Last April, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California debuted Custom Revolution, the first major museum exhibit focused on "Alternative Custom" motorcycles. Organized by the Motorcycle Arts Foundation (MAF), the exhibit had more than 325,000 visits and was so popular the Petersen asked MAF to organize a follow-up. Meet Electric Revolution, a successor that maintains the emphasis on quality workmanship but focuses on zero-emission drivetrains. It is the world's first all-electric motorcycle exhibition.
Right: Harley-Davidson sponsored the exhibit and used the opportunity to show off three electric prototypes. The biggest is the LiveWire, which will be available in August.Abhi Eswarappa
MAF co-founder Paul d'Orleans (you may also know him as The Vintagent) was again asked to guest curate the exhibition, and he brought together 21 machines that encompass more than 40 years of technological progress. The oldest machine is Quicksilver by Mike Corbin, which was the first electric motorcycle to do the ton and eventually set a record of 161 mph at Bonneville.
The rest of the motorcycles offer up tremendous variety, including one-off racers, factory prototypes, customs built specifically for Electric Revolution, and production machines that you could put in your garage today. We attended the opening night reception and were impressed with the quality and variety of machines that were on display, particularly Mark Atkinson's "Racer X" and Joey Ruiter's "Moto Undone."
Right: Joey Ruiter's "Moto Undone" was built in 2011. With a 1.5-kW 48-volt hub motor, it's got a top speed of just 30 mph. The mirror finish provides an interesting perspective on the rest of the exhibit. I'm glad I'm not the one who has to clean it.Abhi Eswarappa
Electric Revolution will be open to the public until November 24, 2019. You can purchase tickets at the Petersen Museum.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/octane/NMTCTOF6XFABDGPVPLQ3YH3LD4.jpg)
