If the only thing putting you off the Maeving RM1 was its modest 45mph top speed, you might be interested in this new RM1S version.
It features a new hub motor which puts out 14.1bhp compared to just 5.9bhp for the standard Maeving RM1. This means you now need to be 17 years old rather than 16 to ride it, but it’s still well within the limit for those riding with L-plates after taking a CBT.
The extra power has a dramatic effect on performance - the RM1S will top out at 65mph rather than 45mph, making it a much more versatile machine than before. The range remains the same, though, at 80 miles, as Maeving has fitted the bike with 30 per cent larger battery packs.
You can run the bike with just one of the two packs, which - unsurprisingly - halves the range to a still decent 40 miles. The batteries can either be charged in situ, or taken off the bike to top up elsewhere with the optional battery dock. It takes 3.5 hours to simultaneously charge both packs from empty to 80 per cent, or 4.5 hours to go up to 100 per cent.
Maeving says it’s built the RM1S in response to feedback from customers wanting more power and speed. We can’t imagine many will have had bad things to say about the looks, so they’ve stayed largely the same. That means a long wheelbase, wire wheels and a big, bobber-style seat.
If you’re looking closely enough, though, you might have noticed that the central housings for the batteries are a bit bigger, and there’s also a beefier front brake - a 300mm disc squeezed by a three-piston calliper. Maeving has also released four new special edition liveries to go with the bike.
Co-founder Will Stirrup had this to say about the new bike:
“The RM1S is the bike we have been asked over and over to build by those riders who want a zero-emissions motorcycle that looks like an RM1 but is capable of highway speeds.
“We’ve worked extremely hard to ensure that everything that has made the RM1 so popular with our customers is carried over to the new RM1S, whilst delivering the greater performance that will mean it can be used in a much wider variety of use cases.
“The original Maeving RM1 has been a huge success for us and, for many riders who stay within inner city limits, it will remain the perfect motorcycle. Adding the RM1S to the collection provides an electric motorcycle for those that need to cover wider geographies at higher speeds.”
The RM1S costs £7,495, compared to £5,999 for the RM1. Deliveries will begin in March 2024.
