Tom Miceli, studying industrial design at Appalachian State University, was given a senior project which required him to create something that reflected all he’d learned. He spent just a semester buildng what has turned out to be a very successful electric motorcycle, the Ion.
“I wanted something eco-friendly that didn’t sacrifice performance,” he said.
Miceli stripped a ‘96 Kawasaki ZX6 Ninja to the frame, and then rebuilt it to his own specifications. The result is a DIY electric motorcycle capable of more than 70 mph and a range of 60 miles on a single full-battery charge.
Months after graduating, Micelli continues to improve on the bike. He’s going to add 60Ah batteries and a super-secret, custom-made, two-speed transmission that he hopes will let the bike hit 50 mph in first and 100-plus in second.
Read more at Wired.com
