Topic: SONDORS Metacycle - $5,000 (now $6.5K) Electric Motorcycle (Read 987 times)

I don’t blame you. Not just for the delay but for falling short of their promises. Given the specs that the bike actually has, I wouldn’t have bought it. I think the range is about 1/2 what it needs to me and the top speed is about 10-15 mph too low to feel safe driving this thing on highways. It’s a cool bike to get a high school kid to school maybe, or for a short work commute, but it falls short for a functional motorcycle.

Well, my order is officially cancelled

After trying to get an answer as to when I would get mine, and not getting an answer I called my CC company and opened a complaint figuring that they could get a better response. Got a VM from the bank that after 21 days and several attempts to contact the vendor they received 0 response so they gave me my $ back.

Sucks, but I do blame Sondors, they have been getting this reputation in the motorcycle world for a year now. People who ordered, MONTHS and MONTHS after others getting their bikes but not others. Some people (like Og) get a happy cheerful response from customer service, others are ignored.

At this point there are more low end electric city bikes out there, will have to poke around and figure out which one I want.

Probably not the worst, only have been on the CanAm like a dozen time so far this year.

-Dave

Not really.  It's a good starter bike, which is what I was looking for.  Being electric is awesome and the bike looks great so it's a real head turner.  I've never had so many people ask me about a vehicle before while I'm out and about.  That being said, the brakes could probably use an upgrade to anti-lock and the distance is a real issue.  I would hesitate to take it more than 10 miles from the house.  I think if they upgrade the brakes, maybe got it to go 10mph faster so it could safely be on the highway, and gave the option for a second battery addon or charging attachment for public chargers, it would be a real awesome bike.  It does fall short on speed and distance promises to the point where I'm not sure if I would buy one of these for legitimate use instead of having fun.

Since you are still posting I am assuming that you did not kill yourself on it yet.

Still don't have mine, but from doing a lot of reading out there neither do a lot of people who paid for them. Since I only got around to putting on the new registration sticker and getting my bike inspected yesterday, it's not bugging me yet it would have gone for 1 ride and just been sitting.

Anyhow, lets have some updates. Any feelings changed about it in the last few months?

-Dave

A little update...  I did take the Metacycle on a 32 mile ride the other day.  When I got back it had 2 bars (out of 10) of charge left.  So I estimate if you drive like an idiot and floor the thing at every stop and use sport mode as much as possible, you'll only get 40 miles of range out of this thing.  I did see the top speed dropped from 80 to 60 when it hit only 2 bars of charge, so it automatically throttles you as it nears being out of charge.

I also noticed that everyone around me seemed to be speeding quite a bit all the time, so I pulled out the GPS app and found that the speedometer read about 10-15% higher speed than reality.  Not surprising when you are familiar with Sondors as a company...  Anyway, I found this video that shows you how to adjust the wheel size on the Metacycle's speedometer so it tracks the speed accurately.  I just got back from a ride and can confirm that this fixes the speedometer reading too high issue.  I highly recommend doing a quick speed test on your Metacycle when it arrives and if you have the same issue, use this video to correct it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdKBwa3N2Kw

Additionally, I own a pretty large phone (iPhone 14 Pro) and found that I had to remove the case in order to get it to fit in the phone storage area (or whatever it's called).  I've learned that if you put the bike's key underneath your phone so it sits higher, it will fit with the case and be able to close due to the strange way the closing mechanism works.  Neat tip.

Yes, I’m still riding it daily. This week I’ve started taking it on errands and just going on longer and faster rides…

I haven’t done a YouTube review because I would probably spend a week editing it and it would still suck. I have lots of drone videos I should get around to editing one of these days.

