Onyx RCR Review — Electric Moped e-Bike
Today we’re reviewing the Onyx RCR, an electric motorcycle with the style and design of an old vintage moped. The RCR has a top speed of 60mph, a range of 75 miles and a removable battery hidden under a wooden cover.
We met up with a local rider, Jack who was part of the original Indiegogo campaign back in 2018, where they raised almost $1 million dollars. Jack was one of the first of nearly 500 people who pre-ordered his bike on Indiegogo. Since then, he’s been riding it in the city for over a year and has put over 700 miles on the odometer. This is a review of Jack’s bike and his perspective on the Onyx RCR.
Build & Specs
Taking a look at the build and specs of the bike, it features a steel tube chassis, with a frame that has a very similar design to old school Puch Magnum mopeds, which has been a tried and tested frame design for over 50 years.
The Onyx RCR is hand built in the United States in small batches, they have 2 production lines in the US and have already sold thousands of bikes. It includes a 2 year warranty, which covers the workmanship and every component on the bike.
Looking at the motor, the bike features a 3kw rear hub motor, hooked up to a 200amp controller getting 72v of power, that can peak at 14kw of power. That puts the power in the same class as 125cc gas engine motorcycles, along with plenty of torque off the line — especially for a bike that only weighs 150 lbs. This allows it to accelerate from 0–30mph in just 3 seconds.
For the dash, it has a large backlit LCD panel which displays the clock, speed, odometer, trip distance, voltage, and battery gauge. Underneath the LCD panel is another light display that shows you the riding mode you’re in — Eco, Normal, or Sport.
Controlling the RCR, on the right handlebar you have a switch to go through the 3 speed options. On the left handlebar you have your controls that will be very familiar to motorcycle riders: top button for headlight, middle button for the blinkers, and the bottom button for the horn. The RCR features a large LED headlight with a halo ring which looks awesome and has two modes, a running mode with the LED ring and a brighter mode for night riding. For the rear, it has a LED tail light tucked under the seat.
Even though the RCR has a blinker switch, it doesn’t actually include the front or rear blinkers on the bike. Jack added these himself and is still working on the electrical wiring. He’s also made other additions including adding the side view mirrors, which are not included with a stock RCR.
One nice addition the RCR does include is a key fob. Using it, you can lock or unlock, or even set the alarm and turn the bike on or off. The alarm is pretty loud and will be triggered if anyone tries to move the bike.
For braking, the bike features a front hydraulic disk brake, and a rear regenerative brake with a hybrid hydraulic disc brake. 80% of the rear braking comes from the powerful regenerative braking with a small disc brake to help lock up the wheel if necessary.
The battery on the RCR is a 72 volt, 23 amp hour, 1.66 kilowatt hour battery which is hidden underneath the top wooden cover. This is useful if you want to keep your bike locked up outside and bring your battery inside to charge. While the battery is removable, it’s not exactly a quick swap and the wood cover is known to be finicky, so it does take a little finesse to take on and off. If you want to buy an extra battery, Onyx offers them on their website for $1,000.
Onyx RCR Range
In terms of range, Onyx advertises a range of up to 75 miles when riding in eco mode, which is limited to 20mph. Normal mode has a top speed of 40mph and will get around 40 miles. The highest Sport mode will unlock the full power of the bike and 60mph top speed, but get less than 20 miles of range.
For the ride feel, the RCR has a front suspension fork, with good travel so it can even handle some light off-roading. The wheels are 17 inch, 36 spoke steel rims. Onyx sells an optional dirt kit for $300 which includes off road tires. The kit also includes a headlight grill, fork dust covers, a rear rack along with a front and rear fender.
While riding the bike, it feels powerful yet lightweight which makes it nimble and quick. The frame is strong which gives it a rigid feel, yet the front suspension fork and dual rear coilover suspension provide a nice comfortable ride. The center of gravity is a bit high with the battery in the top tank format, but that’s also what gives it that sleek look. The seat is super comfortable and has a familiar design as the Tomos Targa.
e-Bike Laws & Onyx Classification
While the RCR features pedals that are attached to a crank that goes to the drivetrain, this bike is certainly not designed for pedaling and there is no pedal assist. The pedals are really meant to classify it as an “e-bike”. However, the actual laws for this bike will vary in different states and countries. In our state of Massachusetts, this bike is registered as a moped and so far Jack hasn’t had any issues of any kind for riding it on streets. The Onyx does come with a VIN so you can register it as a legal motorcycle and get plates if you need to, but be sure to check your local laws.
One feature the RCR lacks is any bluetooth or app. Many other e-bikes in the price range will come with an app to control settings, check battery, or track rides. While the RCR doesn’t have an app, we do like that there are many other motorcycle accessories you can add to the bike. If you’re interested in seeing an accessories video for the RCR, let us know in the comments below.
Final Conclusion
For the price, the RCR is currently listed at $4,149 from Onyx’s website. While this price is steep, especially considering you can get gas mopeds or smaller e-bikes for much cheaper, there’s good reason for the price being so high. The bike is more like a motorcycle and is well designed, with a solid build and great performance and ride feel. If you’re looking for a vintage styled electric bike that’s more like a motorcycle, the Onyx should certainly be one of your top choices.
