Chris' Electric Motorcycle Build Thread
 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3426/...287e63d82f.jpg

Hi Everyone.

One of the other guys in the Milwaukee Electric Car Club, Chris, is working on an all electric motorcycle.

It's one of those projects where we got a pretty nice drive-shaft motorcycle frame, and had a few other EV parts kicking around. I was very tempted to take the project myself, but really don't need ANOTHER electric motorcycle, and have too many other projects going on anyways.

However, I thought I would post the progress of the project here as we go.

Already, the frame was sand-blasted and primed.
We had a smaller DC motor around, which Rich has made a coupler for to attach it to a universal joint and connect it to the driveshaft.

Yesterday, work was done on making a new tube for the side where the engine originally finished off the frame. Also, there was plenty of work cutting and fitting a mounting plate for the motor.

Here's some video of the work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmoGQwDfb38

Here's a photo of the motor sticking through the mounting plate (which will be welded to the frame) and going to the coupler that connects to the driveshaft.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3456/...7d047b940a.jpg

More photos from yesterday can be seen at:
EV Build Day Sept. 20 2009 Cycle work - a set on Flickr

I don't recall exactly what the motorcycle originally was. I believe it was a Yamaha with a 1liter+ sized engine.

HEY!! i was getting something ready to post!...oh well guess you beat me to it anyways!!

well nothing much to say as far as updates to what ben said and his video. the mounting plates are about 95% done i just need to make some spacers on the rear end and then weld the motor mounts to the frame and reinforce them then i can begin making battery mounts

If anyone has an extra controller they are not using, please message me and let me know!

Thanks!

So a few things on my to-do list as of right now. These are things that are fairly far out because i need to finish the bike totally first!

First, i need someone who is really artistic, and has some awesome ideas for a body design. I dont need anything super fancy, i will be fiberglassing for the first time ever, so i dont need some crazy things...

Second, i would love to incorporate LED's into the body. I also stumbbled across this (http://www.wiedamark.com/1604starfieldceilingkit.aspx); an optical kit, it had a 12volt transformer so i should be able to wire it to 12 volt with some toying

Thanks!

Hmmm. That last link there didn't work for me.

I believe you mean something along THESE LINES though.

I think something with LEDs built into fiberglass-over-foam could look SO cool - sort of a TRON-type effect.

yep, thats actually where i got the link from....

and the forum parsed the link weard...

Star Ceiling Kits by Wiedamark.

thats it, its smaller, cheaper, and not as many!

I'd be happy to help since this project is interesting.

If you want to buy LEDs in bulk this is my usual source.
eBay Store - Chi Wing LED product shop: LED, LED keychain flashlight, Category 6
Just search for the color and quantity you want. 100 12000mcd LEDs are typically $10 shipped

Alright, i got my friend to sketch a side view of the bike (minus handle bars, for some reason)

http://s255062427.onlinehome.us/EV%2...e%20Sketch.jpg

remeber, try not to do something TOO crazy, as i will be learning how to fiberglass when i do this :)

go easy on me!! The more designs the better! I plan on eventually making a poll where people can vote on which design they like the most (i have a tough time making up my mind some times)

thanks again!!

So, we should all copy that image, Photoshop the heck out of it, and then post the results, hey?

OK - get going people!

Here's my entry!

http://frozen-studios.com/reproducti...%20Cyclone.jpg

OK, so it's not my artwork, but I always liked those Robotech motorcycles.

Great source for the LEDs, thanks.

Hey Shiba!

Do you have a favorite style or look of a motorcycle?

Do you want saddlebags and a big windshield? Minimalist Bobber? Futuristic cyber cycle? TRON LightCycle? Pirate theme?

Any suggestions might help with some body sketches.

-Ben

PS: I found a relevant YouTube video.
This shows some LED effects as a kit being demo'd on the floor (not actually installed on a cycle) but it is multicolor, and features several different chase modes.

What if we used 3-color LEDs, (each LED can make Red, Green, or Blue, or different colors based on a mix of the three) and embedded an array of them under the skin of the bike. We could have Tom or Royce do some work to control the LEDs, and design them to animate based on, say, an audio file, or maybe throttle input from the Motor Controller? Twist the throttle hard and a pulse of LEDs lights up from front to back?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MtaUlfBQlk

Also, as far as electric race bike designs go, I think the prototype Brammo is looking pretty slick.
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/au...ace_bike02.jpg

Here's a different aggressive/futuristic look.
http://www.markertek.com/images/raci...iViAtPrimm.jpg

Sketch #1
http://www.captainslug.com/temp/chris1.jpg
Cutouts in the fairings to match the pattern in the wheels. Underlighting under or at the edges of the panels.

awesome designs so far, ben gave me some ones he sketched by hand, i'll have to find someone with a scanner and scan them in...

i'm gonna do a poll with all the submissions to see which ones people like, and to give people other ideas they can work off of.

