Toronto, Canada-based Beachman makes highly desirable vintage-style electric café racers that we’ve covered on here before. It’s now expanding its shop to convert classic cars and motorcycles into full-fledged electric vehicles.
The company just announced its new Special Vehicles Division (SVD) as it put the finishing touches on a gorgeous 1974 Honda CB500 conversion for a private client.
Beachman said this particular example was out of action, owing to a a blown engine and clutch. The shop retained and restored the frame, 3D scanned it, and crafted a specialty battery to fit, keeping weight and balance in mind.
Beachman
The one-off 200-Ah 72-V battery pack is said to be suitable for spirited performance both in the city and on freeways. It passed Ontario’s DriveON safety inspection, so it was able to land full road certification before being delivered to its owner.
The company’s done a bunch more bikes and cars from the 70s, starting with a 1979 Kawasaki KZ200, and moving on to a KZ400, a Volkswagen Thing, and a Meyers Manx dune buggy. Beachman also converted a beautiful Chevy Apache truck dating back to 1958, and a stunning 1974 Alfa Romeo Spyder convertible.
Beachman
The SVD is happiest working on pre-1990 cars with manual transmission and without an OBD2 system, as well as vintage motorcycles. It aims to bring oldies back to life rather than tampering with a perfectly drivable machine.
You can either get a purpose-built powertrain to suit your specific preferences, or have one transplanted from popular vehicles like a Nissan Leaf (as in the case of the aforementioned conversions), or a Tesla. The SVD will preserve the manual transmission, and ensure your car’s up to code for insurance certification. Conversions start at CAD 35,000 (about US$25,000).
Beachman
When it comes to motorcycles, the shop will drop in a custom-designed battery to fit your bike’s existing frame, and deliver range and power to match up to some full-size electrics on the market today. For reference, the KZ200 can hit a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h), and boasts a range of 60 miles (100 km); the KZ400 covers 112 miles (180 km) on a full charge. Bike conversions start at CAD 10,000 (about US$7,120).
Beachman
If you’ve got a beauty from decades ago lying in your garage, this could be just the lease of life it needs. You can fill out a form on Beachman’s site to inquire about a conversion, and even schedule a chat with its head engineer to work out the finer points.
Source: Beachman
