Beach Cruiser + Pocket chopper + Hub

[Bluefang]

Ok, The friction drive i built worked, got me to work and back a number of times and gave me my first taste of the EV grin. Simple to build and once working properly was reliable, but the way i did it with old parts it was noisy, bike chain running at high speed is very loud. Play time over i decided i wanted to build something like a Cafe racer/board tracker. Modernized version tho.

Bought a nice cheap Beach cruiser
Looked around for some suspension forks, found nothing that was reasonably priced so i took a stab and bought a cheap pit bike which is ment to have very good forks, assumed it would fit down the throat of the beach cruiser, it did. So if anyone wants to buy a 125CC 4speed auto 4stroke motor in aus hit me up, i have 2 now, bike came with a spare all for $400.

Got a GM hub motor from Hyena to play with, already setup to use the 12fet Lyens controllers and has a temp sensor and Wye-delta switch . I bought the batteries from the mob mentioned in the battery section selling 6cell 20AH batteries for $109, may not have the full capacity but for $109 for 10-15AH is pretty damn good. See how long they last. Now its the rain season here in Queensland, so i have a month to build it before it drys out again This time i kinda want to build it properly, AJs bikes come to mind but my workshop consists of.....well a back balcony at my apartment.

Please if anyone has any suggestions on how to do the battery box or anything else i am all ears/eyes

ps. The red is all going to be sprayed out to a flat black.

 

[dogman dan]

OOOOOO, you devil. Too bad you don't live in Arizona so we'd see you at the death race. Easy on the brakes, you'll be flying if you lock up those front disks.

Vids posted is a must do. Please!

I find it easy to make battery boxes out of sheet alu, like a discarded street sign, and strips of poplar wood. Then attach to the frame saddlebag fashion. This pic shows the box before the final Alu plate is installed on the outside. Next the finished box.

 

[Bluefang]

Hmm video you say, i ll have to buy one of those spycam thingos recomended on this forum, have to make sure my flat mate doesnt hear about it tho.

I notice you run alot of different hub motor setups Dogman, any chance you have force cooled any of them, Hyena has kindly incorperated holes in the hub for cooling but i am thinking of setting up a forced cooling system like Lowracer used on a hub he had with a blower forcing air into a ring over the inner ring of holes in his hub motor. This will serve double time if i am able to setup the blower to draw air from a filtered box that has a water proof filter over it. Or dont i have to worry too much about water getting into the motor.

Building a saddle box like that is the easiest, but i kinda want to keep it fairly slim and in the frame if i can, but saying that i could mount 1 over the top tube and the other 2 beside the tube much like a fuel tank would sit on the bike if it was a gaser. And that would give a fairly continues line from the massive front suspension and the rear seat, rather then the skinny little tube connecting them atm lol. hmm hmmm thinking thinking

 

[dogman dan]

I just have to go saddlebag style for carrying a huge lipo stack. The pic shows a box I just built oversize, so I can pop up to 120v 10 ah in there for a race, or 48v 20 ah for a cruise. That bike will seldom pedal at all, so no biggie, but when I need a few pedal strokes on a steep hill, it's not too bad actually. Most of the time, I can clamp my legs on the box for leverage when dancing down a twisty dirt trail. Just like leg hugging the tank on a trials bike.

I did put vent holes in my death race bike motor. No forced cooling though, I was not seeing too high temps in a 10 mile kart track race. I could use some holes in this bikes motor too, but it's way to dusty and sandy on those trails to even consider it. I do monitor motor temps once the daytime highs get over 80F. I find I can ride a 48v 10 ah pack dead without overheating this 2810 motor even climbing steep stuff.

You should be able to make some boxes for mounting inside the frame using similar design to my saddlebag boxes. But first look at some other things, like cases for computer notebooks, and small metal toolboxes. Would a small ammo box fit? It would in my cruiser.

 

[AussieJester]

With the cross brace in the center of the frame, it looks like just a style continuation of the seat stays, can i cut them out??? The batteries are a really tight fit, if i have any protection around them they wont fit. I can put one battery behind the seat post but it only has like 1cm of clearance from the tire.

