A First Ride With the Maeving RM2 Electric Motorcycle

I test-ride electric kick scooters as a part of my job. They're fantastic to ride and zip around town, but they are not cool nor particularly comfortable. You're standing on this L-shaped object, like a meerkat on wheels. Motorcycles, on the other hand? There is no other category of vehicle that oozes this much style, especially one that looks like Maeving's new RM2.

If you love the roar of a motorbike and the smell of petrol, this electric motorcycle is probably not for you. Seb Inglis-Jones, Maeving's cofounder, tells me the company is after a demographic of people who perhaps want something more robust than an electric bicycle but not as intense as a gas-powered bike. Someone who may actually prefer the practically silent ride experience (read: me). However, you still need a motorcycle license in the US to ride.

The Maeving RM2 opens up for preorder today in the US for $10,995, a small jump from the prior RM1S and a bigger price bump from the original RM1. They'll ship in January 2026. It shares the same powertrain as the RM1S, hitting a top speed of 70 miles per hour with an 80-mile range.

However, the RM2's calling card is the bench seat, so you can finally ride with a passenger. The tank is shorter and wider to accommodate the pillion seat, but you can enjoy a more upright sitting experience. An added boon: You can also add a rear rack and top box for helmet storage.

Electric Start

Maeving was founded in the UK right before the pandemic by Inglis-Jones and Will Stirrup, neither of whom had a background in motorbikes (or vehicles, for that matter). The duo decided to build a company together after meeting at university, with two stipulations. They didn't want to start a business right out of college with no experience, and whatever they built should in some way help combat climate change. Stirrup went to work in the finance world after college, and Inglis-Jones dove into a sales and marketing career.

When they were ready, the pair settled on electric motorcycles after seeing the massive electrification in China, and they wanted to bring that to the West. And while the original idea was to start an import business, they quickly realized the quality wasn't what they expected. “The bikes they're making over there are built to a much stricter price ceiling,” Inglis-Jones says. “That's not because they can't make amazing quality products.”

He also says it's not just about the technological advances in electrifying a motorbike. Style matters, too. These two-wheeled vehicles are a lifestyle choice, and people take pride in ownership.

“China has been making gas bikes for years, but they haven't captured the imagination of the European and US markets," Inglis-Jones says. "Over here it's Harley, in the UK it's Triumph, in Germany it's BMW—these are companies that make bikes that tug at the heartstrings. It's not necessarily the case that China will succeed in these markets in the way it has with its domestic market.”

After raising funds, the most crucial move Stirrup and Inglis-Jones made was hiring Graeme Gilbert, who was the head of product planning at Triumph Motorcycles and had spent decades at the more than 100-year-old British institution. Gilbert brought over a small team, and soon the RM1 was born. You can see the homage Maeving's bikes pay to classic British motorcycle design, like Triumph's Bonneville T120.

Since then, the company has launched the more powerful RM1S and has expanded its footprint outside the UK to Germany, France, and the US. Maeving isn't profitable yet, but Inglis-Jones promises it's “within splitting distance.” The US is the company's fastest-growing market, and the more practical RM2 just might tip the scales.

The RM2

I got a chance to ride the RM2 on a street in Brooklyn, New York, and I'm now spending my days looking at motorcycle safety courses to practice and get an M1 license. My eyes lit up at first glance. From the large headlamp to the leather seat, the overall silhouette of the RM2 is gorgeous, especially with the red or green accent colors.

Pop the key in the ignition, and you have three ride modes to choose from: Eco, 1, or S. Eco tops the speed at 30 mph, 1 takes it to 45 mph (akin to the original RM1), and S unlocks more torque and the top speed of 70 mph. The US version's rear disc brake is controlled by the right foot, and there's a handlebar brake for the front disc. I say all this because, having no motorcycle experience, it took me mere seconds to figure all of this out and start riding. No gears to change, no clutch to master.

The torque wasn't intense at all and felt quite gentle. I found a comfortable position, and the ride was extremely smooth, though I still had to get used to turning tight corners. The only other part I'd say felt so different from riding an ebike is the overall weight and maneuverability of the RM2. It's lightweight for a motorbike at 330 pounds, but that's still hundreds of pounds heavier than a bicycle. Also, there's no display or app of any sort. Just you and the ride (and the gorgeous speedometer).

The most enticing aspect of the RM2, and Maeving's motorcycles in general, is how you charge it. Yes, you can charge the bike directly, but most people will likely pop out both batteries and take them indoors to place on Maeving's charging dock. That removable access to the battery makes the 80-mile range less of an issue, because you can bring one of the batteries inside practically anywhere and charge it from a wall outlet. (Maeving says you can go from 20 to 80 percent in just under three hours.)

How do you get it serviced? Maeving has mobile technicians who can come to you in New York and California (along with the UK, Germany, and France), but it has service partners for customers in other parts of the US. Inglis-Jones insists it's a “very easy bike to maintain.”

Interested riders can get a test ride at select locations in New York and California, and Maeving is introducing a New Rider Program, where the company offers a $250 reimbursement toward an approved training course to cover the cost of getting an M1 license.

The RM2's asking price is high for the features and specs it offers. The BMW CE 02, for example, starts at $7,599. Harley's LiveWire electric motorbikes start at $9,999, can hit a top speed of 103 mph, and have a 113-mile range. But you'll be hard-pressed to find an electric motorcycle with the British heritage and styling of the RM2.