MAEVING RM1S: The 125 electric motorcycle with a vintage bluffing look arrives in France

It was in the 9th arrondissement of Paris that we carried out a quick test of the MAEVING RM1S electric motorcycle. Large cities such as the French capital is indeed the target heart for this machine since the two-wheeled thermal parking has become paying. And the MAEVING RM1S has arguments to assert. It can be driven with the 125 cc license, it “goes up” up to 110 km/h and its two batteries are removable. Add to that a very British And we subdodor a very good cocktail.

The machine design is simple with a steel frame, an engine integrated into the wheel and two 16 kg batteries superimposed vertically at the usual location of the heat engine. The particularity of this MAEVING lies in its vintage style, inspired by motorcycles from the 1920s with its fine 19 -inch wheels. It must be said that it is successful, and even the electric cables which connect the battery and the inverters are covered with a braided metal sheath. The tank with neat paint such as the access hatch of the metal battery compartment confirm the seriousness of the design.

We could obviously not be able to deprive ourselves of a little try. As soon as we take the handlebars, the finesse of the motorcycle surprises. Analog instrumentation with a small TFT screen sticks to the mood, even if some could regret a more “tech” side. The Commodos are quite commonplace since they are found on many other motorcycles from Asia.

Comfortable and 110 km/h to offer

As soon as we leave with the RM1S, you feel comfortable. Only the footrests are not very comfortable, or not very well placed. On the suspensions side, we are surprised to fly over a paved section. The fork is flexible, but offers good restraint to braking (110 mm travel), while the backup handset at the rear does the job well (80 mm travel).

Admittedly, the engine lacks punch at the start, but once launched, we really have fun, all the more with regard to the agility and the lightness felt. Three driving modes are available. Drive mode limits speed to 70 km/h. But to benefit from a little recovery, we will use the sport mode which authorizes 110 km/h of maximum speed. A good point for this RM1S, as electric vehicles in this range are often restrained at lower speed. In addition, braking regeneration is not implemented in order to avoid heating the batteries.

Behind a metal door on hinges, two removable batteries of 2.73 kWh each feed the 7.2 kW engine (11.1 kW in crest). If you load at home, you end up with 2 x 16.5 kg to transport. Fortunately, a charging plug is also present on the motorcycle (non -standard connector). The batteries (LG M50LT cells) are given for a load of 20 to 80 % in 2 h 30 min, and from 0 to 100 % in 6 h. If necessary, the motorcycle can work with a single battery in “degraded” mode.

No ABS or passenger seat

With this certain charm, we would almost forget its few faults. Already, the electronic endowment is minimal and an ABS system would not have been too much, especially for an all-time urban vehicle and on all surfaces. Then, the aesthetic design of the saddle does not allow one for passenger, even as an option. With a price of € 8995, these two aspects could have transformed the status of the RM1S of good electric motorcycle with commercial cardboard!

Guarantee two years and assembled in the United Kingdom, the MAEVING RM1S is facing the BMW CE-02 (95 km/h Max, 3.92 kWh, € 8750), which seems even more serious in the assembly and inevitably benefits from the BMW brand image. But the co -founder of Maeving assures us: “We do not have a start-up functioning. We have hired people from Triumph, who sometimes have several decades of experience in the field.”

Another possibility, the TC Max vmoto (ex-subsoco) (95 km/h, 3.2 kWh, around € 5,000) is much cheaper. Certainly less high -end, it is just as capable of ensuring everyday journeys, and even making a little duo when the situation presents!

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