Actor Steve Chusak on Life with the Maeving RM2

Maeving RM2 rider Steve Chusak's relationship with motorcycles began in the rice fields of rural Thailand, blasting around on his cousin's scooter as a teenager. It took that memory, a OneWheel, and a Maeving Instagram tease to get him back on two wheels. He's named after Steve McQueen. It was always going to happen eventually.

Can you tell us about your very first ride on a motorcycle?

My mum's from Thailand, so when I was a kid we'd go back to see family a lot. Everyone rides scooters and motorbikes there, so I have really early memories of being a passenger. Then when I got a bit older - maybe fifteen or sixteen - I started riding them myself.

A specific memory from that time is hopping on my cousin’s scooter and blasting through the rice fields. I’m a bit of a movie buff, so I’d listen to ’60s Vietnam-era music while riding through the paddies. Loads of fun. Very evocative. 

Did you pursue it when you came home? 

I was seriously looking at getting a bike at sixteen, but there was pushback from my mum. She was worried. And I broke my leg quite badly playing football around that time, so that curtailed everything. Then I went off to college and didn't really need my own transport. It just fell by the wayside for a long time. 

So the Maeving is your first bike in the UK. What drew you to it?

I saw the RM1 online, right when it first came out. I just loved the look of it. That was the first thing. I was like, damn, that's a nice-looking bike.

The electric part didn't even factor in when I first saw it. I was just like, that's a really interesting meld of modern and classic design. I love that kind of retro futurism, designs from now looking back, or designs from the past looking forward. That marriage of design styles really spoke to me.

Then seeing that it was electric - I'm an environmentally conscious person - that gave it an extra edge of appeal. 

You're on the RM2 rather than the RM1 or RM1S. How did that happen? 

I was pretty much sold on the RM1S, but then I saw what I think was a not-so-subtle teaser on Instagram about a two-seater. I commented something like, it's two seats, isn't it? And got a very heavy suggestion to wait and see. 

That interested me because my first electric vehicle was a OneWheel- very much a one-person thing. I thought, if I get this bike and it feels incredible, it'd be a shame if it's another vehicle I can't share. And then when I actually saw the RM2, it just hit me with that really classic British look. Something about it just really spoke to me.

You're currently on stage at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury - Theatre of the Year, no less. Did the bike make the trip?

It did, yeah. I rode it up from Brighton and was commuting on it for the first couple of weeks while I was in digs off site. I kind of enjoyed commuting, weirdly. It was only a five or ten minute ride, but it was just a really nice way to start the day.

The play's about Queen Victoria. Her diaries, her life with Prince Albert. I play Dr. James Reid, who's been in the royal household a long time. He's a confidant, a respite. Not one of the vultures circling around her. It's funny and poignant. I'm having a good time with it. 

Is there anything about being on stage that connects to riding? 

Actually, yeah. As an actor you get quite mollycoddled, shunted from here to there, everyone wants to know where you are at all times. Whereas on the bike, it's all you. Your agency. You're free to do what you want. 

And there's a flow state thing too. When you know a play well and you're deep in it, part of your brain steps back. You're still speaking and acting, but you're watching yourself do it. I think that happens on the bike as well. It's a strange, Zen-like, meditative sort of experience. My parents named me after Steve McQueen, he's one of my big heroes, and obviously a big bike guy, and I don't know, it gives me a little connection to that rebellious, adventurous side of things.

What would you say to someone considering a Maeving as their first bike?

Go for it. It's just that freedom, and the joy of riding, and the calm that comes over you. It's really difficult to describe without getting on it. People write songs about it and make movies about it for a reason. It's a real thing.

And for an EV sceptic?

I don't need a lot of the things people say you're missing. The noise, for instance, I actually prefer riding through a village and not bothering everyone. People look over thinking, that's a nice machine, why isn't it making any noise. Not, bloody hell, that's loud.

You can't knock it until you try it. Just keep an open mind.

QUICKFIRE ROUND

If you could ride anywhere in the world?

Vietnam. I'd love to do a tour. 

Your current role is set in the Victorian era. Given the choice: that or modern day? 

Modern day engineering, all day.

What does ideal downtime look like?

A chilled morning, cup of coffee, some music on, staring out the window. Just enjoying the quietness. 

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

Loose Fit by Happy Mondays. It fits the chill factor of the bike perfectly. 

You can catch Steve on stage in Victoria: A Queen Unbound at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, by clickng here.