[nkrishnap]

An Ather 450X comes home in Space Grey Matte color.



Positives

• Nimble Handling
• Strong Brakes
• Comfortable riding position
• Proven until now with no major mechanical issues (though some issues have been documented, none that will knock the scooter off the list)
• Nice lovely matte finish paint
• Decent Range (would have loved 50% more)
• Strong acceleration in Sports and Warp mode

Negatives

• Fit and finish no where near to what it was during launch. Quality has gone downhill
• Dealership experience, horrendous at best
• Lack of color options (would have preferred the range like OLA is offering)
• Rough edges around panels, again downward trend from Ather
• Lack of faster charging (though the Ather grid is there, would have preferred a faster charging)
• Mirrors are of little use, size and position not suitable for all riders with varying heights (again the quality of mirror mounts is below average, it was better when it was launched)
• No parking brake or hold, that you get in the regular scooters like Ntorq, Jupiter, etc. comes very handy at the signals and parking where the road has incline or slope.

Prologue
The rising fuel costs were becoming a worry especially on the NTorq as the running also increased and the mileage isn't great either. I was contemplating on an electric scooter early April 2021, however lockdown was imposed for the 2nd wave of Covid-19 Virus. This meant only one thing, all plans on vehicles put on hold.

I had a fall at workplace and ACL tear was the end result. I underwent the ACL reconstruction surgery on the 28th of July 2021 and the rehab followed. Post 60 days of the surgery, the knee seems to holding up and the green signal from the doctor to ride the scooter was a blessing. Now the discussion of picking up an electric started all over again. More on why the Ather 450X in the subsequent posts

Customary Delivery Picture

[nkrishnap]

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model: Ather 450X

Peak Power - 6 kWh

Max Torque - 26 Nm

Top Speed - 80 kmph

Ride mode and Range

• Eco - 85 kms
• Ride - 70 kms
• Sport - 60 kms
• Warp - 50 kms

Range with standard test condition (Indian Drive Cycle as they call it) is claimed to be 116 kms. This is more for academic purpose than anything else as not many would be willing to ride the scooter to get 116 kms in a charge all the time.

Charger Type - Ather Dot or Portable Charger.

Battery Type & Capacity - Lithium Ion with 2.9 kWh

Transmission Type - Belt drive

Rim size - Front 12 inch with 2.15 inches width and Rear 12 inch with 2.5" width. Both front and rear rim width should have been the same, though this a minor difference.

Tyre Size - 90/90 R12 tubeless for both front and rear.

Front Brakes - 200 mm dia with combined braking system, hydraulically actuated triple piston caliper

Rear Brakes - 190 mm dia with hydraulically actuated with single piston caliper

Front Suspension - Telescopic forks

Rear Suspension - Mono Shocks

Lights - Ather has all LED lights for Headlight, Tail Lights, indicators, position lamps.

Weight - 108 Kgs

Boot Capacity - 22 Litres

Connectivity - 4G LTE

Bluetooth - Bluetooth 4.2

Additional Features:

• OTA Updates
• Navigation with display on the dashboard
• Side Stand Sensor
• Auto Indicator Off
• Guide me home lights
• Mobile app connectivity
• Ride Stats, Push Navigation, Live Location, Vehicle state tracking, Music & Call Control via the App

[nkrishnap]

With the knee getting better and the doctor approving me to ride the scooter again, the odo started climbing up pretty quick. The rising petrol prices did not help one bit and it started pinching the pocket big time. Then came the thought of buying an EV to cut costs and ended up with question of which one to buy. The cheap Chinese bolt on ones were ruled out instantly. Never been a fan of Bajaj vehicles, so the Chetak was not even considered. This left me with either the Ather 450X or the TVS iCube.

Observations on the TVS iCube.

During one of the visits to Bharath TVS for picking up spares for NTorq and my RTR, too the iCube for a quick spin. iCube looks more like a dressed up Jupiter. Feels similar to ride to the Jupiter. It is very quiet. It has economy and sport mode (if I recall correctly). The range in Eco mode is claimed at 75 kms and Sport with 50 kms. The acceleration is decent enough for the city and the range I am certainly not sure as to what expect in the long run. Rough on road cost is around 1.24 lakhs including charger. The cost is in favour of the TVS but the longevity, battery performance and motor durability is still unknown. So the iCube is on hold.

