Monday Motorbikes Launches The M1 Motorbike (aka, Ultimate Urban Commuter)
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The founder of Monday Motorbikes, Dr. Nathan Jauvtis, was not satisfied with the daily urban commute and so he embarked on a journey to redefine the commute. Urban commutes are often comprised of waiting at the bus station, long stretches on public transit, and endless hours stuck in traffic.
It was out of these frustrations that the M1 was born. An e-bike crafted to look like a classic cafe racer motorbike, the M1 is unique in that it does not need to be registered with the local motor vehicle department, nor do drivers need a motorcycle license (though it is best to confirm both of these with your local authority before purchasing). It can safely zip around traffic in the bike lane and upon arriving at the destination, can park safely, securely, and FREE at typically plentiful bike parking spots, all of which are huge benefits.
The M1 isn’t just the embodiment of a shorter commute, but as an electric powered vehicle, it also allows riders to ditch emissions from transportation. Disconnecting emissions from the point of use allows power to get generated more efficiently at scale, in the case of fossil fuels, and even better, to be generated from renewable sources far from the point of use.
It aims to redefine the commute and more — to make Mondays a day that owners look forward to because they get to get back on their M1. That all sounds great. A blue sky world where snowy days are transformed into sunny southern California days with just the right combination of sun and shade, punctuated by a light breeze blowing your hair back as you zip along city streets to work in record time.
The Good, The Bad, and The Awkward
But seriously — who is Monday Motorbikes and does the team there really have a product that will make you excited about Mondays again? By my reckoning, yes! For starters, the M1 comes in at a very approachable price for a new motorbike at $5,995. The price makes the M1 a viable option for many people who are looking to drive electric or are looking to go a different direction with a dedicated commute vehicle that also happens to be a ton of fun to ride.
On top of that, it is classified as an e-bike which removes a lot of the hurdles that are typically associated with getting a motorcycle. Having said that, I will personally plug taking a motorcycle safety class if you’re going to ride around on a 2-wheeler, as they are a different breed of transportation and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The M1 definitely doesn’t look like the typical e-bike and as you might expect, it doesn’t ride like one either. Most e-bikes look much more like a traditional bicycle, whereas the M1 was clearly designed as the modern incarnation of a classic cafe racer. It has pedals but packs the power riders would expect of a motorcycle…but with a twist.
The M1 has two performance modes — Eco and Sport. Eco is essentially “street legal” mode which caps the top speed at 20 mph. Switching to Sport mode unlocks the full potential of the bike and allows riders to double that speed, achieving up to 40 mph. This mode is intended for off-road use only, though it definitely feels like this bike is riding a very fine line between motorcycle and e-bike, especially given the fact that it looks like a classic motorcycle.
What’s Inside?
The M1 is powered by a brushless DC permanent magnet motor that consumes 750 watts in Economy Mode, which steps up to 5500 watts (!!!) in Sport Mode.
Monday Motorbikes builds its batteries in house from 26-650 Lithium Iron Phosphate (aka LiFePo4) cells which are stacked into custom packs that slide nicely onto either side of the section of the bike that would typically house the gasoline.
What’s great about using an industry standard cell and building packs in house is that Monday Motorbikes can secure commodity pricing on batteries while at the same time, retain the flexibility to upgrade quickly in the event that a newer, better battery hits the market (like when the 22-170 becomes the new standard, for instance). The 2.5 kWh battery provides enough juice to travel 40 miles.
Monday Motorbikes definitely has an interesting product with the M1, and reportedly has another model in the works. For more information about Monday Motorbikes or the M1, head over to the official website or check them out on Facebook.
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All Images Courtesy: Monday Motorbikes
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