[bijims]

Hello, BHPians!

I am in a dilemma here, I have two scooters at home, a 2014 Scooty Streak and a 2016 Honda Aviator, both have run less than 20,000 km to date as most of our running has been with our cars ever since 2020, but now the situation has changed where all our vehicles including both our cars will be out during weekdays, so my wife is using the Scooty which gives her excellent mileage and suits her well, she is under 5 feet tall and feels most comfortable with the Scooty, My dad drives the Seltos to work, my brother drives the Sonet to work and I have been using the Aviator for a while now.

The Aviator is an excellent scooter and one of the best 110cc options available when we bought it in 2016, the suspension, the ride height, and other features were all we could ask for then, but over the years, it has developed a few scars and needs a slight touch up too. However, the major factor leading me to consider an upgrade to the Aviator is the mileage, initially I used to get around 40 to 42 kmpl mileage but now over the past year or so, it has been hovering in the mid-30s (33 to 35 kmpl), which is simply too low. my daily commute is over 34 km and I need at least 1 litre of fuel per day. and a full tank of fuel (6-litre tank) barely lasts me a week (6 working days) and I usually have to refuel by the last day of the week (I am not happy to ride the scooter in the last 1-litre reserve). So with petrol prices in my city at Rs. 108.25 per litre, it costs me over Rs.541.25 for 5 days which over the month comes to a fuel bill of over Rs.3500 a month (including a few weekend runabouts) so I was thinking, am I riding poorly or would any maintenance or service help or is it something wrong with the scooter and should I sell my scooter and get an E-scooter?

Another reason I am contemplating an e-scooter is that we have solar at home and have only use for around half of the total production and we could save on fuel bills because we are generating our electricity, so charging is free.

Now with these factors in mind, I was searching for a few options and stumbled upon the Ola S1X+ now available at Rs.89,999 ex-showroom after a limited period Rs.20,000 discount. Now the on-road price comes to Rs.1,08,179, I am getting deals for my scooter around Rs.40,000 as well, so I would have to shell out an additional Rs.68,000 for the new scooter which seems reasonable, moreover considering an advertised range of 151km, and even if I hardly get 100km in eco mode, I can still get 3 days on a full charge, and with charging not an expense due to the solar, this seems like a good deal. Considering the monthly Rs.3500 petrol expenses I am incurring, I would be able to recover this additional Rs.68,000 in less than 2 years.

So with all these considerations, should I take the plunge or is there more than meets the eye? Am I being too optimistic about the prospect of an Ola E-scooter? or should I hold on to my Aviator? What are the other factors I need to consider?

I need the advise of the forum on all these matters.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Bhargav7]

Originally Posted by bijims

moreover considering an advertised range of 151km, and even if I hardly get 100km in eco mode, I can still get 3 days on a full charge, and with charging not an expense due to the solar, this seems like a good deal.

The advertised range for the 2kw battery pack is 91Kms. The 3kw version with a range of 151 km is priced at another 10k premium.

On the commercials, you are going to save approximately 40 odd thousand per year in fuel based on your travel. Assuming a battery life of 50k kilometers (debatable), this scooter will last you around 5 years. So the IRR of this will be around 50-55% for the 2kw version and around 40-45% for the 3kw version. Those are pretty good numbers.

The other thing you really need to consider is travelling 34 kms daily on a scooter. At some point, your back is going to hurt really bad. if you have a good budget, you should use a car - EV or otherwise.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by Bhargav7

The advertised range for the 2kw battery pack is 91Kms. The 3kw version with a range of 151 km is priced at another 10k premium.

On the commercials, you are going to save approximately 40 odd thousand per year in fuel based on your travel. Assuming a battery life of 50k kilometers (debatable), this scooter will last you around 5 years. So the IRR of this will be around 50-55% for the 2kw version and around 40-45% for the 3kw version. Those are pretty good numbers.

