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Honda CB Restoration + Conversion

Year
2020
My role
Sole Endeavor
Team
Self Guided
See live
Unavailable

What's been done

Vintage Honda motorcycle has been stripped down to its frame and rebuilt to be powered by electric drive. The performance specifications exceed that of a stock 1968 Honda CB350 while providing similar comfort in ride.

Project Context

In the summer of 2020 I relocated to Long Beach, CA. Inspired by the DIY culture of the area, I began experimenting with electric drive components and wanted to have my own electric vehicle. As a lifelong motorcycle rider, starting a build with a pre-existing, vintage cafe-racer platform became an easy starting point.

After all parts have been stripped and disassembled, the frame and tank can be painted. I chose for the body panels, the tank and seat fairing, a semi-gloss pearl white. Though not a stock color, for Honda at the time, it created a bold contrast between what interacts with the rider vs the mechanical.

The arching frame of the Honda provided ample space to keep the drive assembly. The frame components are hung from this center spine, making controller access and part swapping easy.

After the internal assembly has been tested, the wiring will need organization. The assembly was then shrouded on both sides with polycarbonate panels. These panels would slide onto the threaded rod that organized the internal frame.

Due to NDA, only a strict selection of product studies are available to view.