An American-built electric cafe racer that looks like a $20,000 design study and rides like a real motorcycle, decoded with real physics: where the 75-mile claim actually goes, continuous versus peak power, what it truly costs over five years, and who it is for. Sources on everything.
A light, lovely, genuinely American electric motorcycle wrapped around a range number that only holds at city speeds. Plan for ~46 real miles at 55 mph (not 75), ~13 hp continuous with a strong launch burst, ~$7,200 net to own over 5 years, and yes, it is street-legal as shipped.
Assumptions: street-legal commuter (insurance and registration apply), ~2,500 mi/yr, $0.17/kWh, maintenance ~$70/yr, resale ~40% of sticker at year five (young brand). Full table in §10.
Every module behind the headlines: who it is for, claims vs. physics, true cost, reliability, parts, and the standard scorecard. All sourced.
An American-built electric cafe racer that punches far above its price on looks and feel. A 4.3 kWh removable pack, a 10 kW (13 hp) continuous motor with a 20 kW Sport launch, a low electronically adjustable seat, and a genuine ~80 mph. Plan for ~46 real miles at 55 mph (not 75), ~$7,200 net to own over 5 years, and yes, it is street-legal as shipped. Here is exactly how we get there.
Start here, the right answer depends entirely on who is asking.
Same bike, very different answer depending on the rider. We lead every report with this so nobody buys the wrong machine.
The sweet spot. Light, street-legal, and a delight on surface streets. As a sub-40-mph city bike the range claim nearly holds and the riding feel is close to a real gas motorcycle.
Where the Anthem earns its keep. Genuinely designed and assembled in the US, with a folded-metal frame and surprising fit and finish for a startup. If you want something rare and beautiful, this is it.
The honest weak point. Reviewers watched the battery drain at roughly 3% per mile at speed, leaving ~46 miles at 55 mph and closer to ~35 at 70. A poor freeway tool.
Ryvid is direct-to-consumer with no broad dealer network and a thin aftermarket. Support has been responsive, but you are an early adopter of a small brand, so go in clear-eyed.
Same bike, two stories. The struck-through line is what the listing tells you; the big number is what to actually expect. The "why" is in Part C.
What is genuinely clever, and which "innovations" are really table-stakes. The part the brand's own page never tells you.
The Anthem's engineering ambition is real for a young company. Each badge tells you whether it is a real engineering edge, normal for 2026, or marketing gloss.
Instead of a welded tube frame, Ryvid uses a laser-cut, folded, and riveted sheet-metal box frame held together largely by fasteners. Aerospace-inspired manufacturing applied to keep weight and cost down.
★ Genuine edgeThe 4.3 kWh battery pulls out so you can charge it indoors, and the onboard 3.3 kW charger plus regen braking means no separate brick. Solves "where do I charge" without a fast-charge spec.
✓ SolidA motorized seat that raises and lowers between roughly 30 and 34 inches at the push of a button. Genuinely useful for matching the fit to the rider, and rare at any price.
★ Genuine edgeGenuinely built in Irvine, California, which is rare in this price bracket. Not a spec-sheet line, but a real differentiator and part of why the fit and finish surprised testers.
✓ SolidSelectable power modes that cap or unleash the motor. Handy for stretching range or sharpening launch, but in 2026 nearly every serious e-moto does this.
≈ Now standardMarketing specs vs. the physics. The math is simple, battery capacity and a few formulas, so let us run it.
Peak watts make a great headline; they are not what carries you down the road for more than a launch. Ryvid is fairly honest here if you read the spec.
Ryvid rates the air-cooled motor at 10 kW (about 13 hp) continuous, with a brief 20 kW Sport-mode peak for launch. Listings then print the bigger number. Convert to the unit everyone feels:
The headline gap. The claim is not a lie, it is a city-cycle number you will basically never reproduce at highway speed. Here is the arithmetic.
Step 1, real energy in the tank. Range starts with how much energy the battery holds: voltage × amp-hours. Ryvid publishes 4.3 kWh on a 72V nominal pack (85V full).
Step 2, how much you spend per mile. Consumption (Wh/mi) is the whole game, and it explodes with speed because drag rises with the square of speed. Gentle city riding sips ~50 Wh/mi; a steady highway 55 mph costs far more.
~80 mph claimed, with a modest top-end feel. Genuinely honest, but hitting and holding highway speed is exactly what destroys the range above.
Held at a steady highway clip, the bike draws hard just to maintain speed, so consumption climbs sharply. Run the same range formula at 70 mph:
So the "80 mph" and the "75 miles" on the same spec sheet are nearly mutually exclusive: you get one or the other, never both. That is the most important thing the marketing never says out loud, and it is why we keep telling you this is a city bike, not a freeway tool.