Observations on the Ather 450X.

I had a chance to ride our Teambhpian's Hemanth's Ather few months back. It feels just like the scooter fell into place and felt this is it. Then another friend pick up the Ather 450X rode it again for a considerable distance. Felt apt vehicle to pick up. However, the cost was a concern. Started debating on if it is Ather 450X or iCube. After a couple of days Ather 450X came out as the winner.

Ended up buying the scooter under the company name, as you can claim the FAME subsidy only once per Aadhar card if you buy it in individual's name. There is no such restrictions in case you buy it in a company name.

How much does the Ather 450X cost.

Due to the FAME II subsidy, the pricing seems very weird with something added and deleted to compute a number. Ather could have kept this simple.

Cost Break up

Rate: INR 160,942/-
GST @5% - INR 8,047.10/-
Total - INR 168,989.10

Fame II Subsidy - INR 43,500/-

Ex Showroom Price - INR 125,489.10

450X Performance Upgrade Cost - INR 16,110/-

GST @ 18% - INR 2,899.80/-

Total - INR 19,009.80

Cost Excluding Registration and Insurance - INR 144,489.90 /-

Insurance with all add ons of Nil Depreciation and Return to Invoice costs INR 5,706.07/-. The insurance is provided by Go Digit General Insurance Limited.

I believe registration charges were INR 700/-

If you need an extra charger (I opted for an additional one, One will be at home and one at work place) which costed me INR 10,950/-

Ather Connect Pro and Service Pro costed me 2,400 and 3,600 exclusive of GST.

[nkrishnap]

The post will have more pics with little text on key pointers

The whole scooter is sleek and narrow and the design theme is in sync from the front to the rear.

Front

Front has a V shape theme with the fairing, headlights, mud guard and the piano black plastic trims. the low beam and high beams are stacked one over the other. The indicators are housed in the top console along with the DRL. DRL and indictors are pretty bright. You cannot miss them even in broad day light.



Front three quarter

The sleek design pattern continues on the sides too.





Side

Notice the subtle yellow color for the frame, rear suspension, a sticker on the panels and pin stripes on the wheels which go well with the matte finish grey





Rear three quarter

The rear three quarter is more subdued compared to the front. The saree guard is an eye sore. wondering should I just remove it.





Rear

The tail lamp, brake lights, rear indicators are all LED housed in an inverted U shape.



Switch Gear Area

Quality of the switches are nothing to write home about.





Center Console and Storage





Front Discs and Telescopic Forks



Key Slot



Belt Drive

[nkrishnap]

I have completed a little over 2,000 kms as on date. The observations post clocking 2,000 kms is here.

The ride portion will be split into 3 aspects.

1. Motor
2. Ride & Handling
3. Brakes

Motor

The motor comes with a peak power of 6 KW roughly translating to 8 bhp and a generous 26 Nm of torque. The power is sent to the rear wheel through a belt drive system.

Ather 450X has an option to completely shutdown the electricals. When the vehicle is shut down, the below is what happens when you turn the ignition on.

1. First the headlights turns on. It takes roughly around 6.5 seconds on an average for the lights to turn on from the time you turn the ignition on

2. Dash turns on with the logo of Ather around 12 seconds from the key is turned on.

3. The system is completely booted up by around 48 seconds from the time the key is turned on.

So keep in mind, when the 450X is shut down you need to wait close to a minute to able to ride the scooter. Not a big deal, but a point to note. When the scooter is not shut down, it hardly takes a couple of seconds to get it ready to ride. Turn off the engine kill switch, trigger the starter button and you are off.

Now done with the booting procedure, let's get to the ride. Switch on the ignition, the dash comes to live, remove the side stand and turn the engine kill switch off or should I call it motor kill switch. Trigger the starter button and the motors comes to life with an alert sound. Twist the throttle and off you go. But mind you, the motor noise coupled with the belt and fan noise, the scooter is audible surely. Someone riding a smooth Japanese scooter can find it annoying. The high frequency noise needs a little bit of getting used to. Peak traffic with all the noise around makes it not so evident. However, quiet roads, the whining noise needs getting used to, once you are used to the sound, should be fine in the long run.

