Turning a classic bike into an electric one opens up all sorts of possibilities – and even more questions
If you watched the Royal Wedding (staywith me on this) you can’t have failed to notice that the happy couple drove away in an E-type Jag... which was electric. Built by Jaguar itself, this was one of a growing number of classic cars being converted to battery power. At first sight, it sounds like sacrilege, but the offer of smooth, quiet running, easy driving and even easier maintenance seems to be leading more classic car owners to go the electric route – Range Rovers, Fiat 500s and VW campers have all been done. However, no one (as far as we know) had tried to electrify a classic bike – until now.
Fred Spaven probably isn’t your typical classic bike owner, being under 30, very keen on energy efficiency and concerned about climate change. He also knows his classic bikes, commutes to work every day on a Bantam and restores them for a living. Fred’s journey to the ‘Charging Bullet’, as he wittily names his electric bike, started with buying a 1961 Royal Enfield Bullet, intending to get it running as a regular commuter. It was, however, to use a technical term, knackered.
He came up with the idea of converting it to battery power, sourcing secondhand Nissan Leaf batteries on the interweb, forking out for a new Saietta motor (British, no less) and doing a lot of research to find a suitable controller and battery management system.
Then it was a case of designing a suitable subframe and plates, part of the design brief being to use the existing engine mounts, thus making the electric conversion completely reversible. It’s true, no classic bike was harmed in the making of this one, and it can always be re-converted to the original petrol power, if needed. The result looks deceptively simple.
Denne historien er fra May 2019-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 2019-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
