Sondors raises price of Metacycle to $6000

[sunchaser]

Sondors recently raised the price of their Metacycle from $5000 to $6000.  Still a potentially decent value in my opinion.  There aren't any other electric motorcycles available in the U.S. that I know of in that price range other than the Kolter ES1. 

https://sondorsx.com/products/sondors-metacycle-2022-shipping?variant=41401742164132

[sunchaser]

Actually, the Kolter with comparable range (second battery option) would be $6995.

https://sierraelectricmotorcycles.com/buy-now

[HadesOmega]

From what I read in comments a lot of people are unhappy waiting for the bike and it's been hard getting their money back from Sondors.  I would like to actually see the bike first also.

I'm holding out for a Sur Ron Storm Bee supposedly will be out in US Q2 2022, right around the corner.  It's going to be in the $8k-$10k range though.

I do like the Metacycle though, the thought of having no chain to worry about sounds nice.

[Richard230]

Here is the latest news regarding the Sondors Metacycle. Apparently it is on the move. But where are their dealers?  https://electrek.co/2022/06/26/sondors-metacycle-electric-motorcycle-shipping/

[HadesOmega]

I don't think they have dealers.  I think you order it and it's shipped directly to you.  You'll probably have to order parts from Sondors.

[sunchaser]

That's correct.  No dealer network.  As for repairs, Sondors claims that they will ship replacement parts directly to customers.  They also mentioned having instructional how-to videos on various repairs. 

The first 2000 bikes are supposed to start shipping this month with an additional $700 "white glove" delivery charge.  I'm not really sure what that includes, but I believe that the shipping cost is the same for all continental U.S. customers.  The month is almost over and time is running out quickly.  As was mentioned previously, a lot of customers are unhappy.  There have been a number of cancellations.

I reserved a Metacycle last year and I think that I'm in the second round of orders.  Communication from Sondors hasn't been great, but considering everything that's going on in the world with supply shortages I can understand the delays. 

I'm very curious to see some reviews of the bike once people finally start receiving them.  If the reviews are bad I still have time to cancel my order.  On the other hand, if I do actually decide to finalize my order I'll be sure to give my brutally honest and unbiased opinion on the bike in this section if anyone is interested.  I can compare it to my much loved Enertia too.  My expectations are pretty low considering the price of the Metacycle and somewhat generic Chinese parts that are being used.  On the plus side, it looks like some of the main electrical components are available from Aliexpress.  It's kinda like Harbor Freight's version of an electric motorcycle!  You can't expect too much for $5k.

[Richard230]

That's correct.  No dealer network.  As for repairs, Sondors claims that they will ship replacement parts directly to customers.  They also mentioned having instructional how-to videos on various repairs. 

Well, allowing the owner to repair their own vehicle and to provide instructions how to do it, would be a big change from some EV manufacturers that both you and I could mention. 

[HadesOmega]

It's nothing new.  CSC is like this and my Sur Ron Light Bee is like that as well.  Fortunately the Light Bee is a very simple machine to work on I've been able to get by myself.  I would imagine the Metacycle "should" be even more simple.  Excited to see it finally come out.  If the reviews are good I might order one.

Hopefully it is not as complex as the electronics on the Empulse.  Since it has a swappable battery I would imagine all the BMS stuff is in the battery pack.

[HadesOmega]

[sunchaser]

Yes.  I agree.  I don't think that it's going to have complicated proprietary electronics like the Brammo bikes.  I don't mind working on the bike myself either.  I've definitely learned a few things about electric motorcycles during my time with the Enertia.  Hub motors may have their issues, but I won't miss the chain maintenance if I do end up finalizing my Metacycle order. 

I watched the Metacycle features video too.  The alarm on the bike is pretty funny.  Reverse is an interesting feature but I'm not sure if I would use it.  I am concerned about the bike being too small.  Matt in the video is 5' 7" and the bike fits him well.  Not so sure about taller riders though.

