Is this the coolest use of Zero SR electric motor?
YouTuber, Rich Rebuilds has taken the motor and control unit from a scrapped Zero SR electric motorcycle and fitted them into a hot-rod with surprising results
YouTube star Rich Rebuilds has bought a scrap Zero SR electric motorcycle and taken the electronic speed controller, motor and some extra batteries, then fitted them into a 1930s rat-rod he bought off the internet!
Rich realised quite quickly that the bike wasn’t for him, and will a Tesla and a Humvee, he already had too many toys. What he did have lying around was a 1930 rat-rod that had an anaemic 305ci engine installed. Flogging the motor for $300 he set about blending the 21st-century Zero SR with 1930s pre-war cool!
At first, you'd assume that the tiny (in comparison to the 305ci) motor of the Zero will never be able to haul the heavy steel rat-rod. The thing is that tiddly little motor has about 110hp and 140ft-lb of torque. When you consider the weight-saving form having the motor and batteries in the car over the hulk of American iron – the performance specs are probably not that far off!
The Zero motor mount directly onto the cars existing three-speed gear box and still makes use of the manually operated clutch. In testing, they found that the Zero moto had so much torque it was actually trying to lift the gearbox away from the mounting points on the chassis. After having a think the builders had to fabricate and fit more mounting plates to keep the unit in place.
Zero SR specs
Motor | Z-Force 75-7R passively air-cooled, high efficiency, radial flux, interior permanent hi-temp magnet, brushless motor |
Power | 70hp at 3,500rpm (SR) / 34hp at 4,300rpm (DS) |
Torque | 116lb/ft (SR) / 78lb/ft (DS) |
Suspension | Front - Showa 41 mm inverted cartridge forks, with adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping / Rear - Showa 40 mm piston, piggy-back reservoir shock with adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping |
Tyres | Pirelli Diablo Rosso II – 110/70-17 front, 140/70-17 rear (DS) / Pirelli MT-60, 100/90-19 front, 130/80-17 (rear) |
Brakes | Front - Bosch Gen 9 ABS, J-Juan asymmetric dual piston floating caliper, 320x5 mm disc / Rear - Bosch Gen 9 ABS, J-Juan single piston floating caliper, 240x4.5 mm disc |
Seat height | 807mm (SR), 843mm (DS) |
Weight | 188kg (SR), 244kg (DS) |
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
