A few of my newer ebikes

I built this ebike for a cyclist friend in 2017. He wanted something he could pedal, with long range, could carry a passenger or 2, could handle mountain ascents, reliable, had regen braking, and could reach 60kph in case he wanted to take it on a highway. Sure it looked a bit funky, but it met all the check boxes, and despite the looks it got stolen. Before it was stolen he sent me pics from a top of mountain wind turbine view that was over 60km from his house and he got home with plenty of battery to spare.

The motor was a high efficiency MiniMonster that I ventilated with external blades to stimulate flow through the motor and soldered the 2 speed switching mechanism to lock it in high. Due to the long chain and having regen I installed chain tensioners on top and bottom. Other than a bit of noise from the chain going over the tensioner rollers the drive was virtually silent and was totally trouble free.

This is the Sachs MadAss that I turned into a high speed electric with a 31s battery and a high efficiency HubMonster that I used a slightly larger diameter tire than usual (just over 20"OD). Top speed so far is 182kph, and that's with only 100% speed setting on old trap controllers. Plus it still had some more to give on that run, but the front fender was cracked and vibrating, plus there was too much traffic for my taste. I'm just biding my time for a pair of high voltage FOC controllers, so I can break 200 and take my record for top speed hubmotor. Of course Rovi used a 3 times as heavy double wide QS monster motor and still managed to burn it up within a handful of 1/4 mile runs, and mine has remained with daily rider tuning in trouble free service for years now.

I have a ton of interim construction pics of this build, and if anyone is really interested I'll post them.

This is a scooter I call Big Red. The battery is 2 x 12s Chevy Volt version 1 modules, though I tapped a terminal at 21s instead of using the full 24s. I built it originally as having a second HubMonster 6phase as the front wheel, but the steering was just too heavy with the 15kg motor and 5" wide tire, so after 1 test ride I changed it to rear wheel drive only. It was a solid workhorse for a year before I got my first Nucular controllers and install a pair of 12F's on it. It's been my favorite ride ever since. On really bumpy roads the smallish tires leave a bit to be desired, which is why I built my latest ebike, but otherwise it zooms around like common motos can only dream of, and it rides and handles great even with a big load or a passenger on the rear rack. This ebike tops out somewhere above 120kph, but I never really tried.

This is the ebike we built for my 16 year old last year. It's go 20s15ah of RC lipo, with a big 25pin connector to tie into the balance taps from the outside, though in 10 months it hasn't needed balancing yet. It's got a MXUS 3k Turbo speed wind being fed by a Nucular 12F controller. With no field weakening it tops out above 90kph with me aboard and has plenty of get up and go. The frame is a Phasor frame I picked up used, which looks beautiful but is a pain to fit batteries. I wish I'd have gotten another EEB frame instead.

I just don't get today's kids. I've had a driver's license and car since I was 15, but down here you have to be 18 to get a license. You can ride a moto-bici at 16 though. If it was me, you'd have trouble catching me at home, but I have to twist his arm to go out with me on the bikes once or twice a week, and it sits unused the rest of the time. It's baffling to me how punching buttons and looking at a bunch of different color pixels can be more fun than doing something in the real world.

I love that first bike, got a 1970's futuristic look to it. Shame it was stolen.

I started a thread in non-hub drives about this bike, so I'll be brief. It's a HubMonster high efficiency 6 phase modified to shave 1.5kg off the rotor shell. It has 21" moto wheels with a 28t:57t gear reduction, so it's like running the motor in a 2.7kg 13" OD wheel making it capable of any grade hill without heat issues. It was built to be a bike for exploring mountain roads and light trail use. With the gear reduction it does 87kph with the battery at 80V, and it gets there incredibly fast.

Hell yeah, some serious DIY projects man, very impressive!

I'll bite on the MadAss pics, definitely interested. The paneling/fairings - did you make those? Really finishes the whole bike off.

Also curious about the rear brakes on the MadAss and Big Red. I see a lot of guys end up removing the rear brake in lieu of regen braking, do you still find a mechanical rear brake useful? I've never ridden a motorcycle so hopefully not a dumb question. Asking because I had tentative plans to remove my rear brake for regen once the Nucular controller arrives.

It's a shame how addicting video games are for kids, of course is it really surprising when you think about the capable minds behind them that are paid to make them as stimulating/attention-grabbing as possible for as long as possible. Having mostly grown out of the addiction myself, I've come to see it with little difference from any other stimulant like drugs or even sugar. I liked computer games in particular because they provided the best escapism and most amount of stimulation possible for the least amount of effort. A devastating combo for arresting development. Of course, different minds respond differently to stimulants. Anyway, hopefully this doesn't derail the thread. Kid doesn't know how lucky he is to get such a sweet bike!

