I briefly appeared a year ago and asked for some conversion tips. Afterwards I ignored all of your advice and decided to figure it out on my own. Surprisingly I've made something that works. And I'm going to share some information for anyone who's interested.
I already knew I was going to use a QS-138 V3 and a Fardriver ND72360, mainly because I bought them before actually doing anything. Then, I bought a broken Honda CB250 for about $250 off of marketplace. Immediately I tore out the engine, and then realized I had no idea what I was doing.
My first issue was that the last engine mount did not span the whole frame. Meaning that without the ICE engine, there was little support. As someone more comfortable with computers than mechanics, I started designing a motor mount to be cut out of steel. I found a model of the motor online so I could easily trace a mount. Though I did not know how to accurately measure the bikes dimensions. With some photos and measurements I was able to piece together a basic mount. I tested the first iterations via 3D printed parts and cardboard cutouts like so.
Surprisingly after a few iterations things began to line up. A few more iterations later I was satisfied enough to have two mounts laser cut in 3/16" steel.
When I received it I quickly found out that I made the hole for the motor too small. Which took a quick trip to the local waterjet and a bit of grinding. Afterwards it fit fine. I was able to mount the motor on my bike, and by sheer luck (I forgot to even think about it) the sprocket actually lined up with the chain. After getting a proper sprocket, a new chain, and finishing up basic wiring, it was time to test it.
Oh right, the battery. Building this out of my parents garage, I was not going to mess around with building batteries. I ended up buying a 72v 80ah BTR Power battery off amazon. I managed to snatch it at a decent price as I found an old listing. Is it safe? Probably. To charge it I ended up buying two Meanwell PSUs and putting them in series, works fine. Anyways, when I hooked it up to the controller the motor drove the wheel perfectly fine. It ran fine down the road too. I did end up buying a cheap marine fuse as a manual contactor as sparks were eating up my Anderson plugs.
A while later I slapped a seat and a tank on it. I also learned to weld so I could make a steel battery case. After figuring out that the cement blowing up beneath my weld was ruining it, I was able to complete the case. I then took it on a test drive down the street again.
It seemed to run fine, so I was happy. Months and months later I was finally able to weld a seat hoop and proper mounting for the seat and tank. I got a plate for it and my motorcycle permit. After a bit more wiring and lots of safety checks I learned how to ride a motorcycle. It did suck at first, I believe the phase offset was bad so it struggled to go more than 30 miles an hour. Plus the front brake was sticking, so that required fixing. After fixing both of them it had no problem quickly getting up to 55 mph. I haven't tested much faster than that. I also know I can get at least 40 miles of range out of it, though I expect 50-60.
I still have a bit more work to do. Painting the steel parts correctly is important as rust is a pain. Giving those parts 3D printed armor is also something I'll do to tackle this. I also need to fix my wiring situation. I'm planning on turning the tank into a storage compartment and hiding some of it there. Overall, I'm satisfied though.
I already knew I was going to use a QS-138 V3 and a Fardriver ND72360, mainly because I bought them before actually doing anything. Then, I bought a broken Honda CB250 for about $250 off of marketplace. Immediately I tore out the engine, and then realized I had no idea what I was doing.
My first issue was that the last engine mount did not span the whole frame. Meaning that without the ICE engine, there was little support. As someone more comfortable with computers than mechanics, I started designing a motor mount to be cut out of steel. I found a model of the motor online so I could easily trace a mount. Though I did not know how to accurately measure the bikes dimensions. With some photos and measurements I was able to piece together a basic mount. I tested the first iterations via 3D printed parts and cardboard cutouts like so.
Surprisingly after a few iterations things began to line up. A few more iterations later I was satisfied enough to have two mounts laser cut in 3/16" steel.
When I received it I quickly found out that I made the hole for the motor too small. Which took a quick trip to the local waterjet and a bit of grinding. Afterwards it fit fine. I was able to mount the motor on my bike, and by sheer luck (I forgot to even think about it) the sprocket actually lined up with the chain. After getting a proper sprocket, a new chain, and finishing up basic wiring, it was time to test it.
Oh right, the battery. Building this out of my parents garage, I was not going to mess around with building batteries. I ended up buying a 72v 80ah BTR Power battery off amazon. I managed to snatch it at a decent price as I found an old listing. Is it safe? Probably. To charge it I ended up buying two Meanwell PSUs and putting them in series, works fine. Anyways, when I hooked it up to the controller the motor drove the wheel perfectly fine. It ran fine down the road too. I did end up buying a cheap marine fuse as a manual contactor as sparks were eating up my Anderson plugs.
A while later I slapped a seat and a tank on it. I also learned to weld so I could make a steel battery case. After figuring out that the cement blowing up beneath my weld was ruining it, I was able to complete the case. I then took it on a test drive down the street again.
It seemed to run fine, so I was happy. Months and months later I was finally able to weld a seat hoop and proper mounting for the seat and tank. I got a plate for it and my motorcycle permit. After a bit more wiring and lots of safety checks I learned how to ride a motorcycle. It did suck at first, I believe the phase offset was bad so it struggled to go more than 30 miles an hour. Plus the front brake was sticking, so that required fixing. After fixing both of them it had no problem quickly getting up to 55 mph. I haven't tested much faster than that. I also know I can get at least 40 miles of range out of it, though I expect 50-60.
I still have a bit more work to do. Painting the steel parts correctly is important as rust is a pain. Giving those parts 3D printed armor is also something I'll do to tackle this. I also need to fix my wiring situation. I'm planning on turning the tank into a storage compartment and hiding some of it there. Overall, I'm satisfied though.
