Ola Electric’s ambitious plans to launch electric motorcycles were met with some criticism, from delays to the company yet to receive certain go-ahead approvals. Eventually, Ola launched the motorcycles and deliveries began in Bengaluru, and that’s when we got a call saying the Roadster X+ was available for a few days.
We were keen to see what Ola built and give it a thorough usage — commutes. Having picked up the Roadster X+ with a 4.5kWh battery pack. On paper, the specs looked good — 125kmph top speed, 252km claimed IDC range and a 0–40kmph acceleration in 2.7 seconds. All good then.
Ola Roadster X+ review: First impressions
The design is perspective, I’d say. It brings a mixed feeling and the proportions somehow don’t look right. This is owing to the skinny suspension components and a bulky body — owing to the battery pack hidden beneath the skin.
The single-piece seat, the angular headlight design, and the step-up bar all give different design elements to the Roadster X+, while also giving it a smaller appearance. However, once you swing your leg over, the reach is not as how you expect as the bike is wide.
On the ergonomics front, the rider is sat up straight with a comfortable reach to the handlebar, however, the footpeg position is towards the front, resulting in a lot of weight on the rider’s bottom. I would have preferred the pegs to be a bit closer to the rider to offer a better triangle.
Ola Roadster X+ review: First ride impressions
The startup process is fairly simple and so are the controls — on the right are the throttle, front brakes, start, and mode switch, while the left has the headlight, horn, and turn signals. The left leg has no function while the right foot has the rear brake — a combi-brake system.
On the roll, the throttle is a bit sensitive in normal mode and one has to get used to it. The suspension setup, though skinny, felt a bit stiff, and the brakes had no bite — agreeable as it is a new motorcycle. The headlights seemed to have a good throw and for the next 12 kilometres, it was all about getting to know the basics of the Roadster X+ and a smooth ride.
Ola Roadster X+ review: When tragedy struck
That evening was smooth sailing. The bike arrived home and was plugged in to charge. Charging was handy with the built-in charger and since it was the first day and plugged in overnight, I did not notice charging time as the next day was all about it — real-world range and charging time.
The next day was dull, raining. I didn’t want to take the Roadster out, and decided to make good use of that day preparing for the next day outing. And eventually, when the day came, I packed up the required equipment and left home when disaster struck.
Barely 100 metres from the house, power dropped and the bike came to a halt. I was confused at first to see if it was a rider mistake but realised it wasn’t. I turned the key off, and on again, but nothing. I switched modes, nothing. I quickly took a small video highlighting the issue and went back to trying to get the vehicle moving.
After multiple key off and key on attempts, the vehicle got moving again and a few metres later, it stops. I tried going through the ride mode buttons again, but no use — that’s when I spotted something. When changing modes, the battery SOC stayed constant but the range in Eco mode showed 3km range. Strange. Another irritating aspect was the trip metre — it would reset every time the key was turned off!
I got in touch with the service centre and the next day, the Ola Roadster X+ was taken away to the service centre. I called them a couple of days later, and I was informed that a crucial sensor had an issue and the engineering team had confirmed this. Now, after more than a week, it is a waiting game to see how the Ola Roadster X+ really performs in real-world conditions. The ordeal did leave me with one question — How can a company make a vehicle that can’t run in today’s world?