If you are seeking the best commercial motorbike here in Kenya that combines performance, battery swapping, and lower running costs, the ARC Ride Bidi Boda should be one of them. ARC Ride is a Nairobi-based e-mobility startup launched in 2020. Its operations HQ is located at GODown 2 and 3, 31 Enterprise Road, Nairobi.
The Bidii Boda is built around a swappable system designed to keep riders on the road with minimal downtime. The system is found in other EV bikes like Spiro, Roam Electric, and eWAKA Mobility. The swappable battery system is an advantage to Kenyan riders, helping them reduce waiting hours for a battery to charge.
ARC Ride has invested in developing automated swapping networks across Kenya to allow riders to exchange a depleted battery for a fully charged one within a minute.
The Bidii Motorcycle uses a 48V dual battery system, and it’s powered by a mid-drive electric motor that’s rated at 3kW. The top speed of this motorcycle is 85 km/h and offers an estimated range of about 80 km depending on riding conditions, terrain, and load.
The maximum load capacity for the Bidii Boda is 250 kg, and it also comes with front and rear disk brakes that have high stopping power, improving the safety of its occupants. It also comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, both front and rear, and it has an IP67 rating, meaning all the motorbike accessories are sealed so no water or dust can penetrate through the bike’s accessories.
The pricing of the ARC Ride Bidii Boda starts at KES 169,999, according to their website. The company developed an app where riders can locate battery swapping stations, scan the QR code, and replace the battery within seconds. The QR code unlocks individual battery swapping cabinets, allowing riders to remove a fully charged one and replace it with the depleted one.
The company says that its network has expanded significantly across the Nairobi region, and it helps riders have minimal downtime that would have been experienced during charging.