Home / Motorcycles / Electric Vehicles

From Provenance to Performance, This Wild New Motorcycle Defies Expectations

The Nuen Moto N1-S doesn’t just look like a neo-retro scrambler — it’s willing and able to actually go off road.

Rear view of a motorcycle with a muddy tire, showing the license plate with the text "NUEN MOTO." The rider is wearing blue jeans and black boots, and the motorcycle has a visible yellow suspension spring. The background is blurred, suggesting an outdoor setting.Nuen Moto
Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published

·

Updated

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

With all the two-wheeled noise coming out of Japan and, increasingly, China, it’s easy to forget they are not the only countries producing motorcycles.

Ironically, the motorcycle brand from this continent I am most excited about right now makes very little actual noise at all.

A modern electric motorcycle with a sleek design featuring a metallic silver and blue frame. It has a black seat, round LED headlight, and black alloy wheels with disc brakes. The bike is supported on a metal stand, and the branding "NUEN MOTO" is visible on the side panel. The overall look is futuristic and minimalist.
The N1-S comes in any color you want, as long as it is black, red or blue.
Nuen Moto

Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, it’s an electric moto start-up called Nuen Moto. 

In contrast to the many electric brands with plenty of flash and a dearth of product, Nuen is actually shipping the first N1-S units right now — and, man, do they look sweet.

Electric avenue

Considering its location, the brand’s timing could not be better. Vietnam has instituted a ban on gas-powered bikes in the major downtown areas of Hanoi, effective July 1, 2026, an early step in a national plan to phase out gas bikes entirely by 2045.

With Ho Chi Minh City expected to follow suit, sales have exploded, Nuen Moto founder Gia Nguyen tells Bike Exif, and the nascent brand is even in talks with European distributors.

A person wearing a black helmet, black jacket, and black pants is riding a modern electric motorcycle with a red and silver frame on a road with a metal railing and greenery in the background.
The location of the battery ensures a low center of gravity for the bike, making it easier to keep upright.
Nuen Moto

Of course, none of that would be happening if the bike itself were not a banger. With premium parts from the likes of Bosch and J.Juan, the aluminum-framed N1-S boasts a motor with a max output of 24 kW and 190 Nm.

That translates to a top speed of roughly 81 mph and presumably pretty zippy acceleration. Nuen also claims a city range of 124 miles and a maximum range of 152, if you take it easy and squeeze the most out of its regen braking.

A motorcyclist in black and white riding gear and helmet is performing a burnout on a blue and white electric motorcycle, creating a large cloud of smoke from the rear tire. The scene is outdoors with trees and tents in the background, and a few spectators watching and taking photos. A black flag with the word "SRIDER" in white and red is visible on the left side.
Who doesn’t love a good burnout, no matter the energy source?
Nuen Moto

Additional modern tech includes two-channel ABS, cruise control, a reverse gear, switchable rider modes and a dashboard LCD unit with Bluetooth connectivity.

Meanwhile, the bike’s 8.0 kWh battery charges from 20% to 80% in 2.5 hours, or in 45 minutes at a DC fast-charging station.

Scramblin’, man

What is perhaps even more impressive about the N1-S is the fact that it not only looks like what Bike Exif aptly dubs a “neo-retro scrambler,” it just might perform like one too.

That’s the impression I get from the brand’s social media, anyway. The Nuen Moto Facebook page is festooned with images of fully kitted street riders, but lately it has been leaning into off-road imagery.

Nuen Moto N1-S electric motorcycle riding in sand
Beyond its scrambler aesthetics, the N1-S appears to have the chops for actual off-roading.
Nuen Moto

Rolling on what appear to be light dual-sport tires (not crazy knobbies), the bike’s 17-inch wheels can be seen tackling not only grass and gravel but every adventure rider’s worst nightmare … sand.

In terms of concrete facts, I can confirm that the Founder’s Edition of the N1-S boasts an Öhlins front fork kit and Öhlins rear mono shock absorber, plus Brembo front/rear brakes.

The standard edition, meanwhile, features an upside-down front shock absorber and a rear mono shock absorber.

Either bike, under the right rider, can believably shred far from the beaten path.

A modern electric motorcycle with a white and blue frame, black wheels, and off-road tires is parked on grass. A pair of gloves rests on the rear seat, and the bike has two rearview mirrors and a license plate attached at the back. The motorcycle appears slightly muddy, indicating recent off-road use.
The N1-S is rarin’ for your next multi-surface side quest, assuming the destination is less than, say, 62 miles away?
Nuen Moto

The brand itself also makes a point of noting that “the entire vehicle, including the battery and engine of the N1-S, meets the IP67 waterproof standard, allowing the vehicle to operate stably in water up to 0.5 meters deep for 30 minutes.”

So yeah, it has the makings of a bona fide grocery getter — even if you’re the type to hunt and fish for your groceries.

Availability and pricing

Currently only available in Vietnam, the NUEN N1-S costs the equivalent of $7,000 to $8,000. Having recently begun shipping its very first orders, the brand plans to expand beyond its home country’s borders down the road. (Fingers crossed.)

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

Read More