The other thing you really need to consider is travelling 34 kms daily on a scooter. At some point, your back is going to hurt really bad. if you have a good budget, you should use a car - EV or otherwise.

The 3kw S1X+ has an advertised range of 151 km and is available for Rs.89,999 for a limited period (initial price Rs.1,09,999)

Car is not even an option considering the insane traffic and little to no parking space. however, the roads are excellent and scooter saves time and money

[shancz]

Originally Posted by bijims

- should I take the plunge or is there more than meets the eye?
- Am I being too optimistic about the prospect of an Ola E-scooter?
- should I hold on to my Aviator?
- What are the other factors I need to consider?

I will try to answer all of them but in a different way.

1. Aviator : Getting low FE on a sparingly used scooter is expected but can be fixed with simple air-fuel-spark checks. Worst case you might need to change the carb in case it can't be recovered post a clean.
2. Economy : Make sure that the difference between the price of the Aviator and a new EV makes sense based on your expected usage in the near future.

Reading through your post I somehow get a feeling that the EV is more of a want ?
If you can afford it them go for it, it will be a nice change and IMO EV scooters are the safest bet to try out EVs provided you get one of the good ones which are :
- Ather 450S/X : sporty, check for service centers
- TVS iQube : comfortable
- Chetak : if available at your location

- Vida : No idea on this
- Ola S1 : I don't like it as a product so I will leave it for you to decide. Check the forum for ownership reviews.

Factors to consider :
- If you're not going to use it for long(>1 year) then it doesn't make sense to buy a new scooter and park it later as newer scooters with FI are a pain to manage due to battery and starting issues. You Aviator is simple and carbureted, doesn't get simpler than this.

[Draken]

I tried the S1x and felt the throttle response. Caught me off guard when taking a turn. Would recommend trying it out in all modes first.

[ex-innova-guy]

I think you should reconsider if you really want to buy the Ola S1. Have been reading all sorts of issues associated with it on the forum- 1, 2

[Proxima]

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

I think you should reconsider if you really want to buy the Ola S1. Have been reading all sorts of issues associated with it on the forum- 1, 2

I've also heard bad things about the Ola from my friends that own it. Best to avoid.

I suggest you try to Suzuki Avenis - it's body style is similar to the Aviator and it's underrated in my opinion.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by shancz

I will try to answer all of them but in a different way.

1. Aviator : Getting low FE on a sparingly used scooter is expected but can be fixed with simple air-fuel-spark checks. Worst case you might need to change the carb in case it can't be recovered post a clean.
2. Economy : Make sure that the difference between the price of the Aviator and a new EV makes sense based on your expected usage in the near future.

Reading through your post I somehow get a feeling that the EV is more of a want ?
If you can afford it them go for it, it will be a nice change and IMO EV scooters are the safest bet to try out EVs provided you get one of the good ones which are :
- Ather 450S/X : sporty, check for service centers
- TVS iQube : comfortable
- Chetak : if available at your location

- Vida : No idea on this
- Ola S1 : I don't like it as a product so I will leave it for you to decide. Check the forum for ownership reviews.

Factors to consider :
- If you're not going to use it for long(>1 year) then it doesn't make sense to buy a new scooter and park it later as newer scooters with FI are a pain to manage due to battery and starting issues. You Aviator is simple and carbureted, doesn't get simpler than this.

I am indeed planning to get a full checkup and service done on my Aviator and see whether there is any improvement, but regardless I am expecting quite a consistent usage over the next 3 years or so at least, so an EV felt like it made sense, moreover with the Aviator turning 8 soon, the itch to upgrade, along with poor fuel efficiency made me incline on the option of an E-scooter, and with Ola providing a good deal on the S1X+ (at the same price of a new Honda Activa with the added benefit of zero fuel expenses), I felt this is a worthwhile upgrade, I may be wrong, but I feel when and if I am upgrading any of my two-wheelers, they will be E-scooters or e-bikes and my current two-wheelers are the last crop of ICE two-wheelers I intend to own, its either continuing to use them for as long as possible or upgrade to EV once the time arises.

