Aprilia RS125 conversion, The Jozzbike

[Jozzer]

Hehe, there will be no "sorry m8, I didn't see you coming!" thats for sure.
Not Green and black I'm afraid, the wheels and decals are going to be in Brightest Red, just to go for maximum sickie value. The seat will get recovered in the same red (the orange looks a bit "off"). I'm seriously thinking of splashing "JOZZBIKE" up the side and keeping "her" forever, but then, I'm also seriously thinking of making a lowrider chopper too. THere will also be some advertising for my little business. I reckon Aprilia lucked out on me putting aprilia logo's on it when they negleted to offer an electric version of the RS alongside the petrol hungry/piston eating 2 stroke version! (if anyone from Aprilia reads this, I would reconsider my position given the right sponsorship:P)
I may be geting my hands on a nuvinci hub this month too...I'm wondering how I could use it. I don't fancy a spoked rear wheel on an aprilia, so I guess it would have to go "inline" somehow. It would really make the bike special to have twice the torque at takoff, and 30% higher top speed (with a carefull eye on motortemps). WHeelies and 100mph top speed = superJOZZbike?

Paintwork is not quite finished either, the green has just had a basecoat, it will look much better still, and much glossier after another topcoat and a few layers of laquer. Reckon I'll be keeping sunglasses in my pocket this summer

Steve

[drewjet]

Love the green. Red sounds like a striking matching colour (Spelled it wrong just for you English chaps . I was actually thinking of the same colors for my Suzuki.

Tell me more about the Davinci. Do they make a larger one that can handle motorcycle type power? Cost? Availability? If it is anything like the bicycle one it should be easy enough to fit one into a motorcycle rim of choice with a bit of machining and welding.

[Malcolm]

Yes I'd like to know more about the Nuvinci/Davinci. I've thought about using it in-line as well. If you set it up so that most of the gear reduction takes place between the Nuvinci and rear sprocket then it should be OK for torque, I think... I believe they're also planning a larger version specifically for EV use, but I've no idea when that's due.

[Jozzer]

Yes, its the LEV version I have been offered, but it seems to come with 32 spoke bicycle type spokeholes, I'm not at all sure it would stand being in a MC wheel. It is specced as being good for 130NM though, which is about right. ALl i've seen so far is the spec sheet, but I'll definitly get one to play with and let you know what I can manage to do with it!

[Malcolm]

That's odd
If you compare the bicycle and LEV pdfs on the Nuvinci website, they use the same model number and have identical drawings:
http://www.fallbrooktech.com/docs/Datasheet_N170S_030108.pdf
http://www.fallbrooktech.com/docs/Datasheet_N170S.pdf

[Jozzer]

Some numbers for you... Just got back from a great 30.5 mile ride, hit 79.5 mph! Ran it up to 75 several times, did some town riding too, a general mix of everyday riding with a frew grins on the way. Overall I got 95 wh/mile. I noticed that to hold 70mph took 100A with tailwind, 120A with the same strenght headwind.
36A used, 2630 watt hours that means average voltage was 73v (24 series lifebatt/A123 mix). THe lighting would have used another 1.5AH, so pretty close to the 40AH max, and still a little juice left to play with:) I'm chuffed, these batteries do exactly what they say they will:)
Oh, and had a chance to try accelerration against a stock RS125 too along the way, poor fellow couldn't quite keep up. When he caught me at a traffic light in town he asked "where did you have it tuned, and how did they make it so quiet?"

[deecanio]

lol, don't tell him !!!!
awesome - i think i may offer you a wad of twentys for her ??????
good news on the batteries too, seems like they really deliver!!
get a cam fixed up next time out mate - would love to watch her go again!! - any chance of a ride when i come for a visit? i'll bring the pretty wand in exchange??
damn you and malc for making such cool emotorbikes!!!! - mmmm cheap yamaha TZR on ebay, mmmmmmmmm.


cheers


D

[Malcolm]

Those are very impressive numbers Jozzer! I've gotta shed some lead and get me some more of those dilithium crystals sharpish

[Jozzer]

Of course you can have a blast on it Deec, but I warn you you wont want to leave without it, best bring a trailer with you

They arn't making it easy for us to get cells Malc:( I dont rightly know where the next batch will have to come from. Looks like thundersky's are the only people willing to sell us bare cells.

[Malcolm]

Yeah, I've been hunting around myself lately but there's very little information about the few cells that are available, apart from Thundersky, like you say. I really want the high-rate cells (10C discharge/3C charge+), but don't like the idea of paying a premium for modular packs and then having to strip them down. I want to put together a 30Ah 72V pack. I've just bought a couple of 30A 36V Curtis chargers off eBay, so together that should give me a 25-mile range from a pack I can recharge within an hour. That should cover most of my needs.

[Jeremy Harris]

Guys,

I'm trying an (expensive!) experiment for my RD50 (don't laugh...........) conversion. I've ordered 64 Headway 10Ah cells, at £9.56 each (around $19 each). With luck they should be here in a couple of weeks or so.

The specs look good, 50A continuous, 100A peak, per cell. My 16S, 4P pack should be OK for 200A continuous, which I reckon will be OK for my Mars ME0709 motor.

Jeremy

[Jozzer]

Sounds like a great build, nice light bike and batts, should go well. I look foreward to seeing it:)

[deecanio]

Of course you can have a blast on it Deec, but I warn you you wont want to leave without it, best bring a trailer with you

They arn't making it easy for us to get cells Malc:( I dont rightly know where the next batch will have to come from. Looks like thundersky's are the only people willing to sell us bare cells.

looking forward to it mate
Cells are becoming a menace - i wish we could find a good source for bare A123's
Anywho - will be coming to your neck of the woods soon mate - i just need the cells to turn up and i'll bring the kona for some joz love!!!
i need to pick up my rims too so maybe next weekend at soonest and more realistically the weekend after ? how you fixed for time bro? - i'd like to take a visit as i can bring evrything with me for the final refit
now who can i borrow a trailer from ?????????????


