I wont be doing this any time soon but I wanted to know what would need to be done to make this conversion..
I have an xb-600 running at 60V using the normal sla batteries.
I was just curious, if I decided to switch to a Lithium battery pack what all would need to be replaced?
I mean, its not just as easy as swapping in a 60V Li battery pack with maybe a BMS or something is it?
I may consider doing this in the future depending on its validity. I mean using Li batteries would reduce the bikes weight, increase performance, and increase its range not to mention a longer battery life.
Am I missing anything here?????
I admit I am rather new to the EV scene but I am no dummy when it comes to electrical systems, I just dont have any experience with Lithium based batteries.
I also have been tinkering with the idea of building a trailer for the bike. One that could hold an extra battery pack as well as an area for larger items like grocery shopping. I have seen some ideas on this site, just wondering if anyone else has made or bought anything like it. I know they make trailers for motorcycles but I wasnt looking to spend that kind of money on one.
Well, electrons are electrons. The motor & controller only know about electrons, they don't know what chemistry the battery is.
Where it might make a difference is: a) battery gauge, b) behavior of estimates of future range, c) charger, d) voltage range of DC-DC converter, e) voltage range of controller
If your replacement pack had a similar voltage to the original pack then the bike might not be any the wiser that a fast one has been pulled on it. The things I mentioned are issues if you change the pack voltage by very much. Such as if the system is assuming a 48v pack and the components are rated for 60v an 18 cell (or so) LiFePO4 pack will blow past the specified ratings of the components and most likely let out the magic smoke. A 16 cell LiFePO4 pack is perfectly okay, however, being close enough to 48v to be okay. And it all depends on the specified ratings of the components as I say.
Similarly DC-DC converters have specified input voltage ranges and going beyond that voltage range can let out the magic smoke.
On the battery gauge issue -- The likely battery gauge gauge design assumes the pack is 48v and shows a series of LED's for estimated remaining charge based on the voltage. That's going to be based on the voltage behavior of SLA as they discharge, there is a prevalent voltage falloff as the batteries discharge and a battery gauge could be designed to guesstimate the remaining charge based on the voltage. But further the range of the gauge would be based on 48v.
One kind of resource I've been collecting is bicycle cargo trailers:
http://www.7gen.com/website-categories/bicycle-cargo-trailer
Those are for regular bicycles not these scooter-bicycles but given that scooter-bicycles are the same speed as electric bicycles perhaps those trailers would work.
I use a trailer on my regular electric bicycle for grocery shopping and the like. So yeah, I think that's a great and wonderful idea. The trailer I have is pretty light and the design is really dead simple. I've seen designs using PVC tubing like you use for plumbing, just glue it together, put in a couple wheels, and an anchor to the bicycle frame.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki