ONYX Motors has just announced the second version of its storied RCR electric moped launched since the brand’s revival late last year. The new ONYX RCR 80V pushes the bike to its highest performance yet, breaking new power and speed records for the company while simultaneously raising questions about how to properly classify these fast electric motorbikes with pedals – and just who they’re for.

The ONYX RCR 80V is built on a similar foundation to the previous RCR LTD, but with several modifications, including the namesake higher-voltage battery.

The new RCR replaces the previous 72V system with a higher-voltage 80V setup, capable of both higher power and higher speed. The moped now pushes past the previous 60 mph (96 km/h) rating, reaching above 65 mph (105 km/h).

The acceleration has also received a notable increase. It now attains speeds of 30 mph (48 km/h) in just 1.7 seconds. The 8 kW nominally-rated rear hub motor puts out a screaming 18 kW of peak power, enabling that impressive acceleration.

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The motor is powered by a large 3.6 kWh battery, which is relatively large for a two-wheeler with pedals. The range is claimed to be anywhere between 55 miles (88 km) in Sport mode and 130 miles (209 km) in Eco mode.

While the RCR does feature functional pedals, they’re not necessary to power the bike. If that battery ever does run dry on your way back home, the heavy bike could theoretically be pedaled in the low single-digit miles per hour. Your poor quads, though.

Speaking of pedaling, the ONYX RCR 80V moped design borrows heavily from both the bicycle and motorcycle worlds.

The bike rides on an aluminum frame and sports a pair of hydraulic disc brakes on 220 mm rotors, further assisted by powerful regenerative braking from the rear hub motor. The 17″ cast aluminum rims wear 4″ fat tires, and both benefit from suspension – an inverted fork in the front is matched with adjustable dual coil-over shocks in the rear.

A 16-inch (40 cm) bench seat with 2 inches (5 cm) of foam offers tush comfort, and the seat is adjustable forwards and backwards to suit riders of different heights.

A light package includes an LED headlight with high/low beams and a halo daytime running light, as well as an LED tail light plus front and rear turn signals. A TFT touch screen display offers cell phone mirroring that allows riders to see their GPS directions displayed directly on the moped’s screen. A high dB alarm is included standard, and a physical key locks the battery cover to ensure only the owner can remove it for charging.

Pricing starts at US $4,699, marked down from the MSRP of $4,999. The bike is available in three colorways via removable side panels, offering the standard Lunar Silver color as well as $50 add-ons for Space Black or Cosmic Gold panels.

High-speed, two-wheeled electric transportation is becoming increasingly popular among young adults in the US, who see powerful electric motorbikes as fun, affordable alternatives to traditional car ownership. While some companies like Ryvid come from the motorcycling world and have attempted to push electric motorcycles downmarket with more commuter-friendly specs and prices, ONYX takes the alternative strategy of pulling powerful electric bikes and mopeds upmarket with higher speeds and sportier performance than typically found in the electric bicycle industry.

As ONYX founder and Chief Design Officer Tim Seward explained to me, that approach was chosen to give riders the most flexibility with how and where they ride their mopeds.

“The RCR 80V, much like our RCR 72V, comes locked at 20 mph and 750W when shipped to our customers,” explained Tim. Technically speaking, that does fulfill the requirements of a Class 2 electric bicycle in most states, though some states like California have enacted stricter laws that preclude the use of e-bikes that have been designed to be capable of unlocking higher speeds or power levels. In that case, ONYX has a solution.

“The owner of the bike would need to register the bike as a moped or motor-driven cycle following their state’s specific guidelines, as each state has its own set of rules and regulations pertaining to how a vehicle can be ridden,” continued Tim. “We have observed that states like California and New York allow for an owner to register a one-time (lifetime) moped registration or opt for an annual motorcycle registration. In the event that an owner wants to ride strictly off-road, no registration would be required in any of the states.”

Many states have laws that carve out exceptions for mopeds or motor-driven cycles, which are generally faster and more powerful than electric bicycles, but don’t necessarily need to meet the regulatory standards of full motorcycles. These laws can often have speed or power limitations though, and they vary from state to state, further complicating the issue.

Despite ONYX’s mopeds not fully meeting the requirements for motorcycle safety standards at the federal level, this patchwork of moped and motor-driven cycle legislation does allow them to be legally registered and used on the road in some states.

According to Tim, this is all part of an effort to promote more practical two-wheeled transportation in the US. To that end, the company hopes to work directly with legislators to make that possible.

“It is ONYX Motors’ hope to see electric two-wheeled vehicles grow and be adopted at scale across the country.  Therefore, we want to work with local and federal government entities in coming up with a universally accepted, standard set of guidelines for all types of electric vehicles so that riders can enjoy their bikes in a transparent regulatory environment that protects them as well as others.”