ONYX launches two high-flying and rugged mid-drive electric bikes for hardcore riding

California-based electric motorbike maker ONYX, famous for its retro-themed high-power electric mopeds, has just unveiled the ONYX LZR. Available with two different motor options, the ONYX LZR combines the rugged design of dirt jumpers with the power and speed of street-focused electric bikes.

We see new electric bike launches all the time. But this isn’t like any other e-bike unveiling we’ve covered recently.

The ONYX LZR cuts no corners when it comes to design and manufacturing. A 6061 aluminum frame with Smooth Weld Additive Technology (SWAT) creates ultra smooth weld joints with precision frame tube alignment.

100mm of adjustable front suspension for comfort combines with BMX dirt jump hubs for ruggedness, creating an e-bike that can handle flying off a 6-foot kicker in a jump park or a 6-foot loading dock in the city.

The duality of the bike highlights ONYX’s design legacy, which began with its ONYX RCR electric moped that lived a double life as an off-road scrambler and an on-road urban runabout. The woodgrain inlay around the minimalist top-tube display also creates a subtle throwback to ONYX’s wood-focused moped history.

The ONYX LZR features a 500W Dark Matter mid-drive motor that peaks at 615W, offering a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h).

The ONYX LZR Pro has a more powerful 900W Bafang M600 mid-drive offering 1,050 peak watts and a top speed of 30+ mph (48+ km/h). Neither models comes with a throttle, as these are pedal-assisted e-bikes designed for a true riding experience – not motorcycles with pedals.

Both bikes include a frame-integrated 504Wh battery and provide between 30-70 miles (48-120 km) of range, depending on the mode of pedal assist selected.

The two ONYX LZR e-bikes were designed to offer high performance without compromising critical bike geometry that is important for true pro-riding. In fact, ONYX has been undergoing trials with professional riders for weeks, pushing the LZR hard in gravity defying dirt jumps and tough urban sessions with everything from stair hops to wall riding.

Check out the one-minute launch video below to see what the bike is capable of, at least in the hands of a professional rider.

ONYX is also preparing rider teams as well, expanding their role past just a design and manufacturing company.

The goal wasn’t just to build a new e-bike with power or speed, but to build an e-bike that could actually ride as hard as it looks like it should.

The ONYX LZR has an MSRP of $2,799 but is available now for pre-order at just $1,999. The higher performance LZR PRO has an MSRP of $3,399 and is available for pre-order at just $2,799.

Both of those pre-order promotions are only available for the first 100 units of each model, so you probably shouldn’t dawdle if you want to see one of these in your garage at that price. I’m still kicking myself for not buying one of the first RCRs when I covered ONYX’s launch in 2018, as the RCR launched at less than half of its current price (though to be fair, four years and one global pandemic have passed in that time).

The new launch also marks the return of Tim Seward to ONYX. Seward’s design skills have earned him rockstar status in the modern moped design world. He was actually the original designer of the ONYX RCR when it launched way back in 2018.

Seward more recently worked for Bird heading up the design of their two-wheeled vehicles before heading home to once again lead design in the company he founded.

“Bird would never have accepted this type of product,” Seward explained to Electrek. “But I think this is exactly the direction the industry needs to go.” He continued by saying that he felt electric bicycles simply haven’t progressed over the last few years, resulting in a stagnant market full of many of the same renditions from multiple companies. “This is an opener for a new era of ONYX,” Seward continued, explaining that the company’s future wasn’t only limited to electric bicycles, and seeming to hint (in my opinion) that other styles of products could be in the works as well.

For now though, the ONYX LZR and LZR Pro are certainly the story of the day, showing that ONYX isn’t limiting itself only to electric mopeds like those it recently released. Now the company has hardcore pro-riding electric bikes squarely in its sights.