Ather Rizta review

Unlike the rather sporty-looking 450 series, the Ather Rizta looks a lot more traditional and bulky, and with good reason. There’s a bigger and more spacious seat that’s comfortable for two people, with a bit of room in between to place a shopping bag or something of the like. A backrest at the rear (which comes as standard on the Rizta Z variant) makes it even more comfortable for the pillion rider, and the seat is wide and roomy enough for even long trips.

The size and dimensions also mean that you get a big footboard, giving you enough space to store some stuff as well as place your feet comfortably. Optional accessories such as the frunk can help optimise the room and make things a bit more practical on a day-to-day basis, but it would have been nice to have a bit of storage hard-built into the area right below the handle and console.

Of course, the large seat makes for plenty of storage space underneath, with 34L of space to let you store even a full-face helmet along with a few other things as needed. Ather claims that you could even fit a 15-inch laptop bag under the seat. You can also get the basket accessory which lines up with the boot and lets you quickly lift everything out of it for more convenience. There’s also a charge point in the boot which can be hooked up to a charging accessory for your devices.

You get 12-inch wheels at both the front and back of the Ather Rizta, and design cues all around give the scooter a premium look and feel, including nicely designed head and tail lamps, big logos, and a nice-looking finish on the body panels. Colour options include mono and dual-tone colourways, and you can get accessories such as the frunk, side steps, and guards factory-fitted.

There’s a certain level of fun and smoothness that comes with a good electric scooter, and the Ather Rizta delivers on those fronts. From the silent and vibration-free motor, to the seamless throttle and distinctive hum of electric acceleration, the Rizta feels vastly different from traditional ICE scooters. 

There are a few useful features that help make the Ather Rizta a bit safer than most scooters in the segment, including ‘SkidControl’. This is Ather’s own take on traction control, and uses a sensor to detect the rate of wheel spin of the front wheel, to match it with that of the rear wheel. On slick surfaces where the powered rear wheel can spin too fast due to throttle (wet roads, gravel, dry leaves), this is useful in keeping the ride stable.

Acceleration is quick, the ride is smooth, and the Rizta never leaves you feeling like you’re going too fast, giving you plenty of confidence to push for overtakes or on clean, wide stretches. It’s also rather nicely set up for low-speed riding and cruising, making it well suited to city streets. All of it is tuned for the typical city ride, and cruising at speeds of around 45-50 km/h is not only the most enjoyable and comfortable, but also efficient for getting more range out of a charge. The Ather Rizta has a top speed of 80km/h, which is more than enough for city and occasional open-road riding.

For the most part, the Rizta functions like just about any electric scooter, but there are a couple of specific features that make it feel a bit different when riding. Coasting regen tends to cause a bit of deceleration as soon as you come off the throttle which can take some getting used to, but it does help with extending the battery range by a bit. Usefully, you can switch between the Zip and Eco modes quickly using the physical switch on the handlebar, and there is a useful low-speed reverse mode to help you get in and out of parking spots.

Magic Twist offers more deliberate deceleration by turning the throttle the other way, replacing the need to brake to some extent. It’s an absolute game-changer in the way you ride, and is incredibly intuitive and easy to get used to. I was able to ride long distances without actually using the brakes, simply reverse-throttling to slow down as needed. That said, you will have to use the traditional brake levers to actually bring the scooter to a stop, or for when you need to stop faster in more urgent situations. 

It also helps with regen, helping you get a bit more out of the battery. While riding downhill for around eight kilometres using only Magic Twist to slow down, I was able to add around three percent charge to the battery of the Ather Rizta, effectively running at a net gain for the distance. 

Coasting regen works a similar way, but doesn’t quite lead to a net gain; instead, it just slows down the drain a bit and lets you get more range out of the battery. 

According to our estimates, you should be able to get anywhere between 70-80km per charge on the 2.9kWh variant (which we tested) with the higher-performance ‘Zip’ mode active, in normal running conditions. This can vary a bit depending on how you use the Ather Rizta, and switching to the ‘Eco’ mode can help you get a bit more out of it, but you’re unlikely to match the claimed IDC range of 123km on the 2.9kWh battery in real-world conditions.

The Ather Rizta is marketed as a smart scooter, and for good reason. The better-equipped Rizta Z variant comes well-equipped with smart features and functionality, backed up by a fully-connected, LTE-enabled hub and interface. The dashboard system comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor, with 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM powering a 7-inch TFT non-touchscreen display. It’s IP65 rated for dust and water resistance, and can thus handle wet wiping and rain drops.

The custom Android-based operating system is made for use with the control pad on the handlebar. You can set up basic ride controls, including turning on or off the coasting regen, magic twist, skid control, auto hold, fall safe, and auto indicator functions. You can also directly navigate to locations using in-built Google Maps (with full-view mapping on the Rizta Z), and connect to your scooter for various bits of info and diagnostics through the app.

Much of this requires you to buy the Pro Pack (priced between Rs. 13,000 to Rs. 20,000, depending on the Rizta variant) to enable. Needless to say you should get this, since it comes with three years of complimentary access to AtherConnect, which lets you use most of the smart functionality and app connectivity. The Rizta S variant comes with a slightly different operating system and only turn-by-turn navigation thanks to the simpler operating system, but you still get most of the connectivity features.

Other smart and connected features include WhatsApp notifications from a paired smartphone, call and music controls on the dashboard, and auto-reply for SMS. There is also a live location sharing feature - where the scooter will share its live location on Google Maps with a pre-set contact directly - coming in the next few months.

All of this said, the Ather Stack 6 software suite on the Rizta felt a bit under-developed. While the interface worked well on start-up, it got a bit laggy and difficult to operate within an hour of riding, and didn’t quite fix even after turning off and on the scooter quickly. Fortunately the core functionality of the dashboard - basic info, the speedometer, and the ability to switch to reverse mode or between ride modes - weren’t affected by the lag.

Users may not typically play around with the interface on a daily basis, and the app might be able to cover for a lot of these things, but it did feel a bit strange for more complex functions, including navigation and reading WhatsApp notifications. Hopefully, Ather will be able to fix this issue with a software update soon.

Many things on the Ather Rizta can be controlled through the Ather app. Features on the app include sending navigation instructions to the Rizta, monitoring the charge status and parked location of the scooter, tow and theft alerts, and more functions focused on service and diagnostics. You can also connect the app to Alexa, and get some diagnostics and information about your Ather scooter such as battery status and navigation tips through voice commands from compatible devices.

The Ather Rizta is a rather polished and practical electric scooter, striking the right balance between performance, practicality, and smart functionality. It isn’t a performance-focused scooter like the 450 series, nor is it a range beast that can run for long distances, even if you get the bigger battery variant. However, it’s tuned for cruising, letting you ride around at leisurely pace while getting stuff done. 

You’ll still get those bursts of power when you need them, but the Ather Rizta is built for comfort, practicality, and safety above other factors. While the smarts may need a bit of fine tuning, it’s a ready and able real-world electric scooter that is tailor-made for everyday use by families.