A vision realised

HOW A YOUNG FORMER FORD AUSTRALIA ENGINEER IS BRINGING HIS DREAM OF ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLING TO LIFE - RIGHT HERE IN MELBOURNE

- MARK QUINLAN

DENNIS SAVIC IS happy to admit that if it weren't for a stint at Ford Australia, where he worked on the 2022 Everest SUV program, his eponymously named electric motorcycle would likely still just be a doodle on the back of a notepad. Ford's Broadmeadows headquarters is rarely thought of as a hotbed for young techpreneurs, but the Perth native credits his stint there for providing the skills and confidence to pursue a dream he's dedicated the past decade of his life to.

That dream is to create an Australian designed and manufactured battery electric motorcycle that Dennis Savic believes will delight riders with its powerful performance, data smarts, and head-turning looks, while going wheel to wheel with the best from BMW, Harley Davidson, and others.

"Our number one priority is to play a leading role in the e-mobility revolution, and we want to do this by delivering future-proof motorcycling to riders who love the art of classic motorbikes, but want a reliable vehicle to get from A to B safely, comfortably and affordably, with zero emissions," says the 30-year-old company founder and engineer.

Now, after a decade of effort from Savic and his small but dedicated team of like-minded engineers, designers and software developers, Savic Motorcycles has gone from thriving start-up to a company about to begin assembly of its C-Series electric cafe racer at a new facility in West Melbourne later this year.

Savic said the genesis of the idea came at a 'Cars of Tomorrow' conference he attended as a fresh-faced 19-year-old engineering student in 2012.

"Back then I had an idea, a concept, and a final year student project... and no idea how I was going to build motorbikes," he said.