Test Ride: Blueshark R1 – Affordable High-Tech, Two-Wheeled, Zero-Emissions Goodness!

This Is NOT A Toy!

Before you liken the Blueshark R1 to something similar you can probably buy for cheaps online, or perhaps rent through an app for a few hours, be warned: THIS IS NOT A TOY. In fact, it’s serious enough to warrant plates, road tax, insurance, and its riders helmeted and licensed – B2 Class at minimum.

Beyond which, we’ll also argue that this is perhaps the most affordable way to enter the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) game in Malaysia. And that's  despite it having two less wheels, and absence of doors, equal number of seats, plus a roof. Yes, this may seem just a little too ‘al fresco’ for some indeed.

But, as tested, this scooter’s asking price is but a fraction of the figure commanded by the nearest four-wheeled equivalent on sale right now. Moreover, you’re getting arguably equal levels –  perhaps more – of tech in this pint-sized two-wheeler than said four-wheeled choice. Allow us to digress…

Ok, Tell Us More Then…

Unlike most other electric motorcycles you’ve seen or heard before, the Blueshark R1 stands apart from which largely thanks to its swappable battery tech at its core. According to its makers, they argue that this is an ideal solution for two-wheeled, zero-emissions urban mobility.

Nestled underneath are two 2,880 wH (2.88 KwH) lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs that juices a 5,000-watt (roughly 6.7 HP) side-hung electric motor, the latter driving the rear wheel with 201 NM. Said packs are removable, and the idea is to swap them out for fresh, fully-recharged ones at a swap station when spent.

Each 2.88 KwH LFP battery pack (left) weigh about 11 KG, but are easily removeable and swappable. They juice up a high-speed motor (right) with 5 kW and 201 NM.

This is indeed nifty, especially if you simply can’t afford time and space to stop for a recharge. This makes a tonne of sense for gig-economy folks, namely on-demand food deliver or courier riders (i.e. Grab, FoodPanda, Lalamove, etc) servicing a particular area, more so given that each full charge grants between 70 KM to 110 KM.

Even if you’re not part of the gig-economy, said range, plus the list of high-tech amenities and creature comforts present, especially in this fully-loaded variant we tested, has all the makings of an ideal daily. In fact, there’s perhaps enough tech here to shame similarly priced, combustion-powered scooters too.

Up To 110KM? Really?

Okay, that seems like a stretch, but pilot tests by Blueshark – both internally, as well as externally with real-world riders – have shown this is indeed possible. Like fuel economy, range and energy consumption in any EV heavily depends on how one drives – or in this case, rides.

We weren’t able to hit such a figure ourselves, though. Perhaps the highway-heavy daily routes this writer is dealt with has something to do with it. Nevertheless, at least 75 KM is indeed possible, even with a mix a both urban, stop-go traffic and brief highway blasts in between.

Besides a B2 Class license and a helmet, note the requirements for license plates and road tax too.

33-litre Shad top-case costs extra, but it's arguably an accessory worth adding to as it boosts this scooter's practicality further.

Surely, this is more than enough to cover typical one-way commutes for most two-wheeled urbanites – this writer included. Aiding this are the selectable ride modes the Blueshark R1 is endowed with, which includes Eco, Normal, Sport, and Turbo.

Handlebar controls are straightforward. Cruise control can be toggled on the left side whilst quick access to 'Turbo' ride mode is present on the right side.

Said modes are pretty self-explanatory, but we’ll be brief and highlight best performance in either Sport or Turbo, the latter allowing speeds of up to 90 KM/H even - we managed to see up to 85 KM/H during our test. What’s nifty here too is the presence of a cruise control suite, which lessens the strain on the right wrist when cruising too.

If your route happens to have a Blueshark battery swap station present, it does away with the range anxiety knowing that more range takes just a quick swap at said stations. So as long as you don’t mind lifting each 11 KG pack from under the seat and the swap station, it really a nifty process.

How Many Swap Stations Are There?

 When we last checked, there are five of which (Blueshark showroom in Glenmarie included). However, Blueshark has worked out a partnership  with fuel retailers PETRONAS recently, and they’ve committed to getting a bunch more up and running through said retailer’s network by this year.

Theoretically, this should see longer two-way commutes, i.e. from Klang or Kajang to Kuala Lumpur city centre and back, become a lot more feasible. And the fact that you’ll pay, at most, RM4 for each fully-charged dual-battery swap, should make this a very cost effective affair. For context, that's  cheaper than a full fill-up for most 150cc scooters and kapcais.

Recharging via built-in charge port (left) or dedicated outboard cradle (right) are possible, both using a dedicated three-pin AC wall-plus adapter.

Until then, charging via the bike’s built-in direct charging port using a three-pin AC wall-plug adapter, or perhaps an optional outboard home cradle charger, are your best bets. Each full recharge takes just about 3.5 hours, thus making this ideal should you have long down-times in between riding stints.

And These High-Tech Features You Speak Of?

