Beachman Bikes has launched a Special Vehicles Division and completed its first build: a 1974 Honda CB500 rebuilt from the frame up around a custom 200 amp-hour lithium-ion battery pack running at 72 volts. The motorcycle was commissioned by a private client and delivered after passing Ontario’s DriveON safety inspection, which certified it for road use. Beachman Bikes, which describes itself as Canada’s first new motorcycle manufacturer in more than 80 years, says the division will take made-to-order commissions that modernize vintage motorcycle designs while retaining their original character.
Highlights
- Powertrain: A 200 amp-hour battery pack operating at 72 volts, replacing the original internal combustion engine
- Donor condition: The 1974 CB500 arrived with a blown motor and clutch, at the end of its service life
- Certification: Passed Ontario’s DriveON safety inspection and earned full road certification before delivery
- Reusable engineering: The specialty power cell was designed to serve future CB500 builds
A Frame-Up Rebuild Rather Than a Retrofit
Beachman says the division approached the CB500 as a ground-up restoration instead of a battery swap into an existing chassis. The original frame was restored first, then reengineered to house a complete electric powertrain in place of the combustion engine. According to the company, the objective was highway-capable performance and daily reliability rather than the shorter-range, low-speed output it associates with typical converted cafe racers.
“If someone brings us a classic bike that rides great, we won’t touch it, but being able to preserve a bike that was headed to the scrap yard and give it a whole new life is a pleasure,” said Steve Payne, Beachman COO and head of Special Vehicles.
How Was the Battery Pack Designed?
Beachman leveraged its existing battery supply relationships to commission a one-off lithium-ion pack built to the exact dimensions of the CB500 frame, produced by the same factory that supplies the UL Certified batteries used in its production motorcycles. The team 3D scanned the frame to establish the dimensions it could work with while preserving ride weight and balance, then designed the specialty power cell around that envelope.
Because the pack was engineered to the frame rather than to an individual bike, Beachman says the design can be carried into subsequent CB500 commissions.
Aesthetic Work and Road Certification
Beyond the powertrain, the bike received revised finishes intended to pair its 1970s styling with modern detailing. Among them is a vintage-inspired charging port, which the company describes as a tactile nod to the original machine’s heritage.
The finished motorcycle then went through Ontario’s DriveON inspection program, earning road certification before it was handed to its owner. Beachman frames the result as evidence that a converted vintage machine can meet the same safety and performance standards applied to any road-legal motorcycle.
What Made the Original CB500 Notable
The CB500 was positioned for the casual rider when it arrived, engineered for a smooth ride and an easy acceleration curve. It found an audience in the expanding road sports market and was raced with success at the Isle of Man during the 1970s, appealing to riders after a lightweight machine with distinctive styling. It also arrived as one of the first motorcycles fitted with a helmet hook.
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