Today was another EV build day, and time for more work on the cycle.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3516/...a698683d9b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/...a922e7c1dc.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2493/...1a6c2e3f95.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3500/...5b51c2145c.jpg

Today's fun was figuring out how the batteries fit in!
Chris and Rich welded in a couple of plates to hold two batteries, one next to the motor, and one in front of it.

A battery is just a little bit wider than the spacing of the two front down tubes, so they put a small hydraulic jack in there and used it to spread the bars just far enough to fit the battery in.

When I left, they were starting to work on the upper battery rack, and were thinking about making a cut in the front cross bar to make it possible to put one of the batteries in and out.

The good news is that the frame is pretty large, so it should be able to hold at least 60 volts of batteries, but 72 would be fantastic.

Shiba is going to have to continue this post with what else got done after I left.

Oh! We also ran a cable from a battery to the motor and spun the rear wheel. It spun well, no sparks, wobbles, or weird noises, so it looks like the coupler and alignment are right on! (I'll post a video clip of that soon)

alright, first, bne spells wrong sometimes....but dont we all :D

but yea, what he said, and after he left, we did make the cut in the frame to attempt to press the frame apart a tad to get the battery in and out, however the bottle jack wasent working, so we'll have to wait until next time for that!!

on thursday i will be picking up a controller (borrow only, darn!) to play with until i can find/afford one...(aka, a good, but cheaper one)

and yea, thats the updated progress thus far!!

hope you are all enjoying :) i sure am!!!

~Shiba

Yeah, yeah, username spelling. Whatever.

Here's a video for ya.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9v6QspxrL0

I found another great place for some body design ideas.

How about this one?

http://s3images.coroflot.com/user_fi...fpsXn0qvx2.jpg

It's a sketch by Jim Shook (Shook Design | Industrial Design | Transportation Design | Product Design) who is on the Tropica e-mail list.

Here's some more:
http://s3images.coroflot.com/user_fi...0TrrtN5eG7.jpg

http://s3images.coroflot.com/user_fi...BjgSwyjMIx.jpg

See more of this designer's work at:
LINK

I know all of these designs wouldn't exactly fit the frame of the bike, but it sure is fun getting ideas!
I like the pointy blue cycle!

Bending the frame
 

More work was done on the cycle yesterday at the Milwaukee Electric Car Club meet.

Rich brought his big torch and fancy hydraulic tools.
Rich and Chris used a hydraulic spreader to force pressure between the down-tubes, and heated them with the torch, until they bent out a tad.

This allows for one of the batteries to be installed and removed through the front of the cycle frame.

Another member brought with an old Curtis 24/36V controller. A little bit of cabling, and a 0-5K throttle and we should actually be able to take the cycle for a spin!

couple more


http://ui14.gamespot.com/1261/evx7_2.jpg
http://hondafanimages.files.wordpres...motorcycle.jpg
http://image.hotbikeweb.com/f/motorc...rari-v4-02.jpg
http://fishdesign.se/uploads/images/motorcycle1.jpg

alrighty, this weekend i got nothing done at all....except get the bike running :)

all that is really left to do, is get all the lights wired up, and more instrumentation (speedo, and amp meter), oh yea, and brake fluid, thats important too...

well, heres a video of it running this weekend...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9lAduHpHx4

i also took some more photos, i'll post those once they are uploaded to my site...

and i'm also working on a body design....anyone else have any more for inspiration?! or ideas of your own work too!!!

Thanks again guys!!
~Shiba

SWEEEET!
So wish I was there for that!

I like the sound when it's going - the bike has a good scream to it. Too bad there was no speedometer hooked up!!!

How did I miss this thread?

Added it to the EM project library.

Well, one advantage of coming in late to the party, is you get to see how far along things have come all at once.

So, nice work guys. What's that motor from?

Just some forklift motor. Not that any of us cheap-EV builders here know anything about modifying forklift motors..:rolleyes:
I don't think the motor even had an ID plate on it.

Almost everything in the project so far has been donated, scrap material, etc.

When that motorcycle frame was up for grabs, I was SO TEMPTED to grab it. Not that I need another EV or Motorcycle.....
Chris is doing a really good job with it so far - lots of mentoring going on too.

there was an ID plate on it, but it was near impossible to read...and from what was on there, google couldnt find anything that had the same id numbers or w/e....although i DID find someone else who was asking for more information on the motor pulled from a forktruck, so i know someone else wanted to use the same motor for the same purpose...

and yea, the only thing that i've really had to pay fore were the brake, though i did pay more then i probably should have; and the motor cost 50$ from a junkyard...

more then alot of mentoring....a HUGE amount, i came into this with no know-how of many things, and continue to learn! :)

ok, photos are now up...found HERE

More progress next time!!
~Shiba

Very nice. Ditto on wishing I was there. :thumbup:

I like the different sound - a change from the usual chain noise being the dominant sound of motorbike conversions.

