Lyric Voodoo · the honest report

A cafe racer
that runs on electrons.

A gorgeous Canadian cafe racer that lives in the blurry zone between e-bike and light motorcycle, and is almost always sold out. We decode the honest range, the unusual public-charging trick, the boutique ownership reality, and who it is for. Sources on everything.

Start with what matters
The 10-second answer

A beautiful, honestly-specced electric cafe racer from a tiny Squamish, BC builder. It quotes its real-world range rather than a best case, runs to 65 mph, charges at public EV stations, and is street legal with DOT lighting. Plan for 55 to 65 real miles, ~$8,300 to ride away, and the catch is scarcity: it is frequently sold out and the aftermarket barely exists.

Range
55 to 65 mi quoted
0to 65 mi, real-world
honest, not best-case
Power
18 kW peak headline
0hp peak (3 kW rated hub)
peak is a burst
Top speed
65 mph claimed
0mph, light-moto pace
manufacturer figure
Out-the-door
$6,999 sticker
$0realistic ride-away
true cost in §8
Range reality · straight-line
quoted 55 to 65 mi, real this mode:
0mi
honest range, Lyric lists the real number
Lyric Voodoo · mixed city + road
Start city, or drag the pin
Upper quote (65 mi)Lower real (55 mi)
Rings are straight-line distance from your pin, real routes are shorter. Lyric quotes a 55 to 65 mile band rather than a single best case, which is the honest way to do it. Figures from this model's sourced specs.
What it really costs

The sticker is the
smallest number.

$0net to own · 5 years (≈ $1,080 / yr)
Purchase $6,999
Maintenance $800
Gear $400
Insurance / reg $450
Buy + maintenance + gear + insurance and registration + charging, minus an estimated resale. It is street legal, so we include registration and basic insurance. Resale is modeled conservatively because a boutique brand has a thin used market.

Assumptions: street legal (basic insurance + registration included), ~1,500 mi/yr, $0.17/kWh, maintenance ~$160/yr, resale ~45% of sticker at year five (boutique, thin used market). Full table in §8.

The full report

Every module behind the headlines: who it is for, claims vs. physics, true cost, reliability, parts, and the standard scorecard. All sourced.

The 10-second honest answer

A beautiful, honestly-specced electric cafe racer from a tiny Canadian builder. A 72V pack and a 3,000 W hub motor (18 kW peak, ~24 hp) deliver 65 mph and a real 55 to 65 miles, it is street legal with DOT lighting, and it can even charge at public J1772 EV stations. Plan for ~$8,300 to ride away and accept the boutique reality: frequently sold out, with essentially no aftermarket. You buy it for the style and the experience. Here is exactly how we get there.

A

Is this bike for me?

Start here, the right answer depends entirely on who is asking.

01

Who it is actually for

Same bike, very different answer depending on the rider. We lead every report with this so nobody buys the wrong machine.

🎵Style-first city riders

The sweet spot. If you want head-turning 1960s cafe-racer looks, light-motorcycle pace, and a near-silent ride for short urban hops, almost nothing else in this class matches the look. Buy it for the experience.

Verdict, strong buy for the look
🔌Apartment dwellers without home charging

The unsung feature: a J1772 input lets you top up at public EV stations, and dual onboard chargers (standard plus a 110V household cord) cover most situations. Charging flexibility is rare in this lightweight class.

Verdict, unusually practical
🛠Tinkerers who need parts

This is a bespoke, low-volume build. The aftermarket is essentially nonexistent, and if something breaks you are leaning on a tiny company, not a parts ecosystem. Budget for patience and a close relationship with the maker.

Verdict, proceed with eyes open
🚚Long-distance commuters

55 to 65 miles is honest and useful, but it is not a highway tourer, and at 65 mph it sits at the edge of fast traffic. Great for a stylish 10 to 20 mile city loop, less so for long freeway slogs.

Verdict, city, not freeway
02

At a glance: claimed vs. real

Same bike, two stories. Refreshingly, Lyric's headline numbers are mostly honest. The struck-through line is the marketing framing; the big number is what to actually expect. The "why" is in Part C.

Range
55 to 65 mi quoted
55-65mi real-world
honest band
Power
18 kW peak headline
0kW rated hub motor
peak ≠ continuous
Top speed
65 mph claimed
0mph claimed
maker figure
Out-the-door
$6,999 sticker
$0realistic
true cost in §8
B

Innovations

What is genuinely clever, and which "innovations" are really table-stakes. The part the brand's own page never tells you.

