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I waited for this day for nearly two years, biding my time until I would finally get a chance to throw a leg over the SONDORS Metacycle electric motorcycle and ride off into the sunset with the twist of a wrist.

I never quite got that sunset, but an overcast LA morning was the next best thing I could wrangle up on short notice. The SONDORS team let me take out an early production Metacycle to get a sense of how the bike rides and whether or not it lives up to the long-building hype.

Where did the bike come from?

Just a quick refresher to set the stage: SONDORS is an electric bicycle company that unveiled a sexy-looking $5,000 electric motorcycle set to drastically expand the brand’s market reach. The bike claimed impressive specs including an 80 mph (130 km/h) top speed and an 80 mile (130 km) range to match.

The project ended up running a bit long in the production cycle, rolling out nearly a year after the earliest promised delivery date.

Over that time, the specs and appearance started to change too. The sexy silvery polished aluminum frame turned into a gray painted frame. The bike had less-than-elegant plastic bits added all over, including necessary DOT parts, like a rear fender to hold the license plate, larger (and more legal) lights and signals, etc. The SONDORS Metacycle somehow gained around 100 pounds (45 kg) from its target weight. The quick release battery turned into a slow-release battery that requires a tool. And the price walked up from $5,000 to $6,500.

So yeah, there were a lot of changes along the way: Some were for legal reasons. Some were for comfort reasons (like a plusher padded seat). And some were likely cost savings measures. I can’t imagine how many hours went into polishing that prototype’s shiny aluminum frame. It surely wasn’t cost-effective for mass production.

After all of that, the bikes finally started rolling out to early reservation holders, or at least those folks who were living in Southern California.

And that’s where I come in. I may not live in Southern California, but while passing through, I got to borrow one of these early bikes for the morning, and here I am to tell you about it.

Make sure you check out my video below if you want to see the bike in action.

Love the one you’re with

I’d have loved to ride the original SONDORS Metacycle from all those beautiful product shots we saw in early 2021. But that’s not the bike that is getting delivered these days. That bike now exists only in the thoughts and memories of those who drooled over it many months ago. So all I can do is tell you how the real-world SONDORS Metacycle looks, feels, and rides.

For anyone that laid down a cool five G’s last year and is getting a somewhat different bike than they expected, that’s definitely a bummer, and I feel your pain. But what I can tell you is that the bike you’re getting is still a fun ride. And it’s still an awesome little commuter bike.

With SONDORS’s background in electric bicycles, it’s no surprise that the company’s first electric motorcycle is a commuter-spec bike. It’s not overly powerful, and it’s not overly sporty. But that doesn’t mean it can’t offer a fun ride.

sondors metacycle review

The bike feels much lighter than its reportedly more than 300 pound (136 kg) curb weight. It spits right out in front of traffic when the light turns green, which is exactly what I want in a commuter bike.

I don’t need to beat a Ducati off the line. I just need to beat that distracted SUV driver texting her boyfriend while juggling a latte in the other hand.

With so much of the bike’s weight mounted down south with that low-slung battery and rear hub motor, the bike is quick to lean and quicker to stand back up, making for a nimble ride in traffic. And the SONDORS Metacycle is so easy to ride that it feels like a great starter bike. It’s basically a sexy scooter. Someone who has spent years on electric bicycles but has no motorcycle experience could hop on it and feel at home. In one ride, they’d probably be comfortable with it, though riding at highway speeds for someone only used to going 30 mph (48 km/h) on an electric bicycle can sometimes take a bit longer to get used to.

But for so many e-bike riders that have toyed with the idea of upgrading to an electric motorcycle, the Metacycle is probably one of the best candidates I’ve ridden in terms of easing that transition by blurring the line between e-bike, e-moped, and e-moto.

sondors metacycle review

The 14.5 kW peak rated motor puts out 20 horsepower, which is sufficient for this type of commuter riding but isn’t going to leave you slipping off that narrow seat. Speaking of which, I was expecting the seat to be an issue, but I found it to be surprisingly comfortable. I’m not a big guy myself, and I don’t have an American-sized rear end, so perhaps that’s part of it, but I felt like I could sit on that bike for hours without an issue. The hour or so I spent on it was perfectly comfortable.

The only uncomfortable part of the bike to me was how my ankles tended to rub on the wide battery case. By changing my stance a bit, I could mostly get away from it, but I think if the battery had stayed as slim as it looked in the original prototype photos, then that issue would have been avoided entirely.

Other than that though, the bike felt quite comfortable and confidence inspiring. In fact, the SONDORS Metacycle largely feels like a scaled up electric bicycle, which makes sense based on the company’s roots. You’re in a more upright riding position that gives you a better view of the road and the cars around you. It’s not a little City Slicker electric motorcycle, but it’s also not a big Energica either.