One more thing, with the trail bike - curious about the ergonomics and ride on the trails. On the trails, you're often standing up on the pedals but with the seat position so low do you have any problems transitioning from seated to standing position? Actually, do you have construction pics from this build too? I've been giving more thought to a custom/DIY frame and mid-drive with similar goals. Also, care to comment on the 6-phase motor arrangement - was it worthwhile on this build (looks like you are running 2 Nuculars)?

vanturion said:

Hell yeah, some serious DIY projects man, very impressive!

I'll bite on the MadAss pics, definitely interested. The paneling/fairings - did you make those? Really finishes the whole bike off.

Also curious about the rear brakes on the MadAss and Big Red. I see a lot of guys end up removing the rear brake in lieu of regen braking, do you still find a mechanical rear brake useful? I've never ridden a motorcycle so hopefully not a dumb question. Asking because I had tentative plans to remove my rear brake for regen once the Nucular controller arrives.

It's a shame how addicting video games are for kids, of course is it really surprising when you think about the capable minds behind them that are paid to make them as stimulating/attention-grabbing as possible for as long as possible. Having mostly grown out of the addiction myself, I've come to see it with little difference from any other stimulant like drugs or even sugar. I liked computer games in particular because they provided the best escapism and most amount of stimulation possible for the least amount of effort. A devastating combo for arresting development. Of course, different minds respond differently to stimulants. Anyway, hopefully this doesn't derail the thread. Kid doesn't know how lucky he is to get such a sweet bike!

One more thing, with the trail bike - curious about the ergonomics and ride on the trails. On the trails, you're often standing up on the pedals but with the seat position so low do you have any problems transitioning from seated to standing position? Actually, do you have construction pics from this build too? I've been giving more thought to a custom/DIY frame and mid-drive with similar goals. Also, care to comment on the 6-phase motor arrangement - was it worthwhile on this build (looks like you are running 2 Nuculars)?

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I'm not sure exactly what you mean by paneling/fairings on the Madass. That is a monocoque steel frame made from 13ga steel sheet if I remember correctly. I had a piece bent into a U shape at a local shop. The tube for the seat is fabbed from a piece of pipe used for big truck exhaust, which I ripped along the length to weld in a flat portion to fit the original seat.

The black piece toward the front on underside is fiberglass. I curved a piece of aluminum sheet to be my mold, waxed it several times with mold release, painted in a thick gelcoat layer, and then laid the fiberglass and resin. I made the piece several inches larger than desired in every direction. I then cut it to fit with an angle grinder and 1.2mm cutoff disc. It covers the 4 cells and my DC/DC converter that are hanging on the underside of my battery plate that bolts onto the steel frame to create a rigid structure. 27 cells are mounted securely to the top of that battery plate. The controllers are bolted to the battery plate at the rear.

I think some pics will help it make more sense. Note that I weldes the 2 circles at the rear part of the frame to make it sufficiently strong and rigid at the swingarm pivot.

If your son's bike didn't use RC Lipos I'd be thinking about trying to buy it from you. Nice. The top speeds you are quoting are amazing.

John in CR said:

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by paneling/fairings on the Madass. That is a monocoque steel frame made from 13ga steel sheet if I remember correctly. I had a piece bent into a U shape at a local shop. The tube for the seat is fabbed from a piece of pipe used for big truck exhaust, which I ripped along the length to weld in a flat portion to fit the original seat.

The black piece toward the front on underside is fiberglass. I curved a piece of aluminum sheet to be my mold, waxed it several times with mold release, painted in a thick gelcoat layer, and then laid the fiberglass and resin. I made the piece several inches larger than desired in every direction. I then cut it to fit with an angle grinder and 1.2mm cutoff disc. It covers the 4 cells and my DC/DC converter that are hanging on the underside of my battery plate that bolts onto the steel frame to create a rigid structure. 27 cells are mounted securely to the top of that battery plate. The controllers are bolted to the battery plate at the rear.

I think some pics will help it make more sense. Note that I weldes the 2 circles at the rear part of the frame to make it sufficiently strong and rigid at the swingarm pivot.

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Ah that makes sense, from the first stock picture I had figured that you would have chopped up the original tube frame and just extended it with the U as a panel/cover instead of a monocoque frame. That's way better, looks like a great design. Damn pics are too small though to really make out the details, haha!

