Orxa Mantis First Ride Review: Hidden Potential

Orxa Mantis, a performance electric motorcycle that has been in the making for quite a few years and still, it isn’t the final product that we are riding today. It promises to offer 200cc comparable performance and a decent enough range for weekend thrills. Just how good is it and does it justify its slightly steep asking price well? For that we have just a handful of laps around the Meco Kartopia track and here’s what we thought of this pre-production spec bike.

Too Conservative

On paper, the motor’s peak rating has reduced from 28 kW to 20.5 kW. While that might be a bummer, the overall claimed performance hasn’t taken that much of a hit. It still claims to do the 0-100 kmph sprint in 8.9 seconds and a healthy top speed of 135 kmph. But these are claims. How does it actually perform?

The Mantis doesn’t come across as thrilling as the whole bike looks. For starters, the throttle response is pretty dull until 20 kmph and then you get to the thrill zone but that too isn’t long lasting. Barely three fourth into the first lap and the motor began restraining power. Even though we were riding on a cool Bengaluru winter morning, Orxa’s thermal sensors have the safety systems dialled up to quite high and we would’ve definitely liked it to full power or nearly all of the power for more.

We had no issues with throttle calibration as such but the regenerative braking settings were a bit intrusive. It was subtle for the most part until it absolutely slowed down and then it was a bit choppy. Also, there are no riding modes here, which feels like a missed opportunity as a more economical or sensible riding mode would do well with urban dwellers while you can turn up the throttle response and drama for the thrill seekers.

Urban Dweller Only

The standard charger that comes with the bike can charge the Mantis from 0-80 percent in 5 hours. And in case you want a faster option, Orxa will also sell a more potent 3.3 kW Blitz charger for an additional price which reduces charging times by half. It will be possible to get just the Blitz charger but you will have to shell out a bit extra.

Potent Handler

One strong suit of the Mantis is its cornering capabilities. It can truly hold its line well and swiftly changes direction with a fair understanding of where the limit is. But again due to the motor’s thermal fail safe kicking in pretty quickly and the choppy regen braking, the smile inside my helmet wasn't there for long.

Much like a few other electrics we have ridden recently, the braking remains far from ideal. The front is sharp and progressive, while there’s no clear feedback at the rear. So, brake slides were aplenty. Plus, no ABS at rear is again something that doesn’t sit quite right with us. Dual-channel ABS or CBS working in tandem with the front ABS could do the trick.

Fundamental Drawback

Orxa’s form meets function design does cause some pretty basic fundamental ergonomic issues for someone who wants to ride the Mantis sportily. And that is because of the side panel below the seat that’s meant to cover the battery, which digs into your thighs, stopping you from gripping the bike. More so, because your legs are forced wide apart, shorter riders will feel the 815mm seat height to be a bit on the taller side. 

As such, the Mantis is a relatively light electric motorcycle. At 182 kg, it is certainly quite a lot lighter than the Ultraviolette F77, especially the higher-spec Recon version with its larger battery pack and kerb weight of 207 km. So, it doesn’t feel particularly bulky or demand you put in effort while riding peacefully. However, while parking, the motor does cause some form of retardation and regen, which makes moving it around a bit of a task.

Striking Looker

No doubt the Mantis is a striking motorcycle. Orxa’s designers have clearly taken inspiration from the praying mantis’ exoskeleton and went about designing the bike. However, fit finish, cabling and overall quality still remains far from ideal. Orxa claims that these are still pre-production protos and hence, this won’t be a matter on the final products.

Similarly, the console while it was present still had software bugs to fix and the final layout and features are yet to be integrated.

There’s Potential

The Mantis doesn’t come across as potent a performance electric motorcycle as it could have been. The motor’s thermal nannies and ergonomic hindrances just hold you back from enjoying it thoroughly. It might turn out to be a pretty good urban tool but we will have to wait until next year to test the liveability aspect of the bike.

But as it stands, the steep asking price isn’t backed up with the enjoyability factor that one would want from a performance electric bike. Especially, when you have great ICE options for far less money and being far more versatile. We hope Orxa does improve the experience and the Mantis that you end up buying in April is a far richer motorcycle than what it currently is. Because the ideas and thought behind the Mantis are really good, it’s the execution that Orxa needs to focus on for it to be a one rival success.