The bike even had some cool features that I’ve never seen anywhere else. That glove box with the wireless charger is a really cool feature that likely came out of SONDORS never having designed a motorcycle before and not being limited by what people think of as conventional motorcycle features. It’s easier to think outside of the box when you’ve never seen the box before.

I did notice that occasionally I’d hit a big bump and my phone would jump around a bit, stopping and then starting the wireless charging if it didn’t quite land back in the correct spot. But as long as I stayed away from major potholes, it wasn’t too much of an issue.

And speaking of those potholes, the bike’s suspension was also decent. It’s not super plush, and you do have a pile of unsprung weight in the rear wheel, but then again, this isn’t a performance bike. For cruising around town and hitting the freeway, the suspension was more than adequate.

sondors metacycle review

What are the disadvantages of the SONDORS Metacycle?

As much as I enjoyed the ride, there were several areas that seemed a bit limiting to me.

First was the range. With just a 4,000 Wh battery, you’re not going to be going too terribly far. They claim a maximum range of 80 miles (130 km), but that’s likely only possible at electric bicycle speeds.

Here’s a little tip for you and a quick way you can suss out whether or not e-bike or e-motorcycle ranges are BS. Use these two numbers: 25 Wh/mile and 50 Wh/mile. The former is the efficiency of an average e-bike on throttle only at around 20-25 mph. The latter is the same figure for a light electric motorcycle or seated electric scooter (think Vespa-style) at around 30 mph.

So if you’re sticking to absolute city speeds, you can take an e-scooter or light e-moto’s battery capacity in watt-hours and divide it by 50 Wh/mile. In this case, that’s 4,000 Wh divided by 50 Wh/mi, giving us 80 miles. Bam. There you go. So if you’re super gentle on the throttle and you don’t exceed 30 mph, you might be able to just eke out that 80 miles of range from the SONDORS Metacycle. But good luck staying at those speeds.

sondors metacycle review

During my riding, I had an extrapolated range of around 40-45 miles (64-72 km), though that was with plenty of highway riding and ample use of the sport mode button (more on that in a moment). As a commuter bike, that’s probably fine for most people.

If you need to take a highway and you have a commute of less than 20 miles (32 km), or double that if you can charge at work, then the bike can work for you. But the SONDORS Metacycle is not a long-range motorcycle by any stretch of the imagination.

Oh, and one more thing about the battery. The display uses one of those 10-segment battery bar icons instead of displaying a battery percentage. That may be fine for some people, but my engineering background makes me super uncomfortable with that fuzzy approximation. I’d rather see battery voltage if I could, but if not, then at least give me a battery percentage readout. I don’t need five significant figures, but I’d rather know I have 28% battery charge than just that it’s somewhere between 20-30%. Don’t do the analysis for me with battery bars; just tell me exactly what I have left!

Actually, one more thing about the battery. The fact that you can’t remove the battery using some type of quick release anymore, which was part of the original design, is also a bummer for those that wanted to carry it into their home or apartment for charging each night. That was a huge feature that somehow got left by the wayside. For those that planned to bring the battery inside an apartment to charge, going through a two-minute procedure that includes unbolting several bolts in an aluminum housing each day just isn’t realistic.

Now let’s talk about that top speed. Yes, the bike can hit 80 mph (130 km/h), at least assuming the speedometer is accurate. But it can’t sustain it.

I always assumed that 80 mph top speed from the marketing was going to be a constant top speed. But the SONDORS Metacycle actually tops out somewhere between 60-70 mph (96-112 km/h) during normal cruising. There’s a turbo button that engages Sport Mode for about a minute or so and lets you get up to 80 mph. That makes it good for passing or other maneuvers where you’d want all of your power and speed on tap. But once that minute is up, you’ve got to wait a bit before you can use the turbo button again. It’s like a power-up in a video game that has a recharge period.

If you never take roads that require going over 65 mph or so, then this won’t even be an issue to you. But if you were counting on that 80 mph top speed to always be there, then you’re in for a rude awakening.

Lastly, as much as I enjoyed the ride, it felt like there was just something missing. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but the bike didn’t seem to have the same passion that I feel on other electric motorcycles I ride. I know that’s an annoyingly vague sentence, but to be fair, it’s an annoyingly vague feeling. I don’t know quite how to describe what’s missing or why it feels that way. Maybe it’s the muted scooter-style performance. Maybe it’s the lack of a belt drive to give some type of sound feedback. Maybe it’s that its so easy to ride that you almost feel like you’re on an electric bicycle. I’m not quite sure. I’m not saying it’s not fun. It’s absolutely an enjoyable ride! But it just doesn’t have that passion to it that I feel on other bikes.