How come you prefer Big Red over this one? Looks like a lot of planning and forethought went into the MadAss design vs Big Red which is definitely junkyard build status... (just looks I mean, not to take away from performance/fun factor). So many questions.

vanturion said:

Ah that makes sense, from the first stock picture I had figured that you would have chopped up the original tube frame and just extended it with the U as a panel/cover instead of a monocoque frame. That's way better, looks like a great design. Damn pics are too small though to really make out the details, haha!

How come you prefer Big Red over this one? Looks like a lot of planning and forethought went into the MadAss design vs Big Red which is definitely junkyard build status... (just looks I mean, not to take away from performance/fun factor). So many questions.

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I originally planned to make it close to original but electric, but I wasn't going to be able to fit enough batteries, even with a 2nd shorter tube below, which I thought I could make look good and more true to the original. I still have the original gas tank frame, so maybe someday when batteries get a lot more energy dense...

The MadAss sits parked with the pack at storage voltage, which is easy because the controllers have no bleed down resistor (stupidest idea I've run across on ebikes as it can kill a pack quickly) and no BMS (I can access balance taps through the charge cap) to drain it either. It sits parked due to throttle control. Now that I've gone Nucular any speed throttle or electronic trickery that tries to emulate torque throttle, makes for an unpleasant ride. The MadAss has a 31s26ah pack, so I'm patiently waiting for 150V capable FOC controllers. Sure I could remove 10 cells, but I'd rather take back the HubMotor speed record first by posting something over 200kph with the MadAss.

Big Red actually rides a bit better with a more supple suspension, and the low battery weight and incredibly heavy Sachs fork and wheel set on the MadAss combine to give Big Red a lighter feel. Plus I love the convenience of charging only 2-3 times a week with a larger pack. Red will look a lot better once I get around to making a cover. I already made a front fairing as well as one for the battery that wraps around in front of the foot platforms too.

Now that you bring it up, and I'll soon have a nice stash of Nucs in hand, the much smaller size of Nucular controllers (even my pair of 24F's are smaller than an old Infineon type 18fet) will enable me to double the ah of the pack and still have enough voltage for useful speed. I've been trying to figure out how to best use my pair of 24F's, and this may be it. The motor has my cooling mods, so it can handle whatever current I'm willing to throw at it. I'd need to get a new seat made though, since this one already makes it feel like the bike wants to shoot out from under me. I need to pull the battery rack and see what I can do about fitting 11 more of those 26ah Panasonic cells.

That one is the first pic is awesome unusual looking. Really like it

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Hickbeard said:

That one is the first pic is awesome unusual looking. Really like it

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Thanks. That one was a real hack job. For his bike I bought my first new bike in 40yrs from a Sam's Club type store for about $160 made of steel so I could cut and weld to my heart's content. That $160 wheels, fork, disc brake sets front and rear (I installed the rear disc on the motor), stem, and a complete wide bottom bracket set including cranks and chain ring. I couldn't find a handlebar with enough reach to match the long bike, so I extend one that resulted a bit of tiller effect but not too bad.

A while back I bought a sheet of 13ga steel (just over 2mm thick) and had it ripped into a number of 1" and 3" wide strips. I had them bend the 3" into angle iron with a 1cm radius. That plus rectangular tubing has been my primary construction material. I prefer the angle over tubing when possible, because tubing wastes space which is the biggest premium on our ebikes. Below are a few more pics:

a few more

It reminds me of a cross between an Indian motorcycle with a family of 27 on or a cow and the guy from the goonies. Hey you guys

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I just have to say wow!! awesome ideas and builds...... love them all!!

powrtrip said:

I just have to say wow!! awesome ideas and builds...... love them all!!

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Thanks. Those I build for me tend to go unfinished (no beautification phase once it's up and running and tested)

Here are some spliced together highlights from what was my daily commute of 50km roundtrip, taken with front and rear cams riding my little road rocket commuter powered with a MidMonster 6phase hubbie. I couldn't find any pics especially after I upgraded the front end. As you'll see this thing was a hoot to ride. Another longer clip had a cam mounted on the bike which picked up all kinds of noise transmitted through the frame that wasn't audible while riding. The cam somehow amplified it. I'll get some pics up of it and a couple of other bikes too, a 135kph+ EEB and a little blend of scooter and moto that's about to get Nuc'd since I just got my other box of controllers in.
[youtube]msIlEI2mBGI[/youtube]

Love the way those two guys on bikes are clearly chatting about you and then vamos. See ya.

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