Yes you could but the frames rigidity might be affected if you do
Personally i would leave them and try to work around them
I know finding room for enough packs is difficult at the
best of times. All the best with the project, look forward to
seeing some video, Jay sells some great gear is a very
smart cookie and a top bloke, just don't take any riding tips from him, he didnt get the nick name 'HiGHSiDE' Hyena for nothing, ask him how he broke both wrists early in the year LoL...

KiM

 

[dogman dan]

I'd leave the crossbars too. A rigid frame is a big plus for an ebike. Part of why I like the mongoose blackcomb in the pic I posted. I has a monster of a Y frame on it. Not light at all, but nice and stiff.

 

[Bluefang]

After all the recommendations and suggestions on not to cut out the center brace of the bike i have kinda come up with a plan.

I have been looking to water proof bags to hand over the center bar of my bike and could not find anything that was long enough for the 30cm long batteries. Looked at some waterproof carry bags, didnt really find anything useful either, had a look at old fuel tanks for motorbikes, looks good from the top of the tanks by the underneath is usually cut away in to the tank and would need major modifications.

Currently my best idea is to add some bracing down either side of the tube between my seat and the handlebars to make it as wide a a rear rack so that i can mount a water proof rear rack to that area. The materials to make the rackish space i have on me, all i ll need is a few of those bolting tube clamps. And a water proof rear pan bag is only $40 for a fairly well built one which will have enough room for my 3 batteries and a bit of storage for wet weather gear or something.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MICHELIN-RACK-TOP-BAG-/260709635705?pt=AU_Sport_Cycling_Accessories&hash=item3cb3815679

 

[SunCoaster]

Is this your fork assembly?

http://www.killermotorsports.com/INVERTED_FORKS_14_WHEEL_XR50_CRF50_XR_CRF_50_125_p/pccforks2.htm

 

[Bluefang]

Essentially yes. If you want to buy new ones thats a pretty good price. I have not been able to ride on the forks yet so i cant comment yet on how it rides with larger tires and on roads.

Not sure if it is that brand or whatever but it is the front forks from a pocket bike. I bought i second hand bike in fairly good condition seeing as its very easy to sell the motors from these bikes to be used on go-karts etc. With the sale of the motor and other parts i expect that i will end up paying nothing for the forks.

Looking at buying a 21" motorbike wheel to put in the front forks atm, thats going to cost me tho. $90+ for the wheel, not sure if its dot approved tho so might end up costing alot more. and $90 for a road tire to go on that. The major hit is going to be the weight, avg bike wheels weigh like 2kg total for heavy duty tires and rims, the motorbike wheel setup will weigh in at 10kg. Tho i should never ever get a flat, almost never need to replaced the tire and i should be able to stop on a dime with out worrying about warping my brake discs once i up the power on the bike .

 

[Bluefang]

The motorbike tire arrived so you can see a general idea of how the bike will look, the red mud gard from the rear is off for me to paint it along with the front. I have added some extra seat suports as i will be sitting along way back on the seat normaly. The only problem i think i am going to have is it will look too much like a motorbike soon and cops will be all over it, so i may have to hold of riding it till its registered if it gets there.

 

[RallySTX]

= big fun! That is a cool looking bike already man. It may handle nose heavy as the Iatola, but the look is a killa! 8)

Brian L.

 

[Bluefang]

hopefully the steering is on par with a small motorbike which is essentialy what its turning into Here is another pic of the mud guards reinstalled and the batteries where i am planning to put them once my waterproof panner bag arrives. The front mudguard is going to need work i think, its way to small and will not protect me from water/sand been flung up from the front wheel, ohh well i have a ton of fibre glass stuff that i ended up not using.

 

[Bluefang]

Still waiting on parts to assemble the bike, single speed freewheel, dual bike stand, bag for the batteries and a brake disc for the new wheel, the bolt hole measurements are the same but the larger wheel needs a bigger hole in the center of the disc, and not enough flesh to cut away at the old disc. Mounted a Hookworm on the rear till i decide how to do a motorbike tire.

Rewired my controller, batteries and the motor so i should be able to just plug and play once i have all the parts to assemble the bike.

