Electric Honda Solo Build WIP

[oatnet]

Any headwind or hill will stack up the amps Fast. It is difficult, perhaps dangerous, to watch the amps enough to catch it in time. I would have trouble manually keeping the throttle light enough to stay under 40a, you may have better self control. However, with your Alltrax yeah you can set it to maintain a safe discharge level.

I really look forward to watching this progress!

-JD

[PHC]

Any headwind or hill will stack up the amps Fast. It is difficult, perhaps dangerous, to watch the amps enough to catch it in time. I would have trouble manually keeping the throttle light enough to stay under 40a, you may have better self control. However, with your Alltrax yeah you can set it to maintain a safe discharge level.

I really look forward to watching this progress!

-JD

I think I will look into a dual 50 volt pack. I now have 6, 13V packs so adding 2 more wouldn't hurt anything. I also have some hobby king lipo packs, 2 X 6 cell and 2 X 8 cell. Is there anyway I could use them along with the ones from Elite? I know the voltage is way different but the C rate is very high. I probably should have stayed with the LiPo's and build a large pack, but charging them is a big hassle.

[PHC]

By the way here are some off topic pictures of my 1970 CB100. I was going to make it electric, but when I started to restore it I changed my mind. When I found it, it was a rust bucket with no engine in a barn. The current engine is a Chinese clone motor. I am restoring the original 100cc motor and I will install it soon. I did all the work myself including painting the tank and other parts. I took it down to the frame and repainted every part. All the chrome is new.

Before



After







Sorry for the off topic post. I thought some of you might enjoy seeing it.

Paul

[SwissTom]

It's gas .... eehhh ....

[johnrobholmes]

It's gas .... eehhh ....

So I would assume you don't have any gas vehicles to your name, ehhh?

[oatnet]

NICE JOB on the ICE! Like it just rolled off the showroom floor...

-JD

[PHC]

NICE JOB on the ICE! Like it just rolled off the showroom floor...

-JD

If you meant the engine, it did just roll off the showroom floor. Its a brand new made in China Honda clone motor (Lifan) from a Honda CG150 style bike. I got it for $200 delivered from Dallas, TX off eBay. I was worried it might not fit but it fits like a glove even though it was made 40 years after the CB100. The only difference is the CB100 is OHC and the clone is OHV. I am just finishing the original motor possibly this weekend. Then it will replace the clone motor, which will go in a CAFE bike I am building for my nephew. I really have way too many projects going on at once... Thanks for your comments.

Paul

[voicecoils]

Beautiful restoration. I can only imagine the fit & finish of your electric honda will be top notch when completed.

[oatnet]

NICE JOB on the ICE! Like it just rolled off the showroom floor...

-JD

If you meant the engine, it did just roll off the showroom floor.

I'm talkng about the whole build! Nice work.

-JD

[PHC]

NICE JOB on the ICE! Like it just rolled off the showroom floor...

-JD

If you meant the engine, it did just roll off the showroom floor.

I'm talkng about the whole build! Nice work.

-JD

Thanks!!
Paul

[PHC]

I received the hard bags today and they look like they are perfect for battery containers. The only down side is I had to remove the individual cells from the factory cases to make them fit. It's OK because now I have 2 proper 40 volt packs. I had to make some new jumpers because reconfiguring the cells left me a few short. I have to turn some of the bolts around to make clearance for the cells in the new case but other then that they fit perfectly. I don't like the factory supplied jumpers since they are not properly crimped. I use a crimper that make a proper diamond shaped swage. The factory ones look like they just hit them with a hammer against a flat surface. One just broke in two from handling it. I will replace them all with jumpers made from copper sheet ASAP.







I also made a 13T front sprocket for a 428 chain. I bought a #40 3/4" ID sprocket and ground the teeth off. Then I welded the new 428 sprocket onto the face. I made an alignment tool from a piece of 3/4" steel tube and I turned the end down to fit the ID of the 428 sprocket on my lathe. Then I used a bolt and nut to hold it all tightly together while I welded it. Its all aligned nicely and the sprocket doesn't have any wobble. I used a dremel rotary tool to dress the inside splines flush with the ID of the sprocket body. I tried to do this on my lathe but the sprocket steel was way too hard for my 3/4" drill bit.





Paul

[PHC]

Here are some pictures of the batteries in the new cases. Looks like there is room for more cells or BMS..





Paul

[Gordo]

Beautiful build and the bags look perfect.
Did your cells have SS bands around them when you received them? I understood the bands were to prevent puffing of the cells?