As far as range, my rides are usually only 20 miles so I haven’t done a test yet to see how far I can go. One thing I did notice is that riding around at slow speeds seemingly doesn’t drain the battery much, while getting it up to 70 miles an hour ticks away that juice FAST. So I would say range depends on speed a great deal. From the numbers I’ve seen online, rider weight plays a big role as well. That being said, I’m 6’3” and 210lbs and it seems plenty quick and the range hasn’t been an issue for me yet. I’d be hesitant to take it more than 20 miles from my house though, especially on the freeway.

Wow that's nuts. It's relatively simple here in NY. Take the MSO / the MV-50 form (don't remember the form number for people out of state but it's the same thing) to the DMV along with an insurance card and a check.

Give them the MSO, the insurance card the filled out MV-50 fill out the check for the sales tax and plate fee and leave with a license plate and a temp inspection sticker. You then have 14 (21?) days to get to a shop that does motorcycle inspections.

You can also do it all online now. Just have to wait for them to mail you the plate. But since I have the patience of a sugared up 6 year old going to the DMV is a better option. I may have done this a few times......

Back to the more important issue still riding every morning? Youtube video review?
Real range test? I have seen numbers all over the map from people. Wonder if it's them or the bike or a combo.

-Dave

I finally got the Metacycle registered. Still waiting on my insurance company to send me a policy… I will say the experience of trying to register this thing is enough to make anyone a Libertarian. They had me jump through so many hoops and bring my motorcycle in because they “never saw an electric motorcycle before.” After 4 trips to the MVD and eventually just paying a third party service over $400, I got it registered. A horrible experience, but at least it is behind me now and I can legally enjoy this beast (once my insurance company figures out what to do).

First thing I do when I get up every morning is go for a ride. I‘ve even started wearing a helmet when I leave the neighborhood after deciding that was probably the wise thing to do.

My take on it. It’s plenty fast enough for a regular rider. I’m not sure I’d want to take it on a highway, but city streets it is great. I get a little nervous when I get it over 50mph, but it’s certainly capable. Fastest I’ve gone on it was 70mph so far. My only real gripe about it is that after 30 minutes of riding you feel that seat. It’s super fun though and I love seeing everyone’s head turn as I fly by silently. Cool getting the nod from other bikers too.

By far the most fun (and dangerous) toy I’ve ever owned. A great baby step into electric vehicles and motorcycles. Super easy to ride and so far no issues. One of these days I might have to see if my drone can follow along for some video.

Did you get any time in the saddle at all?
You are still active and posting so you didn't drive yourself full speed into a brick wall again.

I still have not heard, but since it's been in the single digit / mid teens in terms of temperature here (supposed to get up to freezing tomorrow) not a big deal.

-Dave

The Metacycle has arrived.  Earlier in the week I received a package via FedEx with the charger and paperwork for the bike, then yesterday I received delivery via the biggest delivery truck I've ever seen.  The guy shipping the bikes was nice and told me that everyone was very happy to be receiving their bikes for Christmas but that nobody had many nice things to say about the honesty of the company.  That's a bit to be expected given the promises vs reality of the situation.  However, I'm impressed with the looks and feel of the Metacycle so far (although the seat may be a bit of a rapist) and seeing it ridden with no noise is strangely satisfying.  It's charging right now so I'm happy.  I'm sure I'll post some pics and a bit of a review after the holidays, as I don't think I'll get much opportunity to play with it for a couple weeks.

Most importantly, this product is not vaporware!

Just received word from Sondors that the Metacycle should be here next week. Great timing for a Christmas present. They’re mailing the charger and stuff to me and gave instructions on how to register the Metacycle. They also said if I’m not available there is a $250 charge to reschedule delivery. I’ll update again when something else happens. It does appear this product is not vaporware as suggested by many.

Engaging Dad mode.....

1) Dress for the crash not the ride.

2) Take a rider safety class. Don't remember what state you are in but almost all of them have them through the MSF ( https://msf-usa.org/ ) or some other organizations.

3) Spend more time then I mentioned earlier getting familiar with the bike in an empty parking lot or similar area. Not sure how long it's been since the Hondamatic days but...

