Before ONYX Motors became one of the most recognizable names in electric two-wheel mobility, it began as something far more personal: a designer chasing a feeling. Long before the brand cultivated its now-iconic aesthetic — equal parts retro moped, modern performance machine, and subcultural style — Tim Seward was simply a creative trying to build an electric ride that didn’t feel boring. For him, design and performance were never separate. They were the same spark.
Seward grew up around creativity. His father was an artist who painted watercolors and built elaborate handmade train displays during the holidays. While other kids unwrapped toys, Seward watched his dad fabricate them from scratch. That instinct — curiosity, craft, and a desire to understand how things work — never left. As a kid, he took apart radios and televisions just to see what was inside. As a teenager, he fell in love with vehicles that delivered adrenaline, from skateboards and snowboards to the gas-powered mopeds he customized until they could fly down the street.
Electric bikes, on the other hand, felt lifeless. Early models lacked the punch he craved, and compared to the modified mopeds he rode, there was little excitement. But around 2015, something changed. Higher-power electric components began hitting the market, and when Seward finally rode a setup with real torque and speed, everything clicked. He wasn’t just interested — he was hooked. Electric performance had finally caught up to the imagination.
That shift collided with his professional world. Seward spent years as a creative director, helping build a skateboard company into a culture-driven brand. He understood how communities form around objects, how design choices shape emotion, and how aspirational visual language attracts people who see themselves reflected in a product. Those instincts followed him into ONYX, where he started designing not just an electric bike but a full identity — something riders could feel connected to the moment they twisted the throttle.
What makes ONYX stand out is not only its performance but its attitude. The bikes look like something lifted from a dream crossing 1979 and 2029 — a blend of vintage silhouettes, raw industrial lines, and modern battery tech engineered to climb San Francisco hills with ease. Seward didn’t just want the bike to work well. He wanted it to feel like freedom.
As he built early prototypes, he approached community the way he had in the skate world. Before ONYX had showrooms or a big team, Seward made simple posts on Instagram announcing impromptu test-ride meetups. Thirty or forty people showed up. No hype machine. No marketing department. Just riders drawn to a machine that felt different — and a founder who treated them like part of the design process.
That authenticity shaped the brand’s DNA. ONYX operates less like a traditional EV manufacturer and more like a lifestyle movement. Its visuals echo skate culture, DIY creativity, and urban adventure. Riders don’t just buy a bike; they buy a version of themselves they want to step into — whether it’s carving through city streets, exploring trails, or imagining a future desert-camping trip inspired by the brand’s imagery.
Seward applies the same precision to limited editions. ONYX has released only one true special edition, created during the company’s reboot after the passing of the previous owner. For Seward, such editions have to mean something, not just drive demand. They should celebrate milestones, honor history, or push the design language into new territory. Exclusivity isn’t a tactic — it’s a statement.
Today, Seward is back at ONYX in a hands-on role, guiding both design and long-term product evolution. The company now has a Los Angeles storefront and a larger team, but the philosophy hasn’t changed. Every improvement reflects nearly a decade of rider feedback, field testing, and Seward’s relentless instinct to merge aesthetics with adrenaline.
What comes next for ONYX is broader visibility — new products, new markets, and potentially new worlds. When asked where he’d love to see ONYX appear outside real-life streets, Seward laughs and points to video games like Grand Theft Auto, where the freedom and chaos of open-world riding feel strangely similar to the road experience he tries to create. Electric mobility is advancing fast, but culture is advancing faster. Seward is building where the two collide.
In an industry flooded with generic designs and mass-produced sameness, ONYX stands out because it was never built to blend in. It was built to ride like it looks — and look like it rides. And for Tim Seward, that fusion is the entire point.
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