-November 19, 2021 at 10:59 p.m. Pacific Time

The long-awaited SONDORS Metacycle electric motorcycle is now ready for production, and before the unveiling of the bike’s Los Angeles Auto Show, we provide you with an exclusive first look.

Since its launch in January this year, SONDORS Metacycle has aroused great excitement.

The maximum speed of the bike is 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) and the range of 80 miles (130 km) has filled the gap between electric mini-motorcycles and high-performance flagship electric motorcycles, and has aroused the resonance of consumers.

But what really caught the eye was the purchase price of $5,000, when the cost of even the most affordable highway electric motorcycle currently available in the United States was greatly reduced.

The updates on the Metacycle design have been continuously updated throughout the year, but now we have seen the latest version of the motorcycle for the first time after completing the certification.

As Storm Sondors, founder and CEO of SONDORS, explained to us, the bike is in a production-ready form and "all production-designed, but assembled by hand for final verification and testing."

We can see that the bicycle has undergone several modifications after it was certified for production.

The first obvious change is that the security system including lighting, reflectors and mirrors seems to have been updated.

The minimalist LED taillights get a more traditional motorcycle taillight set, adding larger lights and more obvious rear turn signals.

Similarly, the headlights have been added with larger turn signals and distributed farther to meet NHTSA's requirements for legal street certification.

The license plate frame was also moved from the rear of the bike to the new rear fender, although SONDORS explained that the white fender was temporary. All the color schemes of all production models use matte black fenders to better integrate with the tires. Metacycle will be available in black, white and brushed aluminum colors.

The rear brake calipers appear to have been updated from the down-hung four-piston setting on the prototype to a more traditional two-piston caliper.

The motor housing also seems to be different from the prototype, with the spokes appearing slightly shorter. This may indicate a smaller rim size or a larger motor diameter. The latter may be more accurate, as Storm explained to Electrek, the bike’s performance has been significantly improved, and "compared to the prototype, alternating day and night."

The battery compartment also seems to have been updated. It looks slightly modified and now reveals a wider aluminum shelf to support the removable battery. The battery itself also has a new covered port at the top left, possibly a charging port. We have seen how the battery can be easily removed for remote charging from a motorcycle.

The SONDORS representative also explained to Electrek that the updated design of the battery compartment allows for "better power output and better acceleration/range." The battery will also come with a 1,800W fast charger. At this rate, we estimate that 20%-80% of the charging time will only take more than one hour, and according to the battery's 4,000 Wh capacity rating, a full charge will take nearly three hours.

According to previous interviews with the SONDORS team and updated information, the weight of the removable battery is estimated to be approximately 45-50 pounds (20-23 kg). It is said that its 4,000 Wh capacity is sufficient for the largest city range of 80 miles (130 kilometers).

There is also an optional 2-stage charger module that can be used to fill the negative space left in the front of the frame. This will allow riders to charge at public charging stations and may provide faster charging speeds. Other accessories that can be used to fill the cavity include a storage box or a 3,000Wh auxiliary battery to extend the range of the bicycle. The rider can of course leave the space empty to preserve the futuristic look.

The updated model also allowed us to see the new thicker seat for the first time, answering one of the common complaints about the rather thin prototype seat.

We also learned that the first 2,000 units will be part of the signature series and will include the signature of founder Storm Sondors.

Anyone who wants to see the new Metacycle in person can check it out at the Los Angeles Auto Show from November 20th to 28th.

If you wish to meet Storm Sondors in person, you will need to stay between 1pm and 3pm Pacific Time on Saturday, November 27th.

Metacycle is still accepting pre-orders at a debut price of $5,000 (excluding taxes and shipping), although recent news from SONDORS indicates that the price is expected to increase soon. [Update: The reservations for this batch of motorcycles have actually been closed, and the company is receiving emails and is preparing to open a new round of reservations. 】

The latest official delivery provided by SONDORS is estimated to be September 15 this year, when the delivery schedule was postponed from Q3 to Q4 in 2021. This means that SONDORS has less than six weeks left to meet the current deadline, assuming it has not been pushed back.

We have contacted SONDORS to inquire about any updates to the delivery schedule, and we will post updates as soon as we learn more.

It's great to finally see the progress of Metacycle behind the scenes.

When this bike debuted, I pointed out that its initial form did not meet street legitimacy in many ways. After completing the certification, all these seem to have been resolved.

Some parts don't look so sleek anymore (the mirrors are a bit simple), but this is to be expected. The same is true for rear fenders and license plate holders. They don’t look so good on concept cars, but they are a necessary supplement for the production of bicycles.

This got me into production-the next obstacle. We don't have any information about the production schedule yet, this is what I am most curious about. Has it started? Is the bike still on the water? In order to achieve the delivery target at the end of the year, it is almost certain that containers will need to be loaded or transported any day, especially given the continued congestion in West Coast ports. I suspect that SONDORS will airlift the first bicycle to speed up. This will be very expensive. In fact, when Boosted started airlifting Rev scooters to the United States to save time and work hard to meet deadlines, this was part of the reason for Boosted's downfall.

So, although it's great to study Metacycle carefully, now I am eager for more. I want to know when I can actually put my legs on this great-looking bike, and many reservation holders have been filling out my inbox with the exact same questions.

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Micah Toll is a personal electric car enthusiast, battery nerd, and the author of Amazon's number one best-selling book DIY Lithium Battery, DIY Solar, and the Ultimate DIY Electric Bike Guide.

You can send him a reminder via Micah@electrek.co

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