Crossover Episode

Sporting a name inspired by the hallowed Northrop Grumman X-47B experimental aircraft, the X-47 Crossover aims to be the all-round electric solution to Indian roads. Is it Ultraviolette's best bike yet? We find out

- Story: Abhisu Poddar

TWO MONTHS AGO, WE RODE the Ultraviolette F77 Mach 2 Recon with the new Gen3 powertrain update. Thoroughly impressed by the electric bike and the initiative of the team behind it, I just couldn't help but wish the F77's fantastic chassis and motor were something we could use more on a regular basis, with its aggressive sports bike-like posture and suspension setup feeling more at home on butter-smooth asphalt than the Indian roads with which we are all well acquainted.

And lo! It's as if Ultraviolette listened to our whispers and shaped them into the X-47 Crossover. Positioned as a hybrid between street bikes and ADVs, it wouldn't be blasphemous to brand it as an F77 on stilts—the chassis, motor, battery, wheels, brakes, even the cluster, and the triple clamp are all a direct import from the F77. What has really changed, however, is the design, the technology, the tyres, and the suspension tuning—the front end gets a handsome ADV-like makeover, with the F77 headlight now positioned higher, complemented by a beak underneath. The handlebar is now raised and widened, and a single seat now keeps the rider in a more upright, adventure-friendly posture. A brand-new cast-aluminium subframe strengthens the chassis, bracing it for the extra touring weight the optional panniers offered by Ultraviolette can carry. More importantly, the subframe hides underneath unique tricks of technology that Ultraviolette claims to be industry-firsts. More on that later.