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When Oben unveiled the pre-production model of the Rorr electric motorcycle in 2022, the first rides made it evident that there were quite a few blanks to fill. Having stepped up their game of late, they’re back with the updated production-ready Rorr and we got to spend a little time with it and see how it fares.

Considering that Oben EV is one of the few brands to have built their motorcycle, the Rorr, from the ground up, thus localising a majority of its components and production, there is bound to be a lot that goes on in the background. A part of this is the AIS 156 safety standards for batteries on EVs, which forced Oben to push the Rorr back into development for about a year now.

Having been benchmarked against 150cc internal combustion motorcycles, the Oben Rorr has quite a few expectations to live up to. Before we get into that though, let us brush up on what changes are evident from the pre-production model and the current one. Firstly, the onboard charger has been removed, and replaced by a portable charger with storage space under the seat.

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Secondly, although the battery specs remain the same at 4.4 kWh, in the process of adhering to the AIS 156 norms, the claimed range has been reduced by 30 km in all three ride modes (120 km in Eco, 90 km in City and 70 km in Havoc). The motor’s peak output has also been reduced from 10 kW to 8 kW, while still maintaining the claimed 100 kph top speed and the three-second acceleration time from zero to 40 kph.

Coming to the overall design, the production model remains largely identical to the pre-production model. The noticeable changes are the new headlamp shroud, the new casing for the display and the storage area located in the conventional fuel tank housing where the onboard charger used to be.

Furthermore, the casing for the 4.4 kW battery pack is now thicker for safety reasons, which along with other components has resulted in an addition of 17 kg to the kerb weight, which is now 147 kg. The paint quality as well as the fit and finish has also seen substantial improvement, although I wouldn’t term it as excellent.

Riding the Oben Rorr feels decently engaging, not to mention, ‘Havoc’ mode is really fun. The seating geometry also allows for a balanced feel between sporty and comfortable, and doesn’t put much strain on the rider. As for how it rides, that’s something else, because although the Rorr feels stable and planted at high speeds, the suspension setup feels slightly disproportional and isn’t aimed much towards comfort.

Another issue I felt was with braking, where the front brake felt wooden while the combi-brake felt too effective. The rear brake also has the tendency to lock up the rear wheel, with the promise of a few hair-raising moments. In the absence of a dual-channel ABS setup, the single-channel ABS at the front does not feel sufficient.

Talking about features, the Rorr instrumentation displays speed, range, an odometer, and what mode you’re riding in. The display did have a slight issue though, where we noticed it flickering occasionally. In terms of additional features, the Oben Rorr gets location tracking, geofencing and ride telemetry through a mobile app, all of which are enabled by a physical SIM card embedded in the bike. Taking all of this into account, along with the fact that the state as well as FAME-2 subsidies are out of the picture, the Rorr now carries a price tag of Rs 1.49 lakh (ex-showroom).

At the end of the day, the Oben Rorr does have the capability of being a fun and interesting EV to own, but I feel that it is still slightly rough around the edges. Knowing that while Oben has progressed significantly in the development of the Rorr electric motorcycle in the past year, it is also important to note that the entire industry has also launched ahead by leaps and bounds.