Onyx RCR Electric Moped Review

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In its unrestricted ride mode, we were able to reach 47 mph on the Onyx RCR. (John Ryan Hebert/)

The RCR is an incredibly stylish machine, a little bit ebike and a little bit electric motorcycle, which Onyx claims is capable of reaching speeds of around 60 mph. It has a headlight, taillight/brake light, blinkers, full suspension, and even a digital LCD dash with a speedometer and battery information, but no registered VIN. Having recently moved to Los Angeles, I now see a couple of these wood-clad machines pass my house every week. So what exactly is it? I reached out to Onyx Motorbikes to find out for myself.

The RCR looks like a cross between a Tomos moped and an art school café racer concept. A large steel-tube frame, shrouded in wood and brushed aluminum, cradles the battery. It’s modern and minimal, but with classic motorcycle lines and appeal. It demanded attention everywhere I went without being garish or obnoxious. That styling first attracted me to the bike, the reason I looked it up in the first place. And then, right there on the website, there it is: “75-mile range, 60 mph top speed, 8 horsepower.” Impressive. But too good to be true?

The RCR currently falls into a bit of a gray area when it comes to street legality. (Morgan Gales/)

Now living in the heart of Los Angeles’ Los Feliz district, I was planning on using the RCR on road for in-city errands and commuting the 3.7 miles back and forth to my girlfriend’s bakery. When I arrived at Onyx headquarters, the team had prepared a model for me featuring its DRT kit, which costs about $300 and includes a front and rear fender, caged headlight, knobby tires, fork boots, and a cargo rack. It takes the refined café racer styling of the RCR and adds a little bit of utilitarian off-road toughness. When I saw the kit I decided I might have to expand my intended use. But first things first: Unload the bike and test it out.

Left-hand controls include blinkers, horn, headlight, and a USB charging port. On the right hand is your throttle, ride mode select toggle, and power switch. The LCD in the middle displays volts, current battery level, mph, time, and odometer. (John Ryan Hebert/)

When I first sat on the RCR, its gauge showed the battery at half charge. Seeing as the company claims a 75-mile range in Eco mode, I figured half of the battery was more than enough to get me those few miles home from the bakery, where I had naturally gone to show off this beautiful machine. I was sadly mistaken. Of course, excited as I was to ride this famed “60 mph” ebike-or-moped-or-whatever, I put it in Sport mode and gave the throttle a twist. It pulled forward about a foot and shut off completely.

OK.

I waited a moment and fiddled with the remote, locking, unlocking, trying buttons until eventually the RCR came back on. I tried to take off again; the same thing happened. OK, no Sport mode for me. I put it in Normal mode, launched more slowly with a limited throttle, and headed down the road.

I made it about half a mile until it died on me again and wouldn’t come back on. A call to my contact at Onyx revealed that when the voltage sags too low, the battery will shut off to protect itself. So when the battery is at a less-than-full level, as it then was, it reaches that point more quickly and simply shuts off. The rider must take off the wooden cover and power cycle the battery to get it to turn back on. The cover does not come off smoothly or easily; it takes a key to unlock, followed by some sliding and navigating around the seat. After doing this about 15 times, I walked the 145-pound RCR a couple miles home, uphill, barefoot in the Los Angeles snow.

On hard-packed dirt trails and rock, the RCR was an absolute joy to ride. It feels light and maneuverable, easily crossing rough terrain. (John Ryan Hebert/)

And so home and on the charger it went. With a normal 110-volt wall plug and the five-amp charger, the RCR took about four hours to charge. The next morning I loaded the bike up and headed to a private off-road area to take some photos and get a more accurate idea of performance with a full charge. I started in Normal mode and, after twisting the throttle, had to double-check to make sure I wasn’t in Sport. It’s fast. It pulls off the line and keeps pulling all the way to the 35 mph limit. The tires grip rocks and dirt well. Honestly, if nobody had told me it was capable of going faster, I would have been perfectly happy riding around under 35 and giggling like a kid. I was ripping around, smiling unabashedly in my helmet and enjoying every minute for the first 4 miles, until I was climbing a hill and the power cut out again. The dash went black. Sport mode be damned. I powered the bike back on and swapped back to Normal. As you are able to swap on the fly while applying throttle, I would only switch to Sport mode when I was already moving at a significant pace so as to not overstress the battery and trigger the safety again.

Issues with the RCR’s safety had us scared of getting too far from a charging point, despite being incredibly fun to zip around desert trails in silence. (John Ryan Hebert/)

Nothing short of a crash will wipe that smile off your face quicker than a bike that just keeps quitting. After minding the throttle and ride modes, I saw no more issues that day, but I was plagued by range anxiety and did not want to reach the battery’s limits again and find myself pushing this bike miles through the desert. While riding around in the dirt was a blast, I feel most riders will be using the RCR almost entirely on road, so back to the city we went to recharge and give it another go.

