Motorcycles Exclusive Look at the Ryvid Anthem, an EV Motorcycle for the FutureThe Ryvid Anthem is an aerospace-inspired electric motorcycle that will launch us into the future

Words Kirsten Midura
Images Courtesy of Ryvid

In the midst of sky-high materials costs and endless supply chain blockages, the idea of introducing a new electric motorcycle brand may seem inane. But Ryvid’s founder Dong Tran has ripped apart the very concept of a motorcycle and redesigned it from finish to start — in that order — to maximize efficiency and deliver a cutting-edge product unlike those we’ve seen so far. The result is the Anthem: a sleek, future-forward bike that will make you reconsider what you thought you knew about motorcycles.

At first glance, the Anthem looks like something out of a Syd Mead painting. Its stripped-down design and distinctive, slotted cutouts allude to the futuristic vehicles we’ve been anticipating since the ’60s. But these are not simply aesthetic choices; every element of this bike’s design has been meticulously vetted by Tran and his designers. “We have chosen a different way of designing every part,” Tran says, “from the frame to the wiring harness to how things are attached and fastened. This is to reduce highly skilled labor and increase output of quality final product.”

In designing the Anthem, the team drew from their background in the aerospace industry. “Aircrafts have fuselages that are riveted together and require no welding,” Tran explains, “yet they need to be extremely strong and lightweight. This seemed to be a perfect recipe for a two-wheeled EV product, and it got us thinking on a way to employ this manufacturing methodology on all of the products we will produce.”

(2) Ryvid founder Dong Tran, left.

The corrosion-resistant, stainless steel frame uses widely-available sheet metal that is riveted together, without curved surfaces that require stamping and tooling. The cutouts further reduce weight while allowing air to pass through for component cooling. The drivetrain features a fully-enclosed, air-cooled, 72-volt brushless DC (BLDC) motor housed inside the swingarm that doubles as an oversized heatsink. The bike’s streamlined assembly is enhanced by a proprietary planar frame design, in which all components are mounted using pre-installed hardware. This not only allows for ease of maintenance and assembly, it also provides multiple suspension mounting points for DIY suspension adjustments, and it helps to future-proof for new components and upgrades down the line. “We started the design with the end in mind,” Tran says, “every part on the Anthem has been optimized for ease of assembly, minimizing engineering and design development cycles, and reducing complexity.”

The innovation does not end there. The Anthem also integrates customizable features that make us wonder why they’re not stock-standard on all electric bikes. One such feature is the adjustable seat height, which can be altered even while riding by simply pushing a switch on the handlebar. This raises and lowers the seat between 30-34 inches, a groundbreakingly-obvious capability that could broaden the Anthem’s market base significantly among riders of various heights.

Beyond the bike’s proprietary design elements, what sets Ryvid apart is the company’s overall approach to the EV market. The name Ryvid is a portmanteau of ‘rhythm’ and ‘avid,’ descriptors that communicate the “motion and emotion that define the experience of riding a Ryvid.” In fact, Tran does not consider Ryvid a motorcycle company, but rather a ‘mobile sport’ company specializing in micro-mobility. “It seems like there has been a focus on high performance EV motorcycles, when the elephant in the room is the rest of the world where going 100 mph isn’t really the goal,” says Tran, referencing the explosion in electric bicycle sales in the last few years.

Keeping product weight low at the expense of range was intentional, and it will serve a niche that I feel is underserved.

At a max speed of around 75mph and a range of 50-75 miles depending on the ride mode, the company is intentionally targeting riders coming up from the motorized bicycle and automatic scooter markets, as well as small-displacement motorcycles. “Keeping product weight low at the expense of range was intentional, and it will serve a niche that I feel is underserved,” Tran says. He added, “I suspect there are many aspiring moto riders who just need that introductory product to pull them in. We are hoping the Anthem can serve that purpose for the US market.”

At $7,800, the Anthem comes in around the pricepoint you would expect for an intermediate step between an electric bicycle and a full-fledged electric motorcycle. The Launch edition will be capped at 1,000 units and will come with exclusive features, a limited lifetime warranty on the frame, a two-year warranty on the power pack, and a one-year standard motorcycle warranty, as well as $500 off delivery fees. It will be available for presale through the company’s website on Sunday, August 14th at 10am PST/1pm EST. Those in the Pacific Northwest will have the first chance to catch a glimpse of the bike at the August 13th American Flat Track event in Castle Rock, WA. We expect to see more showings pop up as Ryvid gains traction within the market.

As for us, we can’t wait to ride this aero-moto brainchild, and watch as Ryvid continues to push the boundaries of how we think about electric motorcycles.

SPECS Ryvid Anthem

Range 75+ miles (Eco Mode) 50+ miles (Sport Mode, sans Regenerative Braking)
Speed 75+ mph (120 km/h)
Power System 4.3 kWh Lithium Ion Battery
Peak Torque 53 ft-lb (72 N-m) At Wheel: 250 ft-lb (338 N-m) @ 4.7 gear ratio
Drive Train Transmission: Clutchless Direct Drive
Final Drive 117T/25T Poly Chain and HTD carbon belt 4.7 gear ratio
Suspension F: Inverted Dampening-Adjustable 3.9 in (100 mm) R: Dampening/Rebound-Adjustable 1.2 in (30 mm)
Rake/Trail Rake: 26 degrees Trail: 6 in (152 mm)
Wheel Base 52 in (1,321 mm)
Seat Height (Adjustable) 30 in - 34 in (762 mm - 864 mm)
Curb Weight 240 lbs (109 kg) with battery 175 lbs (79.4 kg) without battery
Price $7,800