The madness all began way back in 2002, when a small hybrid company, Ecycle, caught the eye of engineer school drop-out, John Gustafson. Ecycle made claims they were going to produce a hybrid motorcycle that was capable of 80mph and 0-60 in six seconds. In the end, after numerous failed designs, this hybrid motorcycle never saw the showroom floor. After contacting Ecycle, and receiving little information, John decided to create his own version of the hybrid motorcycle. We asked him why hybrids drew so much of his attention. Was it out of concern for the environment? Are you an electric nut? What drives you to build a machine like this?

While I do care about the environment, I didn’t do it for that reason, nor is it because I’m an electric nut. To tell the truth, I barely understand the whole electric thing. I wanted to see if it was possible to build a bike with a smaller engine for efficiency but still had large bike performance…My motivation is what moves the machine. I’m always pushing for something different”

Four years later the project finally began. Working out of his garage and starting with a donated bike, John hit the Internet and began compiling as much information as possible. After countless hours of research, John laid out his plan. John wanted this bike to function like a real motorcycle with maintainability, reliability, and comfort. If that wasn’t enough, the bike had to be a clean design, and the electrical equipment needed to be discreetly hidden within the build.

I could have designed a bike with a more industrial look/function, Full of batteries, just to maximize everything, but I wanted style to have its part. So I compromised on power and efficiency to allow it to have the style I wanted”

John started with the Honda CB750 platform and a cluster of new parts. His first attempts were not satisfactory, but with the help of an enthusiastic cohort, John settled on a workable design. The technology of regenerative braking would be used as a basis to charge the hybrid system. The motor, designed to look like a drum brake, produces 40hp and an amazing amount of torque. He admits it may not be the final design, as technology is constantly changing, and parts are always evolving.

Before John arrived at the regenerative braking design, he blacked out the tank and frame and added some sweet custom cafe touches.

At first glance you wouldn’t even know the finished product is anything more than a badass blacked out cafe. John set out a plan to build a clean sleek hybrid, and we are here to tell you he nailed it. After he finished the build John shared his insight on why manufactures haven’t produced a hybrid.

After spending 8 years and a tidy sum of cash to complete this bike, I see why manufacturers haven’t jumped on the bandwagon. It was and remains a daunting task to make it all work seamlessly. We’re still improving it and finding ways to make it work better

If you want to see a more in depth profile of the build click here.