A FILM maker and engineer have joined forces to make a road trip documentary with a difference.

Finn Varney, who lives in Malton, and Fred Spaven, from West Heslerton, are planning to drive a converted battery-powered vintage motorbike from John O’Groats to Land’s End in October.

Fred, 30, bought the partially restored 1961 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet, which was built in Britain for the Indian army and brought it back to England a few years ago.

However, when he took it apart he soon realised there was nothing left on it worth using.

Fred said: “My bike was the first of exports. It was a British-built bike which was sent to India, where it was ridden for 50 years before it was brought back. I used it for a year and then took it to bits. There was nothing which could be reused without a lot of work.”

Once he had it in bits he had the idea to convert the vintage petrol Bullet into electric and he and Finn planned a trip which would test it out – John O’Groats to Land’s End.

With a 75 mile range, the Charging Bullet will need several recharging breaks, so the pair had to do their research of where they could stop – and then the documentary was born.

Finn, 28, said: “Our research soon proved the route was peppered with fellow engineers and inventors - hydrogen car builders, electric super-bike racers and biogas bus boffins, pioneering the sustainable transport technologies for a cleaner future.”

Twelve batteries fit into the bike’s custom made laser-cut steel subframe. Reclaimed from a broken Nissan Leaf, the lithium-ion batteries are ideal for this automotive application.

The Charging Bullet team is running a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign, raising funds to cover journey expenses to make the documentary possible.

Finn added: “We will be showing the film at festivals and hopefully it will get picked up by a television network. It is a really exciting project.”

Visit the Kickstarter page at kck.st/2uWaxm9, and the website at charging-bullet.co.uk