Borderline E-Motorcycle

[senoritoriver]

So today im making about $800, and i want to start my ebike project! Where i live, i'm about 10 miles from my school, and the speed limit is 45mph. I'm pretty sure i can charge it when i get to school also if the charger isnt too large. But, after all of my research, i've come across one problem. It is possible to get a bike going that fast, but the range is greatly decreased.

What i need:
10 miles range (minimum)
capable of going 45mph for 7 of those miles
has to meet safety standards to be registered as a motorcycle or scooter

My starting point:
A full suspension mountain bike with disc braking
A 48 volt 1000 watt motor kit form monster scooter parts
Turnigy Lipo batteries and connections from hobbyking
Charger from hobbyking
home fabricated battery and motor mounts
some meters to give me approx. speed
and i'll add lights and things like that later.

I want to do the gearing exactly like : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8u0N2elaTk
although im not sure where to buy the tensioner he has mounted right next to the motor.
some suggestions would be great as well as some constructive criticism. if you think i should be starting with a motorcycle frame or something please let me know. thanks!

 

[Lebowski]

for the tensioner: use a small derailer wheel to press on the chain, ball bearing from your
GF's roller blades for the pivot point, a spring and some square aluminium tube.

I want to try to build the same as in the vid but with the motor driving the left
side crank...

 

[el_walto]

has to meet safety standards to be registered as a motorcycle or scooter

You will probably never be able to register your motorcyle. If this is a must, it should be your first concern. You may have better luck if you start with a bike that already has a VIN.

 

[migueralliart]

You will most likely need an EVG bike those have VIN numbers and can be registered.

 

[dogman dan]

Even so, it may only register as a moped, and be limited to your states moped speeds.

You need a street legal motorcycle frame, such as a 125 or similar size scooter. Then you can get a 5000w motor, some 40 ah thunderskies or banks of series connected headways, and have an actual motorcycle.

Or just build the ebike, and take your tickets when they come. It won't be a borderline motorcycle, it will be an illegal unregistered homemade motorcycle. That's in the USA I mean. What continent are you on anyway?

RE the build, you won't see 45 mph on 1000w. Nor will a small scooter motor be reliable pushed to 4000w.

 

[motomech]

Some beginner project.
You had better line up some more $800 work days.

 

[Drunkskunk]

The video states 40kph, not 40mph. 40kph is 25mph.
you can do a lot better than 25mph with an ebike and not have it look like that Frankenbike in the video. 30mph, or very near it, is easy with a hub motor and your budget.

you can make a bicycle hit 45 for a few seconds, But to do 45mph at a constant speed over a long distance, you'll need more than $800 and a bicycle.
And there's no way to register a bicycle as a motorbike unless the bicycle had a title and VIN number from the manufacturer.
to do 45 for any distance, day after day, a bicycle's brakes are too weak, the tires aren't good enough and will melt or blow apart, the frame is too weak, the wheelbase is too short, the suspension is inadequate, the geometry is all wrong, ect, ect, ect.


what you need is a small motorcycle with a title, and about $3000 to start it.

 

[neptronix]

http://www.electricmotorsport.com/store/ems_ev_parts_motors_pmac-ss.php

One of these in a light motorcycle chassis will be what you're looking for.

That is the only way to make this idea legal. The motor is also very reasonably priced for the power it puts out.

 

[motomech]

Yeah, build a hub motor for 30 plus and live to be old and cranky like us.

 

[senoritoriver]

After riding a mountain bike today i realized i dont really want to go 45mph on a bike. that would be pretty scary. so i think i might start out doing a hub motor kit then maybe convert an enduro dirtbike into an e-motorcycle. plus i already have a title for it and it has lights, a horn etc.

 

[motomech]

After riding a mountain bike today i realized i dont really want to go 45mph on a bike. that would be pretty scary. so i think i might start out doing a hub motor kit then maybe convert an enduro dirtbike into an e-motorcycle. plus i already have a title for it and it has lights, a horn etc.

I was a motorcycle mechanic most of my life and trust me when I say, Ebicycles are totally kwel, but if you want a motorcycle, buy a motorcycle.

 

[dogman dan]

Heh heh, stick with us and you WILL be going 45 mph on an ebike. But maybe not commuting on it quite that fast. Dawn patroll blasts sunday mornings, or better still, come meet us at the track. Still assuming talk in mph means you're a yank.

You'll have some cheap fun if you just follow the recipe many others have followed. Cheap generic direct drive hubmotor, 72v 40 amp controller, and enough battery and you're in the 40 mph club. Likely the motor kit came with a controller able to take 48v, and would do 25 -30 mph pretty cheap.

Here's a link to video of my cheap hubmotor on the track a year ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnMBlcxVCeE&feature=relmfu

 

[senoritoriver]

i intend to be in the 40mph+ club in a few years... (which really means in a few months) when i have some ebike experience and enough cash saved