Electric Motorcycle conversion

[bennelson]

Video of yesterday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEX8m49I99g

Maybe I'll pick up that sponsorship from Sharpie...

[euromodder]

That's coming along nicely !

[bennelson]

I just got my gas tank back.

My friend Steve was doing some paint stripping anyways, so he volunteered to strip all the paint off my gas tank while he was at it.

The only trouble with it, was that I DIDN'T have the gas tank while I was working on the battery rack. I just went to put the gas tank on the cycle, and the tank does NOT clear the batteries.



I'm seriously considering just trimming an inch off the entire bottom of the gas tank. As it is, I can't put through the end screw that mounts the gas tank to the frame.

Is anyone going to try to talk me out of taking the cut-off disc to the tank!?!??!

[Ryland]

If the gas tank doesn't have any leaks then I would be really temped to not cut it up but instead put an ad on craigslist or something looking to trade someone who does have a leaky tank for the one you have, but on the other hand if your tank does have some rust inside then go ahead and cut it up.

Another thought of course is, modify the tank a bit more, make it really fit your needs, do you need the gas cap on there? sure it works for a cord end but would it work better to modify a flip open plug like the Citi-car has on the side, Home Dept sells them for RV's, with a little JB weld you should be able to blend it in and get a nice weather tight gas to electric conversion of the gas tank, something like this:

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/r...aign=partsfeed


http://www.amazon.com/Inlet-15a-125v.../dp/B000XBCUOA



http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-5239-R...=pd_rhf_shvl_1

[bennelson]

I chopped the tank.

The bottom was already off it. Has been for some time, so no worries about ruining an otherwise good gas tank.

I might go with one of those outdoor electric outlet cover plates. I would like to keep the original fuel cover, but there isn't much room under it for a recessed male power connector. It might make sense to convert to a different cover.

[Christ]

I think changing the fuel cover for a plug cover would be a positive move... Lol (electron joke)

But really, it kinda completes the conversion, no?

[bennelson]

Here are some hacked tank photos:

PHOTOS LINK

I used an angle grinder with a cut-of disc to notch the sides of the tank.



I wanted somewhere to mount the ammeter, and I also found a green light that I really liked, which even already had a "Power On" label on it.

I used a hole saw to cut both holes to mount the on light and the ammeter through the tank.

[bennelson]

Here's video of yesterdays work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM9VWmIF3_Q

[Daox]

Woo, I like the ammeter in the tank! Though, I'd tend to want to keep that up on the handlebars so its eaiser to watch and perhaps move the voltmeter down to the tank?

[bennelson]

I had thought about that before.

My cycle frame came with the instrument cluster on the handlebars a bit messed up. I can't add too much up there without it looking messy real fast.

In my real world riding experience, I don't need to look at the ammeter much at all - I know how much it is pulling by feel.

One of the other reasons why I am using a large analog meter is that it is SO much easier to read while riding. It just takes a glance for the brain to register that the needle is in the middle - on a digital display - you have to read the characters, convert that to a number in your head, and recall the scale you are on and how that number relates to it.

I once had a vehicle with a digital speedometer - I hated it.

Big and analog are the way to go for vehicle instrumentation of all types.

(The only exception I would make to that would be a highly accurate volt meter that you use to check individual batteries for balancing while parked - not something you use while riding.)