The electric bicycle and e-motorcycle company SONDORS is teasing something new, and it looks a lot like an electric dirt bike.
SONDORS just sent out a teaser email to its followers explaining that the “Next SONDORS product release is coming soon.”
There aren’t many details about the new model provided, other than that the coming product announcement is described as being “MetaBIG.”
The play on words invokes the SONDORS Metacycle, a small format electric motorcycle first announced by the company in early 2021 and eventually rolled out to consumers in late 2022.
The Metacycle uses a cast aluminum frame that gives it a distinctive frame cavity. The company originally stated that three accessories would be available for the cavity, including a storage box, Level 2 charger, or an auxiliary battery.
It’s not clear if the upcoming product will be built on the Metacycle frame, but CEO and founder Storm Sondors told Electrek during a Wheel-E Podcast interview that the company was working on multiple models that would be based on the Metacycle platform.
An electric dirt bike would be a likely option, though it could be equally likely that SONDORS develops some type of electric trail bike in line with the Sur Ron Light Bee or other off-road light electric motorcycles.
The teaser image doesn’t reveal much, but we do see off-road tires as well as a distinctive disc brake guard that is normally only found on dirt bikes. The bike also sports a beak-style front fender commonly found on dirt and adventure bikes, as well as a reworked front headlight.
The Metacycle in its current form uses a rear hub motor, which is not ideal for off-road riding. But then again, it’s not exactly the best option for street riding either and that hasn’t stopped SONDORS from selling thousands of the light electric commuter motorcycles.
The company recently announced a “credit” of US $2,500, reducing the price of the US $6,500 electric motorcycle to just US $4,000 before shipping.
The credit apparently helped SONDORS snag 1,000 reservations in a week for the bike, on top of a reported 2,000 units already shipped.
Despite the ramp up of deliveries, SONDORS has faced harsh criticism over the Metacycle’s rollout. Complaints have run the gamut from the bike not living up to its original performance specifications to concerns over build quality to an inability to reach customer service in order to receive timely answers. Many early reservations holders have had trouble cancelling their reservations and receiving refunds, with several waiting several months to hear back from the company about pending refunds.
The company has a long history of making lofty promises with optimistic delivery timelines. But with the exception of its three-wheeled electric car project, SONDORS has generally delivered most of what it promises, though usually several months behind schedule.
The practice has irked riders who aren’t used the the company’s rather “unique” operating method, often leaving frustrated riders wondering when they’ll receive their new e-bike or e-motorcycle. So if history is any indication, it may be a good idea to add a few months to whatever delivery timeline SONDORS touts upon the unveiling of this new ride.
