Well, This is Awkward… SONDORS Wants Your Pre-Order Money Again
Image Credit: SONDORS.
You know how some things from the past are best left as memories? Like that perm I thought was a fabulous idea in '98? It seems not everyone got that memo, especially in the wild world of electric bikes.
Remember SONDORS? Yes, that SONDORS. The company that gave us some seriously budget-friendly e-bikes, a whole heap of crowdfunding drama, and then, rather spectacularly, performed a financial vanishing act in 2023? Prepare for a plot twist worthy of a soap opera: they're apparently back. And guess who's riding in on this re-animated steed? None other than the original ringmaster, Storm Sondors himself! He's dusted off his CEO hat and is already waving around pre-orders for a new electric motorbike called the Meta AT. The name has a certain echo, doesn't it? Like naming your comeback tour "Déjà Vu All Over Again."
Image Credit: SONDORS.
I'm all for a plucky underdog story. I've cheered for more than my fair share of them, from tiny startups to that one time my Roomba finally found its charging dock without help. But when a company whose track record includes "almost on time," "almost what we promised," and "oops, we're bankrupt" decides to dip its toes back into the "pay us now, get your toy… eventually" pool, my internal alarm bells don't just ring, they play a full eighteen-minute version of Wagner's Ring Cycle.
Let's rewind the tape for a sec for those who missed the early episodes of this spectacular rollercoaster. SONDORS first made waves way back in 2015 – practically the Stone Age of e-bikes in the US – with a $500 fat-tire electric bike. It sounded too good to be true, and for many, it involved a nail-biting wait while they wondered if it was true. Deliveries were often fashionably late, and the bikes themselves sometimes had a charming "almost-but-not-quite" quality compared to the initial hype. But, to be fair, they did tend to show up. Eventually. This became their signature move: big promises, tiny prices, and a delivery schedule that kept you on your toes.
Image Credit: SONDORS.
Then came the Metacycle in 2021. This was supposed to be their leap into the "serious" electric motorcycle world. It did look slick, the specs were great, and once again, the price was surprisingly low. But this is where the script went from a quirky indie film to a bit of a disaster movie. Timelines stretched longer than a piece of well-chewed taffy, and of the nearly 2,000 bikes that did make it out the door, many didn't quite live up to those shiny brochure promises. Then the deliveries just stopped. Poof. That, along with a few other business decisions that perhaps weren't penned by a financial guru, led to the company running clean out of cash and into the arms of bankruptcy. A rather untidy end to that chapter.
So, what's this new Meta AT all about? It's not trying to be Metacycle's street-legal twin, thank goodness. This one is aimed squarely at the muddy, bumpy fun of off-roading, looking to play in the same sandbox as Sur Ron and Talaria. It's got a motor that kicks out a peak of 4 kilowatts – that's about 5.36 of our good old American horses, and it has 230 ft-lbs of torque, which should be plenty for some grin-inducing dirt adventures. Top speed? A claimed 50 mph. And the range? Up to 60 miles from its 2.5 kWh battery, supposedly. Add the long-travel suspension and tires knobbier than a porcupine's pajamas, and you have a scrambler that's clearly built for fun off the beaten path.
Image Credit: SONDORS.
But here's the SONDORS special sauce: it's not street-legal. They will sell you a "Street Legal Kit" with the usual bits and bobs like mirrors and lights, but they're rather artfully dodging the question of whether that'll actually get you a license plate. "Check with your local authorities," they chirp, which is just so incredibly helpful.
And the price for this new adventure? The suggested retail is $4,200, but for the early birds – or perhaps, the eternally optimistic – $2,299 upfront, months before anyone's even seen a production model. It's the same business model that had mixed results last time. Let's not forget, there are still about 500 people who paid for Metacycles that never arrived.
Image Credit: SONDORS.
Our man Storm, bless his heart, apparently feels just terrible about how things ended. He's been quoted saying he's "working relentlessly" to sort things out for those left in the lurch. That's nice, dear, but "relentless work" doesn't magically make a motorcycle appear in someone's garage. He paints a picture of a massive disagreement with the Chinese factory that was building the Metacycles. It sounds like a rather sticky wicket, with no easy answers and a lot of people caught in the middle.
Storm, however, is all blue skies and sunshine about the new Meta AT. He calls it a "different machine entirely," smaller, lighter, and more agile, designed to be less complex and therefore, presumably, easier to actually produce. He still believes he's the king of the e-bike category, the one who brought electric cycling to the masses. "Don't question whether I deliver," he says. "I always have." Right you are.
Image Credit: SONDORS.
So, is this the dawn of a new, more reliable SONDORS, or just another verse of the same old song? Will enough riders be willing to take another gamble? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. I'll be over here, sipping my coffee, watching with my fingers crossed, and a genuine hope that maybe this time, the story will have a happier ending for everyone.
