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Ownership review: 2000 kms with my Ather 450X e-scooter

27th January 2022, 14:11 by Dev Shah

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Fit and finish no where near to what it was during launch. Quality has gone downhill.

BHPian nkrishnap recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

An Ather 450X comes home in Space Grey Matte colour:

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:

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.

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.

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.