Part of that feeling may be that I went into this with the wrong frame of mind. I had been on a LiveWire One and an Energica Eva Ribelle in the few days before riding the Metacycle. Those two flagship electric motorcycles have several times the power of the Metacycle and are completely different beasts. When you hop on the Metacycle, you have to remember what it is and what it isn’t. It’s a fun and engaging ride, but you should expect performance more in line with a good, peppy scooter. It’s not a flagship electric motorcycle, and it was never meant to compete with those bikes.

Would I buy the SONDORS Metacycle?

Yes, definitely. Despite the list of disadvantages and even at its now higher $6,500 price, I still think the SONDORS Metacycle is worth it.

There are downsides, sure. Until they release some type of storage box for that center cavity, you can’t really carry anything on it that doesn’t fit in the TI-84 calculator-sized glove box. And even though they talked about releasing pillion pegs at some point, it doesn’t seem like a bike that is going to be comfortable for two riders. And of course, it’s not a long-range bike.

But even despite its shortcomings, it’s great at what it is designed to do. This is a commuter electric motorcycle, through and through, and it has to be judged through that lens. I’d rather ride the Metacycle any day of the week, experiencing the world around me, than be commuting in a car watching the world go by like a rerun on TV.

It feels so light and so easy to ride. I mean it when I say that it’s probably the best electric motorcycle out there right now for easing an e-bike rider looking to enter into the world of e-motorcycles. It’s a transition bike.

It’s got some stiff competition on the horizon though. Bikes like the Ryvid Anthem and the CSC RX1E are a few thousand bucks more expensive but offer their own compelling cases. And with the SONDORS current order books looking like it might take a year or more to fulfill outstanding reservations, those other bikes could be preparing to eat the Metacycle’s lunch sooner rather than later.

But assuming SONDORS can deliver, then I think the Metacycle is definitely going to have its place in the light electric motorcycle market.

sondors metacycle review

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Personalize your Tesla and add range with HALODISC 2 wheel covers

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Personalize your Tesla and add range with HALODISC 2 wheel covers

Tesla drivers, if you’ve been looking for a way to protect your OEM wheels, turn heads, and bonus – squeeze out more range! – the all-new HALODISC 2 Custom Numbers wheel covers from Haloblk (pronounced “halo-black”) check every box.

Electrek readers can use promo code ELECTREK25 for 25% OFF throughout October.

These aren’t just any wheel covers. They’re explicitly engineered for Tesla and proven by thousands of drivers to boost range by up to 10%. The sleek, aerodynamic design cuts through air resistance and reduces wheel turbulence, so you get more miles out of every charge – especially on highways and long road trips. Available in black or white, you can pick the color that best matches your Tesla’s look.

Racing-inspired performance meets everyday practicality

The HALODISC 2 wheel covers feature a racing-inspired center-lock system, ensuring maximum stability and safety at every speed. Installation takes just 30 seconds using the included tool, and the full-coverage design shields your OEM wheels from scratches and curb rash. They even come with an integrated anti-theft mechanism, so you know they’ll always be secure.

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Personalize them: your number, your story

Here’s where things get really fun. The Custom Numbers Series lets you choose a number from 00 to 99 – maybe it’s your birth year, a lucky number, or something meaningful to you. You can also engrave up to 30 characters of custom text on each wheel cover. Whether it’s a motto, a dedication, or something that makes you smile, this bespoke touch makes your Tesla truly yours.

Built for every Tesla

The HALODISC 2 wheel covers fit all major Tesla models, including the Model 3, Model 3 Highland, Model Y, Model Y Juniper, Model S, and Model X. They’re compatible with 20+ OEM wheel sizes, so you can upgrade your ride no matter what you drive.

Early access & exclusive discounts

Electrek readers get special treatment:

  • But here’s the best part: Electrek readers can use promo code ELECTREK25 for 25% OFF. One-time use per customer. A set of four wheel covers starts at $449.

Boost your range, protect your wheels, and tell your story – all in one sleek upgrade.

Bonus gift for Electrek readers

The first 10 customers who purchase HALODISC 2 Custom Numbers using the ELECTREK25 promo code will receive a free HALOBLK Carbon Fiber Emblem – Halo Effect Series.

This emblem is crafted from genuine carbon fiber – not plastic or chrome – delivering lightweight durability, impact resistance, and a high-performance aesthetic. Built to resist UV, weather, and everyday wear, it retains its gloss and finish over time, unlike standard ABS or plated emblems that fade.

