The EV revolution may not have impacted the motorcycle world like it has passenger cars, but an underground swell is building for low capacity, battery-powered bikes that can be ridden with just basic rider training, drastically reducing commuter costs and beating traffic in the process.
Super Soco, Cake, Maeving, Niu and UBCO might be on your radar, but there's another brand to add, and it's arguably cooler than anything that has come before it: feast your eyes on the Ryvid Anthem.
Built in San Bernardino, California, the Anthem features an unconventional aerospace-inspired frame upon which the rest of the bike gracefully hangs. A thin slither of saddle perches on top, which is electronically adjustable by a staggering four inches to suit all rider heights.
Underneath this is a clever bespoke housing for the 4.3kWh removable battery pack, which drops down so the entire unit slides out. Granted, it is bulky and looks like it requires a bit of muscle to shift, but it means the battery can be charged away from the bike or 'hot-swapped' for a secondary, fully charged unit to save time.
There's also an onboard 3.3kW charger, for top-ups on the public network (it takes about an hour), and Ryvid claims you can extract around 75-miles of riding on a single charge.
However, don’t assume the Anthem is a lightweight, as it can hit a top speed of 75mph (possibly more downhill) and accelerates to legal inner-city speeds like a cat on a hot tin roof. In fact, blasting away from traffic is its main MO, with a 4.7:1 final drive ratio designed for rapid bursts of acceleration.
Technologically, it's a triumph, with a 4.9-inch TFT display talking care of essential vehicle information, while upside-down forks at the front and preload adjustable dampening at the rear offers the sort of dream specification found on much larger motorcycles.
It looks great too, with industrial Supermoto styling that simultaneously looks futuristic and properly capable at the same time. It stylistically punches well above its weight.
First deliveries of the Anthem have already started, but with a list price of $8,995 (around £7,000/€8,250/AUS$13,600), it certainly isn’t cheap.
However, Ryvid has hinted that it is already working on a range of electric motorcycles, made possible by the recent opening of a dedicated factory, so more affordable models could be on the way.