4) Remember there are 2 types of people in cars. Those that want to run you over because they don't like bikers and we are all bad, and those that don't want to run you over but will anyway since they don't see you. That's it, the only 2 types of people in cars.

5) Not just for the electric bike but most bikes the range to empty is not like a car where you can go for a while after 0. With just about every thing I have ridden gas & electric you run out a lot sooner then you think. Which then proves that you can convert energy back into matter. Because the longer you push, the heavier it gets.

....ending Dad mode.

-Dave

Thanks.  Giving some background on my riding experience...  The only street motorcycle I've ever ridden was a Hondamatic 400 about 20 years ago.  I crashed it into a brick wall trying to beat an automatic gate after leaving a party (I was a teen).  I decided after looking at how I rode the thing that I would for sure kill myself because I have what some may call impulse control issues when it comes to dangerous activities.  I'd like to think I'm more wise and responsible now, but we'll see.

That being said, the Hondamatic was also an automatic clutch motorcycle, so I feel like it will be somewhat similar to the Metacycle.  However, if you enjoy my coins at all and have been thinking about buying any in the future, I'd recommend doing so before I start riding this thing around town.  Maybe they'll be collector's items if the worst (or best depending on your view of me) occurs.  https://nastyfans.org/mint

Sure, make those of us in the north who can't ride all year jealous :-)

Seriously congrats and enjoy it.

Obligatory since I don't know how much you do ride / have ridden: electric bikes have a totally different feel off the line and in the torque curve. Although one like this is probably not as bad as the Livewire or a Zero, don't just hop onto a trafficked road, do a few loops in a parking lot 1st.

Been there done that. Hopping off a 125+HP 80 ft-lb torque bike onto a under 50HP and 80 FT-LB torque Zero I almost launched myself into the side of the building.
The power is just THERE no clutch let out, no build up, just go.

-Dave

The email I have been waiting for has arrived. My Metacycle is set to arrive sometime in the next month. I should be receiving a call in the near future to schedule the exact date. Pretty exciting. I’ve never owned an electric vehicle before so for me this is quite a step forward that I’ve been looking forward to. Now I am crossing my fingers and hoping it gets here in time for Christmas.

Today I received an email to confirm my address for Sondors so that they could place me onto the delivery schedule and assign me a VIN #. No idea if that means I’ll be hearing from them soon or not, but it seems like things are happening. Last week I read that they were expanding shipping outside of California so it’s possible that everyone received the same confirmation request from Sondors.

Another good review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSaf32bnmeU

I don't have a firm delivery date either, but I was asked to pay the final $700 shipping fee, which I did.  Their instagram account says that the black ones should all be shipped by the end of the year if you've already paid, so that's what I'm expecting.  Maybe by Christmas I'll have some cool pictures to show. 

The seat comfort does seem to be an issue, but it's not like you'll be on it for all that long.  It's a short range bike.  For me, I mostly care about acceleration and range, but for $5K it's impressive this thing works to me.  Maybe I'll get addicted and need a LiveWire, but for now I'm pretty sure this will scratch the itch of wanting an electric vehicle until the Cybertruck ships. 

Fortnine has a short review up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVjrt-JCKLg

I still don't have a firm delivery, but at this point I am perfectly happy letting them keep the bike and me keep the final payment till next year. Really don't need to get it and have the warranty start, pay for insurance and registration for it to sit in storage for months.
The 0 to 60 is slower then I thought it would be IRL but other then that it all tracks.

From reading other online motorcycle discussions, I am surprised of the number of people who just found out from the 1 second comment in the video that it's made in China. And seriously, when the seat looks like that, do you really expect comfort?

-Dave

I received a request to make the final shipping payment, which I have now done. The payment is now $700 and I’m told to expect my Metacycle by the end of the year. I was told via phone to expect it this month, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Good to see movement though. I mostly hope I get it before next spring’s ‘riding season’ arrives.