While we automotive journalists are luckier than most when it comes to riding the latest motorcycles before anyone else, we are a truly privileged lot when it comes to things like this — we were recently allowed a peek behind the curtain and given a guided tour of the Ultraviolette factory. That’s not all, we were allowed to work on the assembly line itself and assemble an entire motorcycle from start to finish.
It all starts with the battery, which, while being one of the largest fitted to a motorcycle in India, also acts as a stressed member of the chassis, essentially forming the core of it, on which the motor is then bolted on. Then it’s time for the front and rear suspension sub-assemblies to go on. Front here on its all wirings and electronics.
The first in the wirings and electronics section is the on-board charger, which should be a no-brainer for motorcycles, unlike scooters, which have a storage space to carry it around. Then the motor control unit, the vehicle control unit, the headlamp, the display, and the rest of the wiring harness get attached to the bike.
The tail with the radar unit inside is assembled separately and then attached to the motorcycle. Then the body panels go on. After which the mudguards get fitted, the motorcycle is given a thorough once-over, and sent to the dyno. Once the dyno run is completed, it gets sent to the most interesting and unique bit on the Ultraviolette X47 assembly line — the radar calibration.
This is where the hi-tech world of aerospace engineering (Ultraviolette can very well be considered the motorcycle arm of an aerospace company!) meets Indian ingenuity — there is a small anechoic chamber, just as large as it needs to be, instead of a room. It moves in for the radar to emit a pulse and, based on the reflection, find out its position relative to the ground and the motorcycle itself. Then the chamber moves out of the way.
What my experience at the Ultraviolette factory taught me is that the manufacturer has the exact same attention to detail and borderline obsessive approach to the assembly of its motorcycle, as it has for researching, designing, and engineering them. Frankly, that approach has served them well, as it was not just us, but the global media who have repeatedly been impressed with the sheer amount of technology in these motorcycles. The factory ensures that the tech is installed with the same amount of precision and care that went into designing it.
Words Sayantan De
Photography Ultraviolette
