Tork Kratos R

Tork Kratos R: My Honest Take on This Electric Marvel  

I’ll be honest, when I first heard of the Tork Kratos R, my first reaction was to be skeptical about it. India's made electric bike, promising performance on par with a petrol one? It sounded ambitious. For a few minutes, I had the bike and can say this — it’s not just a bike. Electric motorcycles are here, and they are meaning business – it’s a bold statement. So let’s dive in a little bit as to why one of those left me impressed.  

Why is the Tork Kratos R a ‘Special’ model?  

I think it’s the fact that the Kratos R doesn’t really try at all to look futuristic that appeals to me. It’s a real motorcycle, aggressive, sharp, ready to pin.” It’s angular, suspicious looking headlamp, muscular tank and clean lines all stand out right there without being over the top.  

It is well built felt. It isn’t trying to remove its electric identity, but it certainly won't be called gimmick. The bike is the sort of cycling steed that imbues a feeling of having ridden chosen for all the right reasons.  

Performance That Surprises  

Let’s first talk about the star of the show... the motor. The Kratos R delivers 38 Nm of torque from its 9kW peak power motor. If you’re familiar with petrol bikes, those numbers won’t cause your tongue to froth, but trust me, there is a real killer in the way the power is delivered.  

With electric motors you get torque instantaneously. The throttle is twisted and the bike moves; no lag no hesitation. The bike almost seems to know exactly what you are going to do. The acceleration was just too much fun to test the Kratos R in Sport mode, I was grinning from ear to ear.  

According to Tork, it has a claimed top speed of 105 km/h, which it seems to hit without a sweat. The bike boasts of three riding modes—Eco, City and Sport. If you’re working on saving battery life, Eco mode is perfect; however I spent most of my time in City and Sport modes as it’s just more fun.  

Range and Charging  

“What about the range?” is one of the first asks people have about electric bikes. With the Kratos R it does, pretty convincingly. I found Tork’s claim of a 120 km range in real world conditions to be pretty accurate. You can stretch it even further in Eco mode, but of course Sport mode will use more battery, but that’s normal.  

Charging is straightforward. The battery can be fast charged from 0 to 80% of charge in about an hour, while a normal charger will need about 4-5 hours to charge fully. That fast charging option is a lifesaver for someone like me, I’m not always great with planning ahead.  

Ride Quality and Handling  

Perhaps the biggest impression made on me with the Kratos R was how it felt to drive it. Incredibly stable whether cruising down a highway or through city traffic, the Trellis Plus Frame makes this board easily so.  

Up front is a telescopic fork, rear is a monoshock which is tuned for a balance of comfort and control on road, especially with a progressive spring setup. Rather than giving the bike a soft or disconnected feel it smooths out bumpy roads. The bike had it’s moments of keeping me comfortable and confident on one particularly pothole ridden stretch, these are saying a lot.  

There are also highlights to the riding posture. Upright and relaxed, with just enough forward lean to suggest it’s sporty too. Regardless of whether I was zipping through traffic, or riding at a decent pace, the bike felt easy to control, and felt like an intuitive sort of ride.  

Braking and Safety  

One of those things you don’t think about until you really need them is brakes. Disc brakes are used on both the ends on the lightweight Kratos R, with a Combined Braking System (CBS), too. On the braking side, it was progressive and controlled with a few brakes to come to a soft stop or choke those brakes if I had to dump them in an emergency.  

The dual-channel ABS is something I’d like to see added to it, but it does a fine enough job for city riding.  

Packed with Features  

Features that actually generate value are included on the Kratos R. The 4.3 inch TFT display is crisp, easy to see, and shows you everything you need to see: speed, battery, range, etc.  

But what had impressed me was that integration with the Tork app. You can track the bike’s location, monitor battery health and even analyze your rides. An extra layer of convenience and security comes through geo fencing and live tracking.  

Finally, there are the over-the-air updates. It’s the kind of future you wake up to find your bike has magically improved by some unseen amount overnight: this is what we live with now, with the Kratos R.  

Price and Value  

All this for a Kratos R at Rs.1,37,499 (ex-showroom, after subsidies) makes it a steal. And then add the fuel and maintenance savings, and it's even better deal. And it’s not just a bike, it’s an investment in a cleaner, smarter way to ride.  

My Final Thoughts  

The Tork Kratos R is not perfect, but it’s a brilliant peephole into the future of bicycle travel. It’s fast and easy, practical with features to make your life easier. The biggest takeaway for me was that it was super fun and accessible—electric identity doesn’t try to beat you over the head with it, it’s this new way of moving around on two wheels.  

If you’re one who loves the roar of a petrol engine the Kratos R may not replace that experience. If you’re ready to try something new, something different and, of course, eco-friendly, there’s a first look worth taking at this bike.