The Revolt RV BlazeX is based on the RV1 platform and shares most aspects other than the battery and the motor. We rode the EV and here’s what we think of it.
Story: Pavit Chhabra
Photography: Kalidas M
The newly launched Revolt RV BlazeX can be purchased at Rs 1.15 lakh (ex-showroom) which is Rs 15,000 more than its very similar sibling, the RV1. It resembles the RV1 in almost every aspect, except the motor, battery and a couple other things. The EV has an all-LED setup giving it a modern touch and staying in tune with other EVs. The headlight has a circular LED ring with an LED line cutting through it horizontally giving it a retro-esque vibe. The rest of the bike looks like and also competes with a standard 100- to 125-cc commuter ICE motorcycle except it’s electric and gets both, the pros and the cons as circumstance. The bike has a long, single-unit, almost flat seat which resembles the RV1 and RV1+. The BlazeX has a grab rail which extends out into a short rack, to keep luggage as we were informed the bike has a payload capacity of 250 kg.
Before riding the Revolt RV BlazeX, we were first informed about the specs and features of the bike. The electric bike is powered by a 3.24-kWh removable battery and is powered by a mid-mounted 4.1-kW (5.6 hp) motor which can produce 45 Nm of peak torque. This power is sent to the rear wheel through a chain final drive which is rather uncommon in EVs. The EV has three riding modes in addition to a reverse mode. What I found odd was the placement of the mode selector and the markings on it. The mode selector slider-switch sits on the right side, near the throttle. The markings are oddly placed and from left to right they are “R” for reverse, “3”,”2” and ”1” representing sports, city and eco riding modes. The bike has an IDC claimed range of 150 km and a claimed top speed of 85 km/h with 5 km/h being the limit for the reverse riding mode.
The Revolt RV BlazeX also gets a removable battery, combined with an external charging port so in case of an emergency, and only then hopefully, will you remove the 20 kg battery pack from the “tank”. The flip-top “tank” has a small storage tray above the battery where one could keep their phone or extra keys and similar small items. There is a small storage space under the seat where you could either carry your charger or keep a bottle of water. The seat is quite long, making the ride for the pillion a comfortable experience as well.
The Revolt RV BlazeX has a 90/80-17 tyre in front while a 110/80-17 unit at the rear. The electric bike gets 240-mm disc brakes on both ends and is equipped with a Combi-braking System that is adequate for almost all the conditions the EV was designed for. We asked if they had considered adding ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) instead but they claim that CBS (Combi-braking System) is enough for the speeds this EV will be going in the hands of an ideal user (top speed – 85 km/h).
Upon mounting the BlazeX, one can feel how light the bike is. It weighs only 113 kg which is extremely light for what it looks like. The bike looked quite thin, but after sitting, it seemed thinner than it looked, if that was even possible. The seating position was quite comfortable with the footpegs adequately positioned. From here on we started taking laps of the go-kart track to really get a feel for this EV. The weight of the bike makes an immediate difference and I felt it when it went through the first corner. The track had a few undulations and Delhi’s unforgiving heat didn’t help the tarmac either, one particular turn was quite rough relative to the rest of the track.
I rode the EV starting with a full charge and by the time I was done, only about half remained. The range at this stage showed I had another 82 km left. The EV is extremely flickable due to its light-weight build. The rear tyre was skipping across the tarmac on extreme angles and harsh braking but never lost grip completely. I did have a couple moments where the front tyre slightly slipped across the tarmac while braking as well. I would like to point out that the tarmac was not in a perfect condition but I feel these issues were due to the rather stiff suspension. The EV is made to take a payload of 250 kg hence to compensate for that, the suspension is stiffly sprung and when it’s only a rider weighing 85 kg, yes, the suspension does feel quite stiff. That could also be the reason for the cornering grip issues I faced but it seemed to bother almost all other riders as well.
The throttle response on the bike was a little choppy. I noticed that in the first mode for eco riding, it seemed to perform perfectly. The acceleration was predictable and controlled in a rather peaceful manner. Switching to the second mode for city riding, yes, there was an increase in throttle response and power as one would expect but it jerked quite a bit and the acceleration seemed almost at par with the eco mode. The third, sports mode was where I felt the most jerks, below 30 km/h when the throttle was twisted a little, the output was not linear, rather it jerked the EV and then suddenly I was at full power. It could have been the safety feature which cuts off the motor if the brakes are engaged or it could be the fact that we rode a commuter EV in a sportier environment. In a normal city condition I don’t think this EV would give any such issues as it will be in a more comfortable environment.
Overall, the electric bike performs quite well for what it is meant to do. The seat is comfortable, the payload capacity is more than enough, the EV is quick so it will definitely make city rides feel more fun than your average 110-cc ICE counterpart. I feel like if the damping of the suspension was made softer, it would improve the handling and ride quality by miles. The overall finish of buttons and clickables like the mode selector could be tweaked for the better too. The mode selector is very awkwardly placed and to use the reverse mode, you have to keep the slider pushed to the left while twisting the throttle. If your thumb slips, the EV shifts into sports mode and will go ahead. This is a concerning issue. The electric bike is completely made in India and hence it could handle the traffic and road conditions. The ergonomics and rider triangle are near perfect for what it is as even after riding for a good couple hours, I was minimally fatigued and wanted to get on the track again. I was informed that the brand has a few projects in the works, a couple commuters and a performance based EV as well. I am definitely looking forward to what Revolt has for us in the near future.
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