The ride modes can be selected with the toggle switch on the right hand side of the handle bar. Ride modes available are Eco (Economy), Ride, Sports and Warp.

Eco Mode

This mode is restricts the speeds to around 40 kmph (was able to hit 45 kmph) but takes loads of time to accelerate beyond 40 kmph. Mode ultra useful in bumper to bumper traffic. If you cant hit beyond 40 kmph in such traffic conditions, stick this mode. It has enough torque to pull with two on board and also provides 15 kms extra range as well. Throttle response is linear and no real hard torque punch like in the sports and Warp mode. This mode can be boring if the roads are empty. Additionally post the 40 kmph barrier, the throttle is more or less dead with respect to the acceleration beyond 40 kmph. Till 40 kmph it is good enough and comparable to the regular ICE scooters out there. Eco mode can give you a range of 85 kms.

Ride

This mode should suffice most requirements within the city roads, good enough torque to accelerate quickly, hit 60 kmph without fuss and give a range of about 70 kms. This mode has better initial acceleration compared to the eco mode. 60 kmph is doable and beyond that it creeps up on the speedo very slowly. Upto 60 kmph the acceleration is lively.

Sports

The sports mode makes things lively, brisk acceleration with good amounts of torque. 70 kmph is easily achievable and a range of about 60 kmph. Overtakes are a breeze with a good amount of torque always available below 70 kmph. Beats the ICE scooters hands down in terms of initial acceleration.

Warp

Warp mode is more like a booster mode with the extra power and torque unlocked. Top speed of 80 kmph should be easily achievable and with a range of 50 kms. Acceleration is brisk even with two onboard, lively mode if you intend to keep zipping around the city at a brisk pace.

Note: I have not tested the top speed of the scooter as of now. The claim of Ather for the top speed should be easily achievable given the warp mode's acceleration and torque available.

Ride and Handling

Ather is a good handler by a scooter's standards. The handle bar set up, seating position gives a sporting feel to it. Leaning around a curve should come easy on this scooter with the suspension set up it has, a stiffer set up. Soaks up the bumps at higher speeds much better without wallowing even with two on board. However, low speed ride can be a bit jarring and more so with the pathetic road conditions we currently have Bangalore thanks to all the rains. The concrete roads too aren't smooth, the suspension ensures you are aware of the road condition at all times. The chassis and suspension set up gives enough grip even with the MRF tyres for normal riding. However, if you are really particular about even the small details of grip available, switch over to better tyres.

The scooter is pretty nimble when riding alone with enough weight on both wheels to give you good feedback and balance. A point to note is that the front feels a bit lighter when you have a pillion. The ride improves with more weight (either with luggage or a pillion). You can do decent lean angles around corners on the Ather. Couple it with good tyres and it only improves the confidence to push a bit more.

In simple words, the Ather 450X outshines the NTorq that I ride a lot more often which in itself is a sporty scooter. That says it all. Low speeds, I still love the supple ride the TVS Jupiter offers.

Brakes

The combi brakes works brilliantly with a good distribution of force between the front and the rear brakes. However, coming from the regular ICE scooters, you can be really taken aback with the bite and the braking force that the Ather 450X offers. The need to use the front brakes alone is quite minimal thanks to the combi brakes. I particularly use the front brakes a lot more on the NTorq and replaced the front brakes pads twice and the disc itself once. This braking is the best of all scooters I have owned and ridden.

Regenerative Braking

Ather offers 450X with regenerative braking to charge up the battery. However, the algorithm for this charging is set such that the battery charge should be below 80% and the speed has to be above 20 kmph. Either the usage of brakes or twisting the throttle in the opposite direction triggers off the regeneration. However, what I have observed is that the regeneration sometimes happens when the battery percentage is at low 80s like 82 or 84. Also the regeneration is not so evident when the speeds are above 40 kmph. With the speeds between 20 and 40 the regeneration is amply evident when the engine braking hits you.

[nkrishnap]

The Ather comes with a host of features including connectivity ones. I will run through the screens with the narration to make it easier.

