50cc auto scooter conversion to electric (with video)

[el_walto]

Consider yourself lucky. In Canada BC we have a limit of a "No more than 50 cc engine
displacement or 1.5 kw motor rating" for low speed motorcycle. Good luck competing with a 50CC two stroke scooter on a only 1500 Watts to use.

I guess it doesn't say anything about peak watts?

http://www.icbc.com/csDelPrd/Satellite?c=ICBC_Document_C&cid=1225928240033&pagename=ICBC%2FICBC_Document_C%2Ficbc_DocumentLinkT&proxied=true

 

[Arlo1]

Consider yourself lucky. In Canada BC we have a limit of a "No more than 50 cc engine
displacement or 1.5 kw motor rating" for low speed motorcycle. Good luck competing with a 50CC two stroke scooter on a only 1500 Watts to use.

I guess it doesn't say anything about peak watts?

http://www.icbc.com/csDelPrd/Satellite?c=ICBC_Document_C&cid=1225928240033&pagename=ICBC%2FICBC_Document_C%2Ficbc_DocumentLinkT&proxied=true

Haha it just says a motor rated for no more then 1.5 kw so if the motor is pushed slightly past its rating its proly ok.

 

[Blast]

Hi, i`m a new around, i`m follow this very useful forum, i have a small problem, i can`t open the pic`s, what i`m doing wrong?
i just gor a 50cc scooter, and i like to start the electric modification, but without pic`s is a bit more difficult, any one can help?
Blast

 

[gwhy!]

Hi, i`m a new around, i`m follow this very useful forum, i have a small problem, i can`t open the pic`s, what i`m doing wrong?
i just gor a 50cc scooter, and i like to start the electric modification, but without pic`s is a bit more difficult, any one can help?
Blast

All the pictures got corrupt when the forum crashed a while ago, I will have a look and see if I still got the pictures and upload them on here again.

 

[gwhy!]

I think this was most of them..


View attachment 12










View attachment 1

 

[Arlo1]

New video please

 

[gwhy!]

New video please

This project have been put on a shelf because of the stupid uk red tape. I sent the logbook off with a little note saying what I have done to the scoot to try and get it re-reged as a elecy scoot but the logbook just got sent back to me unchanged and no explanation as to why it was unchanged so I have left it as that for now, so there is no new vid im afraid and nothing new to report

 

[Metallover]

Good luck getting it back on the road! This is a really nice project and I would hate to see it go to waste!!

 

[marcexec]

Good luck getting it back on the road! This is a really nice project and I would hate to see it go to waste!!

Please don't let them win.
You have to be persistent. Look at the EVBMW, the first diy EV with NCT in Ireland.
Also you are such an inspiration!
I have a scooter and a Turnigy here mostly because of this very thread

 

[Arlo1]

Good luck getting it back on the road! This is a really nice project and I would hate to see it go to waste!!

Please don't let them win.
You have to be persistent. Look at the EVBMW, the first diy EV with NCT in Ireland.
Also you are such an inspiration!
I have a scooter and a Turnigy here mostly because of this very thread

Yeh I have a small collossus and my girfiends BWs yamaha scooter we plan to electrify but I have to show her how fast it can be!

 

[Whiplash]

Couldn't you just use it registered as a gas bike with the elec motor? How would they ever know? Or care for that matter?

 

[katou]

Seriously Gwhy, you've got to keep on this, even if you give it a month or so to rest. Your work has really inspired me, among many others I'm sure.

I am in negotiation with a few different places to get my hands on an old Vespa that I plan to electrify, mostly because of you.

Did they at least indicate WHO looked at the logbook? Might help to contact the local councillor or member of Parliament (I can't remember what you call them over there) and bend their ear a bit. No harm anyway.

Maybe find custom motorcycle builders and ask them how they did it?

Good luck my man, persistence overcomes most obstacles, patient, plodding, relentless persistence.

Katou

 

[richerson]

re: red tape

I had the same deal twice now and finally got a letter back from dvla saying they won't change to electric because it would change the tax class. The only way to do it . Is to mot the bike as electric, then get the tax disk, then send it all off to dvla. I have not managed to mot my bike yet so will let you know how it goes. A few other projects have got in the way of progress with my bike but will get back on with it soon.

 

[gwhy!]

re: red tape

I had the same deal twice now and finally got a letter back from dvla saying they won't change to electric because it would change the tax class. The only way to do it . Is to mot the bike as electric, then get the tax disk, then send it all off to dvla. I have not managed to mot my bike yet so will let you know how it goes. A few other projects have got in the way of progress with my bike but will get back on with it soon.

I have tried to get it mot'ed ( well i have asked up my local garage to mot it ) The mot tester told me that he was unable to mot it because its obvious that it was electric and because its all computer recorded as a gas bike when they pull the details of the bike before they mot it :? , I may try at another mot station without telling them its electric before hand . I had a major discussion with my local mot station,and the only thing that the mot would fail on is the fact that it do not have a exhaust ( this is the only thing that they check for, it needs to be in good condition and that is not blowing :lol: ) so I may just fit the exhaust back on and see what happens, but it wont be for a while as I also have a lot on my plate at the moment.

