Electric Motorcycle conversion

[Daox]

You knew nothing about electric motorcycles not too long ago either. You can do it Ben!

[MetroMPG]

Ben - go browse trebuchet's HPV build thread for inspiration:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ht=hpv+fairing

[bennelson]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Ben - go browse trebuchet's HPV build thread for inspiration:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ht=hpv+fairing

Yeah, I was just looking at that like 10 seconds before you posted.

You know what they say about great minds...

[bennelson]

Just got my new charger.

It is a no-name 48V/4.5 amp auto-charger.

I am recharging right now. The killawatt says its' only pulling 108 watts, so I don't think it's putting out too many amps. Maybe I need the batteries run down a little deeper for it to want to charge faster?

I will have the numbers tomorrow on the energy usage of my first run with the new charger.

[bennelson]

I just got the official numbers from recharging off the new 48V electric scooter charger.

An 11.6 mile trip recharged using 1.37 KWh of electricity, calculating out to the gas MPG equivelant of 313.28 MPG!

The charger is marked as a 4.5 amp charger, but it's obviously NOT charging that fast. It's only drawing about 110 watts AC from the wall.

[sickpuppy318]

the vid from post 64 is downright inspirational... but i think its got a lot to do with that wisconsin accent.

[bennelson]

I just got back from the MREA energy fair!

Hello and Thanks to everyone I met there.

I got back home from my trip, threw the new controller into the cycle and drove 4 hours there.

I met Ryland in person and got to go for a ride in his green wedge, and he took a ride on my cycle, from which I was afraid he might not return. He did eventually return and exclaimed "I like it. I want one." about the electric motorcycle.

In the bad news department, somehow a bolt vibrated it's way out of one of my battery mounts and the battery wiggled itself over enough to short circuit on the gas tank. The one post completely melted, but didn't cause a fire or melt any wires or anything.

Now I get to learn how to repair battery posts!


If you just came here after seeing me at the fair, Hello! and welcome to Ecomodder!!!!!

-Ben Nelson

[bennelson]

The video I made for the Plug-in Vehicles conference so far has over 13,000 views on YouTube.

Not bad publicity for something built with a hacksaw, cordless drill, and socket set.....

[Stan]

Very cool video...thanks!

BTW, I tried searching for more videos from you using your ecomodder handle (no luck) and 'electric motorcycle', but got 684 hits. Can you post a direct link to your YouTube videos, or at lease post your account name there so we can search for you?

Thanks!

PS - Never mind...I found you!

bennelson's YouTube videos

[LetsBolt]

Hello Ben and other fans of EVs and efficient vehicles! Awesome job on your electric motorcycle! I have a question, have you or anyone else here tried a brushless motor in an EV? There is or was an ETEK brushless motor (and one or more clones of it by other manufacturers) that sounds like it would be perfect for this kind of application...since it would be even lower maintenance than a brushed motor.

I ask because I have already got Secrets of EL Ninja and plan to start building an electric 'hog' of my own sometime in the future.

Also, before I forget, is it possible to ride an electric motorcycle like yours in the rain? (From an electricity point of view, not so much from a vehicle safety point of view, I know roads are more slick when they're wet...duh.) Will rain hurt or destroy the motor or interfere with electrical operation of the vehicle?
I have to ask because I live in Orlando, and we get rain in the afternoon pretty much every day during the summer...

Again, congrats on the electric motorcycle!