Disclaimer: Please excuse the picture quality, shot from mobile in a hurry

Options and Screens on the Scooter MID

Home Screen

This has the most information on a screen albeit only when stationary. The below info is available

1. Motor State - ON/OFF
2. Side Stand On indicator
3. Engine Kill Switch State - ON/OFF
4. Time
5. ODO
6. Trip A with power consumption data, can be reset using the recycle icon.
7. Average Speed
8. Shows the ride mode
9. Estimated Range and Battery Charge %
10. Ride mode which is currently on.
11. Bang in the middle is Speedo. This screen wont be available when the scooter starts moving.
12. When the navigation is selected, it supersedes all the screens and the rest of the data is relegated to small portions in the screen.
13. Shows the Bluetooth Status and the Network status



Trip B



Current Trip



When you click the top left corner, you get multiple options.

Base Screen

Shows the owner's name, Registration Number, VIN Number and Software Version



Settings

A Wide range of things can be enabled and disabled.

1. Screen brightness
2. Theme - Auto, Light and Dark. I prefer the light theme
3. Alert sounds for indicators and park assist/reverse
4. Auto Indicator - Turns off after a few seconds when you finish making a turn
5. Guide me home light, will be on after switching off the scooter for a few seconds. Useful only to get away from the scooter, not available when you want to get to the scooter in the dark.
6. Realtime Efficiency - amount of power drawn per km
7. Incognito mode - to disable the vehicle tracking through GPS and eSIM





Error Screen

You can check for errors stored, would probably help in the diagnostics



Bluetooth

You can control the bluetooth from this page. Switching it on and off, incoming call alerts with the facility to receive or reject the call, music control option. Lists out the paired phones.



Documents

You can upload your RC Card, Insurance, Driver's License on this page through the Ather App.



Shut Down

To shutdown the scooter, just come to this page and turn off the key, the scooter shuts down.



Screen when the scooter is on the move

The display here has information on the speed, battery %, range available, mode, Trip meter details. The green zone turns red when you reach the top speed.



Navigation

You can search places, store the home and work location. Also shows the charging point locations.





App

The app is available for Android and Apple platforms.

Running the screens, most of it is self explanatory.











Profile







Settings

[nkrishnap]

When we decided to pick up the Ather, first thing I did was to visit the Indiranagar store. Please note this is only for a demo, they dont sell anything at this store, however, you can make booking/payments/submit documents etc. All looks fine from the way the store is set up and that is where the pleasant journey stops. Read on.

Date of inquiry to the payment date the transactions were smooth in spite of the Dussera holidays. However, things went down hill once the payment was made. The sales executive Mr. Sujay was willing to help us on our requirements and queries. However, his superiors were not. The requests that we placed was turned down with a frim "NO" with standard disclaimer of "Company Policy does not allow it". However, a private limited company taking payment to a savings account is allowed.

1. PDI request - No not allowed
2. Frame for number plate to be installed, so do not rivet it - NO
3. Vehicle allotment are made by the company, no option to select (unlike the regular two wheelers, where you can request and invariably they oblige). If you are stuck with a damaged one, God save you.
4. Had requested for an additional portable charger (fully paid by us, no discounts asked). Again a firm No. However, managed to get this done during the delivery.

The operational team are actually nice and are willing to help, however the Delivery incharge team can really be a hurdle and destroy your purchase experience.

However, invariably I got my way through and did the PDI, found some minor damages which I very well knew they cannot fix it. So decided to live with it.

A few pictures from the PDI











I had asked for a temporary registration as I wanted a particular number from the next series. RTO guys was cooperative enough to get the things done seamlessly. Delivery was without any fanfare in the parking lot of IBC Knowledge Park on Bannerghatta Road. Signed a few papers and paid for the extra charger, it was all that was required. They had charged the scooter to 90%, a friend rode the scooter to the office and dropped it off.

Ather has a long way to go to make the delivery experience memorable. If I have to rate them on a scale of 10, a maximum score of 6 would be it, that too considering the sales executive's efforts to assist us and the delivery team. Mind you, they are yet to update the permanent registration number even after insisting them to do it right from the time the number was allotted. It is still pending as this review is penned down.

[nkrishnap]

Other Observations

Front Tyre pressure at 30 PSI (on the higher side)



Rear Tyre Pressure at 32 PSI



Charger Port Cover

Pretty flimsy, very easy to flip it open. The cats at home do it with ease.