[amberwolf]

AFAIK all those types need to be compressed to prevent swelling during charge and discharge. Bands around them are one way of doing that that works pretty well.

Regarding the jumpers across them, I recommend something more like crimp-on eyelet lugs to put the cell bolts thru, and flexible stranded or braided wire crimped in the lugs themselves. If there is no flex in the jumpers, then vibration will eventually cause something to fail. Copper could work-harden and crack.

I'm basing this on stuff discussed over on DIY Electric Car forums, where many people have used this format of cell for large-EV packs. It's what I plan to do once I get the chance to use the TS60Ah cells I have (though I only have 10 and need more for the voltage I'd like to run).

[PHC]

Beautiful build and the bags look perfect.
Did your cells have SS bands around them when you received them? I understood the bands were to prevent puffing of the cells?

They were tightly packed into the plastic housing, but no ss bands. I may make some type of compression band for these if needed.

Paul

[PHC]

AFAIK all those types need to be compressed to prevent swelling during charge and discharge. Bands around them are one way of doing that that works pretty well.

Regarding the jumpers across them, I recommend something more like crimp-on eyelet lugs to put the cell bolts thru, and flexible stranded or braided wire crimped in the lugs themselves. If there is no flex in the jumpers, then vibration will eventually cause something to fail. Copper could work-harden and crack.

I'm basing this on stuff discussed over on DIY Electric Car forums, where many people have used this format of cell for large-EV packs. It's what I plan to do once I get the chance to use the TS60Ah cells I have (though I only have 10 and need more for the voltage I'd like to run).

OK, I will use large gage stranded wire with crimped ring connectors then.

Thanks,
Paul

[Gordo]

AFAIK all those types need to be compressed to prevent swelling during charge and discharge. Bands around them are one way of doing that that works pretty well.

Regarding the jumpers across them, I recommend something more like crimp-on eyelet lugs to put the cell bolts thru, and flexible stranded or braided wire crimped in the lugs themselves. If there is no flex in the jumpers, then vibration will eventually cause something to fail. Copper could work-harden and crack.

I'm basing this on stuff discussed over on DIY Electric Car forums, where many people have used this format of cell for large-EV packs. It's what I plan to do once I get the chance to use the TS60Ah cells I have (though I only have 10 and need more for the voltage I'd like to run).

I have 20 40Ah TS cells in my scooter, banded in 4's. The local dealer imports 3-4 containers of 180-220Ah cells per year. They all come banded. I order 3 extra 40Ah cells from him and they came with 3 SS bands and copper bus bars with an expansion kink in the middle. All the cells in the scooter are connected with solid copper straps that have the same kink in them, allowing for some movement.

[Gordo]

Any headwind or hill will stack up the amps Fast. It is difficult, perhaps dangerous, to watch the amps enough to catch it in time. I would have trouble manually keeping the throttle light enough to stay under 40a, you may have better self control. However, with your Alltrax yeah you can set it to maintain a safe discharge level.

I really look forward to watching this progress!

-JD

I think I will look into a dual 50 volt pack. I now have 6, 13V packs so adding 2 more wouldn't hurt anything. I also have some hobby king lipo packs, 2 X 6 cell and 2 X 8 cell. Is there anyway I could use them along with the ones from Elite? I know the voltage is way different but the C rate is very high. I probably should have stayed with the LiPo's and build a large pack, but charging them is a big hassle.

Paul;
For a very rough comparison I have 20 x 40Ah (72V) of LiFePO4 in a scooter. It will hit 50mph, but to get 35 miles out of it in hilly country, I have to stay @ 35mph.

450IM001.jpg

1984 Honda found in a barn with 1300 miles on it and carbs apart.

(116.54 KiB) Downloaded 3 times

[PHC]

Any headwind or hill will stack up the amps Fast. It is difficult, perhaps dangerous, to watch the amps enough to catch it in time. I would have trouble manually keeping the throttle light enough to stay under 40a, you may have better self control. However, with your Alltrax yeah you can set it to maintain a safe discharge level.

I really look forward to watching this progress!

-JD

I think I will look into a dual 50 volt pack. I now have 6, 13V packs so adding 2 more wouldn't hurt anything. I also have some hobby king lipo packs, 2 X 6 cell and 2 X 8 cell. Is there anyway I could use them along with the ones from Elite? I know the voltage is way different but the C rate is very high. I probably should have stayed with the LiPo's and build a large pack, but charging them is a big hassle.

Paul;
For a very rough comparison I have 20 x 40Ah (72V) of LiFePO4 in a scooter. It will hit 50mph, but to get 35 miles out of it in hilly country, I have to stay @ 35mph.

