Of all the adjectives one might pick to describe Nissan’s all-electric LEAF, savage isn’t one of ‘em.
But take the LEAF’s battery pack out and mate it with a Suzuki motocross chassis, and savage suddenly fits the bill quite nicely.
Built by Matt Candler of Night Shift Bikes, the Leafy Savage has a custom Enertrac motor in its 18-inch rear wheel that’s connected to a LEAF battery which produces a total of 116 volts and gives the bike a max range of 100 miles on a full charge.
According to Candler, using a battery pack from a LEAF was no accident. “I fried the first one and upgraded to the incredibly sturdy cells that Nissan uses in their LEAF electric cars,” he says. “This new pack is more durable, dumps more current for quicker acceleration, and floats in the frame in a more interesting way than the first pack.”
The motor — which delivers 13 HP continuously and peaks at 40 HP — recharges the bike’s battery via regenerative braking when the throttle isn’t engaged and doesn’t require a transmission. Using a standard wall outlet, the bike can charge up in about three hours, and it’s also outfitted with custom goodies like upgraded shocks, rear-disc brakes and a set of LEDs.
To see another excellent repurposing of a LEAF, albeit a more official one, check out this truck.
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
