At xBhp, we are suckers for a good story, especially the ones that go along the lines of ‘From nothing to something to something sensational’. Mostly because of our own resonance with this particular story. From a single webpage to a massive community. This piece, though, is about another marquee that has lived this story and continues to build on it. We are talking about Ultraviolette Automotive and their story of creating The Fastest India. 

We have ridden and had rave reviews for their F77, and then the F77 Mach 2 took things even further. We also created an experimental piece about how this relatively new brand is competing against seasoned giants in the motorcycle industry and still holding its own. But as we all know, a stagnant brand is as good as buried. So Ultraviolette is taking steps to avoid that… or shall we say massive strides! 

The Ultraviolette F99 is the brand’s motorcycle that was built from the ground up to be the quickest and fastest motorcycle ever conceived and built in India. It is a tall order because the F99 is a nigh-on superbike, and those aren’t made easily. Moreover, there is still the matter of automotive giants that are already around, and then other manufacturers that are also looking to build in India. Simply put, a tall order with a lot of expected yet challenging obstacles. 

Despite all of this, the Ultraviolette F99 has prevailed and earned the tag of The Fastest Indian. It all started in the Valley Run, Aamby Valley. When people first set their sights on the F99, they already knew that they were looking at something special. But for the people involved, they might have just had nerves of steel to avoid a mental breakdown. And it is obvious because, well, imagine it is your first public outing and the onus is on you to simply be spectacular. 

Well, spectacular it was. The Ultraviolette F99 set a new benchmark for completing a standing quarter-mile in 10.712 seconds. Do you remember folks in the first Fast & Furious movie looking around for a 10-second car? Well, here we have a sub-11-second motorcycle, and it is something to be proud of. That is also where they announced that they were also going to be attempting a top-speed run at NATRAX. We were intrigued. 

They also talked a little more about the motorcycle; it has a carbon fibre exoskeleton and a carbon fibre battery case. The motor is good for 120 bhp and 972 Nm of wheel torque, which is bonkers. The motor is also liquid-cooled, and with specs like that, it better be! In terms of weight, the F99 tips the scales at 180 kilos. The quoted performance numbers? 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds and 0-200 km/h in less than 10 seconds. So you better believe that it was over 200 kays an hour before it completed the quarter-mile! 

Then came the next challenge… becoming the fastest Indian. The Ultraviolette F99 was let loose on the high-speed testing track at NATRAX. We have had the experience of riding on the said track, and while it might sound easy to just keep the throttle pinned… a track as big and open as that plays with your mind. Braking markers are easy to miss, and that massive parabola can bring about all sorts of disasters if you are not careful. 

Thanks to meticulously controlled conditions and an inch-perfect motorcycle setup, the run went smoothly. The Ultraviolette F99 achieved a top speed of 258 km/h, a record verified and recognized by the India Book of Records. Imagine achieving a feat like this when just a few years ago, barely a handful of people were aware of the brand’s existence. 

To celebrate this achievement and the record-breaking run, Ultraviolette Automotive organized a special screening at PVR in association with xBhp. Joined by over 80 passionate motorcyclists, we got to witness everything that went into seeing this record-breaking run-through. We are proud to have partnered with Ultraviolette for this endeavour of theirs, and more than that, we are proud that a homegrown brand is achieving such wonders. 

We hope that Ultraviolette keeps surprising and delighting us with such feats in the future as well, and we also wish them luck in all their future endeavours. For now, you can join us in wearing the pride that comes with knowing that the F99 is a homegrown motorcycle from a brand that is as Indian as it gets!