450IM001.jpg

I imagine my bike will have a limited range of about 15 miles with the 20 AH 72 volt pack I built. My bike is probably lighter then your scooter with a larger motor so comparison will be difficult. I am considering adding cells and running 2, 60 volt 20ah packs in parallel if I don't meet a minimum range of 15 miles. The bikes usually built with the PRM132 are mostly Ninja or similar class bikes with SLA batteries. I really don't have a good bike to compare mine to so it should be interesting to see the final range and speed numbers.

Thanks,
Paul

[PHC]

NICE JOB on the ICE! Like it just rolled off the showroom floor...

-JD

FYI, I just finished the rebuild on the CB100 ICE this weekend so I will install it later this week. I sure hope it runs well because the parts cost almost as much as the rest of the bike did.

Paul

[billyjones454]

Screwed around on Google Sketchup tonight. This is my first ever sketchup. I didn't do the wheels or triple tree, so its nothing special.

I love this bike! I'm going to make one too.

[Jay64]

PHC, that is a great ev bike you are building, and the restoration job you did on the ice was incredible as well. Fine, fine work.

[Crazyhorse]

I ordered many parts off eBay from Classicscooterparts including the new rims and fenders. I have most of the parts I need now, but I still would like a new handlebar. I received the silver powder paint for the frame just now. The next part I need to make is the motor mount for the PRM132. i am still thinking about how to mount the batteries so they are invisible. I have a plastic tank cover from a 1982 Honda Goldwing I got for $10 off eBay coming this week. If the size is right I will hide the controller and possibly some batteries as well. I may get small hard shell saddle bags for the batteries.

Paul

Paul, first this is my very first post here @ es and I would like too say your build is amazing!
Your build has inspired me to start my own Tri-Powered Honda Solo 50, Tri-Powered is an electric + Piston + human pedal powered.
So yes my build will be a Motorized Bicycle with Electric / Piston / Pedal-Human power assisted custom bicycle.

I have a HEAVY DUTY +2 EXTENDED STEEL FRAME backbone type Honda CRF50 style frame, this is my start. I need to locate the complete Honda CB100 front suspension forks, the wheels I'm assuming they're Honda CB100 17-inch wheels and the rear hub, and the Honda swingarm.

Any suggestions or assistance is greatly appreciated Paul!

Couple or few more questions for you if you don't mind.
1. How do I go about getting a blowup picture like the one you did for the solo, and is it exact measurement. How and what do I tell Kinko's staff to get this type of picture blownup?

2. I only know the engine dimensions 17-inches length, and tire size is: Front Tire 70/100-18M/C41P and rear is Rear Rear 70/100-18M/C41P, so that would be a 16-inch rim y/n?

3. I will be doing an tri-powered Honda Solo 50 inspired build, with the front hub being electric and rear wheel being human pedal powered with piston powered honda engine just like on the original Honda Solo.

4. Where can I locate a Honda CB100 complete front fork ie suspension and the Honda Solo 50 rear wheel with hub?

The only website that I could find in Japan was Tokyo Motorbikes.com or his facebook page (Tokyo Motorbikes), his site is the only one that I could find in english, sent him an email trying to locate some parts for me. He's an Aussie from what I can tell living in Tokyo. The owner is Richard Castel of Tokyo Motobikes, I believe he's an aussie from his email reply back to me. Aussie's do call their male friends Mates. His reply to my request was I'll see what I can do for your mate!

Please post an update on your build soon, and thanks for sharing this build with everyone.

P.S. If you like you can see pic's of my frame a 2-inch extended backbone style frame just like one used on original Honda Solo 50 at my photobucket page here:

http://s978.photobucket.com/albums/ae26 ... Solo%2050/

Peace Crazyhorse.

[PHC]

All parts were purchased off eBay used. I used a CB100 triple clamp, front and rear wheels. I used brand new rims and spokes mounted to used hubs. The forks are new aftermarket ones, search ebay for CG125 front shocks. the seller is, ophir4u

"Front Shock Absorbers 27 1/4" length Replacement Honda CT90 CT110 CG125"

The rear swing arm is from a CM185 which I modified into a mono-shock design.

The main tube is 2 inch X .125 wall mild steel tube, but I would use 4130 steel for all components if I make another. The tube is bent to 50 deg. The hardest part is to bend the seat support tube. I finally made it in 2 pieces and welded them together. I have been an aircraft metal worker since 1984 so what I lack in design skills I make up for in experience.

Regards,
Paul

[john in dc]

Any updates on this awesome build?

Rgds...

- John