Torque Kratos R: Makes a beautiful bike

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Tork Motors first made a name for itself in 2009, when its founder, Kapil Shelke, created an electric race bike that finished third in its class at the Isle of Man TT. In 2016, the company unveiled what looked like a production-ready motorcycle. The T6X, as it was called back then, was priced, and the company opened bookings, then all went silent.

In the years that followed, Tork faced the typical start-up challenges of securing funding, followed by the issues of the pandemic. Over that time, the T6X also received several changes, including a different chassis, and greater performance and range than was initially promised. It also got a new name. Six years later, we finally have Torque’s first production motorcycle, the Kratos, and we’ve got the chance to drive it.

The bike will be available in two variants – Kratos and Kratos R. What you see here is the latter, which offers a bit more performance and a few more features. Visually, the Kratos has some nice details, like the lightning bolt-shaped bodywork on the front, but overall, it’s not a weird, modern-looking thing. The Kratos will blend into the crowd at a parking lot and above all, it looks like a full-sized motorcycle.

While it appears traditional from afar, there are some EV-specific details. For example, because there’s no need for a fuel tank, Torque designed a huge storage space with a USB power outlet in there. There is also a removable plastic cover above the ‘fuel tank’ which is held in place by magnets, and will cover the fast-charging port on the Kratos R. However, our test bike did not have this port installed and the regular charging port is located on the right side of the motorcycle. Both brake levers are also mounted on the handlebar and there is no foot brake lever.

The Kratos is undoubtedly a beautiful motorcycle, but the general quality, and fit and finish need to be improved. While some things are good, such as the look and feel of the switchgear, the overall finish and attention to detail are rather basic. You’ll see this in things like the huge visible gap between the rear seat and the bodywork, the exposed wiring for the front indicators, and the general feel of plastic. Torque tells us that the grainy finish on the black plastic will be more aesthetically pleasing on the bikes offered to the customers.

The Kratos is completely in-house construction, and includes a steel trellis chassis. The aluminum battery pack is suspended from this frame and the torque axial flux electric motor is mounted behind the battery. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a traditional chain drive system. Both the bikes get a different motor, with the R claiming higher peak power (7.5kW vs 9kW) and more torque (28Nm vs 38Nm). The Tork claims a 0-40kph time of 4sec and a top speed of 100kph for the Kratos, while the R takes 3.5sec and can hit a top speed of 105kph.

For reference, this performance is the same as what you would get with the Ola S1 Pro. The Kratos comes with three riding modes as well as a reverse function, but our test bikes only had two – Sport and Eco. Initial throttle response is smooth and gentle in both modes, but Sport mode feels fast in general.

We only got to ride the bike on a stretch of road inside a golf resort outside Pune, so a full review of performance and range will have to wait until later. Nevertheless, both the Kratos and Kratos R come with a 4kWh battery pack and the company claims a decent real-world range of 120km on a full charge.

While the initial impressions with this powertrain were good enough, it unfortunately didn’t last very long. The roads we rode were quite hilly, and within 10 minutes, the motor started to overheat, limiting performance to such an extent that the bike would no longer be able to climb certain slopes. This was something that all test bikes at the venue had to deal with, and while the area was undoubtedly mountainous, it was also a road that was used without issue by regular commuter motorcycles and automatic scooters.

Now, the company says it is aware of what is causing the issue, and is confident of solving it before deliveries begin in April. However, this turns out to be a disappointment and we’re hoping to put Kratos through a thorough road test as soon as Torque has sorted it out.

While the company has certainly had its work cut out with this motor, the bright side is that the chassis and overall suspension set-up is quite good. The chassis feels stable and the suspension comfort is quite good. The rough surfaces are well absorbed and it’s only the bad pits that send a thud through the 42mm telescopic fork.

Handling is also good fun, fitted with the feel of the bike and confidence, yet agile and gripping. It reminds us of a well-sorted 150-160cc bike in the handling department and it is impressive.

The brakes are by Edvik, a component manufacturer based in Pune and you get a disc set-up at the front and rear along with a combined braking system. Braking performance is acceptable, but you have to remember to use both hands to slow down.

This being an EV, it is reasonable to expect a plethora of features though most of these are enabled by a smartphone app which was not available for us to experience with the bike. The bike’s LCD display is otherwise fairly basic and has the usual readouts for things like distance, travel data, and a watch.

Promised features include navigation, OTA updates, crash alerts, smart analytics and more. The R will also be compatible with fast charging, which can add up to an 80% charge in an hour.

The company says that the data charges for all these smart features will be free for the first year, followed by a subscription cost of around ₹250 per month from the second year.

Tork is offering a warranty of 3 years/40,000 kms on the bike, and plans to launch it in six cities this year, with Pune leading the way. The bikes will be sold through a traditional dealership, but the company will offer a service-at-home facility. The base model of the Tork Kratos is priced at ₹ 1.08 Lakh and the R is priced at ₹ 1.23 Lakh (ex-showroom, Pune, after national and state level subsidies).

Of course none of this matters unless Torque can sort out its motor performance, we are hoping that will happen soon as this bike undoubtedly has a lot of potential. Hopefully, the company will be able to do this without further delay in its delivery timeline, and we are looking forward to running a complete road test as soon as the bike is ready.