Nexzu Roadlark Electric Cycle Review, Is This The E-Cycle You Need?

Words: Sahil Sheikh Siddiqui

Photographer: Akshay Raj

A few weeks ago, when I arrived at the ZigWheels office, a bright red cycle parked behind the office door caught my eye. I later discovered that this new cycle was sent by Mumbai-based Nexzu Cycles for a review, and I knew I would be the one to do it.

I live near the office and often like to use an e-cycle to commute to work. Electric cycles are also pretty handy when you want to get groceries from a nearby shop around the corner or for morning rides and evening strolls. I rode the Nexzu Roadlark e-cycle for a few weeks and here’s what I think about it:

What Is It?

The Nexzu Roadlark is an electric cycle that can be ridden in three ways: like a normal cycle, with pedal assist and entirely on throttle. Prices for this e-cycle start at Rs 32,950 for the 5.2Ah variant and go up to Rs 39,950 for the 14.5Ah variant. 

The Roadlark electric cycle has three battery options: 5.2Ah, 8.7Ah, and 14.5Ah. It is powered by a 250W BLDC (Brushless Direct Current) motor. The Roadlark is equipped with dual battery packs: a 5.2Ah fixed battery and a removable one, available in 5.2Ah, 8.7Ah, and 14.5Ah options, offering claimed ranges of 37km, 60km, and 100km respectively, in pedal mode. The Roadlark claims a range of 75km in throttle mode and has a top speed of 25kmph. The removable battery pack takes 3 to 5 hours to fully charge, based on the variant. 

Features on the Nexzu Roadlark electric cycle include an LED headlight, a horn and three ride/pedal assist modes (Low, Medium and High). It does not have a display, but the lights on switchgear indicate the battery levels and the assist modes. The cycle gets a telescopic front fork and has disc brakes on both ends. It is equipped with 26-inch wheels with Ralson block-pattern tube tyres.

How Is The Riding Experience with the Nexzu Roadlark e-cycle?

The Nexzu Roadlark is a cool-looking e-cycle that attracts a lot of attention on the road, especially in this bright red colour. Unlike other e-cycles, the removable battery is placed horizontally under the seat. We got the top variant with the 14.5Ah removable battery for our review. It has an in-built battery too but the power doesn’t turn on until you insert the removable battery.

Like all the other E-cycles, the Roadlark also requires you to carry 3 different keys, one to turn on the ignition, one to lock/unlock and turn on the battery, and an additional cycle lock key. Moreover, you have to put both the ignition and battery key in separate keyrings as both need to be inserted in different key slots at the same time to power on the cycle, which is a bit of a hassle.

How is its Performance?

The Nexzu Roadlark has a powerful motor that offers an overall impressive performance. The cycle has three ride/pedal assist modes. The Low mode has a slight pedal assist and requires more effort to pedal, the Medium mode provides more power from the motor and the High mode delivers the most powerful assist on the cycle and makes pedalling effortless. Braking performance on the cycle is also very good and provides controlled braking when both brakes are used in combination.

High mode is my favourite and makes the cycle reach the top speed of 25kmph quickly in around 5-6 seconds and you can push it beyond that mark by pedalling as fast as you can. It doesn’t have a speedometer to indicate the speed but you can easily ride above 40kmph by pedalling in this mode. It also lacks an odometer but during our test, it easily delivered over a 70km range (approximately) on a mix of pedal assist and throttle modes. That means, you can ride it every day for 10kms and will only have to charge the battery once a week.

The electric cycle has a well-padded seat that keeps you comfortable. The front fork also works well and absorbs small bumps and potholes, keeping the ride smooth.

Charging the Nexzu Roadlark Electric Cycle

When the battery depletes and you want to charge it, you will have to flip the seat using a trigger under it and then unlock the battery using the key. The battery pack itself has a handle which you need to pull to get it out.

The charging point is located under a sliding cap. Once you plug in the charger, the battery does not show any indication of charging. You can only hear the fan noise in the charger to know that it has started charging the battery. However, the battery has a 3-bar indicator to check how much charge is left or to check if the battery is charged.

Verdict

With its prices starting at Rs 32,950, the Nexzu Roadlark offers good value for an electric cycle. It provides impressive performance, a very good range, and a comfortable riding experience. The e-cycle does have smaller 26-inch wheels and lacks features like a digital display, speedometer and an odometer. However, these are not dealbreakers and in a way, make the cycle easy to use, even for kids. 

With a range of over 70km, the Roadlark outperforms most of its competitors, making it a great value-for-money option. So, if you are someone looking for a good electric cycle with a budget of around Rs 30-40k, the Nexzu Roadlark is worth considering.