Beachman Bikes It has been dedicated mainly to the development and manufacturing of electric motorcycles for approximately five years. At the time we already echoed its activity that, in the words of its founders, Ben Taylor and Steve Paynefocuses on creating “amazing things”: “From road trips across the country to get the perfect bike photo, to handcrafting our own shop in Toronto’s West End.”they explain.
“Beachman Special Vehicle Division”
This is how the ideologues of this new project have named their new section. The idea is to electrify your classic car or motorcycle by giving it a new life. “Our Special Vehicles team brings decades of experience to the art of classic vehicle electrification. We strive to preserve every element of the original car, including the manual transmission; yes, you read that right”they comment. We do not know if the latter will be applicable to those motorcycles that undergo the process.
In any case, the question that comes to mind in these cases is, are there really people who end up electrifying a classic motorcycle (or car) in order to improve the experience? Because we must not forget that within this process, that of driving, a series of physical, even mystical, factors must occur so that the connection between the vehicle and whoever is at the controls is established efficiently.
That is why when one reads Beachman’s advertising on its official website, one cannot help but feel a certain inner restlessness: “We are ready to build you the ultimate custom classic vehicle. Quiet, easy to drive and free of the problems of older gasoline powertrains” they assure. Until now, they were those same “problems”, part of the fun of having a classic… Right?
Some practical examples
The people at Beachman present us with some practical examples of what they can do with a classic motorcycle in their facilities and an EV kit ready to transplant. A 1972 Honda CB500, 1979 Kawasaki KZ200 or 1979 KZ400 are among those that benefit from the aforementioned custom-designed propulsion systems. Depending on the equipment selected, they offer ranges of up to 180 kilometers and a maximum speed of 120 km/h.
With prices starting from 10,000 dollars, about 8,700 euros at the exchange ratethey assure us that they will mount “an exclusive battery that fits perfectly to your chassis, guaranteeing maximum range and power, comparable to that of any full-size electric motorcycle currently available on the market, creating an efficient and affordable package exclusive to Beachman.”
Conclusion and personal opinion
Honestly, I have never really understood what the fun is in taking away its essence from a classic vehicle by implementing an electric propulsion system. Beachman claims to be “giving new life to classic cars and motorcycles”. More than one of us have a somewhat contradictory opinion (to put it mildly) about this theory.
Maintaining, preserving and improving a classic is not synonymous with stripping it of its identity. Much less turn it into the antithesis of the concept on which it was once designed. Because you’ll tell me what it means to put a Nissan Leaf engine in a seventies Alfa Spider so that it has “more power and torque than ever”…
