It’s hard to say that something like an electric bike isn’t cool. It’s faster, more agile and, most importantly, eco-friendly. Oh, and when talking to people around you, it’s easier to initiate a conversation. But there are many electric bikes out there in the industry right now. So what makes Kratos stand out?
Kratos is the name of a legendary Titan from Greek mythology; to him was attributed the power to calm the sea and the winds, stop rain and make night descend upon Earth, according to Hesiod.
The dashboard
Background
Tork Kratos R is the outcome of Kapil Shelke’s racing experience and race-bred determination to succeed. The brand has a racing history at the Isle of Man, one of the world’s oldest motorcycling races.
Founded in 2006, Tork Motors is backed by the Bharat Forge group. The company leverages its racing experience to deliver performance-driven motorcycles to discerning riders.
Tork Kratos is different in its approach, as the company launched its flagship product with a vision to provide long-term and sustainable solutions. In other words, launching with the idea of building infrastructure through partnerships.
Let’s get to the nitty gritty.
Smaller, lighter and better than the rest. It was one of those rare occasions where my excitement far outweighed my disappointment. Despite the weather, I would not go inside and get warm.
Axial Flux 38 Nm motor
Design and Looks
The bike looks good! I get this a lot for my first product and am grateful. But I don’t consider it an individual compliment — I take it on as a company achievement. They didn’t just make a bike that looks good and functions well — A brand that has the potential to change what an e-bike should be. That’s all that matters.
The bike is built to a price point. The quality of materials is pretty average, and it shows as you take a closer look.
We won’t see any significant hardware issues, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find some plastics cracking under continuous stress over time. There are stories where users have complained about blinkers breaking. However, the company said they had the answer.
The dashboard looks decent, with a rather large display in the centre. A thin finger of information flows from everything, including the speedometer, which makes for an easy read. Annoyingly percentage temperature is displayed in a gauge format as opposed to numerical. However, the display isn’t TFT or a touch screen.
Side and rear angle
Behaviour
Tork Kratos R is powered by an Axial Flux 38 Nm motor and can dominate traffic in city commutes. It comes with three modes, Eco, City and Sport. Eco mode allows you to speed between 40kph and 50kph, which is acceptable. City mode will help you to get up to 70kph. The Sport mode will take you up to 85 kph.
If you use the ECO mode, you will get a 120 range, a City mode range of 100 and the Sports mode range of 70.
I had no issues with the chain drive system. It felt sturdy, and I did not experience any squeaks or rattles, not to mention the chain’s tensioning, which is as easy as buttering your bread.
The Kratos is not a superbike aimed at Performance, but it’s a motorcycle capable of providing the comfort of a cruiser while still being reasonably practical in the city. It’s also a motorcycle that can be easily cruised and won’t leave any trace of exhaustion on its rider.
The charger
What’s good?
- Design and Looks
- Regenerative braking, where the extracted energy can be stored and could be utilized later
- Behaviour and Performance in the traffic
- Light Weight with 140 kg
- Geo-fencing, Anti-theft system and Vacation mode
What could be better?
- At this price point, it is still high
- Plastic quality and fit could be better
- Illumination of headlight
- The dashboard could be a touch screen and TFT
- You need to alteast charge at 4 hours even though the company claims 80 % charge in 60 min
Conclusion
If you intend to do long rides on a road or non-motorized tracks and like to keep track of your speed, time and consumption, and you don’t want to spend much money (on road price in Pune INR 1.61 Lakh) on a fancy bike, Tork Kratos is one of the best.
