We have the chance to ride and report on the amazing Naxeon I AM e-bike, an electrified motorcycle that does everything incredibly well.
What Riding is All About
With motorcycles, you are selling a lifestyle; a sense of passion for the road. Motorcycles are for those who hear the road calling and answer that rebellious call on two wheels. Ads are filled with shots of bikes sweeping through curving roads, their riders seem free and unconcerned about paying the mortgage. In fact, freedom, is a key selling feature.
But for Naxeon, the idea is bit more subtle and aimed at smart urban consumers. The company website does indeed show their bikes zipping around silently on city streets and highways. The intro copy says, UNBOUND YOURSELF. Which is another way to say, Set Yourself Free. They follow up with the words, BORN FOR THE URBAN, DESIGNED FOR LIBERATION.
The Naxeon I AM is a futuristic two-wheeler that is less of a machine and more of a smartphone on wheels. The Naxeon is both simple and complex. Unlike a conventional gas-powered bike, there is no foot brake pedal, no foot-operated gears to shift, no petcock to supply gas, you simply twist the grip to go and hit the front and rear brake levers to stop.
The first question is, where is the key? How do you start it? Well, like a Tesla you simply touch its key card between the handlebars and the bike comes to life. The welcome tones sound like a BMW or Tesla. You can also download the Naxeon app to your phone to wake the bike up. It shows you the estimated range and a million other things including a Bluetooth mode that powers up the bike when you get close to it.
The complex part includes the bike’s swipeable touchscreen. It has riding modes such as Sail, Dynamic, and Zig Zag, which is the Sport Mode setting. It shows you both the battery charge level and the estimated range. When fully charged it will take you 110 miles and top speed is around 75 miles per hour. The charge port is capable of Level One or Level Two charging.
The folks at Naxeon have thought of everything. There is even an icon that tells you when your kickstand is down. It disappears when the stand is up.
The screen shows you nearby charging stations and can plan the route to the closest station through GPS. Another screen shows riding statistics such as speed, mileage, state of charge, and even shows you your tire pressure in real time. There are video cameras fore and aft so you can record your riding adventures.
Riding the Naxeon
The Naxeon has traction control and ABS brakes and even has over-the-air updates for the software. Moving is as simple as touching a button to put it in Drive Mode and twisting the grip.
The suspension really eats up bumps in the road. In fact, the single shock rear suspension is awesome, and the high-tech front end is actually styled after an old school girder front end that has been around for over 100 years. But this setup works flawlessly offering a very smooth ride at all speeds and we think the meaty tires are a good choice as well.
When you ride this bike, everyone wants to know what it is. You get a lot of stares for sure thanks to its futuristic design.
Seating position is classic motorcycle, upright and comfortable. The bench seat is long enough to hold a passenger but there are no foot pegs in the back. There is also no storage for anything, but Naxeon offers saddlebags for the I AM. The Company is quick to learn what its customers want and make changes remarkably fast.
The 6.5-kilowatt hour battery is bigger than most electric bikes for more range. We like that. It is extremely quiet, which is weird if you’re used to riding a conventional motorcycle and the disc brakes inspire real confidence. Smooth and comfortable, this is a great commuter bike. In fact, if you use it to get to work and back, you probably will only charge it a couple of times a week.
It has a “Boost button” that is a Passing Mode for a little extra ZAP. There’s also Cruise Control for highway speeds and the bike puts on a special light show… just for fun. And fun is what the Naxeon is all about.
