A Motorcycle in a Scooter’s Skin
Ather was started to build truly zero-compromise vehicles, the first product being a ‘scooter’. Not something an entire organisation full of adrenaline rushed motorcyclists in their twenties aspire to build.
These guys just wouldn’t accept the dynamics that came with a scooter, let alone be caught dead, riding one. They had other plans. Hence, to them, the brief read a little different from what was penned down.
The brief penned down by business:
- Fit a full-face helmet.
- Can carry a gas cylinder.
- Comfortable pillion seat.
- Easy to ride around town.
- Climb steep roads and flyovers easily.
How the design and engineering team read it:
- Sleek, non-bulbous shape.
- Flat floor-board.
- Mono-shock suspension.
- Acceleration to put 150cc motorcycles to shame.
- Scale any slope you can find in the country.
To them it was clear, build a motorcycle that had all the practicality of a scooter. Hence, what started out as a true scooter (or so they thought) ended up becoming a motorcycle in a scooter’s skin.
The secret sauce
A complete package, that you can use for your regular errands, city commute, weekend joy rides, as well as a day on the track! Riding to the office is no longer going to be a chore with the Ather 450.
The Heart and Soul
The Ather 450 uses a powerful 5.4kW motor that’s over 20 times as powerful as regular e-scooters. With a 0–40 kmph time of 3.9 seconds, it can not only smoke every scooter off-the-line, it can also propel the Ather 450 to a top speed of 80kmph! The motor also helps regain energy back using regenerative braking when slowing down.
To cater to the high power requirements of the motor, the battery pack is designed to supply high continuous power without overheating. Positioning the battery pack in the floor-board not only makes it a structural member of the chassis, but also ensures proper cooling of the battery pack with underbelly fins.
A perfect balance
Ever noticed why all scooter riders put their left leg down at a traffic signal? That’s because almost every scooter out there has a weight bias to the left due to its engine. Look out for it next time you are on the road, for you too have all your life, probably without even realizing.
We placed all the components in the vehicle symmetrically, not only balancing the weights, but also centering the weight to achieve a zero-lateral-offset, a near 50:50 weight distribution front and back, and a low polar moment of inertia.
The Ather 450 is perfectly balanced, across all axes. It’s not only stable at highway speeds but is also agile and nimble to cut through dense city traffic.
Leaning and cornering abilities of the 450 also rub shoulders with that of performance motorcycles.
A comfortable ride
Something that we highly recommend to customers during the test-rides at AtherSpace, is to take the Ather 450 through potholes, rough patches and speed-breakers at high speeds. That’s how you know how capable the vehicle really is. Having a progressive mono-shock rear suspension ensures the vehicle can take the worst of roads with ease while ensuring a soft response for the rider and the pillion.
The low-unsprung mass of the 450 also aides to further improve the comfort for the rider, especially on uneven roads.
Complete control
Having dual-disc brakes equipped with combined-braking-system and bigger 12-inch wheels ensures that your scooter can stop exactly where it needs to, especially during braking in an emergency situation. Remember the last time that rickshaw hawker took an unanticipated U-turn?
All that said, the Ather 450 has really been designed to give the user maximum practicality, in a package that brings joy to the rider every time the key is turned on. It’s an experience that cannot be delivered through words or videos.
Why not take it for a spin at AtherSpace? We have amazing coffee too!
