Time warp triple: London motorcycle builder creates electrical Kawasaki KH250

Revealed: 13 January 2023

Up to date: 13 January 2023

Electrical ‘restomods’ are not anything new within the automobile international, with battery energy wizards getting rid of drained vintage combustion engines in favour of quieter, and most often dramatically extra robust, plug-in possible choices.

From authentic Vary Rovers to Opel Mantas and the entirety in between, vintage automobiles are actually being given a futuristic 2nd likelihood at lifestyles – preserving their authentic appears with out the desire for oily arms, choke knobs and never-ending fettling.

Even though a craze that divides opinion, it’s now making its manner into motorcycling, with one London motorcycle fanatic restoring a Kawasaki KH250 and putting in an electrical motor and 5kWh battery the place the 249cc two-stroke three-cylinder as soon as sat.  

“The motorcycle was once a pile of bits, and it wasn’t operating,” author of the aptly named KH250E, Simon Whitelock advised MCN. “All of the portions are authentic with the exception of the battery, the electrical motor, {the electrical} machine, and the wiring looms.”

With the motor itself housed throughout the casings of the unique air-cooled engine and the charging port positioned beneath the chromed filler cap, it’s most effective small main points just like the KH250E emblems underneath the seat and bigger rear sprocket (and loss of smoke) that give it away.

“I didn’t construct it for the velocity, or vary, I constructed it for the technical problem,” Whitelock added. “The trickiest bit was once machining out the crank case, because the motor most effective simply fitted within it. Lots of the backside crank case has long past to deal with it.

“There was once a large number of lower and measure,” he added. “The seat is sculpted out and the entire body is two.5in wider than inventory. The battery tray could also be beneath the seat and there was once a large number of chopping and welding. It doesn’t glance find it irresistible, however that was once the entire level.”

Whitelock endured: “A yr in the past, remaining July the motorcycle was once operating, however it wasn’t painted or chromed, and it took me any other yr to get all this carried out. It was once a two-year undertaking, however the entire toughest bit was once carried out within the first yr.”

Powered by way of a 10kW motor, the KH250E is in a position to round 60mph, with a modest vary of 45 miles. It now is living in Whitelock’s eating room as an decoration however he may well be prepared to phase with it when you’ve got £15k going spare.