21 Year-Old's Homemade Electric Motorcycle Looks Hot, Goes 70 Kms Per Charge (Video)
In the past few years, we have seen many homemade electric vehicles from across the country. These range from electric motorcycles to electric cars and trikes. A new video shared online shows how a 21-year-old from Kerala built an electric motorcycle. The video feature by Mathrubhumi shows Atul Vinod, a resident of Kochi’s Perumbadappu, and the electric motorcycle that he made.
Homemade Electric Motorcycle On Video
The video starts with the host introducing Atul to the audience and giving a quick introduction to the e-motorcycle that he made. He even says that the design of this motorcycle is comparable to those products from major EV brands. Atul then talks about the design journey. He had the dream of making his own motorcycle since his school days.
The first sketches of this motorcycle were made soon after he completed his 10th standard. Back then, he says, the motorcycle had a completely different design. In the years that followed, the design evolved into the present form. His passion for automobiles also made Atul pursue Polytechnic in Kalamassery.
Atul used YouTube video guides and Google to learn the basics of making an electric motorcycle. The previous iteration used an electric motor from the differential unit of an electric rickshaw. On the motorcycle, it was paired with a chain drive system.
This setup, he says, had heating issues and was eventually replaced. At present, the motorcycle has a hub-mounted motor- like many modern-day electric two-wheelers. It is powered by a 48V LFP battery pack.
The video doesn’t mention the exact power and torque figures of this powertrain. It is, however, claimed to deliver a range of 70 km per charge. Charging time stands at 3.5-4 hours. The charging point sits inside the tank. The suspension setup has Hero Splendor-sourced front forks and a rear mono-shock sourced from Yamaha FZ.
Most components of this electric bike have been custom-made. The frame is made of GI (Galvanized Iron) pipes, a section of which is kept visible on the bike, painted in Red. Atul himself drew the body panels and surfaces. These were then custom-fabricated in fibre.
He took inspiration from Ultraviolette models in shaping these panels. The headlight resembles that of Kawasaki nakeds, and has custom elements inside. Parts like the front mudguard were sourced from a scrapyard.
This e-motorcycle gets a small storage space inside its tank. You can see a digital instrument cluster as well. It has also been equipped with a slew of features. You get three selectable ride modes- Mode 1, 2, and 3, anti-theft alarm, remote start/stop, and reverse assistance. Atul even has plans to add a central locking mechanism to it in the future.
This build is, in fact, well put together. It hardly feels like something that a 21-year-old made in his backyard. The only odd bits here are the skinny tyres, especially the rear one. Atul says that he had to spend a little over Rs 1 lakh, to build his own electric motorcycle.
His family has been very supportive in the journey, and his cousins helped him raise the money. Plus, he also works as a teacher and builds (and sells) drones and incubators. Atul is now trying to perfect the motorcycle further.
The Larger Picture
It is indeed interesting to see youngsters come up with homemade electric vehicle projects like this. This video doesn’t mention the actual top speed of the vehicle. So, we don’t know if it is a low-speed EV or not. Low-speed electric vehicles (with a top speed of under 40 kph) do not require registration.
If this electric bike isn’t a low-speed EV, it will need to be registered before the owner can ride it on public roads. This would further require it to clear various fitness tests as well.