The things happening in the world of electric hop up right now easily parallel the hot rod movement of post-war Southern California. The new tech powertrains are getting cheaper and easier to come by, so do-it-yourselfers are grabbing those bits to make stuff go fast and look cool. blends the old style with the new drivetrain, using the bits from a Zero SR motorcycle to power the rear wheels. It’s pretty standard stuff, but it’s still rad as hell.

The SR isn’t exactly a speed demon when mated to about 2000 pounds of metal, but with 67 horsepower and just over 100 lb-ft of torque, it’s still more than enough oomph to make the tires smoke. It might not be as quick as a built big block with a blower, but that little electric motor is a lot more compact and depending on the circles you travel in, infinitely more interesting.

When got his hands on a Zero SR at a salvage auction, it only took a little while to realize that he wasn’t really a bike guy, and the bike’s frame was cracked anyway. So he took the motor, charger, and all of the controller gubbins off the chassis, and tucked it away on a shelf. When he later picked up a hot rod with Chevy 305 power (ew!) the game was on.

This has been interesting to watch, and it’s awesome to see the electric rod come together. Throw on a leather helmet and aviator goggles, and check out the video.

As an interesting aside, Rich actually tows the hot rod to a “testing location” with his Tesla, so if you’ve ever wondered about hauling a tow dolly with a Tesla, that’s another reason to watch.