We see a number of electric motorcycles get introduced, but they’re often pretty expensive, or kind of rinky-dink little things with little speed or range. They can look pretty weird, too, which was our first thought when we saw the Sondors Metacycle at Motorcycle Daily. Then we saw the price: $5,000. That’s on par with a lot of electric bicycles, and as we continued reading, we expected the specs to be the same. Not the case. Sondors says the Metacycle can reach speeds up to 80 mph, and travel up to 80 miles on a charge from its 4-kilowatt-hour battery. It suddenly looked a lot less odd, and more like something we could see ourselves riding.
Diving a little deeper in to the specs, the Metacycle has a curb weight of about 200 pounds. Moving that weight (and its rider’s) is a permanent magnet AC hub motor providing a nominal 8 kilowatts (or 11 horsepower) and 80 pound-feet of torque, with a peak output of 14.5 kW (20 hp) and 130 lb-ft. It can charge using the included 110-volt charger, or with an optional Level 2 charger insert for taking advantage of public chargers. Sondors told Electrek that it will also offer a range extender battery of “probably 3 kWh.”
The bike is made from cast aluminum, with a wheelbase of 52 inches and a seat height of 31.5 inches. It comes in three colors: Naked Silver, Arctic white and Supermassive black. It rides on Michelin Road 5 tires (150/60 R17 rear, 110/70 R17 front), with single disc brakes front and rear. It also has a small phone cubby with wireless charging and a clear cover in front of the seat.
Sondors plans to begin deliveries of the Metacycle late this year. The company also has a line of reasonably priced e-bikes for those who aren’t looking to hit highway speeds. The company is also working on an electric car. Currently called the Sondors EV, the three-wheeled car will seat three, travel 300 miles on a charge and do 0-60 mph in 5 seconds.
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