[jagzrk]

Excellent review! Covers everything but I think Team-bhp should also seriously consider the battery capabilities of electric vehicles. AFAIK, Li-Ion (Or polymer) batteries lose their capacity over a usage period. I'm definitely not putting my money in an electric vehicle unless a battery warranty of minimum 5 years is offered where the battery will be replaced if it's capacity drops less than 90%.

Knowing lithium batteries, I know this is impossible with the current state of technology.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by artemis_fowl

Are the low and high beams good? Please send shots of the same.

Please refer to post #6 sir. High beam and low beam shots along with the description are already posted.

In short - Low beam is very good for city use. High beam could be better but is enough for the intended usage limits of this scooter.

Originally Posted by jagzrk

I'm definitely not putting my money in an electric vehicle unless a battery warranty of minimum 5 years is offered where the battery will be replaced if it's capacity drops less than 90%.

Knowing lithium batteries, I know this is impossible with the current state of technology.

Currently, the battery pack gets 3 years/unlimited km warranty with 70% battery capacity retention. Agree with you, battery tech has a lot to evolve before such reliable warranties can be offered.

[artemis_fowl]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Please refer to post #6 sir. High beam and low beam shots along with the description are already posted.

In short - Low beam is very good for city use. High beam could be better but is enough for the intended usage limits of this scooter.

Thank you! I have seen these pictures already , but I was hoping for more clarity on the issues.
A neighbour has purchased it and I had seeen the low and high beams. I concur with your points.
I requested photos as the high beam was rather weak in his scooter and I was hoping this would be rectified (Note: He has bought one of the initial batches.) Thanks for sharing! My apologies.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by artemis_fowl

I requested photos as the high beam was rather weak in his scooter and I was hoping this would be rectified (Note: He has bought one of the initial batches.) Thanks for sharing! My apologies.

Please ask him to check if it can be aligned properly during service. More than the inadequate throw - I felt that the beam was just too high to be useful.

Low beam lights up the roads just fine though!

[bblost]

Thanks Crazy_Driver and Jaggu.

Very cool reviews of a very interesting product.
The bike looks ideal for the professionals who live 5-10 kilometers from office and are looking for a stylish way to make a point.

Can't resist mentioning that the size comparison pic looks really cool.
Black is the best color for the sweet adventure bike.
The scooter also looks ok.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by bblost

The bike looks ideal for the professionals who live 5-10 kilometers from office and are looking for a stylish way to make a point.

To be read as - 20-25 kms from office... super convenient, super fun point to make. It is hard to dislike the scooter even with all the limitations. And another important point being the product comes from an all Indian start up! Yes now they are backed up by a big brother, still absolutely remarkable achievement. We should be really proud of!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

A biker’s review of Ather

Thanks a lot for your detailed review Jaggu. I'm frankly a bit relieved that the riding impressions from an avid biker as yourself is quite similar to mine.

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I was told that, Ather is closely interacting with the owners over their forum and collecting all these feedbacks and would be pushing out more and more updates in the future. Thumbs-up from me on this unique model of user feedbacks!

Can attest to that! Been a member on the Ather forums since quite some time and monitoring their updates closely. Till date, Ather has been maintaining excellent decorum and also actively interacting with owners. An excellent way for a new company to gather user feedback.

Infact, 4-5 negetive points mentioned in the review were fixed in an OTA update (as you mentioned) before the review was published. Since the changes weren't major requiring retest (Such as the upcoming new ECO mode) - these were included under 'Smaller yet significant points' section. Kudos to Ather for working on user feedback so fast, and hope they fix the negetives mentioned here also soon. From Tarun's retweet, pretty sure he is aware of this Team Bhp thread as well.

Originally Posted by Jaggu

o Headlights are pretty pathetic, again comparing with the useless stock ones I have on Duke, this one seemed worse. The cheap Chinese led aux lamps I have as accessory on my bike gives better throw and visibility.

I did get to ride along with BHPian rbp's Duke 390 (New ones with LED lamps) and the Ather low beam was just as good or better. High beams were not good and not properly aligned though. Overall - I felt the setup good for the kind of city usage it is designed for.

PS: Lighting on most scooters (including my Hero Meastro) are pathetic at best!

