When you first lay eyes on this Vectrix VX-1 custom it’s not completely clear what you’re looking at. It somewhat resembles the Henderson KJ Streamline but its body is wood rather than alloy and once you see under the skin you realize it’s 100% electric.
This is a custom motorcycle that looks nothing like the scooter it started out as, it now has a fully enclosed mahogany and fiberglass body with a large leather Corbin saddle, polished aluminum trim, and the name “Sliver” on the side.
Fast Facts – A Vectrix VX-1 Custom
- The Vectrix VX-1 is an electric scooter that is somewhat comparable to a 125cc scooter of the same size. It has a maximum range of 280 kms, a top speed of 110+ km/h, and it can recharge at a maximum rate of 120 kms of range per hour, or 60 kms of range on a standard power outlet.
- The bike you see here has been significantly modified from its original form, it now has new lithium-ion battery cells sourced from a Nissan Leaf and a new body made from hand-formed mahogany and fiberglass.
- Fully-enclosed motorcycles like this have been built before, but perhaps never from these same materials. They offer better separation for the rider between the dust, dirt, oil, and grime of the road and a notable improvement in aerodynamics.
- Just one of these was made and it’s likely to remain the only example of its kind, it’s currently being offered for sale on Bring a Trailer out of Clearlake Oaks, California.
The Vectrix VX-1
The Vectrix VX-1 is an electric motor scooter with fairly standard styling, it essentially looks like any number of the other large-sized scooters that roam city streets offering their riders convenient transport, low running costs, and easy parking.
This is the Vectrix VX-1 electric scooter, as you can see it’s been significantly modified to create the custom wooden-bodied bike in this article.
When you look under the body of the VX-1 it becomes quickly apparent that it’s a little different. Rather than a fuel tank and engine you’ll find a unique frame housing a series of battery lithium ion batteries and a rear wheel hub that houses the electric motor and a planetary gear system.
The Vectrix VX-1 throttle uses a patented system whereby rotating it back provides forward drive like a regular motorcycle or scooter, but rotating it back provides regenerative braking, and when parked you can also rotate it back for a low-speed reverse function to make parking easier.
The scooter has a maximum range of 280 kms and a listed top speed of 120 km/h, it can be recharged via a regular power outlet or a more powerful fast charger. The fast charger will give you approximately 120 kms of range per hour of charging, and the household 240/120 volt outlet with give you about half that.
The Vectrix VX-1 Based Custom Shown Here
This unusual-looking custom is now probably better described as a motorcycle rather than a scooter given its new bodywork. Although the listing doesn’t mention it the styling was likely influenced by the above mentioned Henderson KJ Streamline – one of the most distinctive motorcycles of its age.
This is the Henderson KJ Streamline Motorcycle, a remarkably prescient custom motorcycle from the 1930s.
The builder of this bike, named Sliver, started with a Vectrix VX-1 but removed most of the original body work until he was left with a powered rolling chassis. He them replaced the lithium-ion battery cells with some sourced from a Nissan Leaf electric car.
Once the updated electric system was all plumbed in together he created a new body from mahogany wood by hand, and gave it a protective outer layer of epoxy and fiberglass. The body is made up of three large pieces that all attach to the frame.
A leather Corbin seat/saddle is also fitted, giving the strange bike an almost equine quality. While the styling of this custom wan’t be to everyone’s taste there are many who will love it, and there’s no denying it’ll attract a crowd at any motoring event or show.
If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing on Bring a Trailer here, it’s being offered for sale out of Clearlake Oaks, California with a custom owner’s manual and a clean California title in the owner’s name.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
