Sachs Madass 125 ?

[PeterS]

I won't be riding the freeway, there are enough good secondary roads to keep me happy.

[sendler]

I think the Suzuki S40 is way too big for a project like this. A Honda Rebel, CBR250R, or, 125R if you wanted a "big" bike like the Vetter Streamliners. The Honda PCX150 will do 100 mpgUS at 50 mph right out of the box and has a top speed 65 mph.

[BobS]

PeterS,
The motorcycles Sendler mentioned have high seats due to the equestrian-like riding position. HOWEVER,when I looked up his scooter suggestion, the PCX150, altho it has a 29.9" seat height, it has two advantages. It's frame has a very nice slope at the seat so looks to be easy to "recline". And it has a start on some serious fairing that could be extended rather than replaced. Good job, Sendler!
Bob

[woodsrat]

Originally Posted by PeterS

...the all dc charging is especially good news .

The output from the Lifan stator is AC--you'd need to rectify it for DC charging. AC works fine for lighting and, in my case, powering an electric vest. It makes for a very simple and lightweight electrical system.

[Grant-53]

The issue of mass and safety is not as straight forward as we have been lead to believe. Design geometry and material selection are crucial to building a crashworthy design. Our state has a minimum seat height law. Passenger car seats are typically 20" from the ground. The rider's back angle has a big effect on frontal area so you can lean forward or lean back and get similar results. For those of us concerned about crash safety I plan a body made of honeycomb aluminum. I have a supply of .355" panels. A bright paint job, lots of lights, dual mirrors,and an inertial reel lap belt round out the package.
With a low drag body and gearing to match, keeping up on traffic should be possible. A low nose and high tail seem to be most stable but more could be done. Don't skimp on brakes or tires.

[PeterS]

Originally Posted by woodsrat

The output from the Lifan stator is AC--you'd need to rectify it for DC charging. AC works fine for lighting and, in my case, powering an electric vest. It makes for a very simple and lightweight electrical system.

OK, the same as the CT110, it would need a bridge rectifier and perhaps a capacitor or 2 in line to run LED spots , that being the point of a dc supply for me. I have them on my current bike and they are wonderful!

[PeterS]

Originally Posted by BobS

PeterS,
The motorcycles Sendler mentioned have high seats due to the equestrian-like riding position. HOWEVER,when I looked up his scooter suggestion, the PCX150, altho it has a 29.9" seat height, it has two advantages. It's frame has a very nice slope at the seat so looks to be easy to "recline". And it has a start on some serious fairing that could be extended rather than replaced. Good job, Sendler!
Bob

I'll base my bike on a CT110, largely because they are relatively cheap and have a great spare parts supply, they're ex postie bikes here.



With one of those I can get a reasonably low feet forward seating position as per these photos of Ironside's excellent bike. I think that apart from reducingthe frontal area and making fitting a decent fairing easier it will also be a very comfortable position for long rides.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by BobS

My suggestion for a low seat, strong machine that is available in the $500-$1500 dollar range would be the Suzuki S40, known as the Savage or Boulevard. A single cylinder 650cc bike with mpg in the low 50's AND A TOP SPEED OF 85 STOCK with a disc/drum brake system.

I rarely see those ones nowadays, but it's still one of my favorites on its class.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by Grant-53

A low nose and high tail seem to be most stable

The disadvantages of a high tail for stability in crosswinds were hashed through in this thread starting about here:
.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post279939
.
We can talk about it over there if you like.

[Grant-53]

Okay, will do.