Gadget & Tech News

Modded electric motorcycle is street-legal, costs under $2K

By in 61856 on June 26th, 2008

We’ve seen more silly homemade electric vehicles than we care to remember, but Ben Nelson’s electric motorcycle manages to retain some of its original two-wheel charm while using only a penny of juice per mile — roughly the equivalent of 300mpg. Nelson bought the bike for $100 and swapped out the original engine for a Briggs and Stratton 8HP DC motor he picked up on eBay for $500, using four $160 Optima Yellowtop lead-acid batteries for power. Nelson says he can get the rig up to a top speed of 45MPH, and he’s got a range of about 20 miles before he needs to plug in — enough to run errands around town.

Best of all, the state of Wisconsin willingly registered his bike as a “hobbyist” vehicles, which means he’s free to (silently) roam the streets at will. Ben first built the bike about a year ago, so he’s accumulated a ton of useful info if you’re interested in following in his tire tracks — hit up the read link to learn more, and check the video after the break.