All About Ryvid: One Of America's Newest Electric Motorcycle Makers

The shift from lots full of gas-powered vehicles to a focus on electric has brought new players to the automotive industry. While carmaker names like Rivian and the now-defunct Fisker hit the market pre-2010, attempting to serve as pioneers for the newer consumer vehicle technology, there's still an EV revolution looming. Motorcyclists are seeing the same push to go electric, and in 2022, were introduced to Ryvid, a California-based manufacturer looking to bring innovation to a space that's expected to grow significantly in the next decade.

Behind the brand is a team of innovators looking to make significant waves in the electric motorcycle market, though, according to CEO Dong Tran, you'd be remiss to call it a motorcycle company. Self-described as a light mobility company, Ryvid was "formed by a mission to enable more sustainable and enjoyable personal mobility." Per the official website, even its name is all about emotion as a "merging of rhythm and avid."

Though Ryvid has yet to release a motorcycle to retail, the company is in the midst of completing its San Bernadino factory and completing its first ride, the Ryvid Anthem. In the meantime, it's worth getting to know who's behind these electric motorcycles and why it's worth looking into the brand.

Ryvid's website confidently blasts, "We are Ryvid," but who is really behind that statement? At the helm is Tran, who grew up in one of the largest motorbike markets in the world — Vietnam. Before moving to the United States at 10 years old, Tran lived in the tourism-heavy region of Dalat in a household that traveled by moped. While the heavy focus on two-wheeled transportation in Vietnam may seem unusual to a U.S. native, when Tran moved to California and experienced the frustratingly heavy traffic flow of Los Angeles, he further understood the motorbike culture of his home country. 

According to Tran's LinkedIn profile, in 2007, he joined General Motors' design team as an exterior design intern in Michigan. Within four months, he was in California at BMW's Newbury facility with the same title. After a brief stint in Tokyo with Toyota's exterior design team, he returned to the States and joined Honda, where he remained for just under two years, initially as a project lead on a now-scrapped unnamed electric vehicle project.

Over the years, traveling through Los Angeles' congested streets, Tran carried an appreciation for the efficiency of motorbikes. As it grew, so too did a budding desire to push the industry into greener territories. By 2021, near the tail-end of a five-year employment at ICON Aircraft, Tran was ready to bring his vision to life and start work on an initial prototype product, Ryvid's Anthem.

The prototype, revealed as the Anthem in July 2022, first hit the streets the following summer at a surprisingly modest price point of $8,995. Capable of reaching top speeds of approximately 75 mph, the Anthem was designed with Tran's childhood in mind. Unlike Evoke's 6061-GT, which can achieve a range of over 400 miles, the Ryvid Anthem wasn't designed for long rides. Its 50 to 75-mile range is more focused on urban riders and commuter distances, or bouncing between the clumped towns in the small seaside nation. 

While some consumers may scoff at the low range (though it does align closely with Harley-Davidson's LiveWire electric motorcycle) the Anthem is about all-around innovation, specifically with its design. Tran's experience in aircraft design at ICON carries over into Ryvid's product. The bike features a chassis made of folded metal plates over the standard welded tubes, which lends to a faster assembly time.

Along with the production-friendly design, the Anthem features a few additional perks that should entice electric motorcycle riders. Among them is an actuator that adjusts the seat up to 4 inches. While Ryvid states this "brings confidence" to shorter and taller riders, it could also suggest that the Anthem could be rental-ready and accommodate multiple users similar to urban bicycle-sharing programs.

The motorcycle's user-friendly design carries over to its 4.3 kWh lithium-ion battery. Built with an integrated 3.3kW charger, the battery is poised to be the easiest to remove on the market. Understanding the heft of the pack, Ryvid also added wheels and a lever system that allows the battery to be dropped down out of the chassis and then easily pulled back into place without any extended lifting required. If you purchase a secondary battery, the system allows for a hot swap that puts you back on the road in mere minutes. 

While these innovations help make Anthem Ryvid's launching point for electric motorcycles and sustainable driving, Tran has a clear vision for both himself and the country. "We aspire for the forthcoming generation to recognize our commitment to advancing personal transportation in a sustainable direction," he noted in a company blog. While the Anthem is Ryvid's initial focus, Tran's work with the State of California on developing regulations for light electric vehicle emissions promises a bright, battery-powered future for the company.