3rd build- Custom FS Longtail (New & Improved)

geetarboy · Nov 20, 2011

I want to thank all you guys who have gone before and paved the way for e-bike progress. I am not doing anything extra ordinary, just trying to improve my own riding situation. For the most part I have been happy with my present set-up except-
(1) too much weight on rear rack
(2) no disc brake on rear wheel
(3) not enough cusion in rear suspension
And after not being able to find a good frame to hold 12- 6s5000mah in the front triangle, decided to make my own. I am taking the rear swing arm off this cheapie mongoose and modifying it

The pivot hinge on the right will be cut off and welded at a different angle to make it 4 inches longer than my current ride.

The shape of the front triangle in determined by how to get the 12 batteries in there.

Working off a flat 1/4 inch steel plate and carpenters squares is what I m using to keep it straight.

Shoot for a thousandth and settle for a hundredth, hopefully that'll be close enough

Well, that's how far I've gotten up to this point. Any comments or criticism would be greatly appreciated. More to come soon.
-Mark

dogman dan · Nov 21, 2011

Nice that weight don't matter much for an ebike. Angle iorn will be strong, but heavy. My version of a FS longtail is over 100 pounds too, made from a frame and a half.

That looks like a real nice swingarm, stronger than most of the cheaper steel ones. Perfect for welding on.

I'm loving having a longtail, when I need the cargo capacity. What are you planning to use for a motor? I found the longtail the perfect application for the slower winding. 20 mph is fine for me when loaded up. So I used a 2810 9c with 48v. I need to add disk brakes if I'm going to ride faster very much.

geetarboy · Nov 28, 2011

Well, moving along slowly... Got the motor yesterday

Clyte - HS3540? or 5303R? laced in a 24 inch Alex rim and mounted a 3" Fatti-o on it. I should get some good traction out of that.View attachment 2

The frame is a little twisted, I'm gonna put together a squaring jig to hold it true before I do the final welds.

Plenty of room to spare w/ 12 - 6s5000mah turnigy's, I'll have the option of 24s3p or 30s2p or if I feel suicidal :mrgreen:

36s2p...more to come soon

neptronix · Nov 28, 2011

Don't forget some kind of padding for the batteries at least.. hehe. Wiring could get pretty messy.. imho i'd shoot for something more rectangle-shaped if possible.

Sounds like a cool project though. There need to be more FS bikes with real triangles... suppose we gotta make our own.

SamTexas · Nov 28, 2011

Every time I see a build thread like this, I can't help but feel inadequate for not having the skill to work with metal. May be I should sign up for a rudimentary course at the local community college.

Subscribed.

dogman dan · Nov 30, 2011

Me too! I just make a mess with my cheap stick welder. I keep eying those cheap harbor freight wire feeds. So I can make a mess with one of those. :lol:

iovaykind · Nov 30, 2011

Tig welding? Or just mig? I've got a mig welder.. if I could make a FS frame using old bike parts and angle iron like you are that'll be ideal. It'd be so much easier to make panels since its all squared off, another reason I love the stealth bomber frame. Definitely subscribing to this thread and seeing what you make of it.

amberwolf · Dec 2, 2011

If I can weld together something mostly slapped together like CrazyBike2, that has failed to break apart in what must be close to 3500 miles now, using the crappy HF wirefeed welder (not even as good as MIG!) they often have on sale for $100 or less, anybody could do the same thing with a little practice. :lol:

geetarboy · Dec 3, 2011

I have found mig welding or 'GMAW' to be fairly easy, I watched an hour long video 3 times before I fired it up. It doesn't make near as much mess as stick welding. A friend of mine who's a professional welder w/ 20+ years experience that has been coaching me through some of my scew-ups.
I started a 2nd frame yesterday because the 1st one was too twisted, but it was good practice. I hope to have most of it done this weekend. Will post the progress tomorrow.
You're right Amberwolf, if we put our minds to it we can do all kinds of things we never thought of...

geetarboy · Dec 8, 2011

Well, it's moving along slowly, but I am making progress.

I hope to have it ready for a road test next week w/ temporary side panels.

