The Art Director Who Found His Electric Cafe Racer motorcycle

Carl Olaco is an Art Director who can't turn off his eye for design, and found his perfect electric cafe racer motorcycle in the Maeving.

Tell us about your motorcycling story. How did it all begin?

I grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles riding BMX bikes, eventually fell into downhill mountain biking and did some races. I've always kind of been on two wheels since I was a little kid. First motorcycles I rode were in Baja California - dirt bikes.

I've actually only been licensed for about three or four years. I had been putting off riding motorcycles for years but finally decided to take the plunge. And I thought, why not electric? I had ridden so many different gas bikes, but I'm very interested in moving forward in terms of electric power. 

What drew you to Maeving specifically?

I did a lot of research, and the reason I wound up with the Maeving was practical, actually. I'm living in a house without power in the garage. I'm renting it, and there's no way I can add power. No charging at home unless I have removable batteries. And the only one I could find was the Maeving.

But I had known about all different electric motorcycles for the past five years, and the Maeving was the one that caught my eye. It was the only one with a concept: it being a throwback design, kind of a Royal Enfield-looking motorcycle. That idea of old versus new was what attracted me to the bike, plus the batteries. I've been riding ever since. About a year and a half now on the RM1S. 

How are you using your Maeving day to day? 

It's my main mode of transportation, which I think is not that common with this bike. I have no regular commute, but I use it for everything. I do have a car that I love. But to be honest, it's just not quite as fun as riding a motorcycle. So I end up on the Maeving any time I can. 

Now I want to go to the bank, I want to go anywhere. I'm looking for a reason to ride. I've got a friend who lives near the beach in Santa Monica, and she can't get rid of me. Every ride is something new. It's like you're rediscovering. You're like a little kid discovering nature. 

You work in design as an Art Director. Did that eye for aesthetics play any part in choosing the Maeving? 

I can't turn off what I do for a living. It's part of me. 

My favorite material things in life - I could count them on one hand. My watch is made by Nixon. My shoes are made by Camper, with soles made by the tyre company Michelin. These are decisions I pour over. I have such an appreciation for usability and beauty. The beauty in industrial design is apparent every time you use something. I get that feeling every time I get in my car, every time I look at my watch, every time I get on the Maeving. 

I started my career at a time when Steve Jobs had just returned to Apple. The Volkswagen Beetle had just been redesigned. Michael Graves had just designed a line of toasters and housewares for Target. It was a boom in industrial design. We tapered down for a while, but now it seems to be ramping up again. And I'm always enthusiastic and supportive of that kind of thinking. 

The Maeving was a little different from my other purchases because you're combining old and new in the perfect setting. We're at a time when electric transportation is just making more sense than ever, especially here in America. And to combine it with this throwback café racer style is saying something about where we are and where we’ve come from. It's just a really beautiful thing. 

Do you spend much time at the Maeving LA showroom?

I can't say that I like having to go to a mechanic, but it's always a good time to see those guys. That was another thing that stood apart about Maeving: very organised, very customer-focused. The service has been top of the line. 

Is there anything about riding an electric motorcycle that surprised you?

The one problem I had with electric motorcycles, and it was holding me back for years, was the fact that they have no gears. That didn't really make sense to me. 

But the minute I test rode a Maeving, I instantly forgot about the lack of gears. I stopped reaching for the clutch. It really makes you focus on the ride itself. There's so much pleasure in manoeuvring a motorcycle precisely, riding slow or fast. The ride was smooth, exhilarating, controlled, precise. 

Every time you look at it, it's a café racer from the 60s and 70s. I can't wait to go down to the garage and take the cover off it every day. It's got a soul, this motorcycle. 

What would you say to someone who's ridden petrol bikes their whole life and is skeptical? 

First of all, you have to try it. A lot of gas bike people were behind the design of this bike. It retains everything from a gas bike experience that matters. The ride itself. 

If you're bent on throttling up and making noise because you want to show off, this bike is not for you, and maybe motorcycle riding in general is not for you, in my opinion. It's all about the ride. 

My best friend is an ex-police officer in Glendale who was in charge of a lot of Los Angeles's motorcycle cop training. He was very skeptical. And then he got on it and he loved it. We're talking about a purist, gas-only motorcycle guy. He instantly fell in love with it. 

And for someone who's never ridden before? 

You're making a statement. I don't like attention, I don't like people taking pictures of me while I'm pulling up to the bank. But I do like the fact that it's expressing something every time you ride it. We are at this point in the world of transportation, and we are saying that you can ride this bike and feel like you're riding a throwback at the same time. 

Quickfire round of questions

If you could ride anywhere in the world?

Switzerland. All along the mountains.

What does ideal downtime look like? 

Just being with friends and family. We could be doing anything. 

Three words to describe Maeving electric motorcycle.

Precision. Refinement. Intelligence.

Past or future?

The future, if I could come back to the present. Probably with some warnings.

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

Burning Wheel by Primal Scream. That really fits the ride.

Favorite ride?

The 110 freeway, north of Los Angeles. Built in the 1940s, full of curves, meant to be driven slowly. On-ramps that give you about 30 feet to get up to freeway speed. It's crazy. And then there's the Blade Runner tunnel downtown. I could go on forever.