How a Movie Helped deBolex Engineering Make This Custom Electric Motorcycle
Click here to read the full article.
Custom motorcycles traditionally comprise secondhand bikes which have been given a new lease on life. Rarely do they start as brand new canvases, and even rarer is that canvas powered by electricity. However, that’s exactly what you get with UK-based deBolex Engineering’s stunning Energica Eva—an electric machine created in collaboration with luxury Dutch watch company TW Steel and the creators of the custom motorcycle movie, Oil in the Blood.
“Energica produce a high production, high quality electric bike, so that kind of suits what we do with our bikes,” says deBolex Engineering’s 30-year-old owner, Calum Pryce-Tidd. “Using it as a base was like working with a Ducati or an MV Agusta. It’s an Italian sport bike.”
Related stories
Why the 2020 Zero SR/F Should Be Your First Electric Motorcycle
Meet the All-Electric Ford Mustang That's More Powerful Than the Original
How a Movie Helped deBolex Engineering Make This Custom Electric Motorcycle
Shaking new custom ground with the eclectic Eva was one of the most exciting factors in the design, according to Pryce-Tidd. “We really wanted to design a bike that bridged a gap between combustion engine styling and electric styling. We didn’t want our bike to look too futuristic. We really wanted to work some of those retro styling cues into the build. Obviously, this huge battery that’s in there, one that is tricky to work around and quite bulky. We spent a lot of time designing certain features to slim the aluminum fairing and make it look like a sleek, lightweight bike. After we laid that first bit of paint on and we put it together, I was over the moon with the result.”
The deBolex Engineering Energica Eva remains mechanically identical to a base Eva save for a new subframe, Dymag forged aluminum wheels, a Maxton racing rear shock absorber, clip-on handlebars, a custom seat and faux gas tank and the 1.5 mm-thick aluminum fairing. The power plant remains as standard—a permanent magnet AC (PMAC) oil cooled motor that produces 145 hp of instant power and 148 ft lbs of torque.
“The aluminum work was pretty in-depth,” says Pryce-Tidd. “That was the bulk of our time on the project. We strip back to the core of the motorcycle, improve the chassis and all the elements that we can and then rebuild it back up with our skinny aluminum bodywork. That’s something I’ve taken from looking at classic cars, which I’m really into. We also spent a lot of time designing our seat pan to get as much comfort out of the thin base as we can.”
After doing the rounds of various custom bike shows around the world, including The Handbuilt Show in Austin, Tex., for the recent U.S. MotoGP running, the deBolex Engineering Energica Eva now takes pride of place in the TW Steel offices in Holland.
Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
