A New Cool: The Savic Electric Motorcycle

I arrive at the Savic West Melbourne facility with a full suitcase. Usually I travel with carry on only, yet my leathers and boots demand space. Savic (pronounced Savich) has built a striking ‘Chrome and Leather’ cafe racer that I’m here to test. There’s no fairings here folks, it’s mechanicals on display, without forgetting about performance and handling. Cleverly they have chosen to enter the high desirability premium end of the market. I approve.

Founder Dennis Savic started this journey in 2014. While the world looked at electric cars, Dennis saw a gap in the two-wheeled market. He sold his Subaru to fund the dream, and a few friends joined the cause in 2017. Starting with a used Yamaha R1 chassis as their first test bed, they dropped a battery pack and off-the-shelf components into the frame to serve as a proof of concept. The early iterations featured cradle frames and many donor parts. A next generation was developed with a modular frame. The modularity granted the team design freedom. They can swap headstocks and alter subframes – transforming the geometry of the bike to suit different styles.

Their office is the design centre, workshop, factory, and sales showroom. I walk through the space and see the evolution of the brand in the prototypes lined against the wall. Between 2016 and 2017, the closure of Ford, Holden, and Toyota plants silenced Australian auto production. The team moved to this workshop in 2020. Now Savic Motorcycles consolidates production of its flagship C-Series Alpha here in the city. This machine represents the first vehicle produced in the city since those big names left.

The Savic C-Series Alpha adopts the Britten stressed member philosophy with the battery as the core of the chassis. An anodized aluminum exoskeleton wraps tightly around this core. The 3-phase motor delivers 80kW of peak power and the torque hits a staggering 250Nm, allowing for a 180kmh top speed . The battery pack is one of the most power-dense units available and that is just one of the leading technologies. The team designs every component in Australia and they own a sub-assembly factory in China. This facility builds the powertrain and the core chassis. The components ship to head office for final assembly – the heart of the brand is in Australia.

The range covers around 220 kilometers – pretty typical for a bike. A standard outlet charges the battery in eight hours while a dedicated AC charger cuts that to four and a half – and it has a standard type 2 EV charge socket.

Local focus means that the team are regularly selling to Australians who want something pretty special. Savic plan for measured international expansion, however the domestic market is the priority.

Sam the Product Marketing Manager walks me through the UI/UX of the bike. He started as a content creator and grew into a lead creative role, having designed the dash and the mobile app. His passion mirrors the rest of the team. Most members have been here since the early days, adopting Dennis’s vision as their own.

The 7-inch capacitive touchscreen gives the rider a high level of configurability. It’s worth noting that you don’t really have to use it while riding, but you can if you want to. Built-in cloud connectivity and real-time IoT allow for seamless over-the-air updates. The hardware streams over two hundred data points to a mobile app and GPS tracking and security features come standard.
Keyless technology enables owners to switch on and ride away just through their phones. I watch the bike boot up. I choose a green theme for the display. The interface is intuitive and I work it out quickly.

Customization defines the Savic experience. Customers sit with the team for consultations. They leaf through Pantone books and swatches. They choose finishes like Carbon Fibre, Atomic Silver, or Dark Matter Black. One rider chose pistachio green. A local specialist paints the parts. No two bikes look the same – which is just what you want for a premium machine.

I look at the seat. It uses a vinyl finish. I suggest a leather option to XXXX. High-end buyers appreciate the texture of a proper coach-built saddle. They want the “gentleman’s club” feel of a Triumph or a BMW R 12. The team already redevelops accessories, including a comfort seat and a pillion rider setup.

I gear up – justifying my overweight luggage! No lightweight – the bike clocks in at 280 kilograms. I notice the mass as I stand with the machine – however the weight sits low and disappears once you are moving.

I turn the throttle. The bike moves in silence. Five minutes into the ride, I stop thinking about differences. I just ride. At highway speeds, the wind noise replaces the engine sound. Quickly the experience feels natural thanks to the excellent throttle mapping and geometry that provides both predictability and a sharp turn-in.

I experiment with the four standard ride modes: Normal, Sport, Eco, and Rain. Three additional custom modes allow me to tweak torque, regenerative braking, and more. I love Eco mode, it mimics a mid-sized twin and works well for city traffic, providing a gentle response that won’t surge into the back of a car. I think the term Eco doesn’t do it justice, I’d call it City mode or Easy. Normal picks up the responsiveness further and it is much more spritely. I flick the switch to Sport mode and give it a twist. Full instant torque pushes me back into the seat without grabbing like some EVs. It still provides a refined ramp of power – potent yet controllable. At one stage I accidentally give it too much twist. The bike takes off with a ferocity that catches me by surprise however it is still manageable and it is entertaining, in the best way possible.

The braking system uses world-leading Brembo hardware. Bosch Australia developed a custom ABS specifically for the C-Series. The feedback feels progressive and consistent. Regenerative braking adds another layer of control. I customize the regen to a high level – It almost feels like the engine braking of a high-compression racing bike. I find myself using the physical brakes only for the final stop – however if you do use them they are exceptional.

The suspension carries the Savic brand. The team developed the custom forks and adjustable rear monoshock with racing legend Jed Metcher. They took the bikes to Phillip Island for thermal testing. They braved the brutal tracks of former Holden testing grounds Lang Lang for durability.

I start intentionally riding over a bumps – this is a test after all. The front feels planted. The rear feels slightly stiff for my weight – something the adjustability of the preload would fix if I owned it.
The drive system uses a single-sided swingarm and a super-strong poly carbon Optibelt belt drive. Most electric bikes use chains, however chains clatter and whine while belts are silent. You don’t think of it till you try a bike this silent. Very importantly, the front drive-pulley sits concentric with the swingarm pivot. This means the belt tension never varies under load, eliminating stress, vibration and noise. As a result, all you hear is a gentle jet-engine like whine of the motor and the tires on the asphalt.

We ride toward Beach Road and park at Station Pier. The Port shoreline provides a stunning backdrop. Passersby stop to stare at the silver and carbon machines. They are rather gorgeous. Looking out at the water, we talk about the business model. Savic Motorcycles generated capital through friends and family and then two successful crowdsourced funding rounds. They are now cashflow positive – ‘default alive’ – and only take investor money to scale from here..

I take photos of the bikes against the industrial backdrop. The Atomic Silver catches the midday sun. It looks classic. It looks right. The silhouette of the cafe racer remains timeless, even when the heart of the machine has changed.

We return to the workshop via the Bolte Bridge. I crack the throttle open on the climb to experience that relentless torque, and the freedom that only a motorcycle provides. Yet with no gears and no clutch it’s a direct connection between throttle and road.

I return to the workshop and hand back the keys. I have ridden many electric bikes. Some feel like gadgets. Others feel like compromises. The Savic C-Series Alpha feels like a motorcycle. It respects the fundamentals of handling and performance while embracing the advantages of electric..

The bike is good, very good. I can favorably compare it to top-end cafe-racers in both styling and performance. It fits the life of a rider who wants something special. No learner bike this… an owner already has a collection and wants a statement piece for the city. I’d say the company is in good health, with a great product – I have no doubt that they will continue to build fabulous motorbikes and this is just the beginning.