A new breed of home-brew custom

Customised old bikes are ten a penny right? Well not this one. Gone is the petrol engine and about 90% of the other parts of the bike, replaced with the battery pack from a Nissan Leaf. Say hello to the Leafy Savage from Nightshift Customs.

The frame is from a 2003 Suzuki Savage but the original 650cc thumper is long gone, replaced by the Lithium battery pack from a Nissan Leaf that has been wired in series to deliver 116v. Power is now supplied by an Enertrac hub, which peaks at 40hp and has a continuous output of 13hp.

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A Kelly controller mounted under the seat allows quick adjustment of the power curve – a balanced city riding set up it gives a range of around 100 miles. Replacing the petrol tank is a 3000w charger that can connect to any household power outlet through an extension cord under the seat and charge the bike to full in less than three hours.

While the final build does have a touch of Heath Robinson to it, the ingenuity has to be applauded and it does go a long way to show that electric bikes are not the preserve of men in white coats. For more info on the bike and the build process, to go nightshiftbikes.com

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