ONYX is bringing mopeds back in style with US-built 60 mph electric bikes

Seems bad form for the article to call them bikes at this point...! "You can pedal them like a bike". (A 120 pound bike.) 60 mph top speed with a switch to "make them Class 3"... what a wildly misleading and inappropriate twisting of words! It cannot and will never be a class 3 if it can self propell to 60mph.
Don't get me wrong, I bet it is a blast to ride on that private property and off-road they casually mention. But promoting it as a "flick the switch to make it class 3" only invites folks to think they can call it a bike and thereby justify it for bike path use...
 
Just because "with a flick of a switch" this thing can power down to Class 3 levels does not mean it's then an ebike. It should be titled, licensed and registered as a motorcycle.

The fight is bad enough squaring off against militant hard core mountain bikers for trail access. Right now they are winning. To continue introducing motorcycles like this into the mix only helps reinforce their arguments to halt any access to off road trails.

About time the major ebike manufacturers get into the legal mix in seeing something like this one ever gets the ebike designation.
 
The more amazing thing is that this up to 60mph max CUSTOM e-bike with front and rear suspension, range of 75miles@20mph, 5400W regenerative direct drive motor, 200A sinusoidal mosfet controller, 72V 23Ah battery, 220mm front/205mm back hybrid hydraulic/mech brakes, integrated large halo front and rear lights, large custom LCD display, sold during the indiegogo campaign for just $2300+shipping (now $3250). And they sold every one and probably could have sold 10x that many. Their CTY version ($1600+shipping) with 2500W regenerative direct drive motor, 150A sinusoidal mosfet controller, max speed of 30+mph, 48V 16Ah battery, range of 40miles@20mph, front & rear suspension, 220mm front/205mm back hybrid hydraulic/mech brakes, integrated large halo front and rear lights, large custom LCD display, is sold out for 2019.
https://onyxmotorbikes.com/
 
This article is from June 1st, 2018 when the Indiegogo campaign started. Wish I had heard about it back then because I would have bought the CTY.
https://electrek.co/2018/06/01/onyx-new-retro-styled-electric-bicycles/

"Both the CTY and RCR offer up to 10 A of regenerative braking power and three modes of eco, normal and sport. Both can also be electronically neutered down to 750 W to supposedly keep them street legal in the US. Sorry Europe, there’s no way this thing would be close to street legal over there. Either way, most people will probably be enjoying these bikes for largely off-road and trail use.

First and foremost, you have to hand it to ONYX for hitting these price points. Anyone can build an e-bike with a bunch of bolted together off-the-shelf parts. Many companies have been doing that for years to reach budget-level prices. But designing custom frames, battery enclosures and accessories isn’t cheap, and most e-bikes that go the innovative route have sky high prices. So to build a couple stylish e-mopeds that can hit 30 and 60 mph for between $1,700 to $2,300 is impressive."
onyx-montage.jpgonyx-header-2.jpg
 
There's a place for this. It is a moped where I live. Not Class I or III because it has a throttle. Not Class II because it exceeds 20 mph. So register it and buy plates. That's $140 one time, and $41/year in Illinois. You'll need mirrors. Helmet is optional. Our law is unclear of whether you can ride it with just a automotive license, but a driver's license is required for sure. To be safe, take and pass the motorcycle test. Road test is easy on a moped, but you do need to read up on the laws.

Motor vehicles require insurance too. You want that anyway. Stay out of the bike lanes, and have fun.
 
AZOldTech said:
@christob @Mike TowpathTraveler You guys do know that Juiced bikes makes ebikes that can go 30+ even 40+mph, right?

Juiced Bikes pushes the envelope with a new 40 mph fat tire electric bicycle
https://electrek.co/2018/08/12/juic...-with-a-new-40-mph-fat-tire-electric-bicycle/
Click to expand...

Yep. My own bike's maker also makes bikes that can motor above 35mph and are not trail or street legal -- "private property or off road only". They (and all the like) greatly blur the line between when an "assisted bike" ceases to be a bike, and crosses into motorized vehicle. Nobody will be actively pedaling the Onyx when it is doing 40, 50 or 60mph; those will be 100% motor-derived speeds...
 
This bike leaves the auspices of the CPSC as it’s advertised power and speed limits exceed Federal eBike regs it now comes under the control of the DOT.

This means not just a VIN but a full lighting package, head/tail/brake/turn signals, rear view mirror, horn and approved rims and tires in order to be registered for road use where the operator will be required to use a DOT approved helmet and insurance as mentioned.

As presented it doesn’t appear to meet the proper requirements.
 
Last edited:
harryS said:
There's a place for this. It is a moped where I live. Not Class I or III because it has a throttle. Not Class II because it exceeds 20 mph. So register it and buy plates. That's $140 one time, and $41/year in Illinois. You'll need mirrors. Helmet is optional. Our law is unclear of whether you can ride it with just a automotive license, but a driver's license is required for sure. To be safe, take and pass the motorcycle test. Road test is easy on a moped, but you do need to read up on the laws.

Motor vehicles require insurance too. You want that anyway. Stay out of the bike lanes, and have fun.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's bizarre they would bother to put pedals on such a contraption. Hope they have some large liability insurance, as it's an invitation for someone to use it the wrong way, and get into an accident. This is more like the Zero motorcycle, and at least Zero doesn't even try to pretend their product is in the realm of a bike.
 
Deleted Member 4210 said:
Yeah, it's bizarre they would bother to put pedals on such a contraption. Hope they have some large liability insurance, as it's an invitation for someone to use it the wrong way, and get into an accident. This is more like the Zero motorcycle, and at least Zero doesn't even try to pretend their product is in the realm of a bike.
Click to expand...
Well, they bothered to put an electronic switch to neuter it down to 750 W and make it street legal so then they needed the pedals as well. And if people are going to have a problem with an over 750W Onyx, they will probably have a problem with ANY over 750W ebike, like the HyperFat juiced bike with an 1100W motor, which I don't even know if it has a switch to make it street legal down to 750W.
 
Put speed limits at the entrance to a trail. The dialogue here exemplified cancel culture at its worse. Talk about ebikers creating niches and stigmatizing others for their choice of rides. I see just as many people with serious injuries zigging along on their entry level, overly heavy and clunky ebikes. As I stated eariler, many ebike groups on facebooks are filled with people posting their injuries. You are just creating barriers to access aren't you?
 
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steve marino said:
Those are the ugliest bikes I have ever seen, and that's saying something. Look like they were designed by a robot for a robot. Or something.
Click to expand...
I agree. I only wish we had the ability to 'Like' a post multiple times. These are an eyesore and I'd be hard pressed to think you'd actually be able to pedal them. CN
 
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