Real Motors’ Project: ARES electric motorbike may revolutionise two-wheeled travel
Project: ARES is an all-electric sports bike with science-fiction styling and old-school performance. Its makers hope it’ll be a hit with a new generation of riders

Real Motors is the latest company to swell the fleet of all-electric motorbikes (such as the newly available DAB 1α, for example, from French company DAB Motors). The US-based company has revealed Project: ARES, a fully functioning prototype of its proposed first product. A light ‘café racer’, a genre of sporting motorbike that stems from the modified production machines used to frequent the cafés along London’s north circular road in the 1960s, the prototype blends stripped-back historicism with sci-fi details.
Project: ARES prototype electric motorbike
Although the final spec isn’t quite settled, this development model is undergoing trials near Real Motors’ HQ. Weighing in at around 220kg, Project: ARES sports an 11kWh battery that should be good for a circa 100 mile range and a top speed of 90 to 100mph. Pointing out that it’s geared for acceleration, Real Motors’ Michael Feng and Trent Dingman say that it’s an ideal vehicle for ‘first time motorcycle owners’.
The uncluttered, simple lines feature a deep side fairing and oversized front fork; in the prototype, this bears a strong graphic motif that pairs with the white painted body. American bike culture is a very different world to that in Europe, and the idea of an attractive bike for cruising and meet-ups, rather than a dedicated touring or commuting machine, is much more prevalent.
Feng admits that it’s an ‘expensive toy’, albeit a very functional one that you can use every day. Components, battery and body will be made in China and assembled in the US, with the company looking for early adopters to snatch up the first batch of bikes, due for delivery late next year. The price point is expected to be around $20,000.
Real Motors is not just aiming at customers without traditional motorbike backgrounds, but those who enjoy a more sophisticated synthesis of digital technology with analogue experiences. There’s still nothing to match the very visceral experience of riding a fast sports bike, and with fine balance, swift acceleration and the communication between the bike and the road, Project: ARES should deliver a superb riding experience.
‘We believe the best way to describe the freedom and power you feel when you ride your bike, is that you forget it’s there,’ Feng and Dingman say, ‘it’s yourself that gained a superpower.’
For more information on Project: ARES visit Real-Motors.com, @RealMotorsCo
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Designer Alex Proba teams up with Hoka for a delightfully colourful shoe collab
This maximalist footwear capsule is designed to get dirty
-
Photographer Mohamed Bourouissa reflects on society, community and marginalised communities at MAST
Mohamed Bourouissa unites his work from the last two decades at Bologna’s Fondazione MAST
-
Behind a carefully composed geometric brick façade, a New Delhi residence rises high
AKDA’s design for this New Delhi residence explores new geometries and high densities
-
The Infinite Machine Olto is an electrified two-wheeler designed for urban transportation
New York-based Infinite Machine have revealed their second electric urban vehicle, the Olto, a micro mobility solution designed to share bike lanes
-
CES 2025: the mobility edit. The wheeled and wonderful machines from this year’s show
CES’s vehicular content keeps on increasing, with big names making big debuts to an eager tech-centric audience
-
DAB Motors celebrates Olympic glory with five unique custom-designed electric motorbikes
The French electric motorbike brand has created five sport-inspired editions as a way of marking Paris 2024 and the arrival of DAB Custom Studio
-
DAB 1α electric motorbike is the first product from French manufacturer DAB Motors
The DAB 1α is an all-electric motorbike born out of industrial design, gaming culture and aviation technology, and now available to order
-
Fuell Fllow e-motorbike could be the ultimate commuting machine
The Fuell Fllow, a blend of superbike power and style with the silence and convenience of all-electric power, is a bold statement for those seeking zero-emission urban travel
-
Maeving RM1 electric motorbike is a classic looker with zero emissions
The road opens up with the Maeving RM1, a retro-styled e-motorbike that splices practicality with style
-
Fuell Fllow electric motorbike promises more zip for your zap
The Fllow electric motorbike from American EV manufacturer Fuell takes inspiration from classic sports machines and is a sparkling performer for the daily commute
-
BMW Motorrad brings out the big guns for its newest cruisers
BMW Motorrad R 18 Bagger and Transcontinental set the tone for high-voltage cruising with a brand collaboration with speaker specialist Marshall