Topic: SONDORS Metacycle - $5,000 (now $6.5K) Electric Motorcycle (Read 923 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.

I gotta say they looks amazing, unfortunately, im from Dubai and it will take a long time until i can put my hands on one of them.

That’s the number I called. It was a friendly and quick conversation and they told me to call back anytime. Maybe you got a bad customer service agent or something. I was quite pleased with the interaction. They’re also now sending weekly update emails. If you aren’t getting them, I’d check your spam filter.

On Friday the price is going up again to $6,500, a 30% increase from the original pricing.

The only negative I’ve heard so far is that supposedly the second batch will not have regenerative braking, but that may be coming for batch 3. This may also explain the hefty price increases, but everything seems to be hearsay at the moment.

What number did you call?  I tried 323-675-2711 back in June and was more or less told 'don't call us, we'll call you' I have had 0 contact from them as has someone else I know who ordered even before me.

But, since I ordered WAY before you I am surprised that what they call batch 2 is going to be in September when earlier people have not gotten theirs or even a notification.

Really starting to wonder if they are doing west coast / big cities 1st and working their way out.
Not a bad way to do things from the business end get the closer to factory and more population dense areas 1st and then move out to where you need to spend more travel time (read money) to get to the customers.

-Dave

I called them and was told that my order was in batch 2.  They told me that I could expect it to be shipped in September.  I also noticed that they were about a month behind on their recent delivery estimates, so I'm not expecting mine before October.  A lot will depend on which color you picked and the availability though.  I went with the all black, so hopefully that wasn't a popular choice.  It's worth giving them a call though.  It was a quick and easy conversation that only took a minute and it's nice to know that they're expecting to ship it so soon.

From the other comments I have seen it's 40 miles if it's downhill. Which is odd, since it does seem to be getting 65ish in the city in those same reviews. Most likely is going to need some software tweaks on the motor controller. But as a city / commuter bike it's more then enough. Still have not heard on my order so I guess I am not getting it for this riding season As for the seat, if the range really is that low it's not important to my ass. Not like you are really going to be on it for that long.

-Dave

The Sondors Metacycle is real and it's on the road!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8fkCzvfWTY

From this video you can see a guy cruising around on it and talking about his thoughts on the bike from his ride.  Some things to note.  The bike can indeed travel a maximum of 40 miles on the freeway.  This is if you dropped it on the freeway with a full charge.  Clearly this is not a bike meant to ride at such high speeds even though it is capable.  The rider also complained quite a bit about the thin bike seat and wishing it was 1 or 2 inches wider.  I'm not sure how big the rider is, but this is probably the first thing I'll check out when mine arrives. 

Nice to know it isn't vaporware.  That price seemed too good to be true.

It looks like the shipping notifications have started going out as of last week.  The first batch of orders are required to pay a $700 white glove delivery service fee, which is said to be discounted.  That means the rest of us will likely have to pay $1,000 or thereabouts.  With these vehicles on the way to customers now, it will only be a matter of time before we can see what they are actually capable of.  So far they've proven to be a good Bitcoin investment.  The day I made my order and posted this thread, BTC was trading at $59,000.  Today it is trading at $19K and the cost of the Metacycle has increased by $1000.  That means if you followed my purchase, you bought your Metacycle for 0.08474576 BTC and today it costs 0.31578947 BTC.  This is why I said it, "might even be an attractive speculative investment for resale."  If you're one of those people who does accounting on the Bitcoin Standard, that's a nearly 273% gain in BTC (or a 20% gain in USD).  This doesn't even take into consideration the tax rebates for an electric vehicle (still not 100% on that).  It will be interesting to see what the final numbers are when I receive it.

Nobody I know has gotten a notification even with early orders. Wonder if they are doing more local to the factory deliveries 1st to work out any issues.
I have gotten more communications from my bank about the payments then Sondors with updates or anything about the delivery.
Hope to get at least some riding on it this year.

-Dave

Looks like these bikes are indeed going to become a reality.  Sondors claims they're still going to make shipping to customers this month.  I am personally slated in their next production run, which is expected currently to ship in September.  Still, it is great to see that they are real and customers will have them in their hands soon.  You can get an update from the professionals in this youtube video, but I'm excited to have my first electric vehicle incoming in the next several months. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQXT6CiHOmk

The production Metacycle has been spotted out in the wild and a video has been posted on YouTube. Seeing so much black on the silver mode makes me regret my decision to go with the black model less. Something will definitely need to be done about those mirrors though.

https://youtu.be/WE7dFS8ymn8

Sondors announced that the Metacycle price is increasing by $1000 on January 16th. That leaves only a couple weeks to lock in a $1000 savings if you were interested in getting an awesome bike for relatively low financial risk. We all knew this was coming but it’s nice to see it happen. I’m sure with inflation in the US quickly approaching 10%, this won’t be the last price increase we’ll see before these things hit the streets en masse.

