Phenomenal build, EV conversion, and most of all, video. The stop motion, editing, planning, is insane. Most people would not realize this unless they tried to make a similar video. This is pro level stuff here!
I love the way when you design the battery Box. It actually fit the 1960 style of the bike rather than just have a square Box jammed in there. Like everybody else does you made it look like it belong there right? From the sixties? Damn. Nice? Job I've always wanted to do this but there's something about the roar of an engine that I just can't get away from.
Well... it's a question of viewership. The stop motion works in many cases, but my honest opinion is that this kind of video doesn't need this. The image and everything is really well filmed.
Anybody who has the patience to restore a 56 year old bike has my respect. Anybody who is prepared to add the work of stop gap videography on top of that is too much for my brain to comprehend. So is the battery enclosure. Art, I'm telling you, it's feckin art!
I have never seen anyone on RU-vid put this much effort into production and video editing to make this type of "stop motion" effect for a topic that has nothing to do with animation. This is just phenominal and my hat is off to you because the amount of work to get this effect must be enormous, on top of actually restoring and converting the motorcycle!
WONDERFUL !!! With the Fossil fuel prices skyrocketing, I feel this is a good video for people (if interested) can try this out on their motorcycles. I am planning to do this and convert my motorcycle to a Hybrid model (Petrol + Battery). EV drive to the front wheel to use it for city and congested traffic circumstances. Thank you for such a wonderful video
I had a trashed scooter from 1958 with no motor, frozen brakes and fried electrics. Had someone convert it to electric. OMG it's the most fun bike ever. Should have done it sooner.
In 1964 i was 15. 5 and got a learner's permit........and a Honda Dream 150. Now i'm 75 and still ride, but on Triumphs. The Dream was my first love, however. i still dream about finding and restoring one. Glad to see that you did. They were extraordinarily beautiful classics that have never bean bested for good looks. 😊
I'm researching an electric kids dirtbike conversions but now I want one for myself, you bastard, you may have just cost me thousands of dollars. Love it.
Electric Dream! Fantastic building skills brought this vintage bike back to life and into the 21st century. Any motorcycle enthusiast would love to have this. I think you may've just given Honda Japan an idea to mass produce this product. Thank for all your hard work and bringing this to the public. Enjoy your new electric motorcycle.
I'm currently in Vietnam and they are so many restored CA 160's, or Honda 67's as they are known here. I recently was at a Honda 67 meet up, it was great to see so many old bikes in such great condition, no EV's though! Great video!
I bought CB 160 and had to sell leaving the country. When I returned I bought another, both 1965 models. Bestest bike I ever rode cos I lived on mountain roads in PNG and so fitted large rear sprocket. Can still hear that motor in my memory all these years later. They weren’t imported into Australia so won’t see one again....
Honestly, if any major manufacturer built a little 3kw city bike that looked even remotely as good as that it would instantly change the face of electric motorcycles. Yet, you see so many with their truly awful 'futuristic' looking machines.
Agreed, I would definitely buy an electric motorcycle with a classic/conventional cruiser frame and body. You picked the perfect donor bike for this, and I love the stop-motion camera techniques you used for teardown, and the finished product is badass!
UK here. Great conversion. The Hub motor & battery case don't look out of place on that style bike either. Just personal preferences, With your fab skills you could've made a BMW engine style battery case which could've given you a few more AH and maybe used a recessed round volt meter in the "fuel tank" ? Great Job though and something I'd like to progress to from ebike builds.
Back in 1971, at the age of 16, I bought a 1965 CA-160 305 Dream from a buddy. I rode it daily for 3 years and sold it for the same $150 I had given to buy it! I think about that old bike to this day, and if I still had it, I would absolutely do just what you did to this '67... a beautiful bike to start with, and a beautiful conversion on your part! Glad I watched the vid, and many happy and safe miles of cruising to you.
Amazing video work and shop skills my friend. I only wish you had restored this beautiful piece of history back to its original glory. I love that seat! Oh, I've been riding motorcycles ( owned 32 of them ) for 61yrs.
