hello everybody! - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

rebelCAFE · 12-15-2009, 12:27 PM

hello everyone, my name is shaun. i am planning on making my motorcycle a hybrid. i dont know how easy it will be, but i want to do it anyway. i was thinking about buying one of those conversion kits for cars and scaling it down. dont know if that would work, what do you think? any suggestions would be appreciated.

Daox · 12-15-2009, 12:31 PM

Hello and welcome to the site.

What do you hope to gain from converting the motorcycle? Simply saving gas? What kind of motorcycle is it? If you are trying to save gas as your signature implies, you'll want to start with a small engine.

Any kits for a car are going to be gigantic for a motorcycle. The power requirements between the two are fairly large.

rebelCAFE · 12-15-2009, 12:39 PM

yeah, i have a honda rebel 250. so i already get about 65-70 mpg. i may decide to build me a electric motorcycle on the side. dont know yet. i bought the book buy CARL VOGAN, and it is pretty interesting. so that may be the route i go. i am still weighing the pros and cons. i mean my bike dont get bad gas mileage, but i still think i could make it get about 100. what do you think?

rebelCAFE · 12-30-2009, 04:10 PM

just me agian. havent been on here for a while, anymore suggestions on my mod?

SentraSE-R · 12-30-2009, 05:50 PM

I think I'd go straight electric. You can replace your engine with an electric motor, and series wire a bunch of batteries to mount where your engine did. Doing a hybird means you have to keep the engine and gas tank, and still find places to mount the electric motor and batteries.

rgathright · 12-30-2009, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebelCAFE

just me agian. havent been on here for a while, anymore suggestions on my mod?

I suggest finding one of those electric, 2 wheel scooters and putting some more juice in it first. If you had fun doing that, the knowledge will carry over to your bike.

I would also suggest converting a Harley since the body is wider and gives you more room to install equipment.

Bicycle Bob · 12-31-2009, 02:13 PM

Fiddling with the power train can't get you more than a 50% improvement even with NASA's budget. Adding streamling can easily get more than that. Check out Craig Vetter's work. You get more comfort and weather protection with a feet forward streamliner, too.