The Metacycle battery is still removeable but I think that it may be more difficult than just turning a key on the front and sliding it out as shown in the promotional video.  I noticed that the most recent production ready units no longer have the key lock on the frame, and the battery cables now look like a twist lock Amphenol connector.  It isn't a big deal to me because I won't have a need to charge the battery outside of the bike, but I can see owners who live in apartments etc. being disappointed.  At least the battery is still reasonably easy to remove.  It would be convenient to be able to take the battery indoors during winter storage.

I do think that the Metacycle has the potential to be a decent electric bike for the money.  It's just unfortunate that Sondors doesn't seem to understand how frustrated the reservation holders are getting with the very poor communication and constant delays.  The bikes were supposed to start shipping last month and now people are being told that it will be July.  I completely understand the challenges with shipping from China these days, but at least give us a realistic timeline on delivery.

As far as I know, the only other electric motorcyle in the $6000 ish price range that's available in the U.S. is the Tinbot/Kolter ES-1.  The reviews that I've read on that bike have been postive, but the build quality looks a little sketchy.  But who knows?  The Metacycle could be the same or worse. 

[Richard230]

Here is a interesting Revzilla article about a fellow who placed a $5,000 deposit on a Sondors Metacycle and then backed out of the deal. He explains why he gave up on the Metacycle: https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/why-i-put-down-5000-on-a-sondors-electric-motorcycle-and-then-backed-out

[sunchaser]

Thanks for sharing the article.

There are A LOT of angry current and former Metacycle reservation holders out there.  A large number of them are disappointed in the long wait time for getting the bike from Sondors.  People are also very unhappy about the changes in the specifications as mentioned in the article.  As a second round reservation holder, I can understand the shipping delays due to the pandemic.  However, Sondors could have easily been more upfront in communicating with their customers.

The other interesting thing that the article mentions is how people who canceled their order and received a refund still take the time and effort to complain, start arguments and cause general chaos on Metacycle related social media.  I've seen this for myself and don't get it.  It's fine if you dislike the company/product and got a refund, but move on.  Life is short. I'd wish I could say that these people are behaving this way as some form of consumer advocacy, but this does not seem to be the case here.

I'm also surprised by how little people know about electric vehicles in general.  Sondors originally promoted the Metacycle with an up to 80 mile range and 80 mph top speed. The bike weighs 328 pounds and has a 4kWh battery.  Expectations are high in terms of range and performance.   They don't understand the phrase "up to" at all or what it means.  There's also a serious lack of understanding of physics.

In addition to what was mentioned in the article, there are a number of people who are upset about various things like:

1.  Why the Metacycle can't travel anywhere near 80 miles at highway speed/full throttle.
2.  Why the Metacycle doesn't have the same 0-60 mph time for everyone, regardless of weight.
3.  Why the Metacycle can't be in Sport Mode for maximum power full time.
4.  Why Sondors chose a hub motor for the Metacycle.

The list goes on and on.

I'm not happy with the lack of communication from Sondors and the changes in the specifications of the bike.  That being said, in my opinion it's still a good value for a new electric motorcycle at $5700 shipped.  At the new current increased price of $6500 shipped, there might be other options out there to consider.  The Metacycle was built to hit a price point.  You aren't going to get caviar on a tuna budget.

End of rant.

[Richard230]

Frankly, I was impressed that Sondors refunded the author's $5,000 deposit so quickly and easily. Not every startup company producing a new and advanced product would do that. I suspect that Sondors is happy to refund their customers money who had been an early adopter and had locked in the price below what it likely now cost them to build the Metacycle.

[sunchaser]

Not everyone has received their refund as promptly.  Some feel that Sondors is in financial trouble and is intentionally making the refund process difficult and/or delaying the process. 

I'm still looking forward to getting the bike.  Yes, there are better options out there like the Ryvid Anthem, but I just can't justify spending another $2000 plus delivery fees for a bike with similar specs.  I will say that the engineering looks really impressive on it.

Despite all of the controversy I hope that the Metacycle is a success.  People need to be educated about the current state of battery technology and some of the limitations.  Electric motorcycles just aren't going to be highway cruising machines anytime soon until the energy density of batteries increases significantly.

[HadesOmega]

Looks alright the production version.  But yeah it's not all that.  Lack of regen, poor high speed performance, uncomfortable seat, etc...  I think I will save up for an Energica