The Story Of An Electric Motorcycle Convert

The engineer, modifier, and self-confessed electric motorcycle sceptic who did a complete 180. 

Tell us about your motorcycling story.

I started riding when I was about five. We were racing peewee classes at seven, then District 38 cross-country hare scrambles around the Superstition Mountains at fourteen. It was all off-road.

It wasn't until college that I got into superbikes, and really, speed has always been a big part of everything I've done.

As I got older and had kids, my family made it pretty clear: with age comes a cage. 

When did electric come on your radar?

Honestly, I wanted to not like it. It was something I’d always been kind of against.

But I moved back into my small town and thought it’d be nice to have something to go back and forth to work. I started looking into electric motorcycles and found Maeving. I thought, that’s by far the best-looking one I’ve seen.

So I scheduled a ride at the LA office. The second I got on it, I thought, this is unbelievably fun. 

What surprised you the most?

How much I’ve come to prefer it. I’m finding that I’m choosing the bike over the car more and more.

And maintenance. Ducatis are crazy – the amount of times I’ve had to adjust valves. I’ve got an old Yamaha Road Star I’m building into a custom cruiser and I’m constantly doing carb work on it. With the Maeving, I think I aired up one of the tyres because of a temperature change. That’s it. 

How are you using it?

About 60% commuting. Grocery store runs, back and forth to work, stopping by a friend’s place. Then 25 to 30% recreation. I’ll cruise out on desert roads.

I’ve also been taking it on gravel and fire roads, and it handles those well. I think Maeving told me I was one of the first people to jump it. 

Paint us a picture of riding out in the desert.

I can take a desolate road, not see anybody for 45 minutes, and have a 100-mile view in every direction. Massive skies, big land. Just quiet, and all you have is the wind.

Before, it was obnoxiously loud motorcycles and almost a sense of panic. This is completely different.

I’ve come to love it, honestly. 

You had parts in development before the bike even arrived. Tell us about that.

I don’t have anything that’s stock. My kid’s tricycle is a 1953 Radio Flyer, powder-coated satin black with pinstriping. Everything we do is custom.

With the Maeving, I didn’t just want to build for myself – my taste isn’t necessarily everyone else’s. I wanted to develop an aftermarket line that benefits other riders while staying true to that classic café racer heritage.

We’re working on a secondary headlight with adaptive steering control, fairings that use factory mounting points, carbon fiber handlebars, and new headlight brackets that create clearance for proper clamp-on café racer bars.

I also changed my handlebar position after looking at the centre of gravity. Moving the rider weight forward improved handling significantly. It ended up similar in geometry to the old Ducati Monsters. You get on one and you instantly feel like a better rider.

A simple handlebar change really shifted that for the Maeving too. 

What would you say to someone who's ridden gas bikes their whole life?

The only real similarity is that it has two wheels.

With the Maeving, I’ll pull up to a stoplight and someone will ask, “Is that electric?” And I can actually have a conversation with them. You can’t do that on a loud bike.

I was one of the least likely people to advocate for electric motorcycles. But I’ve done a complete 180. Now when my friends make fun of it, I just tell them: go ride it.

They come back like, “Alright… I get it.” 

And for a first-time rider?

The bikes I’ve ridden over the years can create panic. There’s no speed limit in the US I couldn’t break in first gear on some of those bikes.

With the Maeving, you don’t have to worry about clutch control, gears, any of that. You start to notice things. You hear dogs in parks. You see more of your environment.

It’s peaceful. Serene. It’s a perfect way to get started. 

QUICKFIRE ROUND

If you could ride anywhere in the world, where would you go?

The Amalfi Coast, or island hopping in Greece. That slower, scenic pace suits the bike perfectly. 

Best thing you've carried in the storage tank?

Eggs, animal feed, carbon fiber parts. Right now it’s got gloves, a Boston Scally cap, and a phone charger. I’m working on a custom insert for the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride – maybe cigar holders. Make it a bit more dapper. 

What does downtime look like?

Spending time with the kids – we do a lot of STEM projects. And my dogs: a 170-pound Bullmastiff and a 110-pound pit bull. Every year I like dogs more and people less. 

If Maeving made a film about your rides, what song plays over the credits?

 "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. It really does feel like a better world when you're on that bike. 

Three words to describe Maeving.

Neoclassic. Elegant. Serene. 

JonPaul rides an RM1S Blackout from his home in California. You can follow his modifications in the Maeving Owners Group.