For the first time in a very long time, I was standing before a covered bike not knowing what it was. No spy shots, no leaks… there was absolutely no way of knowing what I had signed up to ride until the previous night and I was loving the anticipation, the guessing — reminded me of the days when everyone wasn’t chasing test mules and ruining the suspense.
As we sat for the product briefing, my imagination was running wild. Is it the tourer based on the Concept X showcased at the last EICMA? Could it be the production version of the F99? So, when the wraps came off, the new Ultraviolette F77 SuperStreet made its first public appearance, I was a bit underwhelmed. Not because my guesses were wrong, but because the only thing new on the SuperStreet was the single-piece handlebar and the wind deflector above the headlight.
Except for the ‘SuperStreet’ stickers on the sides and new liveries, there was nothing different between the F77 Mach 2 and the new bike. In fact, with both of them parked side-by-side, an untrained eye wouldn’t notice the difference. Shouldn’t the new bike get its own identity? And more importantly — is just a handlebar change enough to make the SuperStreet feel like a comparatively relaxed e-motorcycle than the Mach 2? After all, the seat and the footpegs were still the same as the Mach 2.
Being the ‘street’ bike, I started off by clocking a few kilometres on the road, and the difference was very evident. The new bike’s handlebar was a lot taller and wider which made it super easy to ride through traffic or bad roads. But for my 5’11 frame, the lower half felt a little cramped. The seat-to-footpeg distance was of its sporty sibling, which was now bothering me because even though my upper body was relaxed, the angle of the seat and rear-set footpegs were putting me in a commanding riding posture. Initially, that put me off but as soon as I hit some bad roads, my mind was off it.
Even though the suspension is the same as the Mach 2, this bike was riding through the broken roads slightly better. This could be because I was putting less load on the front because of the new ’bar which allowed the suspension to have that little extra travel, and that meant my wrists weren’t bearing the brunt of the roads, which could have led me to experience less discomfort than I would have on the Mach 2. That said, the suspension is firm like the SuperStreet’s sporty sibling, so I hurried to the next part of the ride — the track.
It didn’t take long to get familiar with the bike and the track. Despite being the ‘practical’ and ‘relaxed’ sibling of the Mach 2, this bike felt at home on the track. The 10-level regen was initially set at six, and by the end of the second lap, it was at the highest level. With the regen set at nine, I was seldom relying on brakes, which was a weird feeling but soon found myself using it to my advantage.
Lap after lap, I was going faster and reminding myself to not scrape my textile riding pants. With the handlebar, hanging off the bike was slightly different than I would do on the Mach 2, but it didn’t feel awkward. And the footpegs were giving enough cornering clearance. And the cherry on the cake was the MRF Steel Brace rubber which provided good grip throughout the session. In fact, in my second session the maximum regen felt a bit short handed, and I was wishing for a little more regen — that’s how good and capable the chassis is.
With close to 40 bhp and 9.6 kgm at disposal, this bike kept me entertained through the day. There were moments where the traction control actually helped the bike stay right-side-up, but it is only required in Ballistic mode, and not in the Combat or Glide modes.
The F77 SuperStreet is nothing more than a Mach 2 with a regular handlebar. Given that most people will be using it in the city and occasional spirited rides on weekends, opting this over the Mach would make sense, especially since the price tag of Rs 2.99 lakh (Standard) and Rs 3.99 lakh (Recon) is exactly the same for both the bikes. Though the F77 duo’s styling is stunning, I felt that the SuperStreet could have done with a slightly different design. But the company says it has deliberately done that and the next platform from Ultraviolette will flaunt a new design language. So, the anticipation and guessing game begins again.
