[puddleglum]

Originally Posted by fb_bf

Be careful about assuming that because an electric motor has torque a zero rpm you can simply eliminate the transmission. The torque is proportional to the current. If you only use 4th gear, and the original transmission had a 1st gear that was geared to be 4 times lower in 1st, then you''ll need 4 times the torque of the gas engine to feel the same acceleration without the transmission. This requires you to use very high currents, which can hurt the batteries depending on the type of cell. I see many people going without a transmission, but in my car I kept the clutch and transmission. I have a mg midget that drives just like the gas version. I also don't abuse my batteries because I can accelerate without drawing a very large current. I still draw 500 amps, which isn't little, but it's just barely above the recommended 3C limit for my cells. After doing an electric conversion, which isn't easy, I see people claiming the simplified the procedure by going clutch-less., I think to myself, that after all that work, you didn't bother to make it easy to shift? It's my opinion, but I have a very enjoyable electric car to drive.

I was thinking about that after I posted. Most of the motorcycle conversions I've read about are direct drive. I think it works well in that application because they are ultralight compared to a car, so there is a lot less mass to get moving and most small bike engines have very little torque off idle compared to their peak torque or an electric motors low speed torque. In a car or a heavy bike or trike I would definitely agree with you. Motor definitely must match the gearing.