Ykick · Dec 8, 2011

'looking good, will be interested how it rides!

geetarboy · Dec 10, 2011

Thanks Y-Kick. Well, this is how it will sit. Still have to weld on the upper shock mount & the seat bracket. The wheel base is about 7" longer than my Specialized ground control. It should cruise alot smoother with a longer swing arm, slacker head angle, and a big Fatti-O on back in a 24" rim. The front rim is 26" w/ a 20mm thru axle.

iovaykind · Dec 12, 2011

Awesome craftsmanship. I'm definitely looking to do something like this next summer, as it would be awesome/much easier to have side panels match that than a premed frame with all its curves and nuances. Much too easy to just slap on a panel that is flat with rivets, and not to mention the extra space for batteries because of the square design.

dogman dan · Dec 13, 2011

Hell, with steel the panels could even be magnet attached. Making me want to go buy a better welder. Looking great!

iovaykind · Dec 13, 2011

Well, the rivets would be protection against lipo stealers! :mrgreen:

geetarboy · Dec 14, 2011

Thanks iovaykind & dogman.Should be ready to road test 2morro, if all components are good. I do plan on pop-riveting the side panels on 1 side of the frame, but need access on the other. Cut a couple tempoary panels out of masonite. I like your idea of magnets for the removable panel, but don't know if it would hold up to the bumps & vibration.

Here is a side x side comparison to my current ride. The specialized has a 44" wheelbase, the new one is 51".

dogman dan · Dec 15, 2011

Wonderful. More of a long middle than a longtail, but that's just a nit pick. I bet it's going to track beautifuly at higher speeds.

The magnet sides would have to be strong ones for sure. Not magnetic sign stuff. Maybe magnetic sign strips with embedded niomydium dots? Or change tacks, and just use wide velcro. Nothing really wrong with screws of course. maybe hinge the bottom so you only have a couple screws to remove to open it up.

Just me, I like to have quick and easy acess to batteries. Something in there starts stinking, I want in FAST.

iovaykind · Dec 15, 2011

I agree with dogman, looks like a lot of your weight is still on the rear, but at least you'll now have your batteries in front of you than behind you which will make a big difference. I hope you took a lot more pictures of the process cause I definitely want to emulate something like this next year.

geetarboy · Dec 17, 2011

dogman said:
More of a long middle than a longtail, but that's just a nit pick. I bet it's going to track beautifuly at higher speeds.

Yeah, you're right Dogman, I got more slack in the headtube than I wanted. I just got back from the "maiden voyage" and "YES" it rides great! It floats over bumps compared to the Specialized. I had to put another wheel on back - a 26" 9C 2808, because the c-lyte seems to have a short in it. Hopefully, I'll have it fixed soon.
With the 3" wide tire on back it should cuise like a dream...

SamTexas · Dec 17, 2011

Congratulations. Looks real nice.

iovaykind · Dec 17, 2011

Nice! Looks like its time for a coat of paint to finish it off

Brentis · Dec 17, 2011

Congratulation. Inspirational DIY Build.
Great job. :mrgreen:

Tommy L · Jan 15, 2012

geetarboy said:
dogman said:

More of a long middle than a longtail, but that's just a nit pick. I bet it's going to track beautifuly at higher speeds.

Click to expand...

Yeah, you're right Dogman, I got more slack in the headtube than I wanted. I just got back from the "maiden voyage" and "YES" it rides great! It floats over bumps compared to the Specialized. I had to put another wheel on back - a 26" 9C 2808, because the c-lyte seems to have a short in it. Hopefully, I'll have it fixed soon.
With the 3" wide tire on back it should cuise like a dream...

Geeeeeeeetarboy! Nice build indeed!

What did you use for a head tube and bottom bracket shell?
I've been dying to build a "Long Middle" /longtail for sometime now.

Totally Awesome Build!

\\m//

valsislav · Jan 24, 2012

Looks really clean - nice design and execution! 8)

geetarboy · Apr 5, 2012

Well, finally got the 2nd frame done.
It handles alot more like my specialized, but rides like butter.

3rd build- Custom FS Longtail (New & Improved)

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