03

What makes it special

The features worth paying for, rated honestly. Each badge tells you whether it is a real edge, normal for 2026, or marketing gloss.

🔌J1772 public charging input

The genuinely unusual feature for a light cafe machine: the standard public EV-station connector. Being able to top up at any J1772 station is rare in this lightweight class and quietly practical for riders without home charging.

★ Genuine edge
🎲Cafe-racer design

Round LED headlight, faux tank, clip-on bars, hooped subframe over a trellis frame. It looks like a 1960s British cafe racer and runs on electrons. The styling is the whole pitch, and almost nothing else in the class matches it.

★ Genuine edge
🛑Magura 4-piston brakes

Front and rear 4-piston Magura calipers, more motorcycle than bicycle, plus light regen that Lyric says returns up to 10% charge. Real stopping power for the speed, not bicycle-grade hardware.

✓ Solid
🔋72V, 48Ah pack

A 72V / 48Ah battery using Samsung 40T 21700 cells, about 3.46 kWh nominal. A serious pack for the segment, and the reason the honest 55 to 65 mile range is achievable.

✓ Solid
📱DOT lighting and color display

DOT-approved indicators, horn, head and tail lights make it road-legal, and a full-color LCD plus a USB port round it out. Nice to have, but in 2026 these are increasingly table-stakes on light street machines.

≈ Now standard
Why this beats the brand's own page: Lyric sells the look first. We tell you the real, quietly clever wins are the J1772 public charging and the genuine Magura brakes, that the design is the honest reason to buy, and that the DOT lighting and display are now expected rather than special. So you know exactly what you are paying for.
C

Keeping them honest

Marketing specs vs. the physics. The math is simple, battery capacity and a few formulas, so let us run it.

04

The "18 kW" headline, decoded

Peak watts make a great headline; they are not what carries you down the road for more than a few seconds. The honest number is the rated 3,000 W hub motor.

Lyric lists a 3,000 W rated hub motor that peaks at 18 kW for a burst. Listings then print the bigger number. Convert both to the unit everyone feels:

# Horsepower = Watts ÷ 746
Peak:   18000 W ÷ 746 = 24.1 hp  (seconds, the launch figure)
Rated:  3000 W ÷ 746 = 4.0 hp  (the continuous cruise figure)
Peak (burst)
24 hp · 18 kW
Rated
4 hp · 3 kW
Why peak fades: a hub motor will draw 18 kW briefly for acceleration, but it cannot sustain that, both thermally and because the controller limits continuous output near the rated figure. The honest story is light, lively, instant-torque city pace to 65 mph, not sustained 24 hp. That is plenty for a stylish urban cafe machine.
05

Where "55 to 65 miles" comes from

This is the honest kind of range spec. Lyric quotes a band that includes the real-world lower number, not just a flattering best case. Here is the arithmetic that supports it.

Step 1, real energy in the tank. Range starts with how much energy the battery holds: voltage × amp-hours.

# Energy (Wh) = Voltage × Amp-hours
72 V × 48 Ah = 3,456 Wh (~3.46 kWh nominal)
# Cannot safely use 100%. BMS reserve + taper ≈ 88% usable:
3,456 × 0.88 = ~3,040 Wh usable

Step 2, how much you spend per mile. Consumption (Wh/mi) is the whole game, and it rises with speed because drag rises with the square of speed. A light cafe machine in the city sips; held at 65 mph it spends more.

# Range (mi) = Usable Wh ÷ Consumption (Wh/mi)

GENTLER city riding:
3,040 ÷ 47 = ~65 mi  ← the upper quote

MIXED city + road:
3,040 ÷ 55 = ~55 mi  ← the lower quote
Upper quote
65 mi
Lower real
~55 mi
The takeaway: the 3,456 Wh pack and gentle city consumption line up cleanly with Lyric's 55 to 65 mile band, and because they list the lower number too, the brochure is honest. Plan around ~55 miles for mixed riding, more if you keep it gentle. Regen (Lyric says up to ~10%) helps a little in stop-and-go.
06

Charging: flexible, but the wattage is not published

Charge time is just battery size ÷ charger power. Lyric gives you multiple ways to charge but does not publish the charger wattage, so we show what we can and will not invent the rest.

