A Horrible Death for an '86

What numb-skull would do this to a vintage piece of art!!!!! :unsure:

Click on this link:
Honda VFR conversion to electric power now complete - AutoblogGreen


65 mph top speed and a 'bank of batteries'!
This could have been a beautiful example of 1986 Honda machinery.

GeorgiaRider

 

If its the same guy, There is a post in here about the work. I belive it was a damaged eng or something, maybe a no title bike that he started with. Read up on it, you might change your mind.

 

Evfr

Oh Frodus, someone's dissin you.

Larry

 

ABG: Tell us about the process of developing the conversion.

Gintz: I saw the Tesla last year, and decided I wanted to look into building an EV myself. I have an electrical engineering background, and LOVE gadgets, so it came naturally. I looked into cars, but for 10 grand, and lots of work, it might be over my budget. I'm a single guy living alone, so I don't have 10 grand sitting around, just to get 30-50 miles for commuting. I drive a Dodge Durango, and gas is starting to hurt. I needed a cheap commuter solution. I looked at a popular site called EVAlbum. They had some other vehicles, and the more I looked into motorcycles, the more I was sold on the idea. I started looking for bikes, and found someone on Craigslist that had a roller with bad engine and donated it to me.




There you go, it was already a junker, I mean, I love the old bikes, I happen to have one (86 vfr700) good on him for creating something out of a "dead " motorcycle.

In My Opinion,

Crusty

 

Sorry guys.
In my opinion, you could have rebuilt/replaced the engine.
These bikes shouldn't be made into 'mo-peds'.
I've restored alot of 'old machinery', but not modified a classic into this.
Why not take a '67 427 Vette and put a Prius engine into it? Something just wrong there.
My opinion, and I respect yours.

 

"The needs, of the many, outway the needs of the few..."

Captain Spock Wrath of Khan

Maybe this was his vision.... My vision of restoring my 86 is different than the Honda folks some people are gonna hate what I do with it but in the end I'am the only one that matters.

 

Travis (the builder) here. sorry it took a while to find, but I had to search for it.

My response to the OP:
Oh well, that is your opinion. I am restoring it though, I'm just not using the same engine. All new fiberglass fairings (including fiberglass tank), going to update the bike a bit (different headlights, mirrors). The bike will essentially look the same, but with something different under the hood. I've added bar risers and a sportbike handlebar as well as luggage racks and centerstand.

I don't really care if anyone thinks it's blasphemy, it's my dream, my vision, my money.... and it'l be worth much more than any 2nd gen VFR's (both monetary and sentimental).

It started because it was free. Then it morphed into finding parts for the beater and finding another one that had a blown engine. I wasn't a motorcycle guy before this, nor had I had a ton of engine experience and didn't want to sink money into two engines from 2 bikes to get 1 working. I got the bike for a conversion and stuck with it.

For you: Blasphemy
For me: I'm building something, rather than buying something off the shelf that everyone else has, doing what I dreamt and achieving something very few have.


"The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress."
- Charles Kettering

 

while I dislike electric motorcycles, they ARE interesting.

I cant really say anything bad because hey, you wanted to build it, you wanted to ride/own it, not me. I dont have to see, hear, ride, own or touch it if I dont wish to. therefore, enjoy what you have built, and be happy because its different, but cool.


we can hate all we want, but electric motorcycles ARE the future, and they ARE being custom built by people with similar visions. hate it, embrace it, do whatever, its still coming.

 

Frodus,

I followed your other thread and your blog a bit, and I think your build is pretty darn cool even if it isn't my style. I don't think that electric vehicles are quite ready for the big leagues yet, even if we did have a proper recharging infrastructure (which of course we do not). I do think there is some promise in electric, and I think electric cars, bikes, buses etc will have their place in the world. I don't think they will completely replace internal combustion engine driven vehicles for quite a long time though.

Can you imagine trying to build an electric semi truck that can pull 80k lbs though the mountains for 500+ miles and recharge in the time of a typical truck rest stop of 30-60 minutes? Probably not going to happen in my lifetime.

Would I buy or build an electric car that could allow me enough range to commute every day? Assuming the price was in line, the answer is absolutely YES! Would it be my only vehicle? Not with current electric technology.

 

I think it's cool.
When the Green Overlords outlaw fossil fuels, Frodus will be still riding our beloved VFR.

 

One day in the future, you will not need to recharge a Evehicle daily. no reason why you cannot reclaim power from the brakes, turning wheels & the sun. For that matter no reason just turning the "steering wheel" cannot generate electricty.

 

Innovativeness breeds evolution, insularism breeds stagnation. Good on ya Frodus.

 

I'd really like to have an electric dirt bike. Imagine the low end torque, the amount of startled game I would jump in my woods.

Life is too short to worry about what someone else's vision of their motorcycle is.

 

Thanks guys!

I just thought it'd be fun to do. I've been into RC since I was 12, I'm an EE, and I love building things... so it just kinda made sense.