Upper Sixth Former Gus is going above and beyond his 3-D Design A Level curriculum requirements in a quest to produce a street-legal electric bike.
In his spare time between studying four A Levels - Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics and 3-D Design - and accepting an unconditional offer to read Mechanical Engineering at Bath University, Upper Sixth Former Gus has been busy working hard on a special 3-D Design project that counts towards his final A Level equivalent assessed mark.
Gus's brief for the project involved buying a second-hand combustion engine bike and converting it to a street legal electric version. He bought the 1980s Yamaha bike last summer and after spending almost a year working on it, he was finally able to show Mr Murray, his 3-D Design teacher, other staff and peers the fruits of all his labour when he brought it into school last week, above.
Armed with a keen interest in the mechanics of vehicles and desire to see more electric motorbikes on our roads, Gus felt compelled to see this project through to the end in spite of the financial implications and demands on his time. 'It was a huge amount of work, above and beyond what was required, but I was determined to see it through to the end,' he explains.
It was a huge amount of work, above and beyond what was required, but I was determined to see it through to the end.
Gus, Upper Sixth
Gus started by producing 3D sketches and models at school. After purchasing the second-hand bike, he then set about finding a mechanic who specialised in customising motorbikes and most of the practical work was conducted off the school site, either in the workshop or at Gus's house.
Despite needing help with some of the more complicated technical work, Gus led the design element from start to finish. He is particularly pleased with the metal strips on the sides, the visibility of the electric battery (in blue) and the leather seat that his mum, an enthusiastic seamstress, helped him with.
As a teacher of 3-D Design and Photography but also leader of the school's R&D (Research and Development) club, Jake Murray inspires Senior pupils across Harrodian to get involved in projects that bring together science, design and mathematics and his main objective is to spark creative synergies between product design and 'STEM' subjects that reflect shifts taking place in the modern world. From assisting pupils with the launch of mini-satellites into space to helping them test their model submarines in the school pool, it takes a lot to impress Mr Murray.
But when he had the chance to try out Gus's bike, above, it was obvious how impressed he was. 'Gus was really ambitious to take this project on. I am proud of him for seeing it through to the end, it required a great deal of perseverance and resilience. 3D Design has been a great foundation for his future degree in mechanical engineering and I'm looking forward to seeing what he does next,' he enthuses.
3D Design has been a great foundation for Gus's future degree in mechanical engineering and I'm looking forward to seeing what he does next.
Mr Jake Murray, Head of Design
In the meantime, Gus is looking forward to the freedom of riding his new bike around after the assessments finish and the summer holidays start. A well-earned reward for all his hard work!