There are more and more products that bridge the critical gap between familiar, even nostalgic, charm and future-forward innovation. In mobility, the latter means electrification. Though there are numerous brands retrofitting classic cars with EV motors, few have ventured into the oft-romanticised world of motorcycles. Cue Canadian brand Beachman and it’s just released ’64 Street Spec Café Racer.
Replete with sleek, vintage-vibe features including a swept back concave windshield, meticulously hand-stitched sheet for two, emblematic street tires, and an exposed suspension frame only just keeping the electric engine in place.
The removable 2.8 kWh (40 Ah) lithium battery, delivering up to 55 miles of range, can be replaced with a 3.6 kWh (50 Ah) pack to reach 70 miles. Both feature regenerative braking and built-in charge ports. With a charge of 80% taking just three hours or 90 minutes with the optional fast-charge upgrade, riders can spend less time waiting and more time riding.
The main selling factor: the lack of too many distracting bells and whistle screens and flashy tech-enabled doo-dads. All of that superfluous detail has been omitted to allow riders to focus on the essentials: aesthetic and of course sturdy, sustained speed.
It’s both rugged and classy. And yet its dome-shaped front light gives it a near neotenic look as well. It’s all very 1960s. It’s a balancing act of restraint, if identifiable, style and optimized performance, suited for both the city and open road.
“I grew up idolizing the beautiful swept-cowl bikes of the 1960’s London Café racer scene, so getting to finally release one of our own is a dream,” says Ben Taylor, Beachman CEO and co-founder. “Our Scrambler Spec, released last year, which harkens back to the iconic 1970s scramblers of California’s desert culture, has been our all-time most popular release.”
“The new Street Spec introduces a setup that complements the Scrambler perfectly, offering the exact opposite visual and functional direction, optimized for urban riding instead of trails,” Taylor continues. “An all-new body and tire setup that totally changes the look of the bike, leveling up the class and style to the maximum for our most discerning customers.”
Having secured Canadian Federal and international SAE manufacturing licenses as an OEM, Beachman is able to produce this bike in e-bike, moped, and motorcycle trim variants; accounting for slight differences in composition but essentially reflecting the same base structure and visual appeal.
The Beachman ’64 Street Spec starts at $5,750 with additional options to upgrade performance, storage, and terrain. For more information, please visit beachmanbikes.com.
Photography courtesy of Beachman.