By animeshvatsa@carbike360.com
21889 Views
Read the in-depth review of Matter Aera 5000+, India’s first liquid-cooled electric motorcycle with manual gears. Explore its design, performance, real-world range, and practicality for Indian roads.
India is a burgeoning EV market, where more than 59% of the dominance remains with two-wheelers. However, within the two-wheelers as well, the mass contribution is from commuter scooters, which is eventually depicted by last year’s sales figure of 1.14 million units individually, highlighting a 33% year-on-year surge over 2023. The question remains: where motorcycles attract traction in the ICE market, why are they lagging behind in the EV race? Talking of motorcycles, especially in the mass market, they bring a sense of control and command to the rider apart from affordable cost of ownership, spare parts availability, low maintenance cost, and dealership accessibility.
These factors, alongside a major one, the limited number of charging infrastructures, are considered to be the primary cause of consumers not choosing an electric bike. However, this trend is slowly changing with Indian startups, such as Matter, bringing innovation blending to the traditional root of the motorcycling journey in an eco-friendly manner. Matter operates in Gujarat at Ahmedabad, where they manufacture two of their products, which go by Aera 5000 and 5000+. In addition, the Aera Series becomes unique because it’s the first electric motorcycle in India to feature a liquid-cooling mechanism and manual gearing. This article focuses on the first ride experience of the production-ready spec of the Aera 5000+.
In terms of overall styling, the Matter Aera 5000+ follows a streamlined silhouette replicating 150-160cc naked sport commuters, which underpins a double-cradle frame. This frame is designed to keep the motorcycle lightweight and, at the same time, equally robust. The body panels also boast a lightweight but sturdy fibre material, ensuring a good fit and finish along with safety all around. The front profile sports a slender unipod twin-beam LED projector headlamp, which is followed by LED turn indicators seamlessly blending into the tank shrouds. The paint scheme is available in six different shades, each under dual-tone, which is also complemented by the wireless key fob in terms of personas. The tank shapes a muscular look with a 3.5 L under-storage compartment holding a 1.0 kW standard charger, followed by a 5.0 ampere socket. This onboard charger has a capacity to charge 0-80% in about five hours, whereas 0-100% requires the duration of six hours.
Furthermore, there’s also an option of fast charging, which charges the battery completely in about 2.0 hours. Moving onto the seats, the height of up to 790 mm is a split setup with padding just accurate for both shorter and longer rides. The tail section plays a crucial role in overall attraction, with the rear LED indicators functioning sequentially rather than blinking like the front end ones. Additionally, these indicators support the hazard function and can be turned off with their beep sound through the 7.0-inch touchscreen TFT instrument cluster.
These indicators feature a special gesture once the wireless key fob is in a radius of 1.4 m to its Aera 5000+, welcoming the owner through the blinks. This console, besides indicating the 4-speed gear position for the hypershift transmission and vehicle information, showcases the full-screen navigation by Map My India. The display also acts as a carrier for your driving licence as well as the vehicle’s RC documentation, adding convenience. As the Aera belongs to the electric category, it certainly lacks exhaust mufflers, although this is fulfilled through the multiple artificial sounds, which could be controlled through the cluster itself. The rear section hoists split handlebars for the practical grab of a pillion, ending with a sleek one-piece LED taillamp representing a sporty aesthetic altogether.
The Matter Aera 5000+ is powered by a 5.0 kWh Li-ion battery, which is operated through an 11.5 kW mid-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor. The motor is an important element, not just because it's the first of its kind in any electric two-wheeler to have liquid cooling in order to sustain diverse climatology across the nation, but also because it features a transparent panel, which showcases the changing fluid colour, quite helpful to prevent the machinery from any sort of wear and tear. The motor produces an output of 13.41 bhp and 26 Nm of torque, where individually the wheel torque remains 525 Nm, which is obviously achievable only in the first gear, highlighting an extremely good torque supply management.
