Some old motorcycles deserve to be preserved. Others are too far gone.
When a 1974 Honda CB500 arrived at Toronto-based Beachman Bikes with a blown engine and clutch, the company saw an opportunity to do something a little different. Instead of sending the vintage machine toward the scrapyard, Beachman rebuilt it from the frame up, replacing its gas-powered heart with a custom electric powertrain.
An exciting project for a new division
The one-off machine is the first two-wheel project from Beachman's new Special Vehicles Division (SVD), which focuses on restoring vintage motorcycles and giving them modern upgrades.
The goal is to retain the character that made the original motorcycle special while addressing some of its past limitations.
In the case of the CB500, that meant starting with the frame. Once it had been fully restored, the Beachman team 3D-scanned it to determine how much room was available for the new battery and powertrain without compromising the motorcycle's balance or proportions.
That led to a custom lithium-ion battery pack built specifically for the Honda. Beachman was able to use the same battery supply network it relies on for its production motorcycles, with the pack manufactured by the company's existing battery supplier.
The result? A 72-volt system with a 200-amp-hour battery, designed to give the CB500 a higher level of performance.
The finished motorcycle has been described as a cafe racer that can handle both city riding and longer stretches of open road. It's a significant departure from the original four-cylinder Honda, but the company has tried to make the electric conversion feel like a smooth transition.
"We can build a bike that rides great, and we won't touch it," says Steve Payne, Beachman's COO and head of the Special Vehicles Division. "But being able to preserve a bike that was headed to the scrap yard and give it a whole new life is a pleasure."
Keeping the Honda character
The CB500 has its own rich history. When Honda introduced the model in the 1970s, it was geared toward riders looking for an approachable road motorcycle with sufficient power and creative styling. The model has also been used in competition, including racing at the Isle of Man. The Beachman team wanted to keep those qualities intact.
The motorcycle retains the recognizable proportions and styling of the original CB500, with several details refreshed. One of the more unusual touches is the charging port, which was designed with a vintage look to match the overall vibe.
The company isn't simply taking old motorcycles and dropping electric motors into them. Each project is intended to be a restoration as well as a conversion. The finished CB500 was built for a private client and passed Ontario's DriveON safety inspection before being delivered, making it fully road certified.
For Beachman, that's an important part of the project. A vintage motorcycle can look fantastic sitting in a garage, but the whole point of this particular build was to get the Honda back where it belongs: on the road.
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