After years of reading online reviews for Electric Vehicles, it's about time to write one.
But before that, the story of how I got here, is probably worth reading if it strikes a chord or two with You, Dear Reader!
Inspiration #1 - Free rides
Ever since the concept of Perpetual Motion Machines (and why it's impossible to construct one) was introduced in high-school Physics, I have always wondered how close we could get to building one. From that grew the idea that personal transportation should one day be possible without zero or low running costs. The key to that would be to hook up a renewable energy source like solar energy to a form of transport that can actually put that energy to use.
Inspiration #2 - Torque
Like most average Indian men, I too had this fascination to own and drive powerful bikes. Not the fill-it-shut-it-forget-it types that uncles with a keen interest in mileage prefer, but the ones that brings the adrenaline rush when you go full throttle.
My first bike was a grand old Honda Exclusive CM125 Japan model, which was a true war/work-horse and still managed a respectable 110kmph max speed in Expressways after 15 years of service to 4 owners including me. The kind of bike you buy for 800 dollars and sell for 1100 after using for many years, due to its Japanese original parts!
After returning to India, among the first Google searches was "fun bikes to ride under 1Lakh" and lot of reviews on Royal Enfield bikes. After testrides on RE Thunderbird, KTM 200 and finally settled on an All-Black Honda Trigger 150cc that has been with me for 5 years now.. The main reason was they agreed to deliver the bike in week and has sufficient power to reach early 90s in empty stretches in OMR.
In hindsight, one thing I didn't miss about RE is the loud noise, which many love to make even louder with custom exhausts.
Out of curiosity, I test-drove Hero Photon, Okinawa Praise, Okinawa Ridge+, despite appearing to be very useful vehicles, reasonably priced and even having detachable batteries, they all lacked the zing in their rides to convince an average Indian biker.
With this biking background, any future two wheeler I would possess could not sacrifice too much on power.
Inspiration #3 - Father - Family man - Biker - Tree hugger
- Need to transport 2 kids to school regularly, making one of them sit on the fuel tank is not easy, as they grow taller
- Need to doing various errands and stop at various shops in narrow bylanes and going through start-stop traffic meant I had to lose the clutch/gear in a hurry and get ample leg-space to carry 20kg bag of groceries and not do acrobatics on road
- no car replaces the freedom of movement a bike offers in Indian roads, and not after you are used to it for so many years
- a sworn tree-hugger who wants to do his bit to save the world, so that someday his children won't inherit a sorry-state planet and ask "what were you guys thinking with all that greenhouse gas emissions, why did you ignore all the climate change scientists???"
There was only one answer to all the requirements as above, available to the average Indian biker in 2019 -
Ather 450
But before that, the story of how I got here, is probably worth reading if it strikes a chord or two with You, Dear Reader!
Inspiration #1 - Free rides
Ever since the concept of Perpetual Motion Machines (and why it's impossible to construct one) was introduced in high-school Physics, I have always wondered how close we could get to building one. From that grew the idea that personal transportation should one day be possible without zero or low running costs. The key to that would be to hook up a renewable energy source like solar energy to a form of transport that can actually put that energy to use.
Inspiration #2 - Torque
Like most average Indian men, I too had this fascination to own and drive powerful bikes. Not the fill-it-shut-it-forget-it types that uncles with a keen interest in mileage prefer, but the ones that brings the adrenaline rush when you go full throttle.
My first bike was a grand old Honda Exclusive CM125 Japan model, which was a true war/work-horse and still managed a respectable 110kmph max speed in Expressways after 15 years of service to 4 owners including me. The kind of bike you buy for 800 dollars and sell for 1100 after using for many years, due to its Japanese original parts!
After returning to India, among the first Google searches was "fun bikes to ride under 1Lakh" and lot of reviews on Royal Enfield bikes. After testrides on RE Thunderbird, KTM 200 and finally settled on an All-Black Honda Trigger 150cc that has been with me for 5 years now.. The main reason was they agreed to deliver the bike in week and has sufficient power to reach early 90s in empty stretches in OMR.
In hindsight, one thing I didn't miss about RE is the loud noise, which many love to make even louder with custom exhausts.
Out of curiosity, I test-drove Hero Photon, Okinawa Praise, Okinawa Ridge+, despite appearing to be very useful vehicles, reasonably priced and even having detachable batteries, they all lacked the zing in their rides to convince an average Indian biker.
With this biking background, any future two wheeler I would possess could not sacrifice too much on power.
Inspiration #3 - Father - Family man - Biker - Tree hugger
- Need to transport 2 kids to school regularly, making one of them sit on the fuel tank is not easy, as they grow taller
- Need to doing various errands and stop at various shops in narrow bylanes and going through start-stop traffic meant I had to lose the clutch/gear in a hurry and get ample leg-space to carry 20kg bag of groceries and not do acrobatics on road
- no car replaces the freedom of movement a bike offers in Indian roads, and not after you are used to it for so many years
- a sworn tree-hugger who wants to do his bit to save the world, so that someday his children won't inherit a sorry-state planet and ask "what were you guys thinking with all that greenhouse gas emissions, why did you ignore all the climate change scientists???"
There was only one answer to all the requirements as above, available to the average Indian biker in 2019 -
Ather 450
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