Spring is finally here, which means there will be a large number of newly-minted motorcyclists out there. Most people will likely pick up something used for their first ride while more daring individuals will take their chances with something new. If you’ll be a part of that latter group in the near future, Real Motors doesn’t want you to spend your money on a small-bore Honda. Instead, it wants you to drop $20,000 on its cafe racer of the future. This is the Real Motors Ares, and it rocks futuristic looks behind that shocker of a price.
Electric motorcycles have helped ignite a new era of riding. There are countless startups out there and all of them see themselves reinventing this more than century-old form of transportation. You can now buy electric motorcycles to go on off-road adventures, electric motorcycles for road trips, and electric motorcycles that look out of this world.
Real Motors has ambitious goals like every other motorcycle startup, but right now it’s focusing not on current motorcycle owners, but on people fresh out of class with their endorsements.
Many have tried to create the perfect beginner bike. In theory, the best beginner motorcycle is one that’s easy to control, easy to work on, and is forgiving to mistakes. Fresh riders are likely to drop their bikes, give the engine too much throttle, shift gears sloppily, and not have developed skills. Because of this, you don’t want to put a new rider on a Harley dresser or a Japanese sportbike.
The heavy and slow-turning Harley will teach them bad technique in no time flat, while the overpowered sportbike will threaten to test the new rider’s safety gear immediately.
Really, the best beginner bikes are boring machines that make it easy to master skills. A good example of a good beginner bike is the Buell Blast (above). Those motorcycles were built with durable plastics molded in color. Drop a Blast and you’ll get barely noticeable scrapes, not broken plastics. The Blast is also lightweight, turns easily, and is devoid of real power. That’s great for keeping you alive. So, what will Real Motors bring to the table?
Real Motors
Real Motors was founded in South Carolina in 2022 by Trent Dingman and Michael Feng. Dingman brings experience from being the co-founder of Makeit Inc, a company aiding the development of companies Beanbags Coffee, Posterity Clothing, and others. Prior to that, Dingman was the Lead Engineer at Techtronic Industries, where he worked on the design and development of Ryobi and Hart electric riding mowers.
When Real Motors opened its doors, co-founder Feng said, from Carolina News & Reporter:
“Our launching product is a fully electric motorcycle that is fun to drive and affordable,” “We are committed to reducing carbon emissions by replacing small- to medium-size gasoline engines with fully electric power systems. … Our goal is to establish ourselves as a prominent player in the South Carolina manufacturing hub and contribute to the growing electric vehicle ecosystem.”
Back then, Real Motors had a concept rendering of something that looked like a flat tracker, but the company has since shifted to a futuristic motorcycle inspired by English cafe racers from the 1960s with a dash of that future romanticism. This is the Ares and Real Motors has a working prototype of it. However, the specs are still being tweaked before the expected first series launch next year.
The Bike
The Real Motors Ares sounds ambitious, but from a technological perspective, it isn’t anything we haven’t seen before.
The prototype Ares sports an 11kWh battery and weighs about 485 pounds. Real Motors is targeting a 419-pound weight for the production version. In terms of performance, the company is expecting a 0 mph to 60 mph time of under four seconds and nimble handling from its 60.5-inch wheelbase. Real Motors doesn’t say much about rider ergonomics aside from an expected 33.5-inch seat height.
You’ll notice that I didn’t say anything about the motor and that’s because Real Motors isn’t exactly locked in with that yet. But the company says to expect power figures comparable to a 700cc or 900cc machine and a top speed perched right at the ton (100 mph).
As far as range, the company says to expect about 100 miles of unspecified riding. What sounds neat is the bike’s charging capability, which is quoted as being able to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 30 minutes. That’s for Level 2. However, don’t get too excited because while that sounds awesome, it makes sense when you remember it’s working with a small-ish 11kWh battery. A higher-output Level 2 charger should be able to hit the numbers advertised.
Before we move on from the power system, that range is unlikely to be for sustained highway travel. My 2023 Zero DSR/X long-term tester has a 15.2 kWh nominal battery and highway travel still brings the range down to about 70 miles or so. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Real Motors Ares was able to do about 50 miles on the highway, maybe lower.
