Once Human Motorcycle Guide: How to Unlock and Upgrade Your First Vehicle

Exploring the vast, strange world of Once Human can feel manageable on foot in the early hours. The Dayton Wetlands and surrounding areas offer plenty of close-knit points of interest, making walking a viable option while resources are scarce. Yet as the map reveals its true scale—stretching into abandoned urban centers, corrupted monoliths, and sprawling wilderness—relying solely on sprinting becomes impractical. A reliable, fast form of transport is essential for completing missions, gathering materials, and simply surviving the harsh environment. Fortunately, the game provides a motorcycle early on as your first mount, and with a few upgrades it transforms from a basic escape tool into a highly customizable machine that reflects your playstyle.

The journey to owning a motorcycle is woven directly into the main storyline. New players will not stumble upon it in a random garage or receive it as a login reward; instead, they must progress through the critical quest ‘The Eve of Evolution’. This mission directs you to the Monolith Ruins to scavenge vital supplies, a sequence that introduces you to the deeper mysteries of the Stardust corruption. Once the scavenging is complete, a cutscene leads you to a survivor named Mary, a key contact who provides shelter and guidance in the early stages.

Mary then sends you toward Deadsville, a small settlement that acts as a safe hub. There, she will outline a series of straightforward tasks—restoring power, defending against minor Stardust threats, and retrieving nearby items. These errands serve as a gentle tutorial for base building, crafting, and combat, but they culminate in a satisfying prize: your first motorcycle. The final step involves physically interacting with the bike that appears beside Mary’s temporary camp. A simple ‘collect’ prompt marks the transfer of ownership. From that point onward, pressing the G key summons the motorcycle instantly, provided you are not inside a restricted area or in deep water. This convenience alone makes pushing through the early missions worthwhile.

Acquiring the motorcycle is only the beginning. The stock bike is serviceable—its speed outpaces running, and it consumes no fuel—but its handling, durability, and visual flair are limited. Players who delve into the Memetics skill tree soon discover that vehicles can be deeply enhanced. A dedicated branch under the Crafting tab holds the blueprint for the Garage, a territorial structure that unlocks the full potential of your ride. Constructing a Garage requires modest resources: wood, scrap metal, and some electronic components, all of which become common by the mid-game. Once the Garage is placed on your claimed territory, walking up to it opens a comprehensive vehicle customization interface.

Inside the Garage menu, the motorcycle can be modified in three main ways:

• 🛠️ Performance Upgrades: Several component slots accept crafted or looted parts that boost top speed, acceleration, and handling. Engine mods, reinforced tires, and suspension upgrades all translate into noticeable improvements on the road. Some rare parts can even grant minor defensive bonuses, reducing damage taken from collisions or gunfire.

• 🎨 Painting and Skins: A separate tab houses a rotating selection of paints and decals. While some basic colors are unlocked early, unique skins often come from seasonal events, battle pass rewards, or special exploration achievements. A deep metallic purple or a wasteland camouflage pattern can turn a generic vehicle into a personal signature.

• 🏍️ Vehicle Swaps: The Garage is not limited to a single bike. As players advance and upgrade their Garage to higher tiers through Memetics, they gain the ability to construct, store, and switch between multiple vehicles. Later acquisitions might include rugged off-road buggies or even armored cars, each with its own upgrade path.

In the years since the game’s launch, the developers have continued to expand vehicular content. By 2026, the Garage system has evolved into a more robust workshop. An augment station attachment can now be built adjacent to the Garage, allowing for temporary power boosts by consuming rare energy cells found in high-level zones. Community feedback also led to the introduction of motorcycle visibility customization, where players can adjust headlight brightness, add glowing trail effects, or even attach a sidecar for cooperative transport—though the sidecar sacrifices some speed for utility.

The process of gathering upgrade schematics has been smoothed out as well. Memetic points are more generous now, and key blueprints once locked behind RNG can be earned by completing chronicle missions tied to vehicle lore. These narrative side quests delve into the history of motorized transport in the post-apocalypse, adding context to why motorcycles are so prized by wanderers.

For players who wish to simply enjoy the open road without min-maxing stats, the aesthetic options remain a major draw. Limited-time collaborations have brought crossover skins inspired by other titles, and a vibrant community marketplace lets artists share custom designs via workshop codes. A well-loved retro-futuristic hover conversion skin, released in late 2025, remains a sought-after cosmetic that transforms the exhaust pipes into a soft energy glow.

Managing your fleet is intuitive. Any vehicle you own can be summoned via a radial menu accessed from the Garage or by holding the summon key and selecting from stored rides. The risk of losing a vehicle is minimal; even if destroyed by enemy attacks or terrain hazards, it respawns in the Garage after a short cooldown, albeit with damaged components that require repair. This encourages players to experiment with risky routes and high-speed chases without permanent loss.

In summary, the motorcycle in Once Human is more than just a means of travel. It is an extension of the player’s journey—starting as a humble reward for helping a stranger, then growing into a customized powerhouse that carries its owner through deserts, ruined cities, and stormy skies. By following the main quest to find Mary, completing her Deadsville tasks, and investing in a Garage, anyone can unlock infinite potential on two wheels.