Methodology
The Score is transparent and reproducible.
Every bike is scored from the same structured fields, on a fitness-for-purpose basis - how good a bike is for its class, so a class-leading kids', trail, or race machine can all score well. Commission plays no part in the VoltRipper Score or the Find Your Ride configurator - not as an input, not as a tiebreak.
Seven Scoring Factors#
| Factor | Points | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Power and acceleration | 22 | Peak watts on a high-output curve, damped top-speed claims, torque, and selectable modes. |
| Range and battery | 20 | Usable Wh, removable or swappable packs, and charge time. |
| Chassis and suspension | 18 | Suspension type, class-relative travel, brakes, and tires for real terrain. |
| Value | 15 | Capability per dollar at current street price. |
| Support and parts | 12 | Parts availability, dealer network, and community depth. |
| Ergonomics | 8 | Fit range, realistic weight/handling, display, and app support. |
| Versatility | 5 | Off-road-first street-legal path, lights, and dual-sport tires. |
Fitness for purpose, not raw capability. Each factor is scored against what is excellent for the bike's class - a kids' trainer is judged on how well it teaches a child to ride, not against a race bike's horsepower.
Calibration Formula#
Formula: Score = round(1.15 × sum(breakdown) - 3).
The calibration exists because class-relative factor totals cluster tightly, so the curve spreads the curated catalog into buyer-facing A/B/C bands without changing the underlying factor evidence.
Sur-Ron Light Bee X Worked Example#
| Line | Value |
|---|---|
| Power and acceleration | 16/22 |
| Range and battery | 13/20 |
| Chassis and suspension | 17/18 |
| Value | 12/15 |
| Support and parts | 12/12 |
| Ergonomics | 6/8 |
| Versatility | 4/5 |
| Raw breakdown sum | 80 |
| Calibration | round(1.15 × 80 - 3) |
| VoltRipper Score | 89/100 |
Range Inputs#
The value factor's range-equivalent capability term uses a real-world figure when we hold one: 31 of 52 catalog bikes include both a real-world and a claimed range figure. When that real-world figure is missing, 13 bikes use claimed range multiplied by 0.6, a multiplier calibrated against those 31 paired records: their mean real/claimed ratio is 0.5939. Excluding every paired record that could have been derived from that multiplier leaves 27 bikes at a 0.5927 mean. The 8 bikes with no claimed range use usable watt-hours divided by 90 as the range-equivalent fallback.
Grade Bands#
On the current catalog, 90+ is class-leading (A), the 80s are strong (B), and the 70s are solid with real trade-offs (C). D and F are reserved bands, not targets: a D would require a future cataloged bike with severe capability, value, or support failures, and an F would require clear don't-buy evidence such as unsafe claims, a non-supportable platform, or a trust failure.