The Voodoo carries dual onboard chargers (a standard charger plus a 110V household cord) and a J1772 input for public EV stations. Exact charge times are not published, so we cannot compute a verified figure without the charger's wattage. We can show the shape of the answer:

# Charge time (hr) ≈ Battery Wh ÷ Charger W × 1.1 (losses + taper)
If ~1,000 W:  3,456 ÷ 1000 × 1.1 = ~3.8 hr (illustrative, charger W not published)
If ~1,500 W:  3,456 ÷ 1500 × 1.1 = ~2.5 hr (illustrative)
The real win is not speed, it is flexibility: charge at home off a standard outlet, or top up at any public J1772 EV station, which is rare for a light cafe machine. We label the times above as illustrative because Lyric does not publish the charger wattage, and we never guess a spec.
07

Spec decoder: how to read the listings

A few numbers on this bike are easy to misread. Here is what each one actually means.

You will seeWhat it really isTrust it?
3,000 W / 18 kWRated hub power vs brief peak burst. The honest cruise figure is the 3,000 W rating.read both
72V 48AhPack voltage and capacity. Multiply: ~3,456 Wh (~3.46 kWh), Samsung 40T cells.real
"55 to 65 miles"A real-world band, not a single best case. The lower number is the planning figure.honest
65 mph top speedManufacturer claim. Hub motor pace; the edge of fast traffic.claim
"On-board EV charger / J1772"Real and useful, but charge times are not published. Times depend on the charger watts.no wattage given
"Regen up to 10%"Light regenerative braking returns a small amount of charge. Helps most in stop-and-go.modest
"Sold out"Low-volume bespoke build. Availability is genuinely intermittent.scarcity is real
D

What it costs

The sticker is the smallest number in the story. Here is the whole bill.

08

True cost to buy (out-the-door)

The $6,999 MSRP is a headline, not a checkout total. Here is what actually leaves your bank account on day one.

Line itemTypicalNotes
Bike (MSRP, standard)$6,999305 Ghost edition is $7,499
Shipping / freight$150–$400Crate freight from Canada; varies
Sales tax (~8%)~$560Varies by state / province
Registration / first insurance$100–$300It is street legal, so this applies
Starter gear (helmet, gloves, jacket)$300–$500Non-negotiable at 65 mph
Realistic out-the-door≈ $8,100–$8,700Before a single mile
💬 A note on cross-border buying Lyric Cycles is based in Squamish, British Columbia, so US buyers should confirm current import duties, shipping, and any applicable tariffs before ordering, since these move and can change the total. We date this note (June 2026) and recommend checking current rates and availability (the bike is frequently sold out) before you commit.
09

The 5-year cost to own

The number almost no one shows you. We itemize it, show the math, and state every assumption so you can adjust it to your own riding. Resale is modeled conservatively because a boutique brand has a thin used market.

5-year net cost to own
$0
≈ $1,080 / year · buy + maintain + insure + charge, minus an estimated resale
Real cost per mile
$0 / mi
Over ~7,500 mi in 5 yrs. The "fuel" is ~1¢/mi, everything else is the bike.
PurchaseMaintenanceGearInsurance / reg
Purchase $6,999
Maint. $800
Gear
Ins/reg
Cost over 5 yearsEstimateWhat drives it
Purchase (MSRP)$6,999Excl. gear; tax/freight vary
Gear (one-time)$400Helmet, gloves, jacket
Electricity (charging)$100Almost nothing, math below
Tires, brake pads, consumables$800Light street use; ~$160/yr
Insurance + registration$450Street legal; light-moto rates vary widely
Battery (replace / upgrade)$0Quality cells; none expected in 5 yr
5-year total (before resale)≈ $8,750
Resale value (yr 5)– $3,150~45% of MSRP, conservative (thin used market)
Net true cost to own≈ $5,400≈ $1,080 / year
# Why "fuel" is basically free
3.46 kWh × 1.12 loss = ~3.9 kWh per full charge
3.9 × $0.17/kWh = $0.66 per charge
$0.66 ÷ 55 mi = ~1¢ / mile  # ~$20/yr at 1,500 mi
⚠ Insurance and registration vary widely Because the Voodoo straddles the e-bike and light-motorcycle line, how it is classified, and therefore registered and insured, depends heavily on your state or province. In some places it registers as a moped or motorcycle; in others its classification is murkier. Confirm locally before you buy, since this can change both the legal status and the running cost.
E

Living with it

What breaks, who fixes it, and whether you can get parts. This is where the boutique reality bites.

11

Service & reliability, the boutique reality

We read the coverage and the maker's own material so you do not have to, and report it straight. The honest summary: this is a small-batch product, so support means the maker, not a network.

