Update October 2024: We published a long-term review of the Anthem after six months and over 1200 miles of ride testing. Check it out!
The electric motorcycle space in the United States is heating up rapidly! For many years a few manufacturers --notably Zero-- enjoyed a significant advantage as the only option for many parts of the country. Now there are many brands to choose from in just about any segment of the market. If you're looking for an entry-level city commuter, you'd be hard pressed to find one better than Ryvid's flagship model, the Anthem. I would have said this at it's original price of just under $9k; now that the price has been dropped to an astounding $6,500 it's even easier to recommend. That's not to say it's right for everyone; the Anthem is an e-moto with a clearly defined use case.
Side note: Do you live in northern Colorado and want to test ride the Anthem? Drop me a line to arrange a meetup.
Commuting, running errands, and general getting-around in the city where the Anthem shines
Ryvid makes a point of calling the Anthem "highway capable" with its 75mph (121kph) top speed, and technically they're right; it effortlessly reaches that speed and beyond if you've got a reasonably full battery. It's also feels incredible at that speed, with one of the smoothest and vibration-free ride feelings of any bike I've been on ever. Unfortunately, it's hard to enjoy highway rides when every glance at the display shows your battery capacity disappearing at an alarming rate, roughly 3% per mile ridden. Plus, once you get down to around 40% battery capacity your top speed and acceleration will start to noticeably decline, by 20% you'll feel like you're riding an electric scooter, and at 10% it's closer to an electric bicycle than it is a motorcycle. (side note, I think that's the problem with a lot of range estimates: they are based on going from 100% to 0%. Riding your battery to under 10% on any lithium-ion powered vehicle is not a great experience and it's pretty terrible for your battery's health to boot).
No, it's city riding where the Anthem truly shines. The electric drivetrain makes acceleration feel effortless, and zooming away from stoplights never fails to put a smile on my face. Once you get down to around 90% battery capacity the regenerative braking cranks up and is strong enough to fully halt the bike in most situations, recharging your battery and saving your brakes at the same time. Anthem has an excellent rear rack accessory that is easy to install and will interface with pretty much every adapter plate on the market, so you can easily throw on a top case for carrying cargo. Not too much cargo, unfortunately; the rack isn't particularly stable and notably has some side-to-side play, which seems to be due to the way the adjustable seat is set up. Keep the weight of your case and cargo under 25lbs (11.3kg) and you should be okay.
Cities have more options for charging, and the Anthem can plug in just about anywhere. It has cords for both 120- and 220-volt outlets, and with the optional J-Plug adapter you can utilize fast charging stations! Plus, the battery is removable, and easy to move around thanks to the wheels and trolley handle. This makes a huge difference as you don't need to park near an outlet; just roll the battery right into a coffee shop and let it charge while you socialize.
The Anthem is fairly compact which is another boon for city riding. It easily fits between the lanes if splitting or filtering are legal in your area. I particularly enjoy the small size when parking, sneaking it in to tight spaces or just right up on the sidewalk next to a bike rack. The size is somewhat subjective, of course; my other bike is a gigantic Honda VFR tipping the scales at over 600 pounds, so most bikes feel small by comparison. What's most interesting about the Anthem is that it looks small, but it doesn't feel small once you hop on it. A lot of this is thanks to the adjustable seat changes the standover height between 30-34", and at full height my 6'3" frame feels just right. Unfortunately, the adjustable seat does add some complexity, which leads me to my next point...
New companies and new product lines often have some growing pains, and while the Anthem is a remarkably polished first-generation product, it hasn't been perfect
So, about that adjustable seat complexity. If you want to adjust your rear suspension you'll find that the seat actuator is in the way, so first you'll have to remove the seat to get at the actuator, and then disconnect the actuator. That's a delicate process because if you rotate or extend the piston of the actuator it will mess up its calibration. I was unlucky enough to have a broken seat actuator when my bike arrived, and to make matters worse it's stuck at the lowest position. Not ideal for my lanky self, but the bike is still fully rideable, and I figured it would give me a chance to test out Ryvid's support process (something I rarely get to do for reviews since I only get my hands on brand new products).
