Electric bike and electric motorcycle company SONDORS seems to be riding a new wave of orders for its SONDORS Metacycle electric motorcycle.
Last week the company created a limited discount $2,500 on his $6,500 electric motorcycle.
The discount, advertised as a form of “credit” provided by the company, would be available to the next 1,000 customers who put down a $500 deposit.
These bikes would be scheduled for deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023.
One week after the announcement of the reduction, SONDOR now says that all credits have been used.
The clearance sale appears to have created rapid demand, which should come as no surprise. $4,000 can earn you a nice 20 mph (32 km/h) e-bikeso a freeway-capable electric motorcycle for the same price sounds pretty enticing.
But the surprise discount fueled more than just a quick request. It also created significant speculation about the company’s financial situation. After the company filed for an IPO late last year and revealed a less than rosy financial report, SONDORS has since postponed the planned IPO.
The $2,500 rebate on Metacycle was seen by many as a way to support quick demand, even though it would have only resulted in an immediate injection of US$500,000 from booking deposits. Once the bikes are produced, that would be US$4 million.
The company has long operated on a pre-sale model, where deposits or full pre-sale monies are used to fund the production of each successive run of bikes. The model is commonly used in the e-bike industry, but SONDORS relied on its e-bike roots to bring the model into the e-motorcycle world.
SONDORS accelerated deliveries of its Metacycle, which was first unveiled in early 2021. The bike had a tough rollout after suffering from production delays and surprise design changes.
The Metacycle, while it failed to deliver on some of its loftier original promises, has proven itself to be a capable urban commuter bike that’s still quick enough for short jaunts at highway speeds.
Claimed maximum range of 80 miles (130 km) only achievable at slower city speeds, but mixed ranges of 40–50 miles (64–80 km) with combined city and limited highway driving were reported by cyclists. That’s not going to make it a touring bike, but should be enough for most commuters.
I took the bike one of his first public review rides (see my video review below) and found it to be a fun and nimble ride. I’d be happy to own and ride it as a commuter bike, and would recommend it for that use case. My testing showed the bike felt like the perfect upgrade for someone who comes from an e-bike background and is ready to transition to a motorcycle.
The scooter-style setup with modest power and acceleration along with dual handbrake levers make the bike easy to ride for newcomers to motorcycles. Yet it still has fun performance you can’t get from a typical e-bike.
The Metacycle became one of the first low-cost lightweight electric motorcycles to hit the market in the United States, but will soon face competition from other models.
THE SCC RX1E is slated to arrive in the US in April, and the folks at RYVID are surely hoping to grab their own sizable slice of the lightweight electric motorcycle pie when the RYVID Anthem Bike launches later this year.
In the meantime, the Metacycle is largely the only low-cost lightweight electric motorcycle in town.
Electrek’s Grasp
I don’t have any other information on SONDORS financial situation than what I reported, but the quick pre-sale of 1,000 bikes with a price lower even than the promotional launch price does not imply a strong position.
That being said, I seriously support SONDORS and hope it can help launch the Metacycle even further. Although it’s not a sport bike, I will always praise the Metacycle’s innovative design and accessible price. The bike performs well, is fun to ride, and has serious potential to bring commuter/recreational electric motorcycle riding to far more people than previously possible.
So let’s hope it works, because despite all its flaws, the Metacycle is here. OK. And we need more things like that.
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