Originally Posted by Jaggu

o Not sure but a light sensor to cut the low beam off during daylight hours is a good idea? Wont it save some range? The bike has a small running light strip on top to take care of statutory needs.

Ather claims that on an average, less than 1% of battery power is drawn by peripherals such as lights, indicators, horn, and the touchscreen dashboard.

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Seems to be rolling out fast, just saw this lot being unloaded while waiting for the charge.

Great news. Thank you!

[narayans80]

Any idea on when they plan to launch in Madras? They were originally planning on launching in March 2019, but looking at the supply chain issues for the Bangalore deliveries, I am not so sure.

An old Scooty at home is up for change and the range looks good for our usage.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Any idea on when they plan to launch in Madras? They were originally planning on launching in March 2019, but looking at the supply chain issues for the Bangalore deliveries, I am not so sure.

As per recent update from Ather team, the revised timeframe is 'mid-year 2019'. Which month exactly? Not sure of that yet!

What is certain is that the next city would be Chennai and it would happen around mid-year 2019.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I did get to ride along with BHPian rbp's Duke 390 (New ones with LED lamps) and the Ather low beam was just as good or better. High beams were not good and not properly aligned though. Overall - I felt the setup good for the kind of city usage it is designed for.

Mine is first gen Duke with halogens and I still would not rate the light as adequate on that bike.

It is plain dangerous to ride with the current set up of Ather. The stretch I take from office through HAL is quiet dark with some patches of neon, and there I was not even able to make out if the lights were On. I kept flicking the high low switch just to get some outline silhouette visible, of what is there on the road. Maybe it is my failing eye sight, but I would seriously suggest they look at some cheap projector set ups that can help focus the beams. High beams like you mentioned were focussed little high but they at least provided the throw.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Any idea on when they plan to launch in Madras? They were originally planning on launching in March 2019, but looking at the supply chain issues for the Bangalore deliveries, I am not so sure.

An old Scooty at home is up for change and the range looks good for our usage.

I think the plan is when RCB wins IPL Doesnt look like this year !

For me, office is 22 kms. If the projected range is very steady and doesnt reduce, it will be of great help.

There is not much info on how extensively it was tested. Did they test at various environmental conditions especially hot weather and its impact on battery life if any ?

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by srishiva

For me, office is 22 kms. If the projected range is very steady and doesnt reduce, it will be of great help.

With a light throttle and a bit of regeneration I could extend the range well beyond what I started off with. The consumption is based on the terrain and traffic. So if you ride in predominantly flat ground and lean traffic, you can cover much higher distance. On the other hand, stop go and lot of inclines means, range would be just about what is needed to manage a day, with some emergency buffer.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by srishiva

I think the plan is when RCB wins IPL

Can we modify the offer to, when CSK wins IPL 2019?

I think even if they launch mid year, by the time they start deliveries it might be year end or more.

The scooters at home is barely clock 1000 km/quarter or more, and occasionally at a shot maybe 30-40 km at best. So am not really worried about range.

If at all, I'd be worried about learning curve of getting used to an EV, especially my father who isn't tech savvy.

[V.Narayan]

Thank you Crazy Driver for this detailed review of a unique and inspiring product.

Folks, I am not a 2-wheeler guy and never likely to buy one either but as India's first electric two-wheeler (I am assuming it is) this is quite a story. 60 kms on one charge is not bad in Tier III and IV towns. It is short only in the 7 largest cities. these two young entrepreneurs deserve our kudos and appreciation for having commissioned an engineering product, that too in the motor industry and as a brick & mortar business.

Just think, when was the last time a brand new company built ground up without a big name backing it entered the auto sector in India successfully.

This is the future and it is coming very fast.

[GeeTee TSI]

For its sheer appeal, wife and I went to the Indiranagar experience center and a few aspects blew us away!

• Lovely cafe-like ambience of the showroom, knowledgeable and extremely courteous staff. Not even once was the clumsy question 'So when are you buying sir' asked

• Test-drive was arranged without making the (walk-in) customer feel someone was doing a favour

• Attention to detail was WOW! From explaining the controls, insistence on helmets right to the hair cover for the shared helmets.

Though I have never been to premium bike (nor car) brand showrooms, I have had largely forgettable experiences in established mass market ones. But despite being niche and new, the Ather experience blew me away

And I have not even come to the riding experience!