Originally Posted by Draken

I tried the S1x and felt the throttle response. Caught me off guard when taking a turn. Would recommend trying it out in all modes first.

A bunch of my friends own the Ola S1 Pro and the Ola S1 Air and have high praise of it, I have tested their vehicles too, and found them great.

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

I think you should reconsider if you really want to buy the Ola S1. Have been reading all sorts of issues associated with it on the forum- 1, 2

I am not considering the S1, but the newly launched second generation S1X+ which was launched at Rs.1,09,999 but is available at a limited-time price of Rs.89,999 (it is the 3kw version too). Getting an e-scooter at the price of an Activa made me think on it, and the reviews I am getting from my friends, family and neighbour circle of the latest gen 2 Ola E-scooters have been all psositive, so the inclination towards the same.

Originally Posted by Proxima

I've also heard bad things about the Ola from my friends that own it. Best to avoid.

I suggest you try to Suzuki Avenis - it's body style is similar to the Aviator and it's underrated in my opinion.

Could you expand on the same, which models and what are the difficulties your friends who own them had to face, it would be of great help.

My current crop of ICE vehicles are going to be the last batch of ICE vehicles I am planning to own, be it cars, bikes, or scooters, all my future upgrades are going to be EVs, and I feel e-scooters have matured quite enough to warrant an upgrade, 4-wheeler EVs still have some time to go, before they can truly challenge 4-wheeler ICE vehicles, so with my scooters both relatively old, (turning 8 and 10 respectively this year), I felt upgrading the one causing issues (Aviator) (poor mileage) would be a good option.

I am in no way considering upgrading my Aviator to another ICE scooter. It is either to hold on to it for as long as possible or upgrade to an e-scooter when the time arises

Thank you all for your replies, and I would love to hear the experiences of owners and users of the e-scooters to get a better idea of whether the transition to EV is worth it or not.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by bijims

but regardless I am expecting quite a consistent usage over the next 3 years or so at least, so an EV felt like it made sense

Then I think moving on to a EV makes absolute sense.
Time for test rides

Good Luck.

[RD410]

I have a Dio HET of similar vintage, run 36k kms. It still gives me FE between 45-52 kpl in city and upto 55 kpl on highways. FE was not this good initially. These are the things I did to improve FE -

1. Shifted to Castrol 5w40 fully synthetic engine oil. This oil totally changed the scooters performance and efficiency.

2. Using Yamaha PEA carbon cleaner every 5k kms. It cleans the fuel lines, internals of the carburettor and engine head. It's cheap, just costs ₹170. Comes in a 50ml bottle which needs to be added to a full tank of petrol.

3. Changing spark plug every 15k kms and making sure that the spark plug used is NGK MR7C-9N high ignitability plug and not NGK CPR8EA-9N. The former is what HET models require and latter one is for older pre-HET models. But 90% of time mechanics / SVC's put non-HET plug in HET scooters because MR7C-9N is not available everywhere.

4. Check tyre air pressure every week. These Honda rims and tubeless tyres lose air very quickly and that badly affects pickup and FE.

But if you really want an EV, I wont suggest Ola at all. It's still a work in progress, even the gen 2 models have so many software, hardware and structural issues. Go for Ather or TVS iQube or Revolt RV400. The Revolt with it's motorcycle form factor should be much better for daily commute.

[ComicCharcoal]

A TVS iQube owner here. After reading about your daily usage of 34 km / 6 days a week, I would strongly recommend you buy an electric scooter.

My usage at around 30Kms per day, 5 days a week. In less than a year, my iQube has run 7500 km. Had it been a petrol vehicle, I would have spent 7500 * ₹3 = ₹22500. Electricity (home charging) charges for me are around ₹1500 for 7500 km. Even with paying for electricity, it makes sense for me. With free electricity, you should definitely go for an e-scooter.