Talking of the diverse performance figures based on the three riding modes, in eco mode, you can expect the numbers to go around 67-70 km/h, which eventually rises with the city mode going about 87-90 km/h, and as mentioned, only the sport mode with a combination of fourth gear allows the top speed, which is 108 km/h, to be achieved. This electric commuter runs up to 125 km on a single charge, which can be attained through eco mode. However, with the city and sport modes kicking in, the range anxiety increases.
The formula in Aera 5000+ works in a way that performance is inversely proportional to range efficiency, yet in real-world conditions, depending on riding style and varied conditions, one can obtain a range varying between 70-90 km (IDC) easily. The 4-speed hypershift transmission is not just a gimmick with this bike; it works flawlessly and comes assisted by an actual clutch system that helps with smooth shifting, although due to the electrical component, the shifting can take place with or without a clutch. Still, the clutch gives a presence of command and further initiates regen through downshifting from higher gear to lower with a mid-end speed ranging from 40 to 50 km/h, catering to range anxiety. The clutch’s work does not end here; it acts as a proper controlling mechanism for the braking assisted by single-channel ABS, providing a crisp and accurate byte to the wheels while stopping.
Cutting the clutter, the power figures on paper might not sound impressive. However, with the 169 kg of kerb weight disseminating to the double-cradle frame and all the body proportions, there is no lag experienced once the motorcycle’s on the go. Our testing grounds remained highways, with bumper-to-bumper traffic and even slush or broken patches; the motor always had a quick acceleration, and the bike did not feel underpowered for a moment. To counter an easy reverse, Matter has equipped this bike with a reverse assist, which speeds up to 3 km/h. So, when you’re stuck in a tight space or have to reverse on an incline, this feature comes in handy at all ends.
The bike, due to a lightweight chassis, feels very agile both on the go and while picking it up from the stand. For an aerodynamic, streamlined commuter, the kerb weight of 169 kg is comparatively considered to be more than average, although, as discussed, the weight dissemination acts as a cherry on top, resulting in a practical lean angle. This isn't only an on-paper overview, but something we lived up to the top, taking the bike over the go-kart for a proper cornering test, and to our surprise it didn’t disappoint us on both higher and lower speed stability. The 17-inch tubeless wheels cornered the track smoothly with minimal chances of disbalances. We also took the evaluation of high-speed stability to an extreme condition, where the bike was accelerated at a speed of 97 km/h in sport mode, and despite drawing drags over an open highway stretch of up to 29 km, the handling felt quite nimble and under control, which in most cases is rare for a low-sitting, lightweight two-wheeler. However, the Aera 5000+ turned the tables well.
In the overall riding part, the suspension has an important role. The front 33 mm telescopic forks are dignified for tackling potholes, slush and broken patches, thanks to the 120 mm of travel, which responds to good damping, whereas the rear 5-step preload monoshock has also become firmer after considerable acceptance of feedback by the OEM. The bike crossed through rough patches, muddy areas, and water-filled potholes; regardless, the suspension felt on the softer side with an accurate compression. Having said that, the Aera 5000+ is comfortable for an urban ride of about 60-100 km from the perspective of a pillion. Also, the handlebars are a tubular unit with a shorter width, allowing the rider to have a painless stretch while making daily manoeuvres, further complemented by centre-positioned footpegs giving a comfortable posture and stature at the same time. This ergonomics is a preference for all kinds of riding, especially highway cruising.
To come to a decision about owning the Aera 5000+, the availability of spare parts at an affordable price range wouldn’t be a problem if you choose to purchase one, nor will the limited amount of charging infrastructure be an issue with this bike, as it carries a 5-ampere onboard standard charger, which could be used from any electrical socket, according to the buyer’s convenience. Furthermore, a lifetime warranty is offered apart from the 3-year, or 45,000 km, standard warranty on the bike. Additionally, on the technological front as well, the Aera 5000+ outshines its rivals with features such as application-based ignition or the switch-controlled handle locking mechanism, turn-by-turn navigation over Map My India, and a stable body with practical range efficiency. The fit and finish are also top-notch, and with prices ranging from Rs 1.84 to 1.94 Lakh (ex-showroom), despite the availability of mechanical parts like manual gears and clutches, the Aera 5000+ seems to be a considerable option.