Issues Faced

1. Bluetooth sometimes is a royal pain to connect
2. T stem became loose. Ather team fixed it.
3. Display screen on the scooter sometimes just goes blank once you turn the key on. Switching it off and on a few times sorts it out.
4. Navigation - Way below par, does not update like google maps, gets stuck and it is lost too often during the journey. More importantly it is way too slow.
5. The footwell is a bit narrow. In the rain, the water splashes straight on to the legs below the knee portion. The picture should illustrate it
6. A lot of muck sprays back on to the pillion's back. Not a nice way to carry a pillion around.
7. The hand grip is a bit hard. Using the regen is impacting the hand (probably only happening with me)



Illustration for point no 5.

The normal position where the much from the front wheels flies straight on to the pants.



How you need to position the legs to avoid the muck

[nkrishnap]

A few accessories and stuff done to make it better

MRF Swapped to Michelins



TPMS added - the ones from Ather is yet to be released. Will swap it once available



PPF applied on the panels as matt finish is a pain to maintain. Ceramic coating applied on the plastics, trims, alloys, etc

[nkrishnap]

Milestone

Have ridden the scooter for a little over 2000 kms. The customary milestone picture of 1000 and 2000.





Petrol vs Electricity

The Ather roughly consumes about 3KW of power for a full charge and the range you can get in the Ride mode (the mode in which the scooter is ridden by me) is 70 kms. The average cost per unit (KW) of electricity is 7.5. The cost of full charge is 22.5 bucks and the cost per km is 32 paisa.

Cost per km = INR 0.32/-
No of Kms done = 2018
Charging cost incurred = Approximately INR 646/-

Now for the same amount of kms on the NTorq with a mileage of roughly 30 kmpl and Petrol hovering around 105 would be.

Fuel required = 2018/30 = Approx. 67 litres
Fuel cost that would be incurred = 7035/-

Gross savings with only electricity and fuel costs taken into consideration is INR 6,389/-. Note the cost of vehicles, finance cost all not considered for simplicity. Since the BS6 scooters anyways cost

Electric scooters would save a good amount of money if you do a minimum of 30 to 40kms per day.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing Krishna!

[Sebring]

Thanks for the good review. And please do remove that saree guard, it's an eyesore. I have a question; given the terrific torque this scooter generates (and it's quick off the mark too), will tyres take the full brunt? Do you think Electric Vehicles need tougher tyres?

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Thanks for the good review. And please do remove that saree guard, it's an eyesore. I have a question; given the terrific torque this scooter generates (and it's quick off the mark too), will tyres take the full brunt? Do you think Electric Vehicles need tougher tyres?

Saree guard will be removed.

Tyres may not be required to be tougher, however expect lesser life from it.

[pedrolourenco]

Congratulations.
- Nice upgrade on the tyres.
- What registration number is that?
- Where did you get the paddock stand and for how much.

I wish Ather would offer a few more colour choices.

[hemanth.anand]

Congratulations nkrishnap on the new addition...Wish you lot of fuel cost savings!

Thanks for sharing your experiences so far.

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

An Ather 450X comes home in Space Grey Matte color.

Attachment 2237439

Positives
[list][*]Mirrors are of little use, size and position not suitable for all riders with varying heights (again the quality of mirror mounts is below average, it was better when it was launched)

I'm one of the few who've somehow found a perfect position. though a broader field of vision would've definitely helped. but this is something that Ather has given preference to form over function. Some users have gone for blind spot mirrors. youcan probably try it too.


Source

Also the below video will probably help to a small extent

https://youtu.be/PwGaDyvh93g

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Regenerative Braking

Ather offers 450X with regenerative braking to charge up the battery. However, the algorithm for this charging is set such that the battery charge should be below 80% and the speed has to be above 20 kmph. Either the usage of brakes or twisting the throttle in the opposite direction triggers off the regeneration. However, what I have observed is that the regeneration sometimes happens when the battery percentage is at low 80s like 82 or 84.

Regen will work when your charge level is less than about 84% to be exact, and of course as you said your speed has to be greater than 20kmph for regen to work.

Also the regeneration is not so evident when the speeds are above 40 kmph. With the speeds between 20 and 40 the regeneration is amply evident when the engine braking hits you.

Also regen is stronger when the charge levels are lower

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

...did the PDI, found some minor damages which I very well knew they cannot fix it. So decided to live with it.

Do you have pictures of these damages that cannot be fixed!?