The $5,000 SONDORS Metacycle electric motorcycle received a huge response upon its unveiling, but many reservation holders have been left scratching their heads and looking at an empty space in their garage while they await a delayed delivery. Now we’re getting updated specifics on exactly when SONDORS expects to deliver the first Metacycles to eager riders.
The Metacycle caused such a reaction in the industry due to its lofty specs of 80 mph (130 km/h) speeds and range of up to 80 miles (130 km) while retaining a modest price of just $5,000.
That led to a rush of pre-order deposits for the bike, even though the exact delivery timeline was still somewhat fluid.
Now new delivery details are nailing down exact dates.
The updates come to us courtesy of the YouTube channel VR IN A RVvan, who caught up with the company’s founder and CEO Storm Sondors at the LA Auto Show this past weekend.
Storm went on record giving the most exact production and delivery updates yet.
Pilot production is expected to begin February 17 of next year, and the first 2,000 units should be completed by April 6.
According to Storm, the first units off the line will already be shipping out of Asia by the end of February, and shipments will continue to flow on a regular basis as the 2,000 motorcycles are produced over the nearly two-month period.
Storm also indicated that the first motorcycles are expected to arrive on US shores by the end of March.
The estimated delivery date has been pushed back more than once now, and Storm attributed that to design changes to the motorcycle that he decided to make along the way.
Comparing the original prototype Metacycle shown during the January launch with the most recent production validation model shows a number of changes to the design.
We previously covered the news that the $5,000 introductory price for early adopters was expected to rise by “at least” 20%.
Now Storm has indicated that the expected increase will be 30%, pushing the price tag to $6,500.
That was assumed from the beginning, as SONDORS often releases new e-bikes with promotional pricing for early adopters as a reward for pre-ordering ahead of the start of production.
It’s a common strategy in the electric bicycle industry and has become perhaps more of the rule than the exception these days. It isn’t nearly as common in the motorcycle industry, but SONDORS has managed to blend the two by drawing upon its electric bicycle experience in the development of the Metacycle electric motorcycle.
If SONDORS can stick to this latest timeline (something that hasn’t always been a given), that should see the first Metacycles rolling into driveways just in time for spring riding in approximately four months.
What do you think of the SONDORS Metacycle electric motorcycle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Author: Micah Toll
Source: Electrek
