The EV revolution is in full throttle with new, faster and techno savvy , state- of- the- art designs in the two wheeler space. Srivaru Motors, an electric vehicle start-up in Coimbatore, has recently come up with an all-electric bike – Prana and has already delivered the first few units to the customers. Moreover, it plans of pan India expansion and has set up its first experience centre.
It is a state-of -the -art electric bike
The SVM Prana is certainly a handsome-looking, aggressive motorcycle with a really hunkered down front and low stance. Moreover, a powerful quad-LED projector headlamp set up offers fantastic illumination in the dark, making it difficult for anyone to realize a big motorcycle approaching, that too without any exhaust. The turn indicators and the tail lamp are of LED type.
The SVM Prana instrument cluster is an all-digital unit, showing readouts for speed, remaining battery charge level, clock, odometer with an added trip meter. An LED strip at the top starts to light up towards the right depending on the speed and vice versa. Many people will definitely buy it just because of the way it looks and, the EV benefits it has to offer.
Srivaru Motors is also offering an optional fast charger with the bike but at the same time, isn’t recommending the same as it reduces the charging cycles of the battery. The ‘fuel tank’ on the bike looks muscular and the empty space of the fuel tank gets utilized in the case when the fast charger connects to the bike at the fuel tank lid with all the cables and wires get placed inside. The battery on this vehicle can be charged through a regular 15A socket that is available in our homes and a 0 to 100 percent juice up takes around 4 hours 15 minutes.
The energy-loaded ride
The SVM Prana electric bike comes with 5.36 hp BLDC hub-mounted electric motor paired to a 4.32 kWh lithium-ion battery. Being an all-electric bike, all the torque is available right from the word GO leading to very fast acceleration. The torque output to be precise is 38 Nm, comparatively more than a Bajaj Dominar 400 . The SVM Prana comes with four riding modes which can be toggled with the help of a rotary selector on the left side of the handlebar.
The first one is the Practise Mode that restricts the top speed at 45 kmph and offers a gradual acceleration and limited throttle response. The second one is the Drive Mode with the full top speed of 123 kmph with the throttle response and acceleration remaining the same as Practise Mode. The third is the Sports Mode that offers 123 kmph top speed with intense acceleration and crisper throttle response. There is also a Reverse mode in which one can crawl the bike backward at a speed of up to 5 kmph to assist in tight and inclined parking spaces.
In the Sports mode one will actually feel like riding a middleweight bike. This bike overtakes vehicles in the city effortlessly but on the highways and open roads are where the performance is outstanding. The SVM Prana sprints from a standstill to 60 kmph in just 4 seconds that actually makes it quicker than the Revolt RV400 and even the KTM 125 Duke and Bajaj Pulsar 220F. The bike reaches speeds of 80-90 kmph effortlessly and in some time reaches its top whack of around 120 kmph. At 123 kmph, the SVM Prana is the fastest electric bike can buy in the country, at present. While the pick-up and acceleration of the SVM Prana is clearly better than some of the 150cc to 200cc ICE powered bikes, its cruising abilities are similar to that of a Royal Enfield Meteor 350 running at 85-100 kmph, all day long.
Dynamics of electric bikes
The SVM Prana has conventional telescopic forks upfront along with a rear mono-shock. The suspension being tuned on a slightly stiffer side, it doesn’t allow the impact of regular undulations to get transferred to the rider. However, slight discomfort is experienced with the bigger potholes and speed breakers. The straight-line stability ensures the bike doesn’t deviate from its line even at triple-digit speeds. The Prana does handles around corners at high speeds quite positively, albeit slightly slow
The grip from the tyres is decent too , promising a decent adhesion with the surface even during wet conditions. The bike has split step-up, sporty seats with satisfactory cushioning. The front seat is quite wide and comfortable, and the pillion has a narrow seat design, leading to less comfort ,done for aesthetic appeal.
The bike has 275mm dual disc brakes up upfront along with a single 240mm disc unit at the rear. However, the bike lacks an anti-lock braking system. Nevertheless, another braking system called CBS is offered which means just press the rear brake lever and both the front and rear brakes are applied automatically promising minimum chances of skidding. When the rear brake lever is applied , one gets a fantastic stopping power and the bike sheds speed immediately whenever one wants it to.
The weak points
The side stand on the bike should be worked upon a bit as when one puts it down, the bike stands really upright .with possibility of the bike falling on the opposite side. Also, when the bike is driven at reasonably high speeds over broken surfaces, the body panels that are made up of fiber start to make kind of rattling noises.
The whining of the electric motor becomes more evident, at times, which is an irritant Also, smart phone connectivity with the bike would have certainly taken its value for money a few decibels higher.
The prices and the recommendations
Srivaru Motors offers an aggressive pricing strategy in the favor of a greener environment! The SVM Prana is currently priced in India at Rs 2.25 lakhs but if one plants 10 saplings, click a picture of them and send to the company, it will refund you Rs 25,001 under the SVM Green Credit bringing down price to Rs 1, 99, 999. The company currently has 14 dealerships in the southern part of India and intends to go pan India aggressively. Dealerships in Delhi-NCR and most of the major cities of the north followed by Tier-II and Tier-III cities , are being worked upon parallely.
Apart from contacting dealers which may or may not be present in some cities, one can connect directly with the SVM Omnipresence team (that also takes care of Roadside Assistance) through any of the mentioned numbers. After paying the booking amount of Rs 1,999, the bike will be delivered to customer place and the balance payment can be made later
SVM Prana electric bike technical specifications:
Electric motor – BLDC type with 5.36 hp output
Torque – 38 Nm
Range – 126 km per single full charge
Top speed – 123 kmph
Battery life – 2,000 rechargeable cycles (claimed)
Charging time (through regular charger) – 4 hours 15 minutes
Lithium-ion battery capacity – 4.32 kWh
Ground clearance – 145 mm
Seat height – 780mm
Front brake – 275mm Dual Disc
Rear brake – 240mm Single Disc
Combined braking system with Regeneration
Front tyre – 110/70/R17 (tubeless)
Rear tyre – 140/60/R17 (tubeless)
Price – Rs 1,99,999 after SVM Green Credit discount