The Oben Rorr is a familiar name because we did the first ride review last year, and just ahead of deliveries, government norms of EVs forced the Bengaluru-based startup to further tweak the motorcycle, which resulted in delays. Now, with a handful of deliveries completed in Bengaluru, the 2023 Ober Rorr has seen changes to its electric motor, charging, and other aspects.
Let’s take a detailed look at the 2023 Oben Rorr electric motorcycle to see what has changed and if the changes have made it a better motorcycle compared to last year’s version.
2023 Oben Rorr design
Visually, the Oben Rorr remains unchanged, but when compared to last year’s model, there have been slight tweaks. For instance, the pillion seat has been lowered slightly, while it has also been made wider for better comfort. Oben has also added a tyre hugger, along with other small changes, mostly based on customer feedback.
Other design elements include a round LED headlight, a single-piece seat, a wide handlebar, LED lighting all around, telescopic front suspension, a monoshock at the rear, and tank shrouds to give the Rorr a sporty look. Overall, on the design front, the Rorr features a sporty design, but with simple lines.
2023 Ober Rorr ride and handling
Swing a leg over and the first thing one notices is the seat height — at 810mm, the saddle height itself is not the problem, but the motorcycle is wide between the legs and the footpeg position means that the rider has to keep his feet quite far apart, making the motorcycle seem tall. However, if one can manage a way around this, the 200mm ground clearance is an added benefit. The rider’s triangle is relaxed with a slight forward lean and the rider is sat ‘on’ the motorcycle.
Oben claims an acceleration of 0 to 40kmph in 3 seconds in Havoc mode and the motorcycle feels quick. In Havoc mode, the motorcycle accelerates to 80kmph effortlessly, while post that, reaching the 100kmph top speed needs a bit of work — the throttle needs to be feathrered or else the motor kind of cuts power. With a gentle wrist, the Rorr managed to do 95kmph, while the top speed is restricted to 70kmph in City mode and 50kmph in Eco mode.
The Rorr feels neutral to ride and the suspension setup is slightly on the stiffer side. This is something we strongly recommend buyers to test it out for themselves before buying as this will be a personal preference. The motorcycle handles well and the tyres offer good confidence in dry conditions. One area for improvement, however, is the brakes as the rear tends to lock up pretty quickly.
2023 Oben Rorr battery pack
The Rorr is powered by a 4.4kWh battery pack and an 8kW motor, the latter of which was a 10kW unit in the 2022 model. The power reduction is not felt and the motorcycle offers a claimed real-world range of 120km. The pack can be charged with the portable charger – which was inbuilt in last year’s model – that can be stored under the seat. The Rorr also supports an optional 2.2kW fast charger which can juice up the batteries from 0–80% in 2 hours.
The portable charger can be used with any 15 amp socket to charge the battery and the ability to carry it along, neatly tucked away in an underseat storage is a great idea.
2023 Oben Rorr: Final thoughts
The fit and finish on the motorcycle are good, and the use of a simple LCD dash without navigation and call options to distract riders is a good approach, as it also helps keep the costs in check. That said,m there are a few connected tech features that are useful to keep the vehicle safe.
With Oben’s pricing of Rs 1.49 lakh and targetting the 150cc motorcycle segment, the Rorr has a lot to live up to, however, the motorcycle seems to do its job right without over-promising anything. The stiff suspension setup is a minor adjustment away, but the rear brake and the seat height could be a deciding factor for buyers. So if your question is ‘Should you buy one’? We strongly recommend you to take a test ride.