 

[grindz145]

Find the loophole! The mot/dot can be rediculous and the only way to fight fire is with fire and if all else fails plead ignorance

 

[etard]

You might have to grease some palms, that's how I got my 1977 camper van to pass the smog test, I paid the guy $200 and he ran it through as if it was a 1999 dodge van with good emissions.

But seriously, you have to think of them as a business that just wants money, the rules are there for that express purpose, and you have to jump through thier hoops in order to hand them that money. So just tell them what they want to hear and have the cash ready. Over here the Department of Motor Vehicles runs outside of the laws of the court. For instance, if you get popped with a Driving Under the Influence of alcohol and you defeat the case in court, you still have to go to the DMV court and 99% of those cases are lost by the defendant. It's all under the guise that driving is a privilege, not a right.

Sorry about getting this thread off topic, I really like your build, we all wanna see this neat scoot in action. We don't care how busy you are! :wink:

 

[Malcolm]

Hi gwhy

It's a few years since I converted my bike so policy may have changed. Looking at a recent V5C (registration document) the relevant section is Section 7. 'Changes to current vehicle.'

The note at the bottom says 'The tax class shown in section 4 can only be changed when taxing. Please apply at your nearest DVLA office.'

I would visit your nearest office and ask for clarification. Take along any relevant documentation including a spec sheet for the motor, a receipt for the motor and the motor serial number. (If it doesn't have a serial number, you could always get one engraved on it.)

People often change the tax class of vehicles (when they change fuel type) so it shouldn't be a big deal, but from the stories I've heard from others, it depends a lot on the individual who deals with your case. Be polite but persistent. Good luck and please let us know how you get on.

 

[gwhy!]

Hi Malcolm,
Yes I have seen that section on the v5 but there lies the problem it needs a current MOT to be able to tax it :? . Im not sure if my local garage was spinning me a line or not about not being able to MOT the scoot but it did make sense what the guys were telling me, they did say it could be done before it all became computerised but now all the details of the vehicle are on a central database and that the details mush match the vehicle i.e fuel type and this is part of the MOT that the details do match. It seems like a real catch 22, I think I really do just need to get it booked into another test station and not tell them before hand and just see what happens. I know one thing for sure if I knew about these sort of problems up front I would have either got a scoot with a new MOT before converting or get another un-converted "spare transmission" to fit onto the scoot just to get it MOT'ed Im not to worried about changing the tax class as its only £15 a year for a scoot anyway.

 

[Malcolm]

Yes, the system was already computerised when I put my bike through. If I remember the sequence right, I sent off the V5 with notification of fuel type change. I waited a couple of weeks, then took the bike for its MOT. The tester checked the computer and by that time the fuel change had already been logged, so he just went ahead and tested it. I then headed straight to the local DVLA office and they gave me a new tax disc.

The Catch 22 difference is that they now tell you on the V5 to go to the local DVLA office first. I'm guessing that's so they can visually check that you've made the change you claim to have made. I get the feeling they're mostly worried about people claiming to have switched fuel type just to get lower road tax. You might not worry too much about £15 difference, but they do. I still think it would be worth a visit to your local office just to ask for advice.

 

[gwhy!]

Thanks Malcolm maybe I will have a chat with the local office to see what gives and report back. I don't really see why they should be to worried about the tax class and missing out, as they would be getting my money anyway instead of nothing if the fuel details were changed to electric ( isn't all electric vehicles except from road tax ).

 

[Malcolm]

Yes, all EVs have a zero duty rate. You still have to get a new tax disc each year, but the price comes up as zero when you apply for a new disc on online (once you've got the fuel type/tax class changed). I enjoy re-taxing my bike each year 8)

Oddly enough the DVLA didn't ask a single question about the size of the motor I fitted to my bike. That may have changed, but from the information I've been able to dig up, electric motors are assessed on their continuous power rating for regulatory purposes, which is good for us.

 

[Mozart]

Hi gwhy! ! I'm glad you answered, and I already checked your build but can't see what is your throttle interface in the ESC box...

ok after searching for your controller I saw that it's in the controller...

 

[el_walto]

Do you still have the converted scooter, or did you decide to scrap it?

 

[gwhy!1]

Do you still have the converted scooter, or did you decide to scrap it?

I still have it, but its been neglected and not touched for ages.. I keep thinking I will return to it one day but I think its in such a state of rust and cobwebs that I don't think that is going to happen, but I would still like to do a auto scooter one day as it defiantly has merit, but I would start again with a much better donor bike.

 

[el_walto]

Looking at the pictures, the only part I'm really confused about is how you spliced the output shaft of the motor onto the output of the brushless motor.

Do you know if the motor you used had a 10mm output shaft? Trying to find a motor that would match up well, but I've never bought a large out runner before, and don't' know much about sizes. Was thinking about this, but maybe too small, only 8mm shaft. At least in one part of the description says 1350watts making it meet ICBC Low speed motorcycle specifications.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__37793__Turnigy_Aerodrive_SK3_6374_192kv_Brushless_Outrunner_Motor_US_Warehouse_.html