Norco A-line 144v 200amp Lipo 150km/h build

[rjc34]

Andje, holy shit, that thing is insane!

Once I get my commuter together, paid off, and some more money scraped up, I guess I'm going custom battery. That thing just looks so damn fun to ride I can't resist at all. It's Rob, BTW.

[Andje]

Current price list just for posterity;

1250- 2009 Norco Aline
600- 5403 Motor
1200- Kelly Controller 144v 300 amp
1000- 12 6s 5ah 20C Lipo+ backpack/wiring
200- Hyperion Charging system
200- Drop outs, wiring, throttle, brakes, etc.
Total; 4450

Not really that much money imho for a bike that accelerates like a super bike doing 0-100 km/h in under 4 seconds and is offroad/onroad capable of 100km/h+ for about 45 minutes to an hour for 70km+range. Keep in mind these vids have been done with only 100v, not the 180v max, and half current both battery and motor limited via the software. After I cool the motor and then turn it all up, the true potential will be like letting a missile out of a rocket

[MattyCiii]

Thanks for tallying up what you have into the bike. I just last week put all my receipts together from my own bike build, and the tally damn near made me soil myself. Not in a good way, either. Seeing your tally helps take some of the sting off. That, and seeing what a well built bike can do really helps!

[Andje]

Haha, we could join a support group MattyCii, but i have a feeling we'd be egging each other on... Keep the Aline coming, it is so worth it. My previous bike was great, but dual suspension is really amazing.
I spent 7 hours machining the dropouts today, finishing them mostly. Still need to add the derailer/tensioner; coming from a hardtail past, I had no idea that the chain length varied with the suspension compression; I tried to chuck a tight chain on there and couldn't figure out why i was loosing my bounce... Thought I was squeezing the frame with the motor bolts, and I spent a long time spacing the 150mm perfectly only to figure out it didnt help, and to eventually realise it was the chain.
Also got the rear calliper mounted. It's got about a one good millimetre of clearance with the motor cover hex heads... might have to grind them all down or replace with flatter.

[MattyCiii]

Support group, too funny! "Hello, my name is MattyCiii... and I have an e-bike problem!"

I really like the Surly Singelator as a chain tensioner, if you don't have a derailleur hanger laying around.

[Andje]

"hello, my name is Andje, I have en e-bike problem..."-Andje
"Hello Andje!"-Group
"I can't seem to stop buying things to make me go faster..."-Andje
"How fast can you go?"-Group
"Only just over 100km/h right now... I want to go faster."-Andje
"100km/h? HOW CAN I DO THAT? WHAT DO I NEED TO BUY"- Group

[MattyCiii]

Sponsor: "Here Andje, it's your 100 kph chip. You've earned it!"

[Andje]

rofl

[Andje]

Just a small update; I hate hydro brakes. I hate filling them, I hate bleeding them, I hate them. I hate the feel of them, I hate the look of them. They stand solidly hated.
But, the daisy chain is going to work, once I get all the air out of the system. I am using a Hope double banjo kit to link the bleed port of the front caliper to the in port of the rear one; this will enable me to operate both brakes with the one lever, and I will also be getting regen braking working with that same lever. So I will have one brake lever on the left and my "go" lever on the right. I love the simple look of it, and operating it is also sweet; you quickly get used to pulling just a little to trigger the regen, and then progressively more to trigger the two brakes.

[binlagin]

Are you running a dual disc front brake? Or you hooking up both front and rear to a single lever?

[Andje]

front and rear single lever

[MattyCiii]

Just a small update; I hate hydro brakes. I hate filling them, I hate bleeding them, I hate them. I hate the feel of them, I hate the look of them. They stand solidly hated.
But, the daisy chain is going to work, once I get all the air out of the system. I am using a Hope double banjo kit to link the bleed port of the front caliper to the in port of the rear one; this will enable me to operate both brakes with the one lever, and I will also be getting regen braking working with that same lever. So I will have one brake lever on the left and my "go" lever on the right. I love the simple look of it, and operating it is also sweet; you quickly get used to pulling just a little to trigger the regen, and then progressively more to trigger the two brakes.

Andje,
This sounds really cool. Can you please post pictures?

[Trackman417]

Just a small update; I hate hydro brakes. I hate filling them, I hate bleeding them, I hate them. I hate the feel of them, I hate the look of them. They stand solidly hated.
But, the daisy chain is going to work, once I get all the air out of the system. I am using a Hope double banjo kit to link the bleed port of the front caliper to the in port of the rear one; this will enable me to operate both brakes with the one lever, and I will also be getting regen braking working with that same lever. So I will have one brake lever on the left and my "go" lever on the right. I love the simple look of it, and operating it is also sweet; you quickly get used to pulling just a little to trigger the regen, and then progressively more to trigger the two brakes.

Andje,
This sounds really cool. Can you please post pictures?

..... Please

[binlagin]

front and rear single lever

How come you don't want to control the breaks independently?

