Tim Seward built a 65 MPH electric moped in his garage to one-up his buddies. People wouldn't stop asking where to buy it. So he started Onyx Motors, raised almost a million bucks on Indiegogo in 3 hours… then sold the company for $1. When his successor died unexpectedly, Tim came back to rebuild from scratch. This is that story.
The RCR 80V is a 91-volt electric motorbike that hits 65–75 MPH, goes 130 miles on a charge, runs Apple CarPlay, and costs about 75 cents to charge at home. It's built on a metal tube frame with swappable aluminum panels — designed from day one to be customized, modded, and made your own. Think less iPhone, more Lego kit.
Tim breaks down the moped gang culture that started it all, why Americans are 20 years behind the rest of the world on two-wheeled transport, what he learned designing scooters at Bird, and why Gen Z might never buy a car.
CHAPTERS
0:00 – Cold Open
0:00 – Intro: Who is Tim Seward?
0:01 – Why Build Something That Lasts?
0:03 – Moped Army & Moped Mondays
0:05 – Moped Culture: US vs. the World
0:07 – The Scooter Armageddon (Bird & South by Southwest)
0:09 – Working at Bird & the Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle
0:11 – Red Lights & "It's Not For Sale"
0:13 – The Indiegogo Campaign ($920K in Hours)
0:15 – Selling Onyx for $1
0:18 – Losing James & Resurrecting the Brand
0:21 – Starting a Company Twice
0:22 – The RCR 80V: Size, Speed & Power
0:25 – Regulations & Licensing
0:26 – Metal vs. Plastic: Design Philosophy
0:28 – Built to Customize (Not Lock Down)
0:31 – CarPlay, Navigation & Built-In Tech
0:33 – Mounting Points, Mods & Steady Garage
0:36 – Swappable Panels & Custom Builds
0:40 – Favorite Mods: Back to the Future Build
0:43 – The $245B Electric Vehicle Market
0:46 – Gen Z Doesn't Want Cars
0:49 – Park It on the Sidewalk (or Your Desk)
0:52 – Speed Modes & Motorcycle Registration
0:54 – What's Next for Onyx Motors
0:56 – Where to Buy + Outro
LINKS
Onyx Motors → https://onyxmotors.com
Onyx on Instagram → https://instagram.com/onyxmotors
Steady Garage (aftermarket accessories) → https://steadygarage.com
Onyx Garage (custom builds gallery) → https://onyxmotors.com/pages/garage
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