Charge time is just battery size ÷ charger power, so a vague "fast" claim means nothing without the charger's wattage. Here Ryvid is unusually specific.
Shopping for one of these, you will see the same bike listed with different numbers. They are not all lying, here is how to read them.
| You will see | What it really is | Trust it? |
|---|---|---|
| 72V / 85V | Nominal vs fully-charged pack voltage. Same battery, different state of charge. | both right |
| 10 kW (13 hp) | Continuous motor rating, the honest "what it sustains" figure. | real |
| 20 kW Sport peak | Brief Sport-mode launch burst, with a simulated high-torque feel. | burst only |
| "75 miles range" | City driving cycle (UDDS), low speed. Drops to ~46 mi at 55 mph. | city best-case |
| "$8,995" vs lower price | Ryvid cut the MSRP in 2024, so listings vary. Check the current price. | verify current |
| "Street legal" | Yes, the Anthem ships street-legal with lights, signals, and a VIN. | real |
The sticker is the smallest number in the story. Here is the whole bill.
The MSRP is a headline, not a checkout total. Here is what actually leaves your bank account on day one.
| Line item | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bike (MSRP) | $8,995 | Direct from Ryvid; price cut in 2024, verify current |
| Shipping / freight | $150–$400 | Direct-to-consumer crate freight |
| Sales tax (~8%) | ~$720 | Varies by state |
| Registration / plate | $50–$200 | Street-legal, so it does register |
| Starter gear (helmet, gloves, jacket) | $300–$500 | Non-negotiable on a street bike |
| Realistic out-the-door | ≈ $10,200–$10,800 | Before a single mile |
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.
| Cost over 5 years | Estimate | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase (MSRP) | $8,995 | Excl. gear; tax/freight vary by state |
| Insurance / registration | $800 | Light commuter, street-legal |
| Gear (one-time) | $500 | Helmet, gloves, jacket |
| Tires, brakes, consumables | $350 | Belt drive, low upkeep; ~$70/yr |
| Electricity (charging) | $150 | Almost nothing, math below |
| Battery (replace / upgrade) | $0 | None expected in 5 yr |
| 5-year total (before resale) | ≈ $10,795 | |
| Resale value (yr 5) | − $3,600 | ~40%, young brand, harder to predict |
| Net true cost to own | ≈ $7,195 | ≈ $1,439 / year |
What breaks, who fixes it, and whether you can get parts.
We read the reviews, forums, and owner groups so you do not have to, and summarize the recurring themes, not cherry-picked raves.
A bike is only as ownable as its parts supply. Here the Anthem is the honest weak point: a young, direct-sales brand.
Ryvid is direct-to-consumer with no broad dealer network and a minimal aftermarket. The platform is shared with its Outset sibling, which helps with parts commonality, but you will largely source service and parts through Ryvid itself. For an early adopter that is workable; if you want a shop on every corner, this is not it.
| Part category | Availability | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| Battery (OEM 4.3 kWh) | limited, via Ryvid | varies; contact maker |
| Tires, brakes, belt | fair | $20–$250 |
| Body / ergonomic parts | fair, via Ryvid/Outset | varies |
| OEM electronics / motor | via Ryvid only | varies; warranty support |
One scorecard, identical axes on every bike.
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.
Our standing methodology, run identically on every e-moto, including bikes we would otherwise have reason to flatter.
The only honest way to compare two batteries. 72V × 60Ah holds more than 60V × 40Ah.
You never use 0 to 100%. The BMS holds a reserve and voltage tapers at the bottom. We assume ~88%.
Consumption is the lever: ~50 Wh/mi gentle city, ~82 at 55 mph, 108+ at 70. Drag rises with speed².
Always ask which number a spec quotes. Peak sells bikes; continuous moves them.
"Fast charging" is meaningless without the charger's wattage. The ×1.1 covers losses and taper.
| Cost assumption | We used | Change it if… |
|---|---|---|
| Annual mileage | 2,500 mi/yr (12,500 / 5 yr) | You ride more → maintenance & tires rise |
| Electricity rate | $0.17 / kWh (US avg) | Your utility differs |
| Sales tax | ~8% | Your state differs |
| Battery life | No replacement in 5 yr | Very hard use → sooner |
| Resale | ~40% of MSRP at yr 5 | Young brand & market vary |
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.
Sources retrieved May 2026. Manufacturer pages state claimed specs; treat them as marketing figures, not independent tests. We re-check prices periodically because they move quickly; Ryvid notably cut the Anthem's MSRP in 2024.