Real Motors says the motorcycle is designed around “Electric Analogue,” which it describes as:
In essence, the ‘Electric Analogue’ concept is the Project’s call to return to the basics, where technology’s only role is to enable the thrill of the ride. It’s a call to designers, engineers, and riders alike to embrace a future where the ultimate luxury is simplicity, and the highest form of sophistication is the ability to deliver an unfiltered experience, reminding us that at the heart of every journey is the pure, exhilarating freedom of motion. It gives the electric vehicle a character through subtle feedback from the electrical and mechanical components working together, and it feels almost, analogue.
That’s a lot of marketing speak there. To translate it, the Ares has a screen for its instrumentation, but big and clicky buttons to manipulate the motorcycle’s functions. The Ares is also being designed to have a ride a bit closer to a racer than a big cushy tourer.
I love the style. The motorcycle is covered up in panels, but if you look through the rear you’ll find that the guts of the bike are still exposed. There are some graceful curves and I want that slick integrated taillight on my motorcycles. If the mission was to make what a cafe racer would look like 50 years from now I think it’s a solid mission accomplished.
What I’m not so sure of is the claim that this is supposed to be a beginner bike. I wouldn’t say that leaning a beginner over on clip-on bars and giving them the ability to hit 60 mph in under 4 seconds is the best idea. At the very least, the top speed is low enough to keep a newbie out of too much trouble. Real Motors also doesn’t say much about those panels. Are they going to break when the bike falls over? Will they cost a fortune to replace?
The price is also a shocker, because Real Motors wants new riders to pay around $20,000 for the Ares. Real Motors might want to read the room a little bit, because LiveWire, a known brand with Harley-Davidson backing, is having a super hard time selling beginner-friendly electric motorcycles that cost a little less.
On the other hand, brands like Royal Enfield have found a ton of success selling cheap motorcycles to new riders. $20,000 is a lot to swallow for something you’ll probably drop and break in the first 500 miles. I spent just $1,200 on my first motorcycle.
Perhaps that’s why Real Motors isn’t betting the farm on beginners. The company expects experienced riders will also be drawn to the style and to the ride. Time will tell. For now, you should also know that components for the motorcycle will be made in China and then assembled in North Carolina. If you want in on the Ares, Real Motors has an email waitlist. The first units, expected in 2025, are expected to be of limited quantity but with customizable liveries.
33.5″ seat height $20k “beginner bike” with less range than my bicycle (and its engine is very out of shape at the moment). That’s a hard no from me.
They don’t seem like motorcycle people. Which is fine, as they don’t seem to be aiming this at motorcycle people. Pretty weird all around.
Definitely not a beginner bike. Also, definitely not what a production version would look like. The lighting isn’t going to meet DOT muster, there’s no mirrors, no plate bracket, no signals, etc. etc. I like the look, but it’s not going to see the light of day in that form.
I mean most of modern advertising is bald face lies. Maybe I’m jaded from watching bull shit moto vloggers. Spite’s Corner and Lali are two of the worst when it comes to selling to “beginners” Spite will try to sell any device under the sun for beginners like a $450 action camera, whereas Lali will recommend a Triumph Daytona as a beginner sports bike as she rides around Europe on triumphs dime.
I like the looks but it’s not a starter steedat that spec and price. Not very practical for an older rider either given the racer crouch riding position.
this looks like a serious nope and the article is surely intended as a dark electric humor piece.
Old experienced people drop bikes too, yesterday my bike did a flop coming off the pit stand, plastics all ok, thanks to frame sliders. The side stand hit a piece of wood, became too tall and the bike went right for an afternoon nap.
Oh yes, I hoped it was clear that I wasn’t recommending anyone buy this, let alone someone who just passed a BRC!
The best beginner bike is actually the Boss Hoss V8, which was designed and built by and for a first time rider.
Seriously, look it up!
Well it’s not going to be. Boo.
No.
No no no.
>4s to 60mph is slow for a bike. Full fairing is expensive to drop. No windscreen is stupidly uncomfortable. 100miles (160km) of undisclosed riding (likely city) is inadequate. And a mashup of marketing mumbojumbo is irritating at best.
No.
First bike with no gears? It will be funny, like those legendary Americans who hire stick shift cars and cannot get out of the car park because they cannot find D. And make dreadful noises while doing so.
Except, on a bike going from first to an unexpected N, can be sore. So only progression will be to fully auto GoldWing, which is even more expensive….
That is the worst riding position of any motorcycle I’ve seen in a while. Why write about vapor bikes that are nowhere close to production? They don’t even have a motor nailed down. Total marketing bullshit to attract investment money. It’s not real, folks. The guy designed lawn mowers, and it shows.
