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Onyx Motorbikes is back, a year after the death of its owner left the company in dire straits


A year later Onyx Motorbikes owner James Khatiblou he died suddenlyleaving customers with unfulfilled orders and millions with unpaid debts, the brand has been revived by its original founder.

“I’m happy to announce that I’ve resurrected my old version of Onyx with amazing sponsors!” founder Tim Seward wrote in a LinkedIn post on Monday. “Onyx is back in the future now!”

The company is selling only about 100 RCRs electric dirt bikes to start. It is unclear if these are newly produced units, or if these are part of the e-bikes produced earlier this year by Chinese supplier Onyx that were kept in limbo after Khatiblou’s death.

Seward did not immediately respond to TechCrunch to provide details on the company’s rise and who it has retained to support the company.

Seward, maker of Bird and Ubco e-bikes, built Onyx’s first bike, the RCR, in 2016. Following customers who loved the made-in-USA feel, the 1980s aesthetic of the perfect design with a wooden body, and the bike’s powerful capabilities. .

In 2019, Seward downgraded his stake in Onyx to his friend and former partner, Khatiblou, who stumbled in as its first owner while trying to grow the company. Many of the decisions he made led to legal and financial problems that have not yet been resolved. Khatiblou died without a will or succession plan, a situation that brought all operations, including shipping to customers and payments to vendors and creditors, to a halt.

Oxygen Funding, an Orange County lender, says it owes $2.2 million. In May, Oxygen tried to ask a Los Angeles County court to act as administrator of Khatiblou’s estate, which would allow it to take control of Onyx’s remaining assets and, apparently, sell the assets for a refund.

Oxygen CEO Adam Lomax told TechCrunch on Tuesday that he was unaware of Onyx’s revival under Seward. He added that Oxygen’s request for control of Khatiblou’s property is still pending, pending an unassigned court date, and that his company has not yet been reimbursed.

Oxygen was not the only creditor fighting for a piece of Onyx. In the 2019 operating agreement, Kenneth Ames, a former director of engineering and sourcing in the LED lighting business based in Simi Valley, and Troy Smith, a self-employed accountant in Carlsbad, own a 37.5% interest in Onyx LLC. Onyx LLC is also the entity that owns the Onyx name, according to the marketing agreement.

It is unclear whether Ames and Smith are involved in the Onyx revival. TechCrunch reached out to Ames, Troy, and their counsel to learn more. TechCrunch will update the story if they respond.



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