Also, the maintenance cost of petrol scooters is way higher than E-scooters. Even assuming battery change after 4-5 years of usage, E-scooters make economic sense. The current price of the iQube battery is around ₹36k.

My only worry is your choice of scooter. I have 2 friends who bought Ola S1 / S1 pro and both of them had issues with the software, like the dickey not opening, the scooter stopping suddenly, etc. So, I went for the safer option of iQube, and have had zero issues so far. But, I should also mention I did test drive Ola scooters as well and found that they had a better ride quality than others.

I recommend you test drive the iQube, chetak and Ola S1X and then decide. I find the Ather overpriced.

[anilupadhya]

Why don't you try the River Indie. Understood its available only in Bengaluru. If you can purchase one in Bengaluru and get it registered there.

https://www.team-bhp.com/news/river-...ter-day-riding

As per reviews the frame is over engineered to make it function like a work horse.

[Joe367]

Originally Posted by bijims

So with all these considerations, should I take the plunge or is there more than meets the eye? Am I being too optimistic about the prospect of an Ola E-scooter? or should I hold on to my Aviator? What are the other factors I need to consider?

My uncle uses the entry level Ather 450S alongside his Aviator and he is quite satisfied with it's performance, efficiency and more importantly build quality. He daily drives Ather to his workplace and back home and Aviator is used by his son. I just came across this news that the price of this model was slashed by 21000 rupees today and I feel the premium over ola is worth it.

[turbodude]

Originally Posted by bijims

However, the major factor leading me to consider an upgrade to the Aviator is the mileage, initially I used to get around 40 to 42 kmpl mileage but now over the past year or so, it has been hovering in the mid-30s (33 to 35 kmpl), which is simply too low.

Exact same situation was faced by us. We had 2 Aviators, both started giving low mileage. We asked few mechanics who said newer E20 fuel is not friendly with Carburetor engines. So Honda is not at fault here. I have a Jupiter 110 BS III as well which still has this problem. We sold our Aviators & bought a couple of Jupiter 125, 2 years back and both are giving good fuel efficiency (50+ in City & 60+ on highways), thanks to fuel injector & BS 6 technology.

I would recommend TVS Jupiter 125 if you are still interested in ICE vehicle & Ola, Ather, BGauss C12iMax EVs if you are going for non-ICE vehicle.

[SanScorpio]

Originally Posted by bijims

Hello, BHPians!



Another reason I am contemplating an e-scooter is that we have solar at home and have only use for around half of the total production and we could save on fuel bills because we are generating our electricity, so charging is free.

Now with these factors in mind, I was searching for a few options and stumbled upon the Ola S1X+ now available at Rs.89,999 ex-showroom after a limited period Rs.20,000 discount. Now the on-road price comes to Rs.1,08,179, I am getting deals for my scooter around Rs.40,000 as well, so I would have to shell out an additional Rs.68,000 for the new scooter which seems reasonable, moreover considering an advertised range of 151km, and even if I hardly get 100km in eco mode, I can still get 3 days on a full charge, and with charging not an expense due to the solar, this seems like a good deal. Considering the monthly Rs.3500 petrol expenses I am incurring, I would be able to recover this additional Rs.68,000 in less than 2 years.

So with all these considerations, should I take the plunge or is there more than meets the eye? Am I being too optimistic about the prospect of an Ola E-scooter? or should I hold on to my Aviator? What are the other factors I need to consider?

I need the advise of the forum on all these matters.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hi,
Personally own the Ola S1 from the Gen1, have not had any issues that the others have mentioned. Its a very comfortable scooter to drive over distances with a very cushy suspension and this is in comparision to Dio and Ntorq which i have ridden. Have driven 40+Kms at a stretch with no issues. The best part is if you are able to predict when you need to break you can use the regen part instead of the brakes to slow it down.
The service is the most irksome part of the ownership where you need to escalate it thru' X(Twitter) to get a fast resolution.
Other than that I dont see any negatives of it.