Ya, that’s a sick bike. If you’re willing to spend over $10K then there’s that or another company I saw that makes mostly $20K motorcycles but does have one that starts at $12K. Those bikes are definitely better, but at more than double the price there’s a bit more financial risk. Part of the allure for me is knowing that if I don’t like the bike when I do receive it, or decide to upgrade to something else for more power, I’ll likely be able to sell it for a profit.

Over 2x the price of the Sondors but: https://www.fuell.us/products/fuell-fllow-e-motorcycle
It's from Erik Buell who has been into motorcycles forever and Frédéric Vasseur who has been a motorsports engineer forever.
And they are NYC based so I have seen their demo.

-Dave

I think it looks badass and if you’re using things you purchase to try and earn respect you’re doing it wrong.

I wouldn’t want to ride on a scooter personally. I wanted a badass electric bike to play around on. I’m not a hardcore motorcyclist and the idea of taking a long motorcycle trip ain’t for me. That’s what Tesla’s self driving system is for. Quick trips around town though, how could you think this wouldn’t bring joy? For me it was between this or an electric drifting go-cart for an EV toy. I think I made the right decision. This will look great next to my cybertruck.

This might be an off-topic, but you wont get any respect from hogs when riding motorcycle like that.

This moped looks ugly. Bet it wont bring any joy riding, compared to a motorcycle.

If you are looking for something electric, why not get a scooter ?

IMO it's looking to compete with the city bikes that are cropping up from everyone. Kawasaki Z125 / Honda Grom type ones.
The biggest issue I see is the price. Once all of us early adopters get them. And the green people get them. They are competing with gas powered bikes that are 1/2 the price and "real" electric bikes that although are 2x the price are a lot more bike.

There is going to be a lot of competition in this space lets see how they do.

-Dave

It feels like a crossover, something hard to categorize -- a moped you can take on the highway, maybe? But with the low-end electric torque, even that tame 11-20 HP might feel amazing at the start... hard to be sure. I look forward to trying one. I think it's a new sort of thing, that might seem obvious in retrospect.

The silver does look great and that's the image that got me to make the purchase.  After some thinking though I went with black.  The thinking was that if you're going to buy a silent motorcycle so people can't hear you, you might as well make it black so they can't see you either. 

This will make a great quote for when I'm killed in a motorcycle crash.



The price is definitely a motivating factor.  When you figure in tax credits (if these end up being included) and the fact that the price is being raised, it isn't much of a risk.  If you don't like it, you can claim the tax credit and then sell it at a profit (maybe). 

I would agree with you about it having some likely issues due to the hype.  There's no way you're getting 80 miles on the freeway on a charge for example.  Probably closer to 35.  That battery pack is also 50lbs, so it's not the great carry around to charge experience they make it seem.  They are supposedly releasing an addon battery for the hollow space between your legs (giggity) but that will add more expense and make charging even more difficult (or maybe faster to charge 2 at once) so it's a fine line.  If you just want an electric bike for quick 10 minute trips somewhere though, it will be tough to beat by any motorcycle in my opinion.

You can get a zero or energica today. No waiting. Well, it's Sunday night you may have to wait till tomorrow.
Yes they are way more expensive, but they have dealer networks, long term support and are proven designs.

With that being said, I am also in line for a Sondors, but I don't think it's going to be as good as the hype and doubt I'll see it before the middle of next riding season.

-Dave

Silver or black? Normally I go straight for black, but the brushed silver looks pretty great.

It appears as though the latest Bill passed by our government to give out free money will be going to electric vehicle purchasers.  I don't think even the politicians have figured out all the details yet, but if I'm not mistaken you may receive a 30% tax credit for the purchase of one of these vehicles.  Add that to the fact that the company emailed me and said the price will be elevated to $6,000 as soon as this batch is sold out, and this might even be an attractive speculative investment for resale.  Not what I plan to do, but I'll be surprised if I can't sell this thing for a $1750 profit the day I get it.  Although I plan to have a lot more than $1750 worth of fun on this thing so I won't be selling.  With the current inflationary environment, there's the real possibility of getting to play with fun toys like this and then sell them for a profit to buy more fun toys and repeat.  This sort of environment doesn't come along very often, so you wouldn't be completely irresponsible to speculate on some toys at the moment.  Especially if the government is going to help with the bill and they can't figure out how to fix the supply chain issues... 

I've been looking at getting into electric vehicles for a long time, but it seems like the technology is now making it a feasible reality.  SONDORS Metacycle is once again taking orders for their Metacycle (I'm in), which is due to be shipped in Q1 of 2022 (originally planned for Q3 of 2021).  With all the delays in trying to get your hands on an electric vehicle, this might be a good way to scratch the itch while having some fun and not breaking the bank.  I'd highly recommend it for someone who needs a new toy or maybe someone in a position like myself, where you no longer want to drive a gas powered vehicle, but wait times for a Tesla are too much to bear.

SONDORS Metacycle
https://sondorsx.com/pages/metacycle

Price of Metacycle when posted (November 25, 2021): 0.08474576 BTC
Metacycle price if ordered July 4th, 2022: 0.31365988 BTC