The RCR has plenty of power to get loose and spit up some dirt, should you so desire. (John Ryan Hebert/)

My second on-road experience was amazing. Starting from the same location and keeping the RCR in Sport mode, I went cruising around the neighborhood. The bike performed exactly as I hoped it would. I stopped by the local brewery and grabbed a growler for later, using the rack on the back. I picked up a dozen tamales from the husband-and-wife duo selling them out of their driveway. The RCR is a quick and efficient way to get around, and the silent, rapid acceleration is exhilarating every time.

Of course, the first two questions are always “How fast does it go?” and “How far will it go?” One is completely dependent on the other. The RCR operates in three modes, Eco, Normal, and Sport. Eco mode limits the output, accelerating more slowly than the other two modes and capping speeds at an indicated 20 mph. Onyx claims Eco mode will give you 75 miles of range. Normal mode accelerates quickly up to a top speed of 35 mph. Estimated range in Normal mode is around 40 miles, less if you’re launching hard or climbing a lot of hills. In Sport mode, the highest speedometer reading was 53 mph while tucked in on a long straightaway, but it didn’t seem that fast compared to the cars around me, so I checked. A GPS-based speedometer on my phone showed 47 mph, which was soon corroborated by the digital radar speed sign on the side of the road. The knobby tires, my 6-foot-4 frame serving as a wind-catching sail despite my tuck; there were factors limiting speed, but I am doubtful that a smaller or lighter rider would be able to reach 60 mph. Riding around at 47 mph on 17-inch moped wheels felt plenty fast to me, but nobody is raising a fuss about an electric moped that’s capable of 47 mph. That’s not why we’re here.

The size of an average moped, the RCR is compact, but not uncomfortable for a tall rider. (John Ryan Hebert/)

Suspension on the RCR is what you would expect from a modern moped with nonadjustable front fork and rear shocks with adjustable preload. It feels springy and soft when you slam on the brakes, but smooth enough in any setting. And fun to bounce around a bit if you want to hop off a curb or rock, or load it up and spring off a speed bump.

A hydraulic single-piston caliper on a 220mm disc serves as the RCR’s primary stopping method. (Morgan Gales/)

Both front and rear brakes operate with discs, 220mm in the front and a 205mm rear. Front brake feel is fine; not great, but fine. With a hydraulic single-piston caliper, you get a little bit of feedback, and you can give the lever a good hard squeeze before feeling like that front wheel is going to dish out on you. But it does often feel like you’re walking that line between enough braking power to stop quickly and losing the front end completely. The cable-operated rear brake felt like a bicycle brake strapped to a motorcycle, because it basically is. I knew it was working when I could hear the rubber smearing the tarmac. On several occasions, the bike’s weight and power overwhelmed its braking system. As the RCR runs standard moped tire and brake sizes, the necessary upgrades are easy to find, and you could significantly improve performance without a major investment. Mind you, all of this is on the knobbier set of tires offered from Onyx, which the tech told me were significantly more sticky and grippy than the on-road variant.

Rear brake on the RCR was underpowered and would often lock up when applied. (Morgan Gales/)

At $4,150 for a completely electric vehicle, I had hoped to find higher-quality controls at the bars. They’re the first thing most riders will touch, so I wish I could describe the buttons and switches in any way other than cheap. The buttons look like generic pieces off of eBay, and the remote matches. Nothing about them says Onyx, looks unique, or feels substantial. Aesthetics set high expectations, and thin plastic on these pieces cheapens an otherwise premium experience.

Ebike qualifications vary from state to state to limit power by top speed, motor size, or both, and the Onyx RCR blows past all of them. The company claims RCR owners have been able to register their bikes as mopeds in California, but the California DMV clearly states that a moped must have less than 4 hp, and Onyx’s website claims the RCR has 7.24. Therefore here in California, where the company’s two offices are located, it is too fast to be qualified as an ebike or moped but lacks the VIN and required certifications to be sold or registered as a motorcycle. They tell me they’re working on it.

Riding miles off the beaten path is fun on the RCR, but range anxiety sets in as the battery gauge drops because the bike is just too heavy to pedal without assist. (John Ryan Hebert/)

So what is the Onyx RCR? It’s an incredibly stylish machine that can go 47 mph for about 15 miles, so long as you are careful with the throttle and don’t hit any steep hills. It’s a fun short-mile commuter, but it is definitely not an ebike. And with 7-plus horsepower, I would argue it isn’t a moped either. It currently sits in a legal gray area which makes investing in one a gamble if you’re planning on riding any public roads. The safe bet would be to save your money until it starts producing these machines with VINs and calling them what they are: electric motorcycles with pedals. Or just buy a real ebike that’s legal on bike paths and doesn’t make exaggerated claims—or shut off abruptly.

Onyx RCR Specifications

Price:	$4,150
Motor:	3,000-watt, 205mm hub motor
Battery:	72V 23AH removable lithium-ion
Claimed weight (ready to ride):	145 lb.
Claimed peak horsepower:	7.24 hp
Claimed peak torque:	134 lb.-ft.
Tires:	2.75 x 17 in.
Wheels:	36-spoke steel, 17 in.

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