Hi just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Greg I'm from Sacramento, California and I am at the dream & research phase of my electric motorcycle conversion. Looking for a cheap donor bike, and putting together notes on motors, batteries, controllers, etc.
GOAL: My commute to work is only 9 miles each way, so it seems very duable to build an electric motorcycle to have at least a 20 plus mile range with a respectable top speed. Hopefully 65 MPH so I can cross the river on a highway bridge and not get ran over.
I do currently ride a 2002 Suzuki Bandit 1200cc. It is my 6th bike so I have owned and tinkered with a few of them. As far as bikes that I would like to use to convert, well I would love to find a Honda Pacific Coast because all the plastic would hide the batteries nicely, but those are hard to find and still pricey. Other than that Honda VF Interceptor, Kawasaki GPZ, Yamaha Seca II, etc. I'm thinking midsized 750cc type. Or should I think heavier liter bikes so their suspension can handle the weight of the batteries? Also I favor the bikes with a full frame rather than the type where the engine is a stress member, but what do I know. I need your advice please.
Looking forward to all your help.
Hi Greg, welcome to the forum. I also saw you posted a similar question on http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/ about whether 48 volts is enough. It is true that watts==horsepower (750 watts per horsepower) so you could theoretically get whatever HP you need at a low voltage. I'm not sure I can adequately explain why higher voltage is better for speed but one reason that comes to mind is it's easier to get high wattage at a high voltage. At a high voltage to get high wattage requires fewer amps, making it easier on the batteries to deliver the watts.
Since you're in Sacramento I assume the bridge in question is one of those crossing the river in Sac? IIRC those are all regular 65+ miles/hr highway's. So will a vehicle that is exactly max 65 miles/hr be enough or will you require even higher speed?
e.g. you could buy right now (don't have to build) a Vectrix or a GPR-S both of which are 65 miles/hr max. Which means you'd be at maximum speed .. seems to me it would be better to have a bit higher max speed to fit better with the traffic. What do you think?
Have you found http://evalbum.com ?? You can see a lot of example bikes there. Have you found the book "The Secrets of El Ninja"?
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
gregski, Frank over in Canada has recently made an e-conversion motorcycle that uses a smaller than normal motor using only 48V, but he also uses the motorcycles 5-speed mechanical transmission.
http://www.theworkshop.ca/energy/suzuk_e/suzuk_e.htm
Sounds great, but the bad news is that the electric motor and stock transmission take up half the frame-hole, which wasn't that large in the first place. I imagine he might put 2 batteries in the frame-hole and maybe 2 in the "saddlebag" position.
72V seems to be the upper limit for affordable controllers, and it is very difficult to package more than six of the 12V batteries anyways. Fortunately for you, your range requirements are modest.
One packaging problem is where to mount the motor. If you could be happy with a Honda 250/450 Rebel, they have a long swingarm so there is room in-between the rear tire and frame to mount the most common motors (ETEK, PMG, etc) on top of the swingarm while leaving the entire gas engine space free to mount batteries.
The stressed-engine frames actually aren't a bad idea. They already have solid mounting posts to bolt a custom square battery rack, and if the motor is not in the engine hole, 6 batteries should be easy to fit.
Franks first project placed the motor on top of the left arm of the rear swingarm, so it would be just behind your left leg when riding.
If you'd never need to carry a passenger, it would be possible to have a mount fabricated onto the top of the swingarm, on which to place a motor and a 2-speed industrial transmission, I'd use a toothed primary belt-drive, with a stock chain going down to the rear sprocket.
For 50 MPH, a single-stage two-sprocket chain to the rear (using 72V) would be enough, but for 70 MPH, (especially at 48V) I would definitely want to incorporate a 2-speed trans.
I haven't converted a motorcycle yet, these are just some thoughts to help you get your research started...
Hi David,
Thank you for the reply.
Yes I did post a similar question on http://electricmotorcycleforum.com I didn't know how often folks reply or if they will so I was trying to find as many forums as I could.
"Since you're in Sacramento I assume the bridge in question is one of those crossing the river in Sac?"
That is correct either I5 or 160 both crossing the American River.
"IIRC those are all regular 65+ miles/hr highway's. So will a vehicle that is exactly max 65 miles/hr be enough or will you require even higher speed?"
I could stay in the right hand lane and get on on the last ramp before the river and get off on the first one across it. Pray all the way across.
"... you could buy right now (don't have to build) a Vectrix or a GPR-S... What do you think?"
Where's the fun and adventure in that, plus I bet they cost more than a conversion.
"Have you found http://evalbum.com?"
Yes it is awesome information.
"Have you found the book "The Secrets of El Ninja"?"
Saw it earlier and bookmarked it, now I will have to go back and read it I guess, LOL.
Ok, so I picked up a 1989 Suzuki GSX600F Katana (soon to be Wattana) off of Craigslist for $300, it has an engine knock. I plan on parting out all the bits I don't need to offset my costs.
here's a link to the webpage with pictures
http://gregski.home.comcast.net/~gregski/katana.htm
come on over for a visit and check her out, SHE'S ALL STRIPPED AND NAKED NOW !
http://home.comcast.net/~gregski/naked.htm
http://home.comcast.net/~gregski/stripped.htm
I'm sorry but I'm a computer system's administrator and I must admit this forum is arcane, I tried to post the last update a number of times and once I am in the preview mode it won't post, then I go back and my post is lost, seems like you just have to wing it and post it without previewing it, don't get me wrong the forum is insightful, I'm just not a big fan of the vehicle it's presented in
When it comes to controllers should I get the Alltrax 7234 which is the 300 amp one or the 7245 which is 450 amps to go along with my Mars ME0709 motor capable of 300 amps peak and 125 amps continuous in a 72 volt system? Majority of my 20 mile round trip commute will be at city street speeds 40 mph with a short highway 65 mph burst over a bridge.
The 300 amp is probably enough. On my motorcycle I only see peak amps when starting from a dead stop. Don't see them if changing speed when already moving. However if the onramp to the highway section is short that's a consideration - because you might need high performance at that moment.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki