I have an original Yamaha Waverunner WR500 which I want to donate to the University of Louisville rowing team to use as a coaching boat when they practice on a restricted lake that does not allow gas powered watercraft of any kind. I was thinking that the U of L Engineering Dept. might be able to convert the Waverunner to electric. Has anyone else done something like this? Thanks for any info.
Hi Bob,
Great to hear from you, how's the electric banana running?
The only electric conversions I have ever seen for water have some version of a trolling motor or a small gas motor with an electric motor in place of the gas engine. I am not sure how you could get an electric motor to turn the impeller fast enough to get the jet ski to move very well. Of course that doesn't mean it can't be done. I think it is a very interesting project you'll have to let us know how it works out. Hope you can get some pictures of the internal workings.
Chas S.
Thanks for a reply. The "Electrical Banana" is out and about now that warmer weather has arrived...sporadically here in the Bluegrass...and working flawlessly! This electric craft would only need to move at slow speeds up to 10-12 knots. Part of their efforts would be to modify the pump/impeller parameters. It would be used by a rowing coach to monitor the women's crew as they practice on a small lake. I'll call the Speed Engineering School at The U of Louisville and see if they would like a project that would benefit the University.
there was a guy that had one for sale on evforum
http://www.evforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=162
other than that, I don't know of any..., you'd have to seal it really well.
____________
Travis Gintz
1986 Honda VFR Conversion
www.evfr.net
Thanks for the tip. I've emailed the guy and hopefully he still has it. Sounds like what the coaches need.
what RPM does a typical impeller run at? There are some high speed motors out there in RC-land which are both cheap AND high speed/power
Hey Buckeroo Bob, I'm a new guy around here and just wanted to say that I love your little yellow scooter! I saw it looking through all the readers rides. it is the coolest thing. I am building a little one that has a Ferrari theme to it and will post some pics as soon as I get it going. Thanks for some inspiration!
Some say he was forged out of steel and fire in the devil’s own pit garage,
or that he trickled to the surface of an oil pocket deep in the Earth’s crust.
All we know is, he’s called the Stig.
Hello Bob,
I have the utility patent on the electric jet ski #6,890,224; Issue date: 5/10/2005. I'm working on obtaining investors to further the e-ski project. Have working prototype. Please contact me if you have ideas, questions, suggestions or an interest in the project. Thanks.
I have been thinking of this idea on the yamaha xlt for quite sometime now. Remove the engine and install a three phase motor with a brushless controller. and feed it with a123 lifepo4 pack for the Toyota Prius. Remove the gas tank. The problem is that battery would probably last 30 minutes and to build this project i would spend 15,000. For that just buy a 4 stroke model. In the future perhaps when battery prices fall then maybe.