A visual treat here is the full-colour 10.4-inch HD IPS dash display. Besides critical readouts, it can be toggled for other functions too. In the case of this fully-loaded variant, it even boasts a rear-view camera display that triggers each time you hit the signal switch.

Said rear-view displays almost lets you forget those rather ungainly – but necessary – stock side mirrors. This feature’s merit shines when reversing this bike in and our of parking lots using the built-in WAM (Walking Assist Mode). In this instance, the presence of reverse sensors further boosts the affair too.

Full-LED lighting front (left) and aft is expected, but the reverse sensors and camera below the taillight (right) is rare in this space of vehicles.

Rear camera display triggers through both signal light activation or when reversing using WAM.

Not a fan of the EV motor’s near-silent whiz? Well, Blueshark also primed the R1 with a pair of speakers in the dash that can pipe artificial engine sounds too. Yes, this might seem a tad tacky for some, but this fortunately can be switched off anytime.

In truth, said speakers are nifty should you pair your smartphone with the Blueshark R1 for either Bluetooth music playback or GPS audio directions. Speaking of connectivity, the Blueshark R1 even boasts built-in wi-fi and a SIM card-powered connection too.

Did we mention the presence of both a USB-A and USB-C charge port (left) and forward-facing dashcam (right)?

A traditional remote keyfob is included, but you can pair the R1 with your smartphone via Bluetooth, wi-fi, built-in SIM card-enabled connectivity, as well as a dedicated smartphone app.

These wide connectivity arrays even lets you pair up each R1 via a dedicated smartphone app, thus enabling more functions such as remote locking and unlocking, viewing telematics and travel data, viewing charging and battery status, GPS navigation, and more.

Yes, these high-tech, car-like features, which also includes a forward-facing and app-enabled dashcam, are all standard-equipped in the R1. The fact that you’re getting them well below RM10,000 really lets this EV scooter stand just that more appealing over a combustion-powered equivalent.

How Does It Ride?

Okay, some bad news here, but they’re few and far between. Despite its sharp and sporty name, neither are fitting descriptions of this EV scooter’s ride. Firstly, though not particularly quick off the line, it’s far from sluggish.

Before you ask, yes, 201 NM is indeed enough to get the Blueshark R1 going, even when riding two-up with a pillion, or perhaps  some luggage or cargo. As long as said back-seater – or you – don’t mind a leisurely pace to things, you’ll also  find that the front and rear suspension are comfortably long in travel and high in damping.

Range isn't as big a drawback in the R1 as the apparent lack of speed against similar-sized - and priced - premium Japanese combustion scooters.

Suspension settings on both ends felt comfortably soft and supple whilst the presence of dual disc-brakes tied to a CBS module felt reassuring.

Initially, the absence of ABS was concerning, but the adoption of a combi-brake system (CBS) in its stead, which sees equal amounts of braking pressure for both the front and rear disc brakes when tugging the right lever, felt reassuring.

One slight annoyance we found is ground clearance – something we discovered whilst carving corners at speeds. This is evident from us losing count at how many times we’ve scraped the centre stand whilst tackling long and fast corners.

Some riders will find ground clearance through corners a bit of an issue.
But this isn't a deal-breaker and Blueshark has remedied this.

However, should you keep speeds moderate – read: slow or leisurely – said ground clearance isn’t a big issue. Also, the folks at Blueshark have noted this prior, and the say newer stocks will feature slightly better clearance thanks to retuned suspension height, different tyre profile, and the centre-stand stowed up a little higher.

Above all, the soft, supple and friendly ride, further bolstered by the ample-padded seat saddle, makes life behind the bar of this EV scooter relatively pleasant overall.

So What’s The Cost Of All This?

Battery-swap subscription or charges aside, the fully-loaded Blueshark R1 as tested retails with a base price of RM9,390. There’s an R1 Lite slotted below priced at a more accessible RM7,190 figure, but it also means losing out on all the tasty, high-tech features we’ve detailed a few paras earlier.

Yes, fully-loaded, this EV scooter is similarly priced against equal-sized but peppier premium Japanese combustion scooters with arguably longer ranges too. But said traditional choices simply lack the Blueshark's high-tech appeal, and its unique, guilt-free, zero-emissions thrills.

Adding to which is the ultra-low long-term running costs promised. Key highlights here include insurance costs as low as RM200, fixed service rate of RM45 that cover drivetrain fluid changes, and the exempted road tax granted by the government for EVs until 2024.

Verdict?

Personally, as a daily 150cc scooter rider myself, the Blueshark R1 doesn’t have enough chops to prompt me to make an immediate switch just yet, but only just... Perhaps a little more speed, range, and more swap stations abound would’ve changed this.

Nevertheless, how the Blueshark R1 presents and executes its unique high-tech, zero-emissions vision is spectacular to say the least. Surely, there’s enough here to convince anyone to enter the EV game, and at a much lower cost, which is a huge treat.

Simply put, this really isn’t a bad starting point for anyone to break into said space indeed…

SPECIFICATIONS
Blueshark R1