Cheers


D

[Jozzer]

Cool m8, I should be at the workshop most weekends this month. Got plenty to get on with, but time for your pack/motor too. Best get that X5'd KMX running for you to play with too, we can do a X5 v Puma Trike race and capture it on film:)

[Jozzer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_InVkkSySyA
A video "tour" of the aprilia. She's in bits for the finishing touches of the bodywork, and to have a regen Kelly controller fitted.
Still wires everybloodywhere, but I keep taking it apart to fiddle, till I stop doing that, she will be messy
In a couple of days she will be back on the road, and i'll take another "tour" video and some onbike action (I'll try and film up to top speed)

Hope you enjoy!


Steve

[Malcolm]

Steve
Thanks for the video. So if I understand right you've now got 30 Ah of Lifebatt and 20 Ah of A123 for a total of 50 Ah at 72V? I just turned the colour of your bike mate. I'm looking forward to hearing how things go with the regen controller. It should be very effective with those high-rate cells.

What's you final gear ratio now, did you change it to get to 80 mph?

[deecanio]

Hi Guys,

where the hell are you getting all these batts from ?
I'll have to have a look at the vid when i get home - yes please do take some more film when your out on it next
50ah ??? how far would that get you mate? a fair way i imagine, thats some awesome capacity on an already very impressive bike - do you think the regen will be worthwhile?
Anyway still looking for some suitable donor cells for my pack - went for a blast yesterday and had a great ride im waiting on mark to see what to do with my 24's but are you still ok to take a look at my motor?

cheers


D

[Jozzer]

Nooo, not 50, 40AH. 10AH of A123's and 30AH Lifebatts.
THe extra speed just takes a good run...I wasn't pushing hard enough before:P Gearing is still 13/47. Since I added the 2nd half of the battery pack the voltage sags less, I suppose the extra few volts made for a few MPH:) Best range run yet yeilded 37 miles..
Let me know if you want a couple of red stickers for the greenfaces

Deec, course I'll look at it , I showed you mine after all

[deecanio]

Hi Mate,

superb - im dead set on fixing my current puma - its soo surprising how my mood and opinion sways from ride to ride.
After last ride i was really down, to the point i was going to ditch the project again!! then yesterday evening i took the kona out for a blast and rode my usual trails which have dried out after a weeks excellent wheather - before i went i put on some new parts - a 42t front sprocket (mountable as either centre or outside ring) i mounted in the centre as it is bang in line with my 17t rear and also fitted a new bashguard, same E13 as before but bigger - well superb!!! the new front ring was a fsa and the teeth were slightly higher than the old 32t middle ring, also took off the indside 22t as i'll never use it.
Not one chain slip in fact i found that i could smash the pedals right from go to about 19mph, much much better - the setup was absolutely perfect for the trails - with a little pedal power (with motor) i found i covered 10 miles with only 4 ah used and had a complete blast - the kona was ripping through the trails and i was getting air/wheelies over nearly every bump - left me with a face like this
awesome, after being down about my bke i was again inspired - i had a few ratcheting gears on the motor but i'm really close to eliminating them with better throttle control and weight distribution - i didn't take my camera just a set of keys and i think that helped as i just concentrated on riding as hard as i could through the forest, it was ace
Still want to go to 24's and keep the power i have so im thinking i'll ask Joz to look at my motor and then get a new pack of 123's or lifes's (maybe 123's 100v ).
Anyway will get the motor down to you soon mate - this bike will be fooking awesome when done


Cheers Joz



D

[Jozzer]

Thanks for that Bikeraider, do you have the LEV model or the ebike model? They reckon they are OK to 130NM..
I was really looking forward to that too. They are keen that thier product is scaleable, so sooner or later (if not already) there will be a product for us!
I've got a line of communication open with them at the moment, I'll ask more question!

So, to get this right, If you try to set it to a high gear, ie. go faster, it slips? Does it start slipping after the 1:1 stage? I ask because it would still be usefull "change down" for more torque and slide back up to get the current 80mph.

[Jozzer]

Sorry to hear that BR, I hope I have better luck! I feel I should try one out firsthand despite your bad results, its even possible yours is a faulty unit I guess, and I must know for sure!

Steve

[fechter]

There might be a way to tighten the rollers in a Nuvinci if it isn't covered by warranty.

[Jozzer]

I fear you may be right BR, though if the thing worked in all ratio's then I could run shallower gearing and reduce the tourque at the input.
With the controller I'm playing with at the moment it feels like it needs gearing less in any case:)

THey have been asking what I would like out of a nuvinci hub.....I'll point out that a bit bigger and stronger might be nice

[Mikey]

Guys,

Motorcycle engineer chiming in here

To get a swift 125cc scooter like take off, you need a fairly high stall torque (a Honda SH has somthing like 283Nm at the rear axle at the clutch stall point).

This is what you need to get off the line like that.

As a ratio change device, It should be before the final reduction, if it's rated to 130Nm then it won't do it. Gear it to the motor so that the 3:1 reduction comes after, giving 390Nm torque capabilty at the rear axle.

this is the reason why scooter are so nippy with camparatily small engines.

A killer app would be an itegrated motor /reduction. high eff. and killer off the line drive!!!

Need to work out if the costs are lower doing this or pumping the motor / controller / battery for monster stall torque. Today it would probably lean to the ratio change device???

Hope this helps,

Ciao,

Mike

[HAL9000v2.0]

I am thinking to put variomatic system from Italjet formula 125. But without centrifugal regulator. Instead of that just put lever to change ratio..