River Indie e-scooter test ride: An in-depth look & a few observations

I really enjoyed riding the scooter and I would replace my ICE scooter with this in a heartbeat.

BHPian pepega recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I was recently visiting Bangalore for some work and I happened to notice the giant River showroom on the Outer Ring Road. While on the way back, it was around 7 pm and we decided to stop to check out the scooter. I had ridden a rented Activa 6G to the showroom and the showroom staff were keen to give me an introduction to the River Scooter.

First, I had a look at the scooter that kitted out with all the accessories.

I met a product specialist by the name of Madhu who helped me with information about the River Indie scooter and assisted me with getting a test drive as well. He told me that these accessories were just prototypes for now and not available for sale. But that the company would launch them in the future.

Some pictures of the scooter follow below.

Front with 14-inch tyres and these funky headlights:

Display with range and charge percentage:

It has three ride modes which can be selected on a button on the right switchgear. It also has the killswitch and the hazard lights button:

The left switch gear has the standard indicator, high beam and horn buttons:

The phone holder was the main accessory that I noticed on the handlebar:

The front boot opens to show space large enough for a water bottle, a small grocery bag, a rain cover, etc. It also has a USB charging socket inside.

The left side of the scooter has the charging socket:

The panniers seemed to be of decent quality. They opened with the key and could be quite easily removed once opened. Wouldn't even take 30 seconds to get them on and off. I could imagine them being a nightmare in traffic though.

Off:

On:

I moved on to have a look at the standard un-accessorized scooter after this. Madhu took the opportunity to tell me some specs about the scooter. The on-road price is 1.47 lakhs in Bangalore.This is their first showroom, and they're looking to expand to 10 cities in India. Currently, the Indie has a 60-day waiting period. The range is 120 km in eco mode, 90 in ride mode, and 70 in rush mode. It has a 4.0 kwh battery pack and front and rear dual suspension. A CBS braking system gives decent braking power, but I feel the lack of ABS at 1.47 lakhs is a miss.

My SO thought the colors looked really good. The pastel colors really appeal to the Gen Z crowd, I guess.

The scooter comes with a portable charger that fits into a 16A socket.

The under seat storage is a whopping 47 litres. Not sure if it fits a full-size helmet though.

There's another USB charging socket on the ride side under the handlebar.

The footrests seem to be of good quality. There are footrests for the front passenger as well. It's not pictured here, but I feel like that is such a good feature to have.

The belt drive comes with a belt cover. I was told that it performs well in the monsoon and muddy conditions as well. I won't miss doing chain lubrication.

They were happy to give me a test drive, without me asking. The riding modes did have a distinct feel. The Eco mode would be perfect for traffic, where you just want to creep in traffic. The Normal mode would be okay for regular driving. The Rush mode felt quite fast. The only miss was the lack of ABS, which seemed even more necessary after I gave Rush mode a try on an empty stretch of road.

Overall a really positive experience at the River showroom. I really enjoyed riding the scooter and I would replace my ICE scooter with this in a heartbeat. However, it won't be available in Goa for the next 2-3 years, for sure. The ride was comfortable and Rush mode was quite fast as well.

Since I was taking a lot of pictures, Madhu asked me if I was a YouTuber. I declined but said that I would post my experience at River on team-bhp. He said he knew of the website and thanked me for visiting. I also gave feedback to the store on Google Maps. Today, they called me again to ask for feedback, at which point, I told them to add ABS! That's the only missing thing from this scooter, otherwise it's perfect!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.