Hidden Gems: Meet Ivan Ceja of ONYX Motors

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivan Ceja.

Hi Ivan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
A: ONYX Motors began in 2017 when founder Timothy Seward, an industrial designer and lifelong two-wheel enthusiast, set out to build the electric moped he couldn’t find. Living in San Francisco and tired of gas mopeds that could not comfortably handle the city’s steep hills, Tim built a fast, fun, hill-climbing electric prototype for himself. After people repeatedly asked to buy it from him, he realized there was real demand and decided to bring it to a wider audience.
Later that year, he launched ONYX on Indiegogo with the ONYX RCR and the ONYX CTY (now discontinued), and early adopters helped push the brand past $1M in sales. Since then, the RCR has continued to evolve significantly. What started as the RCR 72V with a smaller battery and top speeds around 50–55 mph has grown into today’s RCR 80V, now paired with a 45Ah battery and capable of speeds up to the mid-70 mph range, earning a reputation as one of the most powerful electric motorbikes in the country.
Today, ONYX calls Los Angeles home. We’re based in Frogtown (Elysian Valley), just minutes from Dodger Stadium, and we operate a retail shop where people can test ride the latest RCR. While we’re rooted in LA, we ship nationwide, including Alaska and Hawaii. And because riders love the platform so much, ONYX bikes have traveled well beyond the mainland—showing up in places like Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Japan, and other destinations where owners bring them along for the ride.
At the heart of ONYX is community. We’re a team of riders building for riders, and the brand has grown into a passionate nationwide following. There’s something special about two wheels: it pulls you into the moment, demands your attention, and turns even a quick ride into an experience. That feeling—and the community around it—is what’s driven ONYX from day one and continues to define where we’re headed next.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A: It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Speaking personally, my name is Ivan Ceja, and I’ve been with ONYX since 2021. I’ve had the rare opportunity to experience almost every layer of the business first-hand, starting on the production floor assembling bikes bolt by bolt, then leading the service department through different phases of the build and support process, then stepping into Director of Marketing and Sales, and now serving as Director of Operations overseeing the team alongside our founder, Timothy Seward.
From Tim’s perspective and the stories he’s shared, the early days were a grind. After launching in 2017, there was immense pressure to deliver because so much of the initial build effort was on his shoulders. He was essentially building the first run of bikes himself, and scaling that into a real company meant facing the hard realities of manufacturing, fulfillment, customer support, and cash flow all at once. Like many young brands, ONYX also went through different leadership chapters along the way, including a period where the company was handed off to another operator to keep it moving forward.
The hardest chapter came later. In late 2023 into early 2024, the company ultimately had to close its doors. Tim and I had already left about a year before that because we weren’t aligned with certain leadership decisions at the time. Even so, we never stopped caring about the brand or the community, because this has always been bigger than a product to us—it’s about riding and the culture around it.
What’s been most rewarding is the comeback. After the closure, and after months of intense work behind the scenes, Tim and I were able to relaunch the brand as ONYX Motors in December 2024. Now, a little over a year later, we’re going strong again, we’ve grown the community by thousands, and we’re building with a clearer purpose and a stronger foundation. ONYX will always be rooted in two wheels, but our long-term vision is broader than that—we’re focused on creating products and experiences that expand what personal electric mobility can be, and continuing to build a community that’s proud to be part of it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
A: I’m the Director of Operations at ONYX Motors, and I also stay closely involved in sales and marketing. My role is making sure the business runs smoothly day to day while we continue to scale, without losing the quality, culture, and customer experience that made ONYX special in the first place.
What I specialize in is building and refining the systems behind the brand. Because I’ve worked across the company from the production floor assembling bikes, to leading service, to marketing and sales, I understand how each part connects. That background helps me spot bottlenecks early, improve processes across inventory and fulfillment, customer support, retail operations, and sales, and make sure our team can execute consistently as demand grows. A big focus for me is creating a strong retail experience and supporting the community side of the business, because ONYX has always been as much about the riders as it is about the product.
I’m known for being a problem solver and for staying calm and focused when things get messy, which happens often in a fast-moving company. I care a lot about turning challenges into clear action plans, and I take pride in helping the team move forward even when the road is complicated.
What I’m most proud of is the foundation we’ve been able to build and rebuild. We’ve set higher internal standards, strengthened operations, and helped grow the ONYX community by thousands more riders. The most rewarding part is seeing that the work behind the scenes directly impacts how customers experience the brand.
What sets me apart is persistence and perspective. I don’t quit when things get tough. I’m committed to doing everything possible before throwing in the towel, and I consistently bring the focus back to the bigger mission, building a company that lasts and a community that feels proud to be part of it.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Q: How do you define success?
A: I define success as consistent forward progress without losing who we are. It’s hitting new milestones and sales targets, but doing it in a way that strengthens the foundation, improves our processes, and preserves what makes ONYX special. I define success as growing the business and sharpening our operations without compromising the lifestyle ONYX represents, the ride experience, and the community that makes it all real.
Success to me also means building one of the best-performing electric motorbikes in the country while delivering a genuinely positive rider experience. It means the product keeps getting better, the customer journey gets smoother, and the culture around it stays strong, not transactional. I don’t measure success only by what I can accomplish individually, but by what we can achieve collectively as a team, and by how well we take care of the riders who choose to be part of it.
And I define success by resilience. I’ve watched a lot of electric mobility companies in this space shut down, file bankruptcy, and never recover. ONYX had a difficult chapter too, but we were able to relaunch and come back stronger. To me, that’s real success: having the determination, the support, and the long-term vision to keep building, keep improving, and keep showing up for the community without compromising what makes the brand special.

Pricing:

• 4,999
• 5,199
• 5,399
• 5,599

Contact Info:

• Website: https://onyxmotors.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onyxmotorbikes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onyxmotorbikes/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onyxmotorbikes
• Twitter: https://x.com/onyxmotorbikes
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onyxmotorbikes
• Other: Discord: https://discord.com/invite/onyxmotorbikes