Maeving RM1S 2024 Review | First Ride

Cleverly celebrating motorcycling’s past while embracing its inevitably electrified future, the Maeving RM1S is an upgraded version of the original RM1 responding to demand for more range and performance without messing with the charmingly retro looks. Now capable of 80 miles on a full charge and up to 70mph, the Maeving is built around paired removable battery packs so you can swerve the faff of public car chargers to plug in and ‘fuel’ it anywhere you can find a conventional three-pin plug.

Rideable on a basic CBT and L-plates and with performance roughly equivalent to a 125cc combustion engined bike or scooter, it’s as accessible as it is stylish if you can rationalise the upfront price against more attractive monthly costs compared against other forms of transport, public or private. Urban mobility doesn’t come much faster, easier or cooler while the extra power of this S broadens the Maeving’s horizons to life beyond city limits as well.

The brainchild of two forward-thinking university graduates, the Maeving riffs on traditional motorcycle styling inspired by – it says – American board track racers, retro British bikes, café racers, bobbers and more all the while looking entirely its own thing. No mean feat. A silver-coloured casing for the two removable batteries doubles for a conventional engine block, the ‘petrol tank’ is a neat storage cubby and the cabling to the control unit passes for an exhaust of sorts. The motor itself is integrated into the hub as it is on many e-bicycles, meaning no need for a chain or any other form of transmission to keep maintenance simple and styling clean. It could have ended up looking a bit naff but it treads the line between nostalgic pastiche and playful modern bike rather nicely.

By basing itself in Coventry Maeving has also been able to attract talent from nearby brands like Triumph and leverage the region’s history as an automotive centre of engineering expertise to bolster its origin story as Britain’s first electric motorcycle manufacturer. This input shows in engineering as clear-headed as the design, the neat chromoly steel frame and clean lines clearly put together with some thought and skill.  

City dwellers loved the original Maeving RM1, London’s mainly 20mph limited streets were no problem even with the modest sounding 6PS (4.4kW) peak power output, 45mph top speed and 40-mile range on the standard single battery. This could be doubled at extra cost with an additional pack if needed. For anything beyond that more power was needed, hence the upgrade to the S with a new twin-pack battery and more powerful motor delivering 9.5PS (7kW) continuous and 14.2PS (10.5kW) peak for a potential top speed of 70mph. Whether you’d want to do it or not is another matter but for inner city ring roads and quieter country lanes it opens up more opportunities.

As with all electric vehicles, meanwhile, torque is the more interesting number than horsepower, the 250Nm (184lb ft) actually greater than that delivered by a 2.5-litre Triumph Rocket 3! There is, obviously, more going on behind the figures than that but, like all electric bikes and scooters, there is way more grunt than anything else you could ride on a CBT. Thankfully the throttle calibration is smooth enough that you don’t loop off the back every time you twist the grip, there being some initial softness to get you rolling without dramas before an invigoratingly smooth and silent wallop of acceleration kicks in. There are three rider modes available but, on advice, we just kept it in Sport and enjoyed being the first away from the lights every time they went green.

The 133kg all-up weight is meanwhile comparable with 125cc combustion bikes, the new battery configuration for the RM1S putting a chunk of that lower in the frame for improved weight distribution (the second battery was previously housed up high in the ‘tank’). You can feel the bike is set up by people who know motorcycles in the way it rides as well, the Maeving handling with a confidence-inspiring blend of stability and agility that’ll have you carving bicycle sized gaps in no time. This in combination with the instantaneous power delivery is an absolute hoot, the cute design meaning you can make progress through traffic without putting anyone’s nose out of joint as you might doing similar on a noisy combustion bike.

It’s like the best bits of riding a bicycle with the coolness of being on a motorbike, and as appealing as that sounds. We’re hoping to have another go in due course to see what it’s like beyond city streets but everything points to it being just as fun on the lanes as it is in town.

One glance at the Maeving tells you you’re in for a pretty minimal two-wheeled experience and so it proves. At city speeds the lack of any protection from slipstream or other elements isn’t an issue, and here the benefits of the slip frame, low seat and easy low-speed manoeuvrability are more important. Especially for those coming from bicycles, e-bikes, electric scooters or otherwise new to ‘proper’ powered two-wheelers. The riding position is spot on as well, being neither cramped for taller riders or unwieldy for smaller ones and we weren’t suffering any ill effects after a solid couple of hours razzing round central London.

The basic forks are just that, our test bike benefitting from upgraded K-Tech rear suspension units at the back. These are apparently somewhat stiffer than the standard arrangement for a more focused riding experience but didn’t feel excessively harsh. Sure, you’re not going to be smashing through potholes or over speed humps on it but nor did we feel bucked around on bumpy city streets, leaving us to enjoy the ride for what it is.

Linked disc brakes with a conventional bicycle arrangement of right lever for front and left for rear are meanwhile easy to get along with, there deliberately being no regen so as to contrive a sense of effortless off-throttle gliding.

Most of the clever tech on the Maeving is the unseen stuff like battery management and motor calibration which it seemingly does very well, leaving the things you interact with as simple as possible. A straightforward analogue speedo with a small digital readout gives you all the info you need, the handlebar controls similarly back to basics and easy to understand. Just learn where that horn button is, given the absence of noise means pedestrians too often fail to see a ‘motorbike’ and have a habit of walking out in front of you.

A 10-litre storage compartment in the ‘tank’ meanwhile has space for a lock and perhaps some emergency waterproofs and also contains a USB charging port for your phone. The neatest feature remains, meanwhile, that removable battery configuration. If your journey is short enough you can leave one of the packs at home, removal serving the extra purpose of immobilising the bike while you take it with you to charge at home, in the office, at the café or wherever you find yourself. At 15kg apiece the batteries are not something you’re going to want to lump far but this portability is a godsend for convenience and makes charging the Maeving as easy as it is cheap. A Type 2 adaptor to charge from public car chargers is available but, frankly, swerving the accompanying faff of apps and the rest that come with that is the main blessing.

Maeving has pulled off quite the trick creating something that can appeal to both experienced motorcyclists and those new to powered two-wheelers, these two very different demographics likely equally impressed with the RM1S’s speed, ease of riding, looks and sense of fun. The extra turn of speed and range are welcome, though we’d be hesitant about mixing it in the traffic on faster dual carriageways or motorways.

The direct sales model and option to finance on hire purchase meanwhile makes the purchase process disarmingly easy, the fact you’ll own it outright at the end of the term another attraction. Maintenance costs should be minimal given there’s no oil to change or chain to tension or lubricate either, Maeving supporting owners with mobile servicing at home that you need to keep up with to preserve the warranty. This and the fact that running costs including finance payments, insurance and all the rest could be significantly cheaper than even a Zone 1 and 2 Travelcard make more sense of the upfront price as well.

So much for the boring realities, though! The main thing is the Maeving looks cool, is a giggle to ride and would be just as happy sitting among a collection of ‘proper’ motorbikes for an experienced rider as it would be providing the keys to the city for an urban-dwelling hipster.