After a rough spell over the last few years, Californian electric motorcycle startup Onyx might finally be getting on track and bringing its neo-retro-style e-mopeds back to the market. In a LinkedIn post this week spotted by TechCrunch, founder Timothy Seward announced a limited run of 100 two-wheelers arriving this month.
The company is reviving its RCR model, which it unveiled in 2018, in a special numbered edition with updated specs. It retains the singular design language that set it apart from most other bikes on the market; it remains a unique-looking machine even today.
A refreshed e-moped
The RCR LTD costs US$4,300, and comes in two sizes – the Standard stands 40 inches (101 cm) tall, while the Shorty measures 38 inches (96 cm) in height. You'll get Holographic Black and Brushed Aluminum panel sets that fit beneath the mahogany wood 'tank' on a steel tube frame to change how your bike looks.
This compact machine gets an upgraded 72-V, 3.2-kWh battery that promises up to 120 miles (193 km) on a full charge in Eco mode. That's a big step up from the older 22-Ah removable battery pack that was good for 75 miles (121 km).
Onyx says this one will do speeds of up to 55-60 mph (88-96 km/h), with its powertrain delivering a max output of 15.2 kW for a 3-second burst of speed.
At that price, and given its size and looks, the RCR LTD is certainly an interesting proposition. If it's legal where you live, it could make light work of commutes around town, and let you enjoy quick blasts through backroads and trails.
Back in action
It likely hasn't been easy getting Onyx up and running again. Seward had been working on the Onyx brand since 2015, when he was still an industrial designer at LG fashioning smartwatches in San Francisco. In 2019, he took up a full-time position at scooter-sharing company Bird, and handed over the Onyx reins to his LG colleague James Khatiblou – selling it to him for just $1.
Subsequently, as TechCrunch's Rebecca Bellan tells it, Onyx' new owner and CEO made several missteps, overspending on supply, and mismanaging his relationship with two major shareholders. His health also began to deteriorate over the next couple of years, and Khatiblou died in December 2023 at just 37 years of age.
That left Onyx without an official owner, with no money in the bank, and with loads of undelivered bikes and accessories in storage.
A year on, Seward is back in the saddle, announcing, "I have resurrected my original brand Onyx with incredible backers!"
We don't yet know about all the hoops Seward had to jump through to bring the company back to life, and as Bellan pointed out, it's still unclear if the RCR LTD machines are brand new, or from the last bunch of e-bikes from Onyx' supplier in China.
There's also the question of how Seward will handle creditor Oxygen Funding – which claims it's owed some $2.2 million by Onyx – as well as major stakeholders who hold nearly 40% of shares in the business.
Beyond the limited run of RCR LTDs, Onyx is slated to open a showroom in Los Angeles and deliver its e-mopeds early January 2025. If Onyx can stick the landing, it'll be quite the comeback story for this rebellious e-moped brand.
We've written to Onyx to learn more about the challenges involved in reviving the brand, and will update this post when we hear back.
Sources: Timothy Seward (LinkedIn), TechCrunch
