Ultraviolette F77 Mach 2 Recon review: Second wind

We finally have a chance to experience the Ultraviolette F77 Mach 2 Recon and gather what this motorcycle brings to the e-motorcycle table out in the real world. Now this is the Recon model and not the standard F77 Mach 2, so this one's got the bigger 10.3kWh battery pack, better range and a couple extra features in there as well.

In the department of exterior design, not a lot has changed from the first bunch of performance e-bike that were launched at the end of 2022. The Mach 2 gets some new colourways and new stickers on the front fork and panels that visually indicate that it's the more up-to-date version. In terms of underpinnings, everything remains the same as before. Ultraviolette have thankfully addressed some quality issues that we found with the old bike though. For instance the charging point lid on the bike is now of metal construct, and they've changed its hinge and a couple of panels around the upper side of the tank section too.

While the Mach 2 retains the body language and design of the original F77, what still remains fascinating and quite cool is that you don't see any bolts or screws along the entire façade of the motorcycle which is really nice.

The F77 was always a great looking electric motorcycle, it's a very neat and sleek bike and keeps to the whole aeronautics theme very nicely indeed. However, the real talking points about this Mach 2 version are the improvements to its tech and features.

The beauty of the updated F77 model really lies within. That mainly has to do with the amount of features and tech that the bike now houses. This electric is now up on power, it's up on range, and you have stuff like traction control with different intervention settings, hill hold assist, you even get nine levels of regenerative braking â€" something that the earlier model was really found to be lacking â€" and you even get dual channel ABS and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) which functions and regulates the ABS and regenerative braking to give you a more stable ride all throughout.

You even have the option of going in for the some smartech in the form of Violette AI â€" which gives you access to ride analytics and tells you how to ride more efficiently after collating your ride data. The tech also gives you crash alerts, an anti-collision warning system and tells you via the app if your F77's being towed away or if someone's messing around with it in the parking lot. But for me the best thing has to be the updated regenerative braking system. When I tested it out last monsoon in Mumbai, I found that it was something the bike was in dire need of, because the system back then was quite inefficient, especially in the wet, where you'd want the regen system to function on the lines of engine braking to bring the bike to a halt quicker and in a safer manner.  It's there now and you can get it to kick in just the way you want it to on the go and even switch it off completely and coast to your heart's content.

The ride position and dynamics still retains that nice performance punchy aspect that we came to like with the previous gen model, but now it just feels a lot more wholesome because you have that level of customizability that the previous bike was missing.

Yes it's an electric bike that emphasizes on performance so it's got to be fun and exciting. And that it very much is. But it's a bit of a pain to ride at slow speeds. Because of the rather sporty rider triangle there's always some weight on your palms. Also, I'm also slightly disappointed that they haven't fixed the mirrors to be easier to adjust and fix in place. And this Recon comes with a bigger 10.3kWh battery as opposed to the smaller 7.1kWh battery in the standard so it weighs in 10kg heavier at 207kg. So that's quite a bit of weight to tip into a corner, or even push back. There simply had to be reverse assist on there, and thankfully there still is.

Even in 'glide' ride mode â€" which is the most economical mode, it's not very lively, but not exactly boring either. And you can't say that for all the two-wheeler electrics currently out here. UV have even upped the power by 1kW and managed to extend the range by about 20 clicks as well so that's always going to be a good thing. Combat and ballistic modes, as before, are still thoroughly enjoyable and thanks to the reworked regen, things have now gotten a lot safer.

Now what Ultraviolette have done with the F77 Mach 2, is take an already impressive electric motorcycle tweak things around so that it feels a lot closer to the functioning if a combustion engine motorcycle, while not compromising on the exciting and fun aspects associated with an electric bike. And that in no way was an easy task to achieve. You get brisk acceleration, good amount of safety and connected tech, a sporty riding stance, and electric bike that you can actually lean into corners, although it is a bit heavy.

Still, there's a lot of thought and ingenuity on display here because there's a lot of tech that need to be adjusted and perfected in order to work in tandem and be deemed safe for the road â€" like the functioning of regenerative braking system, the CBS and the ABS. Also a really cool thing about all these upgrades is that older vehicle owners can even upgrade to the new software and hardware.

The software can be had free of cost over OTA update, while you'll have to shell out for the hardware updates (which in this case is the aluminum charger flap and a couple of panels and hinges). So if you're into fast rides and thinking of switching to electric, the updates make the F77 a more complete package it ever was and one that you should consider.