Okinawa Praise

Introduction

The electric scooter bike, Okinawa Praise comes in a single Pro variant and available at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 71,990. The electric scooter is available in attractive colour combinations: purple/black, gold/black and blue/black, and red/black. The bike is powered by a lithium-ion battery and takes a charging time of around 8 hours. The mileage or the battery range of the Okinawa Praise is 170km/full charge. 

How is the design? 

The two-wheelers of Okinawa are popular for their modern features and premium designs, however, with the Okinawa Praise, the previous models are outperformed. The overall aggressive design featured in the new Okinawa Praise gives the bike a sporty look and is accompanied by several amenities. The design and bodywork deliver a strong visual impact and integrates a large LED setup, wide front apron, and a long, maxi-scooter like wheelbase. The bike also features a sleek tail section including a tail light and a crisp aluminium pull rail. With a large sitting area and floorboard, the Okinawa Praise is an absolute powerhouse. The front end of the scooter features a muscular apron with DRLs along with a futuristic looking headlight. With the dual-tone colour combination, turn indicator and handlebar, the standard of the bike is raised. The side profile of the bike is muscular on the side tab. The LCD on the Okinawa Praise displays power mode, speed and battery charge and its switchgear integrates two switches for the horn. The buttons are positioned close to the accelerator, which increases the gap between the conventional switchgear and the grips. Thus, the rider needs to stretch out a bit to reach the horn, indicator, and light switches. 

How is the performance?

Coming to the performance of the Okinawa Praise, it offers three modes to ride which impose different speed limits. With Eco-Mode, it is possible for the rider to achieve a maximum of 40 kmph, and with Sporty Mode, a ride is able to reach 62 kmph, while with Turbo Mode, the maximum speed goes up to 74 kmph. However, the Turbo Mode does not last for more than a minute. Thus, as compared with petrol scooters, the maximum speed of the Okinawa Praise is not much higher.  A 1000-watt motor is featured in this bike, and its maximum power output is 2500 watt. The overall performance of the bike is impressive with a 72V/45 AH battery. The bike has the capacity to deliver a range of about 200 km on a single charge, depending on the riding conditions. 

How does the Okinawa Praise ride?

The Okinawa Praise features a rear twin shock, and a bundle of telescopic front forks. In deep potholes, the forks bottom out, unsettling the rider as the suspension setup of the bike is on the softer side. This is usually experienced when the rider is solo, but when a pillion is onboard, the rear bottoms out as well. Overall, the riding experience is uncomfortable for the rider. The scooter’s rumble strips are expected to get uncomfortable especially when riding over expansion joints, as the jolts might as well knock off the handlebars of the rider’s hands. The 2-kwh lithium-ion battery comes with a waterproof motor, capable of delivering 1kwh/2.5kwh. 

How comfortable is the Okinawa Praise? 

The Okinawa Praise features an extra support for the pillion at the back end, along with a self-start feature, adding to the comfort of the riders. Due to the poor suspension setup, the riding experience of the rider might be hampered. Due to the awkward battery position, the floorboard is raised higher. While the seat height is only about 744mm, the rider has to be content with an uncomfortable and awkward riding experience. The floorboard on the scooter is pretty swept-up, giving sufficient space to the rider allowing their knees to sink. The extra space on the footboard allows the rider to extend their legs as well.          

How's the tech? 

The tech features of this bike have been upgraded by the company to match with its premium design and looks. Despite the futuristic LED headlamps, theLED DRLs do not illuminate the dark very well. Some of the other key tech features on the bike include keyless entry, anti-theft mechanism, side-stand sensor, all-digital instrument cluster, low battery indicator, E-ABS (Electronic Assisted Braking System), Pass Light and so on. 

How's the mileage of the Okinawa Praise? 

The Okinawa Praise has the capacity to deliver a mileage of about 88km/charge, as claimed by the ARAI mileage for the Praise Pro Variant. 

Is the Okinawa Praise good value for money? 

With a price tag of just Rs. 71,990, the Okinawa Praise offers a good value to its customers. It also features a multitude of advanced tech features, more than many other electric scooters operating in the same segment. The suspension setup and the braking system is almost the same as a petrol scooter. The scooter comes with adequate storage space and glovebox at the front, and it also features a 19.5 litre storage space. Overall, the Okinawa Praise is worth its value. 

How is the after sales service? 

Okinawa offers 3 free services and 16 paid services for its Praise Pro, and its service cost is around Rs. 6000, after the replacement of the lithium battery. The overall maintenance cost of the scooter is low, and it has been estimated to be around Rs.750 to service the scooter after every 15,000Km. 

Which motorbikes compete in this segment? 

The other motorbikes competing in the same segment as Okinawa Praise Hero Electric Optima, Ola S1, Oben Rorr, Simple One and so on. 

Verdict (Value for money)

At an ex-showroom price of just 71,900, the Okinawa Praise is affordable and comes with a low maintenance cost as well. Moreover, the scooter is loaded with features and offers great mileage to the rider. It takes only about 4 hours for the scooter to get fully charged and it cannot be more environmentally friendly. Thus, the Okinawa Praise is a great value for money for people looking for electric scooter bikes.