I like writing about both the good and the bad in the motorcycle and RV world. Most would just copy the press release and publish that. This is definitely toward the latter part of the scale.
You are right that it’s unlikely to reach production. But if it does, $20k is just…nah.
Let’s get people to buy their first bike and make it 20k. What clowns lol. Nobody is buying this as their first bike they’re gonna buy a used gas bike.
Hey i’ve seen that pig-ugly giant hanging pot belly design elsewhere!
https://www.carbodydesign.com/gallery/2014/02/the-lotus-c-01-motorcycle-by-daniel-simon/5/
I was about to ask, do they have a licensing deal with Daniel Simon or Lotus? Then I got to the part that says “made in China” and the blatant knockoff design suddenly made sense.
Am I missing something, or do I not see a kickstand? Those are not the bars for a beginner bike.
There doesn’t appear to be one. I’m willing to ignore that since it’s a prototype…However, that price cannot be ignored.
This is a cool looking bike. I don’t ride, so I’m guessing here, but it doesn’t look right for the real world? The proportions are off somehow?
Also, why do motorcycles look so cool without a rider on them? Shouldn’t they be designed to look cool with the rider? Just sayin…
That ginormous hanging pot belly
You mean the Aerodynamic aid?
Looks like the front wheel cannot turn without hitting the fairing, and the lack of ground clearance means you’ll hit the asphalt with the bottom of said fairing going over the tiniest cracks. Also the swingarm is way too long and the chain is even longer. So much questionable ‘engineering’..
Not to mention a racing stand is probably less useful in everyday life than a boring old kickstand.
I bet the long swingarm is for the same reason you sometimes see them added to sportbikes – make them feel less twitchy/scary to the rider who’s all about power, but not so much about riding skill.
Yeah, even if the wheel can clear the fairings to turn, not in compression and all the road slop goes into that bodywork, into whatever is behind it. Maybe it’s blanked off, but looks like an annoying mess to clean. Of course with that name assuring us that it is absolutely totally a solid company and not vaporware, I’m sure we can have faith that it will all be very well thought out when it reaches production.
This thing looks rad, but like many EV bikes I see, it starts making less sense when I think about the numbers. Small displacement motorcycles, as are often suggested for newer riders, can hit 50 or even 60+ mpg economy numbers when ridden reasonably, and despite having a relatively small displacement, can still be quite quick relative to the cars one might be more familiar with. The Ninja 400, which is the smallest displacement sports bike Kawasaki makes, can hit a 0-60 somewhere around 4 and a half seconds, which is about on par with a brand new Mustang 5.0.
All of this in a package that has a starting MSRP of $5299. I guess I don’t see why someone would spend nearly 4x the money on a “beginner” bike, that sure, looks pretty cool, and is probably pretty punchy off the line (I’m curious about the power claims of being similar to a 700-900cc gas bike- maybe they mean the torque values?), but otherwise represents a pretty bad value for money.
To me, it seems like it makes far mores sense to go with pretty much anything else for less than 20k.
I love the styling, but that is pricey for a beginner bike. I would hope they have a beginner mode to greatly reduce throttle response and top speed. Make it scary enough to catch the riders attention, but not enough to lose control quickly.
I guess it’s hard to justify the cost when you can get Royal Enfields new for less than $10k.
I completely agree- at a 20k price point, you can get a whole lot of bike in pretty much any category, from sport bike, to standards, to even a Harley or an Indian and still have thousands of dollars left over. I have absolutely no qualms with EV bikes conceptually, but I’ve yet to see one that makes sense from a cost perspective, especially from these startup companies.
Or buy three used Suzuki sv650s.
It does look like a real-life version of the modified Triumph Bonnevilles that the robot police officers rode in THX-1138!
(to chase Robert Duvall, at the wheel of Lola prototype)
One of James Garner‘s Lola T70s
Avon still makes thise fairings.
I saw the movie (on VHS) way before I really got into cars, and damn if that design doesn’t come immediately to mind now when I think “futuristic car.”
The real-world answer is “large rounded box crossover” of course, but still…
THX-1138 is definitely worth seeing in a theater if you get the opportunity.
I’ve seen Lucas’ revised version, and while I appreciate the attempt at greater worldbuilding, I kinda like the claustrophobic feel that the low budget of the original created.