British DIY electric bike launching this month

New British firm Shed Rides is promising to unveil this – the Shed One concept – at the Manchester Bike Show on 23-24 March.

The firm, based in Todmorden on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border, is developing Shed One with the idea of selling DIY kits to allow enthusiasts to build their own electric bikes without the cost of buying a ready-made machine.

Powered by a 22hp/17kW electric motor, the Shed One is described as “a short-range commuter and utility bike”. It uses the firm’s own steel frame with “configurable spaces for attachment points and front/rear racks”, and is intended to be future-proof, as owner-builders will be able to upgrade the batteries and electronics themselves as more advanced technology becomes available.

The firm’s founder, Andy Trainor, said: “Shed One is not designed to worry a Ducati Panigale but riding something self-built and customised to your own satisfaction would reward its owner with a sense of achievement and connection whilst zipping along.

“Shed Rides are looking for input into the final design of our self-build electric motorcycle kit at the Manchester Bike Show. All feedback at the event - whether positive, irreverent, helpful, critical, influential, down-right rude or even encouraging will be rewarded with a roll of insulation tape – essential kit for all riders!”

As well as the bikes themselves, the firm will be offering courses on electric bike building to help owners put their machines together.

In terms of specs, the Shed One is intended to use a 48V, 75Ah battery pack made of LiFePo cells powering a PMAC or Lynch type motor via a Sevcon Gen4 or Saietta controller. The frame is designed to fit around commonly-available pit bike parts including the wheels, forks brakes and swingarm, while body panels – not fitted in this image – are vacuum-formed plastic. See www.shedrides.uk for more details.