition of 77 units that have sold out, and then the Original and Recon production runs, which are not capped, according to Ultraviolette.

The Ultraviolette web page shows the F77 in a variety of cool colors. Sadly, it's sold out. For now. ... [+]

There was no word on the number of F99 racing machines that will see track time.

The Ultraviolette F99 race bike packs a bit more spicy curry, with 65hp and a top speed over 120mph/200kph. Not exactly MotoGP numbers and not really in the ballpark for the 150 horsepower MotoE bikes due from Ducati this year, but not too shabby either. The race to 60mph takes approximately 4.5 seconds according to Ultraviolette.

Full coverage fairings help the bikes cut through the wind, and they even feature some racy winglets - although they appear to be mounted backwards on the F99 0 but Ultraviolette says their position and shape helps to cool internal components and they are also reinforced to work as crash guards. On balance, the bikes look like they’re from a sci-fi movie future, ready to do battle with cyborg racers on a shining racetrack. Be sure to check the Ultraviolette website home page for a vision of that future.

Those stubby fairing winglets won't do much on the F77, but it ups the cool factor a few points.

If Ultraviolette can somehow expand production and hit anywhere near that $6,800 price point for exported machines, it seems they could find a ready market in many international cities, where electric motorcycles from other established marques sell for thousands more, if not double. For 99% percent of riding, 94 mph is plenty fast, and with that quick 0-60, the F77 could check a lot of boxes for urban riders. Plus - they look pretty techno future perfect.

For now, the bikes will hopefully see further production in India, which sells over 15 million units per year domestically - second only to China. Here's hoping Ultraviolette can expand production in the near future. The company says they have interest from riders worldwide and have plans for an "international presence" next year.