Ola Roadster X+ grabs attention with its minimalist design, affordable price, and range promise. But beneath the surface, it is a mixed bag of thrills and flaws
Story: Anvay Mahajan
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Ola Electric launched the Roadster X+ electric motorcycles back in February this year. On paper, the bike looked like a great deal. In real-world use, however, things turned out to be a bit different. After spending some time with the Roadster X+, I ended up with a classic love-hate relationship with this bike.
First things first: the bike definitely looks futuristic. It has a sharp, minimalist design that stands out. While the panels may give off a matte grey metallic look, they’re actually made of plastic. Unfortunately, the fit-and-finish is not great. We noticed a few uneven panel gaps and inconsistencies. The battery pack is placed under the tank and fully covered, so you can’t actually see the battery itself. Just behind it sits the motor, paired with a chain-driven transmission. The unit we tested had around 500 kilometres on the odometer, but we still noticed early signs of rust on parts like the foot-peg spring and crash-bars, which is a matter to cause concern in a relatively new bike.
The minimalist approach gets carried over to the 4.3-inch digital display, which is bold and easily legible. However, on our test unit, there was a glitch—the digit “2” wouldn’t show up on the range indicator. Thus, even with 100 per cent battery in Eco mode, the display showed only 33 kilometres of range instead of 233 km. This kind of bug can cause unnecessary range anxiety, especially on longer rides. Furthermore, the trip meter resets every time the bike is booted, which I felt was annoying.
The Ola Roadster X+ is powered by an 11-kW (14.96-hp) motor, which offers decent performance for daily use. It comes with four riding modes: Eco, Normal, Sport, and Reverse. In Eco mode, the speed is limited to 42 km/h, which is fine for city traffic. But as soon as the road opens up, you’ll wish for more speed. Normal mode strikes a good balance—neither too slow nor too aggressive—and is probably the most practical for everyday riding. Sport mode, on the other hand, is where the real fun begins. Acceleration feels sharp and lively in this mode. However, one thing to note: the motor produces a constant loud humming sound throughout the ride, which I felt was annoying.
We had a lot of fun taking this bike through the corners. Its alloy wheels, fitted with an 80/110 18-inch tyre at the front and a 110/80 17-inch one at the rear, offered good grip and gave us plenty of confidence while leaning into turns. The telescopic fork at the front and twin shock-absorbers at the rear made for a good ride quality.
The Roadster X+ comes with a disc brake at the front and a drum brake at the rear. Ola uses what it calls “Brake By Wire” technology, which means the brakes are activated electronically. In our experience, this system felt quite inconsistent. At times, especially with the rear brake, one had to press it very hard to get any response. And in some situations (particularly in traffic), the rear brake would engage on its own, which can be a bit unsettling.
The Roadster X+ is offered in two battery options. The top-spec variant comes with a 9.1-kWh battery, claiming an IDC range of 502 km. The one we tested had the smaller 4.5-kWh battery, with a claimed IDC range of 252 km and a claimed real world range of 133 km. While riding, mostly in Eco mode, we managed 113 km from 100 to five per cent of charge. But we feel the gap between the claimed IDC range and actual range is just too wide.
The Ola Roadster X+ with the 4.5-kWh battery pack is priced at Rs 1.30 lakh (ex-showroom). Personally, I think it had the potential to be a very good electric motorcycle. It’s fun to ride, priced fairly and with a futuristic design that really turns heads. But it falls short in a few key areas such as fit-and-finish and inconsistent braking. That’s why my experience with the Roadster X+ has been a bit of a love-hate relationship.
Leave a Reply