Faster Version of the Hottest British EV Bike Lands Stateside with a $8,995 Price Tag

The name Maeving may not mean all that much, especially if you live in the U.S., but it might soon gain enough traction there as well. It's the name of a company that was set up in the UK back in 2017 by a couple of motorcycle enthusiasts backed by former Triumph engineers.

The company's stated goal is to "make the best electric motorcycles possible" for urban riding, and although that statement is a matter of interpretation, it's a clear hint to what to expect from these guys.

Maeving's current portfolio includes just two motorcycles. The RM1, described as a lightweight, fully electric motorcycle, was introduced in 2021 and, according to the company, quickly became the best-selling electric motorcycle in the UK.

The RM1 comes with a battery that lasts for 80 miles (129 km) before needing to be charged, and can reach a top speed of 45 mph (72 kph).

In late 2023 a faster version of the bike was unveiled. It's called RM1S, and shortly after entering the market on the Old Continent it finally made its way across the pond and landed in the U.S., where it starts selling for a pretty decent price.

I said earlier that the electric bikes made by Maeving have this habit of looking like conventional, classic internal combustion engine bikes. The classic styling of the bike is further enhanced by the cues it borrows from the board tracker bikes raced in the 1920s, but also from the café racers from a few decades after that.

But what that also means is that the shape and body parts are the same ones we're used to: two wheels, a frame, something held within it, and a fuel tank up top. Fine touches such as a diamond-stitched solo seat that floats 785 mm off the ground and the analog speedometer (both of them also used on the RM 1 version of the motorcycle) contribute to the classic feel, while the LED lights installed up front give it a modern twist.

The frame is of the CrMo steel cradle variety, and on its top sits the fuel tank. Only it's not a fuel tank in the usual sense, but a storage space that can hold 2.6 gallons of rider stuff, protected by a lockable cover.

Inside the frame, there is a case inside which you'll not find an ICE, but the bike's battery packs. There are two of them, made up of LG 21700 cells, that provide a combined 5.46 kWh of power. Each battery weighs just 33 pounds (15 kg), contributing to the bike's curb weight of just 293 pounds (133 kg).

The batteries are enough to keep the two-wheeler going for as much as 80 miles, just like in the case of the bike this one is based on. For all intents and purposes, that seems like quite a small range, but it should be more than enough, however, for the people looking for a ride around the city, the ones the RM1S is intended for.

The batteries can be charged in the usual fashion, still attached to the bike, or they can be removed and plugged into a home or office socket. When doing things this way, the charging time from 20 percent to 100 percent if three hours – one hour faster than the charging time the batteries on the RM1 need to get back to full capacity.

The batteries power a rear hub-mounted electric motor that, in turn, runs a single-speed automatic transmission. Rated at 7.0 kW continuous power (10.5 kW peak), the motor cranks out just 14 horsepower and 184 ft-lbs. of torque. The fastest the ride can travel is 70 mph (113 kph) but, again, even if that seems too little, it's more than enough for the purposes of this motorcycle.

The bike is propped on telescopic forks at the front and twin shocks at the rear, with the latter being preload adjustable. 19-inch wheels shod in Dunlop K70 tires and shielded by carbon fiber fenders make the connection to the ground.

As said, Maeving confirmed the launch of the RM1S in the U.S. this week. The moment comes after the RM1 was already introduced there, selling at the time of writing for $6,495.

The RM1S, being more capable and all, goes for a tad more than that, namely $8,995. Not all Americans had access to it at the time of writing, as the bike was introduced in California alone.

We're told more states will follow shortly, although it's unclear what states and how soon that will be.