 

[Bluefang]

The bike is complete, awesome to ride and gets so many comments about it and people wanting to buy one. The seats abit uncomfortable so i am going to buy a banana seat and see how that goes but otherwise the GM motor is performing flawlessly smooth silent acceleration.

Now on to the problem, i have emailed Queensland transport about registering the bike, and they had said yes its very easy to do if it passes all the Australian Design rules which their isnt many for scooters(50cc or 50km/h restricted bikes). Now stupid me builds the bike and then today i went and spoke to the 2 local Approved engineers to get the ball rolling so i could pump up the power on the bike legally, came back with a response from each of the engineers that it would cost me something like at least $2-2.5K to get the bike registered as a Individually constructed Vehicle......gg tho they did give some good advice to just convert a normal motorbike or scooter to electric and they just sign off on the conversion if its the same power for $200 as a engine replacement...

So now i am going to just cruise with the bike at low speeds less then 1/4 of the power, show off at work at full speed, and wait till i find a great deal on some motorbike/scooter and swap everything over to that and sell all the stuff left over. I love how i never plan ahead lol

So if anyone has any suggestions of light, CHEAP, road legal motorbikes to convert fire away. Due to been a hub motor it needs to have a 16" wheel or bigger

 

[thewmatusmoloki]

That is one cool looking, high performance bike you've got there Bluefang.

So now i am going to just cruise with the bike at low speeds less then 1/4 of the power, show off at work at full speed

Yaeh, that's pretty much what I do.

I'll keep an eye out for you when I'm riding around.

Nice work.

 

[Bluefang]

I forgot to add some numbers. traveled 8km to work 184Wh. 40A max, 67V avg and 2.4kw peak. In a 18S pack of lipo roughly how much would i have left if the battery was readings 66.45V just after the ride and a few min later was reading 67.3V?

Pitty i cant register it, hopefully i can get a motorbike and convert it, kinda want to go faster it sucks been passed by cars knowing that you could easily keep up with traffic Getting a ton of comments from people asking where they can buy one from lol.

 

[RallySTX]

Offer to build one for them for a fee. Enough builds and you have the money to register yours. I would get another opinion from some other approval engineers about that fee. That just sounds wrong to me. O mabye take it up with their superiors. I would be kicking myself arround the block for not seeing that one coming. No matter, you still have an awesome bike that I would be proud to own. I would ride it slow too, if I had no other choice. Still better than anything else to me. GOOD JOB!
Brian L.
Pics of complete bike?

 

[Bluefang]

Yeah i am kinda going to do something like that, i am going to put a small sign on the bike saying "want one, email *****" see if i get any bites that way, but i am not going to try and get a bicycle legalised. Its much easier and problably alot better if i can get a light weight Supermoto and slap afew Turnigy monster motors into it with a CVT and have a ball that way. With it only costing $200 + a roadworthy cert for the bike to get it changed over to electric its a hello of alot cheaper even considering the cost of the bike itself. So accouple of months riding the bike and setting it up properly with regen, motor cutout on braking, speedo, large Volt display etc etc. Then i ll put it on ebay and build a better one

Better yet i have a queensland transport guy trying to get me approval to take say a 250CC motorbike that you need a motorbike licence to ride, convert it to electric and then restrict it to 50km/h and then be able to register it as a scooter to allow me to ride it with a normal car drivers licence, increases the ability to sell it massively and if someone wants higher gearing it would just be a matter of reprograming the controller and maybe changing the final sproket Big ideas hopefully something happens If the goverment comes thru with this my dad has already said he would fund the first bike, only if i put slightly less power then i would want in it lol.

I ll post up some pics of the bike in a bit, my camera buggered up and i have been modifying the seat, now its soooooo comfortable

 

[Bluefang]

Some pics of the bike as it is now.

 

[Bluefang]

Hey, Finally got around to making a video of a bike ride to work and back.

Max speed on the trip was 40km/h, I forgot to put some tape over the mic on the camera and been a very very windy day there is quite abit of wind noise, i cut out most of the bad stuff. I plan to redo the programming on my controller as the motor barely gets luke warm, so i ll bump up the power and find some open air public velodrome and hopefully its empty and i can run the bike up to max hopefully before i end up selling it off to fund the next project


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsUmCk7Md1k[/youtube]

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