Australian company puts a spark into electric motorcycling
Savic Motorcycles Cafe Racer review.
Electric motorcycles are just around the corner, with the first Australian electric motorcycle company unveiling their first home-grown bike.
The Savic Motorcycles Cafe Racer is the genius of Melbourne rider Dennis Savic, 26, who spent more than 650 hours designing and building the prototype launched at the recent Melbourne Moto Expo.
The Cafe Racer production version will be made in Melbourne and Taiwan and available in 2020. It will come in three different power versions. The Alpha is 60kW and will cost from $20,000; Delta 40kW, from $15,000; and Omega 20kW, from $12,000. Each model will have several battery pack options. The largest offered in the Alpha will provide range of up to 250km, while the smallest option in the Omega will have 50km range.
Savic says it should cost about $3 to run the Alpha for 250km, compared with about $15 for a petrol motorcycle. Like all electric vehicles, peak torque is instantaneous and Savic says his bike will accelerate from 0-100km in four seconds. Customers will be able choose a range of options in brakes, suspension, wheels, tyres and three colours – Spectre, Stealth, and Rustic. Aftermarket upgrades will also be offered.
Savic says the bike is "a bit of a dream come true".
"When I was 14, I decided I wanted to design and build my own vehicles one day," he says.
"So, I did my engineering degree and when I graduated about three years ago I got stuck into it. It's been a long time coming.
"These motorcycles are a unique offering with the most advanced features and functionality that the materials, engineering, electronic controls, electrical technology and 3D printing can offer today. We have created a unique design featuring a perfectly rolled (not bent) backbone frame and developed our own powertrain package."
Savic will build up to 10 production prototypes in the coming months with a liquid-cooled motor and energy storage system, plus conventional chain drive.
"We will focus on sales and production first in Australia, then take the offering to international markets," Savic says.
"Our aim is to close our second round of private equity funding by February 2019. We are accepting inquiries for our 10 C-FE (founder edition) models for 2019 and I already have a number of inquiries about the production run of about 50-100 for 2020."
It seems every week there is a new electric motorcycle from a traditional motorcycle manufacturer or newcomer such as Savic Motorcycles. While electric motorcycle and scooter sales are rapidly growing in Europe and Asia, Australia's motorcycle industry has been very slow to catch the electric spark. In fact, Zero Motorcycles pulled the plug on our market last year. The only activity has been in sales of low-powered electric scooters made in China.
However, that may change with Savic Motorcycles plus importers Urban Moto Imports adding three new electric-powered Chinese-made Super SOCO motorcycles to their line-up of electric scooters.
Meanwhile, Harley-Davidson Australia is planning to train and prepare dealership staff for the introduction of their electric LIveWire model. It will arrive in stores in August 2020.
By Mark Hinchliffe
motorcycle motoring
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