A 51-year-old Ralph Lauren polo model and one of the world’s most successful black models of all time will soon be partnering up with BC-based electric bike/motorbike brand Lyric Cycles.
The collaboration will involve bike-crazy Tyson Beckford co-designing a limited edition motorcycle model he’s calling the Voodoo ‘305 Ghost,’ a powerful electric ‘shapeshifter’ that “can be an electric bike, moped, or motorcycle, depending on the rider’s individual needs” (via ActionRA).
According to Lyric Cycles, the Voodoo – the chassis on which LC and Beckford will base their partnership – sports a naked trellis frame carrying 18,000 peak watts with a 65 MPH top-speed, a 55-65-mile range, and regenerative braking.
Sure, she won’t give the Zero Motorcycles range a run for their money, but she’ll do in a pinch for the suburbs – and the urban playground is exactly where Beckford’s brand wants to shine anyways.
“I always try to be a pioneer. I have worked with brands like Ducati, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Harley-Davidson, so this was a move in line with that,” states Beckford simply.
“…for me, figuring out what’s good for me and my brand is something that’s manifested in partnership. Being one of the first black men to take that step is also pretty cool.”
According to the report from ActionRA, Beckford’s love for bikes started in his youth, when he raced on two wheels for the fun of it.
He has joined the Kiehl’s LifeRide For amfAR Cruises In Style With Harley-Davidson® Authorized Rentals to join the fight against HIV/AIDS, and he’s attended at least two of Ducati’s Riding Experience events, both times during which he got a good lean in on the track in Misano, Italy (also via Beckford’s Instagram).
Now, having shot up to a net worth of an estimated $8 million USD, any major brand would kill to have Tyson Beckford represent their runway – and he wants his personal flavour of style in an electric motorcycle line (via Celebrity Net Worth).
The line would admittedly be very much in vogue with today’s small-capacity electric motorcycle industry trends; given that EVs as a whole are not (yet) ready to keep up with the performance, durability and price of fossil fuel bikes, the go-to for partnerships such as this are to turn up the aesthetic, founding the end result on a reliable branded chassis to ensure the machine matches the functional and visual demands of a growing, urban-centric clientele.
There have been talks of Beckford and some sort of ownership responsibility associated with Lyric Cycles, but nothing to date has been proven on that front; stay tuned via our newsletter, drop a comment below letting us know what you think, and as ever – stay safe on the twisties.