It’s electric, it’s made in Britain, and it looks like something from a steam punk film. But is the new Maeving RM-1S any good? Our man Dowds spent a day riding one round London to find out.
Imagine I told you that I’d just been riding a new motorbike. It’s been designed with the latest cutting-edge technology, by a well-backed British start-up firm. That company has signed up a team of the best development gurus and design engineers from the Triumph factory in Hinckley.
It’s already selling its first bike in markets as diverse as America, Germany and Australia. And it’s opened its own manufacturing plant in Coventry. ‘Where’s the catch Al?’ you’d say? ‘Well…’, I’d reply.
And while there’s no ‘catch’ as such, there is of course more to the story than that. Because that new bike is the Maeving RM-1S, which is a 125cc-class electric commuter bike (so all you sportsbike fans hoping for a new Brit Fireblade-beater will be disappointed).
But the rest of the intro is right: Maeving is a brand-new UK firm, backed by some bike-friendly venture capital investors, aimed at producing high-quality, properly-engineered urban mobility tools in Britain, with a distinctive style. Impressively, 65 per cent of its components by volume are manufactured in the UK too.
Maeving’s first bike was the RM-1, which had moped-ish performance, launched towards the end of the pandemic in 2022. The firm was pleased with the success of the RM-1, but realised its 5bhp power output and 40mph top speed was a bit limiting for commuters living a little way out of town, or who need to tackle the odd motorway or fast A-road.
Enter the new RM-1S, which is a bit larger, with more power, extra battery capacity, better range – but the same retro style and premium build. We headed to Shoreditch in East London last month, to test it out in its natural environment.
We get a quick tech introduction before the ride, which takes us through the new, more powerful 10.5kW/14bhp peak output hub motor, the battery packs with 21700-sized lithium LG cells instead of 18650s to provide more power, enough to now hit 70mph.
With two battery packs installed, the RM1-S has a claimed urban range of around 80 miles. You can charge the batteries in or out of the bike, and they charge from 20-100 per cent in four hours.
That all sounds pretty good, but we’re here to test the thing out, so I don my Shark lid, attach my phone holder to the neat handlebars, zip up my Alpinestars jacket, and get ready to rock the RM1-S. Sitting astride it, you’re aware of what a skinny, lightweight beastie it is.
The batteries live in the main frame, where you’d expect a petrol engine to be, and the ‘fuel tank’ is a useful 13 litre storage space, with electronic locking and a USB power socket inside. The seat is super low, so I have both feet properly flat on the floor, and the controls all feel just like a slightly quirky 125cc roadster, except for the scooter-style rear brake lever in place of a clutch.
Turn it on, and the neat combination analogue/LCD dash lights up nicely, showing the battery charge and what riding mode you are in (there’s full power 70mph Sport, a 30mph Eco mode and a ‘1’ 45mph mode). It is, of course, silent once turned on, which I’m just about getting used to nowadays, what with the various electric and hybrid cars and bikes I’m coming across.
A little hint of throttle, the motor energises, and the bike starts to creep forward. Perfect so far!
On the move around town, the RM-1S is a great piece of kit. It’s quick off the line, as all electric stuff is, thanks to the instant electric motor torque, and the light 133kg mass. The linked non-ABS hydraulic disc brakes are very strong, with proper brick-wall performance, helped by the premium Dunlop 19-inch tyres at each end.
Today’s test bikes have optional K-Tech rear shocks fitted, which look superb, but were a little bit firm for the potholed roads around Smithfield market where we took some pics.
The chassis is very nimble, once you get used to the near-bicycle levels of skinniness and lightness, and you can throw it around as hard as you like. That helps in traffic too – you can squeeze through the narrowest of gaps – so we’re able to scythe through the horrendous jams around Islington, Camden and Regent’s Park.
Next up is a tougher test though: we work our way over to the A12, to see how the RM-1S copes on a brutal, busy, 50-60mph dual carriageway. And pretty well is the answer. It easily keeps ahead of trucks, buses and vans, and can stick with all but the most insanely-driven cars.
There’s obviously zero wind protection on the small naked machine, but tuck yourself into a little bit of a crouch, and decent dual-carriageway speeds are easily maintained.
Back to Shoreditch, and my Maeving day is over. I’m pretty impressed: the motor performance is decent 125cc-spec stuff, the chassis works well, and it seems like a perfectly practical way to get around a city like London, with the capability for more extra-urban work too.
On the downside, the lack of a proper rear subframe means there’s zero pillion ability, and it won’t be easy to add extra luggage like a hard top-box.
It’s a bit pricey at £7,495 for a dual-battery bike, though it’s only dear if you’re comparing with much more basic, utility-level kit – Chinese step-thru scooters aimed at fleet delivery riders, say.
Compared with something like an £8,450 BMW CE-02 or the new £7,799 Kawasaki Ninja EV, it’s on par cost-wise, with generally better specs. And, of course, like all electric vehicles, there’s zero cost for servicing things like oil, filters, spark plugs and valve checks.
The Maeving’s hub motor also means there’s no drive chain or belt to attend to either. Tyres, brake pads and perhaps some suspension servicing is all it’ll ever need in the way of maintenance. If you can charge from a 13A socket at work, then you’re in with a shout for some extremely cheap daily commuting costs indeed.
The RM-1S’ real strength is its styling though: it has a strong look all of its own, with a premium fit, finish and build quality to match.
When we parked up for pics in Smithfield, we attracted the attention of a couple of crusty old ‘real’ bikers, and they were much more interested than I expected – even more so when they learned this was a bike designed and built in the UK, with no real catches at all…