✓ What looks good

  • Quality components: Samsung 40T cells, genuine Magura 4-piston brakes.
  • Low-maintenance EV drivetrain: no clutch, gears, oil, or valves.
  • It feels special, clearly a labor of love from a small builder.
  • Honest specs, including the real-world range, build trust.

✕ The open questions

  • Frequently sold out; availability is genuinely intermittent.
  • Aftermarket is essentially nonexistent for a bespoke build.
  • If something breaks, you depend on a tiny company, not a parts ecosystem.
  • Long-term reliability data is thin; the brand is young and low-volume.
Our read: the components are good and the EV drivetrain should be low-maintenance, but the real risk here is boutique ownership, not a known mechanical fault. With a tiny builder, your support is the maker directly, so budget for patience and a good relationship. We score support and parts low for that reason, not because of any reported defect.
12

Parts & aftermarket availability

A bike is only as ownable as its parts supply. Here the Voodoo is the honest weak spot: it is bespoke, so the aftermarket barely exists.

As a low-volume, bespoke build, the Voodoo has essentially no dedicated aftermarket. Some wear items are industry-standard, Magura brake pads, tires in common sizes, so those are sourceable. But model-specific parts, the battery, controller, and bodywork route through Lyric Cycles directly, and the company is small. Plan to lean on the maker for anything beyond consumables.

Part categoryAvailabilityRough cost
Battery / controllermaker onlynot published
Magura brake padsgood (standard)$20–$60
Tires (common sizes)good$40–$150
Bodywork / model-specific partsmaker onlyvaries
F

The verdict

One scorecard, identical axes on every bike.

13

The standard scorecard

Every e-moto on the site is scored on these same eight axes, by the same rules, so a 7 here means the same thing as a 7 anywhere.

Value for money
grin per dollar
0
Real-world range
vs. claim
0
Reliability
core mechanicals
0
Support & warranty
tiny builder
0
Parts & aftermarket
availability
0
Cost to own
5-yr, higher=cheaper
0
Street-legal ease
as shipped
0
Family-friendliness
new / young riders
0
Bottom line: the Voodoo is a beautiful, honestly-specced electric cafe racer from a tiny Canadian builder. It earns points for its design, its honest range, its genuine brakes, and the unusual J1772 charging, and loses them where a boutique always does: support, parts, and availability. Buy it for the style and the experience, from the maker directly, with eyes open about scarcity and bespoke ownership.

The math toolkit

Our standing methodology, run identically on every e-moto, including bikes we would otherwise have reason to flatter.

5 formulas, every bike
1Real energy in the battery
Energy (Wh) = Voltage (V) × Capacity (Ah)

The only honest way to compare two batteries. 72V × 48Ah holds ~3,456 Wh.

2Usable energy
Usable Wh ≈ Nominal Wh × 0.85–0.90

You never use 0 to 100%. The BMS holds a reserve and voltage tapers at the bottom. We assume ~88%.

3Real range
Range (mi) = Usable Wh ÷ Consumption (Wh/mi)

Consumption is the lever: ~45 Wh/mi gentle city, ~55 mixed, more flat-out. Drag rises with speed².

4Power you can feel
hp = Watts ÷ 746  |  Continuous = cruise · Peak = launch

Always ask which number a spec quotes. Peak sells bikes; continuous moves them.

5Charge time
Time (hr) ≈ Battery Wh ÷ Charger W × 1.1

"Fast charging" is meaningless without the charger's wattage. The ×1.1 covers losses and taper.

Cost assumptionWe usedChange it if…
Annual mileage1,500 mi/yr (7,500 / 5 yr)You ride more → maintenance & tires rise
Electricity rate$0.17 / kWh (US avg)Your utility differs
Sales tax~8%Your state / province differs
Battery lifeNo replacement in 5 yrVery hard use → sooner
Resale~45% of MSRP at yr 5 (conservative)Thin boutique used market

Sources & references

✓ Every figure on this page traces to a source below

We cite everything and date it, because specs, prices and tariffs change. Manufacturer figures are labeled as claims; real-world numbers are our estimates from the methodology above. Spot an error? Our corrections policy means we fix it in public.

Specs & performance
Company & availability

Sources retrieved June 2026. Manufacturer pages state claimed specs; treat them as marketing figures, not independent tests. As a low-volume product, independent long-term testing is limited, and charge times and weight are not published, so we have not invented them.