Won't this cause early rear slides under heavy braking? Sounds kinda scary ><

[Andje]

I'll have it set to trigger regen first, then brake. Ideally you'd do it progressively, regen, then front then rear brake. So when I set up the hydros and finally pump them to set the pads, Ill set the front a little tighter then the rear, and it will first brake front then rear, with the option to lock both if I squeeze hard. The thing is, even in a high speed stop situation, you DEFINITELY want to use regen if you can. Ideally you would "slam" on the brakes, triggering max regen and max non-locking front brake. Then at about 20km/h you would prbly want to lock the back wheel as the regen stopping power peters out. Either way, I would just never, ever slam them on. I would always ramp it on, getting as much out of regen as possible. You maintain complete control while getting maximum decel that way.
Anyway, I have bee using that set-up on my powered bikes for literately 5 years now. It allows for one brake lever on the left with one throttle lever on the right. I cannot use the thumb throttles, over long distances holding them at WOT my hands cramp, its just unpleasant. I like the thumb triggers snowmobile style, but my favourite is the brake lever throttle for sure. Holding it down is easy as cake

In other news, bike is still noncomissioned due to the bleeding of these brakes being just the worst thing around. I am waiting to be paid, then i will prbly invest in a bleed kit or at least try and proccur an appropriate sized syringe for the forcing of oil through from the bottom up. I am having a hell of a time clearing the whole system because it is twice as long with two different piston sets in it, meaning twice as much air in the first place with twice as many places for it to get suck and half the bleed valves. It's the very first time I have played with hydro brakes, and I frocking hate it. There is literally like 10 bikes worth of frocking mineral oil on the ground. If it was DOT brake fluid I would be dead by now.

[crusoe]

What brakes are you running andje? I'm running Hayes HFX 9, and binlaggin has Avid Code 6's I think. Anyway, it's much easier to bleed with two people. But even still, it takes 5 minutes to bleed front and back. You DEFINITELY need a bleed kit though, we've never had any problems with spills or anything. Also, I've got access to mega sized syringes from the hospital should you need some. Just let me know, they definitely help in getting high pressure into the lines

[Andje]

I have a Deore XT on the front and a Saint in the rear, being run on the saint levers from 2009.
I think I just need two people and the proper equipment, as you say...
It's funny, i don't know how many people have read zen and the art of motorcycle repair, but since i have one working bike and no money to solve my problem by getting a bleed kit, i lack gumption right now .

[Osarus]

Sweet ride! and you are mental enough to be sponsored by redbull riding that! and i wana join ya

I was looking at an RC outrunner but the x5's seem more then enough tourqe!

What sot of wattage are you pulling from the battery on your runs around 100km/hr?
Im looking at setting up a 5403 at 72v, trying to work out what speed i might have at that voltage. 100 looks crazy let alone higher!

[scriewy]

ehh.... what's the no load speed ?

i searched for it 4 hours, red 3 12 pg threads, docs and yours and others and no 1 mentioned no load speed everybody got distracted by mods.

doutch420 and your load speeds differ because of total load weight so it's toooo complicated to extrapolate no load speeds of 5403.

[Andje]

Update!

So... the Battery work was going swimmingly until June, when my apartment burnt down. An unrelated stove electrical issue went up at night, destroyed my apartment, killed my two cats and almost took me and my roomate with it. its all very tragic and shitty, but this post is mostly about moving on since then; the only thing i will say is that even if they are not dangerous or charging, lipo batts in you living room is a LOT of fuel if something ELSE starts the fire. I have yet to see it mentioned, but even monitored safe batteries are dangerous when everything else hits the fan.

Both my bikes were fine, just singed, and although the battery backpack burnt, the konion cells survived. I spent the summer assembling them into a 40s 10p pack. i recently finished the bike, nothing left but some finishing and prettying up details.

It will do over 100km/h but I don't know how much more; prbly not much. It pulls over 100 amps battery, but again I haven't pushed it yet. The 5403 is obviously not quite fast enough for my needs: although it heats slowly and gobbles the amps, I really want to push past 120km/h, and I have the voltage, amps, erpm and bike to do it, just need a motor. So Im going to start the rewire of my double hs, and aim for a 150km/h wind and see where that goes.

Apart from the top speed I am quite happy with the bike. The rear suspension is amazing, the battery placement makes the ride really smooth with no wheelie feeling (although you can certainly force it :p.) Im still figuring out the regen; it is very good, when it works, but its not consistent enough for me yet.

Ill get some pictures up later today.

[binlagin]

Damn... sorry to hear about your losses Andje. I was beginning to wondering where you went! Good to hear your ok thought.

Look forward to seeing those pictures!

[Arlo1]

Shitty dude. I will put it in my sig later but lipo needs to be treated like gasoline. It kinda has been posted to treat them that way but not super clear.

[Andje]

Yeah ive been reading about lipo since it started being used and no one has quite phrased it this way quite yet. im saying it: its irresponsible to have lipo in your house at all unless you are actively doing something to it. As you say arlo, its as dangerous as gasoline, and you wouldnt leave a bunch of gasoline on your liivng room sofa. tbh my fire wouldn't have been much better without the lipo, but it certainly contributed to the destruction and damage. I would never store it inside again.

[scriewy]

sounds like BIG ass, magic smoke gods and fairies had a party at your place.

your were renting the place nhaa ?

condolences for the furry balls.

[Trackman417]

Sorry to hear about your loss. At least nobody got injured, that's all I can say. As far as storing lipo's. I store them in my bike in my garage. Nothing that is absolutely needed in there so if the batt's burn. More space for me!

Look forward to seeing some updates with the rewind and maybe some pics.