I had the 1966 Scrambler 160 which was my first bike back in high school. Fun but the suspension was super bad and I think I am still paying for it today. I actually broke both feet pegs during a small jump. I like the time lapse no hands video.
I want to echo all the compliments everyone else has offered. I'm a bicycle person, not a motorcycle person, but the worlds overlap, and I can appreciate what you've done. Now, speaking as a bicycle mechanic and wheel builder, I couldn't help noticing that the rear wheel's spokes are in a radial pattern rather than crossed. In my world, that's a guaranty that the spokes will fail from fatigue because of the torque coming from the hub. I imagine in a motorcycle world, that problem will be magnified. Do others have experience with a wheel like this, laced radially?
Great job, I owned (and drove daily, in college) a CA95 (also a 160cc Honda Dream, paid $50) , later I found a 66 CB72 , that was the 305cc (also paid $50, it was 1974) , it came with leather studded saddlebags. Loved that pressed steel frame design, vs a tube frame. I have two suggestions, replace the volt meter with a round/vintage appearing dial face. Also, maybe an older appearing Honda decals for the battery/motor compartment.
Really if they'd let me, Two thumbs up!! great conversion. I have seen a number of motorcycle conversions but most want to go with the chain drive mid drive systems when the direct drive systems are so clean and bullet proof. No moving parts! the chem pouch battery seems to deliver good punch. Hope to see more of your work.
Had a bike back in '67 looked very much like that one, blue CD175 it was met the nicest people freed me from virginity prison gas was maybe 50 cents a fill and could drive non stop Ottawa to Barrie with 60 miles still sloshing in the tank but what I really wanted to say was kudos on the conversion and the filming finding parts, sheet metal arghh, editing totally awesome!
I remember this bike from my childhood My dad's uncle had one One day he was giving me a lift to school On the way a monitor lizard crossed the road In trying to avoid it we went into a ditch The memory is stuck in my mind to this today 😂😂😂
Really good video, excellent workmanship, excellent choice of original machine too. I really admired the way you converted the original fuel tank. One tiny comment only, not trying to be a nit picker, I would have put the on off switch perhaps under the tank, but that's personal choice only. Congratulations to you. Thank-you.
Excellent job, one of the things you have to be carful of, is that in a lot of motorcycles use the motor as part of the frame to provide strength and rigidity . Your battery box seems up to the task.
Dude! Even the dents are straightened in stop motion??? I am shocked by the amount of time and artistry that has gone into this video. Most insane restoration video I've ever seen...
Subscribed and liked. Thank you, man. There are few craftsmen/craftswomen now a days. You are one. Bravo! Bravo!. Transportation doesn't need to be as complicated or as expensive as a Tesla. I'm looking forward to the days where conversion kits will be diverse, adaptable, plentiful and cheap. As battery technology improves, the batteries should become more compact and lighter. I think the hub powered unit is the way to go, much less complicated, making stand alone motors and chains unnecessary for everyday putt putts. Again, thanks for sharing your talent, bro, rocket
I have to admit when the rattle can primer can came out I was concerned, but what a relief when the HVLP gun appeared ,well the results speak for themselves, wow, great thought went into this project and the details show. I'm a subscriber now.
A huge thumbs up just for the effort alone. The difference between electric cars and bikes is that the former looks exactly like a normal car, which is missing in the later. Maybe that's a major reason why electric cars are a big success and bikes aren't. I just wish manufacturers would try making a classic, normal looking bike that's electric. Not whatever sci-fi things we are getting. Maybe then, things could go different. Who knows.
I had an old black 1987 Yamaha Virago 535 that I was thinking of doing something like this but I got rid of it during my last house move ! Oh man I'd wish I'd seen this video before I sold it for almost nothing. Your conversion is top class. The battery box shape is exactly in keeping with the original design. Well done. So many other conversions just have a huge square box to hold the batteries. Totally awesome work !