That's sort of what I thought right away too - "Sounds Great!"

I find it really interesting how different combinations of electronics and drivetrains all have unique sounds.

My DC-chain drive cycle sounds different than this drive-shaft EV cycle, and my Cougar-controller DC Geo Metro sounds different than Tom's AC Dodge Neon.

I like the way this cycle sounds - it almost has a little bit of a scream to it. (It is also possible it needs some lubrication somewhere! :D)

New Video!
We got the controller wired up and brake fluid in the brakes!

No SEAT on the cycle yet, but that's no reason not to road-test it, right!?

Headlights and brakelights are for wussies anyways....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRJPBSG3-og

Unfortunately, we found out the controller wasn't working right, and we did NOT get the speed we were expecting out of it.

Since I happened to have my Metro there, they did threaten to "borrow" the Cougar to power the cycle.....

That one guy has a nice beard.. Looks like he keeps it well.

Anyway. I tested the first bike I ever bought without a seat on it. VERY uncomfortable, especially on back roads.

I suppose I should ask - That bike looks alot like a sport bike frame adapted for a road bike stance... Seems an awful lot like Suzuki was recycling their frames?

That's our friend Rich. He is a big motorcycle guy AND owns a Citicar AND is a backup guitarist for ZZ Top.

Just kidding about the ZZ Top part...

So, he is smart about motorcycles and electric vehicles, the perfect guy to have on a project like this.

The standing joke is that his beard is the exact length of his welding helmet. Whatever sticks out from under it just gets burnt off.

He once mentioned that I had a good "Training Beard".

I used to work with a guy at Sears who actually allowed that to happen. Hadn't shaved/trimmed in at least 20 years.

The "training beard" remark is classic.

Any insight on the frame recycling thing? I'm really interested in that...

Great video, Ben! (You da man.)

I had an EV grin just watching you bunch of hardcore EV guys out playing in the dead of winter.

Also: for one volt, that's not too bad!

I was later informed that it wasn't at ONE volt, that was a miss-measurement on someone's part. However, it did appear that the motor was pulling HIGH AMPERAGE / LOW VOLTAGE.

It sure is one dang quiet motorcycle though.

A black carbon-fiber body would look slick on it. (With lots of LEDs for safety, of course!)

I might have to loan my Citicar controller to the cause for controller troubleshooting and high-speed playing in the street.

Also, I am glad I was NOT the one riding it with NO SEAT!

I would have done it. :)

Lately I've been thinking, an EV motorcycle with side car and streamlined bodywork would even work in the winter around here. There's a guy who rides his Ural + sidecar most of the year...

I knew a guy in Binghamton, NY that rode his sport bike all winter, pulled a trailer to junkyards, etc... his ***** was that insurance/fuel was too expensive for a car, and an electric jacket/seat warmer/etc... didn't cost him as much as he saved for the first year, let alone the last 10 that he'd been doing this.

led's...for safety...i never thought of that...i just thought they would make it look SWEET! hahaha

and riding without a seat wasent as bad as i thought, although i wasent going too fast...or over any sort of bumps...this weekend might be more of a problem tho, i messed up my back earlier this week snowboarding...so...we'll see...


as for the body design, i think everyone agreed last time, a stealth body needs to be done, just for the simple fact that its so quite....so if anyone has any ideas of how i could make it look kinda like a F-117, that would be awesome!


i'm so excited for this weekend...little sneak peek of the updates that will hopefully be done TOMORROW!!
1) Trail Tech Endurance - its alot smaller then i thought it was when i bought it, but it will get the job done...
2) Got a throttle of my own, so ben can have his back! but thanks for letting me borrow it!!!! :)
3) New controller to test out...its 48V, so i get to add another battery, and more cabling :)

heheh

i cant wait!!! :D

Re: Looking like a fighter - if you don't mind paying, you can get an episode of Orange County Choppers where they build a fighter bike, modeled after the stealth fighter from Discovery.com (I think they're about $20, or you might even be able to watch it on HULU or something similar).

Shiba got another controller?

Musta bought it on Ebay when I wasn't looking!

I know another guy who wants to build an EV cycle, who might stop out at the build day.

I might also bring my cycle seat, just to make road testing a little easier!

thanks for the heads up, just finished watching it...kinda a sad episode...never fun family fights...

the bike was awesome...it gave me some ideas, i was mostly struggleing w/ how to handle the 'slim'-ness of the airplane, and the...well, not so slim motorcycle...but it gave me some ideas!

Is it this one you are talking about?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn62mefss74

I like the pointy back end.

no, thats not the one i saw in the episode...but SWEET!!!

i totally agree, the beck end looks awesome...all these are making me wish i built this from ground up.... :( haha, i\'m PLENTY happy with what i have tho!