With eight different carbon weave and light-reflective finishes, the Halo Effect Series gives Tesla owners unique styling options. It’s a rare upgrade: True carbon fiber emblems are typically reserved for racing and high-performance vehicles.

Choosing one is more than just an aesthetic decision; it’s a cultural nod to motorsport heritage and a way to stand out from uniform OEM emblems. It ships together with your HALODISC 2 order (US only).

Follow Haloblk on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook


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Tesla pushes Tron: Ares ad inside its cars, upsetting owners

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Tesla pushes Tron: Ares ad inside its cars, upsetting owners

Tesla has partnered with its recent foe, Disney, to promote its latest movie, Tron: Ares, with an in-car update that is not making everyone happy.

Many owners view it as Tesla making in-car advertisements and/or working on something that distracts them from needed software updates.

Today, Tesla announced and began pushing an update to its car owners, which essentially amounts to an advertisement for Disney’s new movie, Tron: Ares.

The update enables owners to turn their in-car visualization into a Tron bike.

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The update is surprising on several levels, as it essentially serves as an advertisement for a Disney movie.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, is notoriously not a fan of Disney and has even removed Disney+ from the Tesla Theater.

However, more importantly, Tesla is pushing advertisements to its vehicle owners inside their cars, and people are not happy.

Examining the first few dozen comments below the announcement, the reaction is mainly negative.

Tesla owner Matt Chinander wrote:

“Oh good, advertisements are making it in my car.”

Austin Harrison added:

I’m sorry but this is an absolutely worthless update. Also, when did Tesla start partnering with woke companies like Disney? Didn’t Elon just go a rampage LAST WEEK against woke?

Tesla owners are also upset that the automaker spent time and resources developing this software update rather than working on more significant updates, such as delivering on its long-promised full self-driving capabilities, especially on older HW3 cars, which have been left untouched for more than a year.

Electrek’s Take

Yes, this is not a good look. This is definitely a promotional effort for the movie. The question is: Is Tesla getting paid for this?

Is it really pushing advertising inside its vehicles?

Even if it is a cross-promotional effort, it doesn’t look great, and it’s a clear step toward automakers pushing ads inside connected vehicles.

I am not a fan all around. The idea of Tesla pushing ads in-car is not ideal, and this partnership itself is a questionable move.

I loved the original Tron movie. Legacy wasn’t great, but the soundtrack was outstanding. That said, I don’t have high hopes for this new one based on the trailer, which looked cheesy. It currently holds a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The most disappointing aspect is that Tesla would spend any effort on this rather than on much-needed updates to its user interface and other software features within its vehicles.

Prediction: within the next year, Tesla will start doing this more often and offer an “ad-free experience” with its “premium connectivity subscription.”

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Ford just scrapped its $7,500 EV tax credit program, but there’s still a way to save

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Ford just scrapped its ,500 EV tax credit program, but there's still a way to save

Ford is no longer planning to offer a program that would extend the $7,500 EV tax credit for at least another few months. The company said it will continue offering competitive lease payments.

Ford ends $7,500 EV tax credit program for leases

Just a day after GM suddenly ended plans for a program to extend the $7,500 EV tax credit for leases, Ford announced it will also end the offer.

“Ford will not claim the EV tax credit,” a company spokesperson confirmed with Reuters on Thursday. However, don’t expect all the savings to disappear. At least, not yet. The spokesperson added Ford will still offer the “competitive lease payments we have in the market today.”

The move comes after crosstown rival GM announced a similar decision on Wednesday. Last week, Reuters reported that Ford and GM were planning to launch programs to extend the $7,500 tax credit for EV leases.

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The program involved purchasing EVs from dealer inventories through their financing divisions, enabling them to become eligible for the credit.

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Ford Mustang Mach-E (left) and F-150 Lightning (right) (Source: Ford)

Ford and GM would then use the funds to continue offering the $7,500 credit for those leasing an EV. The programs were expected to run at least a few months after the September 30 deadline.

The company spokesperson said Ford Credit is still offering 0% APR financing for 72 months, along with other incentives, for electric vehicle buyers.

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2025 Ford F-150 Lightning (Source: Ford)

A source close to the matter told Reuters that GM scrapped the program after Republican Senator Bernie Moreno called to close a loophole that enabled the credit to be passed on through leasing.

“GM worked on an extended offer for the benefit of our customers and dealers,” a company spokesperson said, adding, “After further consideration, we have decided not to claim the tax credit.” The company will provide about $6,000 of its own cash instead to continue supporting EV leases. GM will also continue to fund the incentive lease terms until the end of October.

Several automakers are promising to keep the savings going with incentives of their own, including Hyundai, BMW, and Stellantis.

Looking to grab the savings while they are still here? You can use our links below to find available models in your area.

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