OK that was super cool. Makes me want to start building bikes again! No more having to deal with engines and all the junk that goes with it. If you're open to a couple suggestions though: 1. That Voltage meter you're using might not be wet weather rated (even if you're not using it in the rain) and could be an issue. 2. Some bikes like scramblers have a scrape plate or "engine guard:" that goes under the engine. You could fab one up pretty easily to mount to the battery compartment to avoid any punctures. 3. Bushings on the battery mount would help those brackets last longer and keep you from ripping it off the frame on a bad bump. These are all from someone who just watched you do this, and didn't make any of the design choices, just some thoughts from an old guy. Love this bike, keep it up!
Great conversion! Excellent stop motion work also. Back in the day, I had a Honda CA77 Dream. It looked a lot like yours. I miss riding it sometimes. The purr of a well tuned engine is hard to beat, but maybe the motor whine of your conversion sounds good to you. Anyway, thanks for sharing your skills with the rest of us.
The 1970's solution is to attach playing cards to the fork that will make sound every time a spoke comes around. Clothesline pins were used for this purpose. 🙂
Great video, one thing I will caution you on. Those motors have weak epoxy holding the magnets on and when heated up after a while, can move and cause the motor to fail. It's easy enough, just take the cover off the motor and apply strong epoxy over the magnets. I learned the hard way after 1800 miles on my diy ebike. It was 2 kw and went 45 up to 100 miles with my battery. Saddle bags or boxes on for more battery capacity.
Man, you put your soul in this conversion 😍 Made with love, your wife should appreciate this gift. Not just going to shop and buying useless diamonds 🤔 I can't even imagine, how much work did it take 🤯
Great music, video, great bike build! You could engineer a kit for DIY builders. It would be best to build the kit around a motorcycle that was produced in great numbers. I think it would be a great business.
I see a lot of haters, but at least youve got engagement! 😅 Its your bike and youve made a great lil' around town scooter. Spring is here! Go out and enjoy it.
Great build mate. I have only one small thing to comment on. I think there will be problems with the cables somewhere around the pivotpoint of the swingarm. Copper doesn't like too much bending movement/stress. Kinda like cables in cars breaking on doors and trunks after a while. They don't see as much movement as a swingarm tough. But still. Great video, funky music and a stunning build Edit: damn you autocorrect
Good point. The copper in the cables may get work hardened and brittle over time. You can buy cables which are built for movement. They're used in CNC machines where the gantry is constantly moving back and forth.
What a Super Job Done, Reminded me of my own Honda 175CC back in my college days, I restored it as orginal on Gasoline in year 2000, and I really loved it watching you to restore, ahhh... SUPER DOOPER...AWESOME........ MAN... LUV IT LUV IT LUV IT.....May your hands do more good work.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this build. My Dad had a Honda 300 Dream that was the source of many youthful daydreams. You filled my head with ideas that will never come to fruition. Please keep creating. And change that seat for a “Springer” style. Great work! Congratulations
Stop-motion film always deserves an award of some kind for the work involved. It's also nice to see a lack of disturbing comments about electric conversions of vintage vehicles, a lot of folk can't seem to keep an open mind about different powertrain options.
just saw this video for a couple of minutes. paused it. subscribed and then resumed again. you got my attention instanty. very good stuff and great video editing. cheers!!!
This was an amazing build and video. I cannot imagine how many hours of work that went into the video itself. I speeded it up at the start and it was like magic happening before my eyes, brilliant!
My friend. Tks for the movie. In the end of sixties early seventies my father had an honda that looks like this one. I learned how to use a motorcicle on it. Meanhwhile and as you are converting you could have transformed the petrol tank into a cabinet to put-transport things. .. . Just an ideia. Congratulations.
Hello, from Uruguay. I've watched hundreds of videos with the dream of building my own electric motorcycle but yours has really impacted me: It's simply awesome! The aesthetics, from the choice of the model to the video editing (good music!) is great. What I cared less about was the performance in speed and autonomy. I think that old Honda has experienced reincarnation in your hands. Greetings and congratulations!
Ur Genius Sir, How beautifully u hv fitted the Electric Components especially shape at the engine space , that is wonderful . Bad luck ur not in my country otherwise I would hv bought my dad's old bike for Electric conversion.