So I created a support ticket through their normal channel, with mixed results. I've had to continually reach out to ask for updates and at over a month later I still don't have a working seat actuator, or have an ETA on when I'll get one. Some of this is due to the complexity of the part; it's supposed to be calibrated on the bike, so they're trying to figure out how they can calibrate one before shipping, and then have me install it without messing up that calibration. I'm still fully confident they'll resolve my issue... I just hope it happens before the springtime riding season is over.
The only major issue to crop up with the first shipments of the Anthem has been a battery firmware problem, where deep discharges followed by not recharging to full (say, 10% to 80%) could confuse the BMS and cause an incorrect capacity measurement. People who charged to 100% every time weren't affected, but would still notice occasional fluctuations and inconsistent rates of discharge. Ryvid addressed this very quickly and worked up a firmware update, but since Anthem's aren't yet equipped for OTA updates it had to be done manually by a tech. Ryvid actually dispatched a tech to visit all the states where Anthem owners reside, and he drove around to each owner's home to do the firmware update on-site. This meant the process took a bit longer for some owners, but it really demonstrates Ryvid's commitment to taking care of their customers!
Beyond the motorcycle: Why Ryvid is awesome
My mixed experience with support seems to be the exception to the rule; I've talked to many other Anthem owners and followed owner forums and most people have only positive things to say about their support experience. Ryvid is also firmly committed to Right to Repair, empowering owners to repair and even modify their Anthems. This goes beyond lip service; they have extensive video tutorials, product manuals, and even an interactive 3D parts catalog. They sell tons of accessories for kitting out your Anthem, of course, but it's also built to be compatible with most third-party accessories and mods.
Ryvid is also manufacturing their motorcycles right in California, with a factory in San Bernardino. That factory was built in part with funding from the California Competes grant, and it has allowed them to improve their manufacturing processes and drastically reduce costs. That's what enabled them to drop the MSRP by a whopping $2,500 in May of 2024; they could have just pocketed those cost savings, but instead they passed it on to their customers.
Sport, Eco, and Reverse: Riding modes for every situation
Most owner's opinions are mixed on Eco mode. It limits the battery's output to 74 amps (which limits acceleration and top speed is around 50-55mph), and it also applies strong regenerative braking when you lay off the throttle. It's sort of like those single-pedal EV cars, and takes some getting used to for ICE riders. The idea, of course, is that Eco mode maximizes your range... but does it? Many Anthem owners (myself included) think that Sport mode gets more range, because it enables coasting when the throttle is off (vs Eco where it's either throttle or braking with no in-between).
Sport mode, of course, is also way more fun. The Anthem is incredibly zippy when you're above 40% battery capacity, especially if you opt for the ASI controller upgrade (trust me, it's worth it). Sport mode also nixes the automatic regen, but you can still activate it manually via a little trigger on the left grip. It's not as strong of a brake as Eco mode regen, but still enough to bring you to a stop without using the regular brakes in most situations.
Electric motors also make it easy to have a reverse gear. At first I thought this was a little silly, because the Anthem only weighs 300 pounds and is plenty easy to back up... but then I tried it out and thought man, this is awesome! There's a few other features available on the Anthem's control pads too, such as a Cruise Control for those longer rides. I haven't actually used it yet; most of my riding is in the city, and I completely forgot to test it on my one longer highway ride.
Accessories and configuration options galore
Ryvid has quite a lot of accessories available in their online store and I've gotten to test a few of them out. The most useful so far has been the rear rack, enabling me to mount my top case and carry some cargo, plus it's nice for storing my helmet safely out of sight. The official phone mount is pretty awesome too; it looks right at home on the Anthem's handlebar and does its phone-holding job quite well. I also have the J-Plug adapter for using fast charging stations, but I haven't actually put it to the test yet. I'm hoping to do a longer ride soon, venturing up to some of Colorado's ski towns and utilizing fast charging along the way.
When purchasing an Anthem you can configure it to suit both your stylistic tastes and your use case. Some options are free, such as the different color panels and swapping the street slick Pirellis for some dual-sport Dunlop Mutants. You can always get more color panels later too, if you want an alternate color set or want to mix and match. The most exciting option is the ASI Controller Upgrade, which you should totally get! It gives you a 30% boost in acceleration with no loss in range, and you can do it as an add-on for just $800 vs. paying $995 if you get it later on.
