A single electric motorcycle has been responsible for the majority of hype around a growing wave of budget e-motos. The SONDORS Metacycle, which has seen more than its fair share of ups and downs during a lengthy development process, is now touting deliveries currently in progress to 27 states in the US.
The SONDORS Metacycle electric motorcycle debuted for a mere $5,000, offering highway capable speeds and single-charge ranges of between 45-80 miles depending on how long riders spent at those highway speeds.
As the first major low-cost electric motorcycle in the US, it racked up a pile of pre-orders but suffered from manufacturing delays and sometimes erratic messaging. Initially promising deliveries in under a year, it took closer to 20 months before Metacycles began trickling out of distribution centers.
But the SONDORS ship seems to be righting ahead of an anticipated IPO, with deliveries picking up and the company making obvious efforts to increase transparency over the last few months.
SONDORS has been regularly posting updates to its website to keep customers appraised of delivery. The latest update shows that SONDORS has now delivered Metacycles to 12 states and has Metacycles in the process of being delivered in 15 more states.
As the company shared:
We are very excited to share the news that MetaCycle has now been delivered in 12 states over the last weeks. Current states include Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas and of course, California.
Additionally, MetaCycle deliveries are currently en route to Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The update also reveals that Metacycles will start being delivered with different tire and wheel options.
The company explained that the original tires that were intended to be included on the Metacycle are no longer in production.
During the development process, Michelin stopped manufacturing the tires that were featured on the prototype MetaCycle.
As such, MetaCycle is shipping with a few different wheel and tire combinations which all meet the performance, styling characteristics and US DOT regulations.
The majority of the MetaCycles will include the CST CM-NK 01 tires. Additionally, some customers will receive internal spokes, while others will receive external spoked wheels.
The rim differences don’t come with an explanation, but that one almost certainly comes down to another sourcing issue. Either the rim supplier that SONDORS intended to use couldn’t provide sufficient quantity, or the company has since found a more favorable option, either in terms of quality or price.
I had the chance to test ride the SONDORS Metacycle earlier this fall and had a great experience on the bike. You can read about my experience or check out the video below.
While some of the changes came as a surprise (the lack of a quick release battery was certainly a let down), the motorcycle itself performed great and offered both a fun and exciting ride.
It doesn’t compare in performance to higher-power electric motorcycles I’ve tested, but it certainly offers much more thrill than an electric scooter of comparable performance.
With SONDORS’ background in electric bicycle production, the Metacycle feels like the perfect vehicle for e-bike riders who want to upgrade to something more powerful than an electric bicycle.
The controls are easy to use, the bike is light enough to not intimidate riders who are new to motorcycles, and the design is actually surprisingly comfortable.
As much as I’ve enjoyed the massive and high-power electric motorcycles I’ve ridden, I wouldn’t recommend them to a first time motorcycle rider. But I’d absolutely recommend a Metacycle to someone who has never ridden a motorcycle before, as it eases the transition from powerful electric bicycle to light electric motorcycle.