BrandonB
10 W
Here is the bicycle that started it all, from my local Habitat ReStore (which I volunteer at) for a whopping $5:
Note that when I got it the tires were flat, and the handlebar was very badly rusted. After an hour or so with some power tools, I got the handlebar rust free and shiny and found out that the tires held air. Ironically the rear tire is new while the front is badly weather cracked.
After reading through many projects at EVAlbum.com, I came across a conversion I had been interested in before, one done by Simon Beausoleil:
http://www.evalbum.com/1353
His conversion was done very cheaply, which was one of the high points. His bicycle, although not much of a speed demon, got good range for a good price. That's what I was looking for. The cheapest I could find the motor he used for was $55, and I couldn't justify paying that for a motor that many people hadn't used, but after finding out it was used in the Razor Dirt Quad, I managed with a discount code to get a motor and controller brand new for $55, with shipping costs included. After emailing Simon, I was relieved to know that the motor is very reliable after being used for a long time.
I am also going to replace the front mechanical brake by using an electric brake to the motor, a feature included with the motor controller. The brake will be on one side, while the shifter and throttle will be on the other. If I left the front brake of the other side, that side would be too cramped to sufficiently move my hand to let off the throttle or downshift to avoid an accident.
I had a writeup about why I chose what the motor that I did, but that point is moot now. I bought the motor mount from TNC, and am going to do that route with the same controller. So far most of this project has been fixing up the bike itself. Stay tuned.
Note that when I got it the tires were flat, and the handlebar was very badly rusted. After an hour or so with some power tools, I got the handlebar rust free and shiny and found out that the tires held air. Ironically the rear tire is new while the front is badly weather cracked.
After reading through many projects at EVAlbum.com, I came across a conversion I had been interested in before, one done by Simon Beausoleil:
http://www.evalbum.com/1353
His conversion was done very cheaply, which was one of the high points. His bicycle, although not much of a speed demon, got good range for a good price. That's what I was looking for. The cheapest I could find the motor he used for was $55, and I couldn't justify paying that for a motor that many people hadn't used, but after finding out it was used in the Razor Dirt Quad, I managed with a discount code to get a motor and controller brand new for $55, with shipping costs included. After emailing Simon, I was relieved to know that the motor is very reliable after being used for a long time.
I am also going to replace the front mechanical brake by using an electric brake to the motor, a feature included with the motor controller. The brake will be on one side, while the shifter and throttle will be on the other. If I left the front brake of the other side, that side would be too cramped to sufficiently move my hand to let off the throttle or downshift to avoid an accident.
I had a writeup about why I chose what the motor that I did, but that point is moot now. I bought the motor mount from TNC, and am going to do that route with the same controller. So far most of this project has been fixing up the bike itself. Stay tuned.
