Converting a 1953 NSU Quick 52. Any Advise?

J

jimmiroquai

100 µW
Joined
Feb 13, 2015
Messages
9
Hi! Very new to the forum and to EVs in general. I'm mainly into vintage and antique bicycles and have absolutely no motorcycle/moped/scooter experience or EV knowledge. I acquired this 1953 NSU Quick 52 moped/light motorcycle ( without an engine) in a trade. I would very much like to convert this to an EV but still be able to pedal it without power. I've been researching a lot but have been getting conflicting info. This is basically a motorized bicycle. The original had a 98cc two stroke engine and ran with 26" bicycle wheels and a coaster brake. I don't need to go fast. A slow cruise would be fine. Terrain over here is basically flat with mild inclines. Can i get away with using a 48V 1000W bicycle hub on this?

Any advise would be deeply appreciated!

Here's a pic of what i have:


Here's what an original looks like:
 
Thanks! Since this is my first EV, i think i'll try something simpler than a Left side mid drive set up for now. I've got a Mxus 3000W hub motor and a Lyen controller on the way. Hopefully it will be enough for this project. :)

Here's the bike, awaiting parts. Just add a chain and some brake handles and i can start pedaling around the block.
Here's the blank canvas...



Do any of you have suggestion on how i can use the tank? What have you guys used your tanks for? Can you post pics of how you've modded your tanks to fit stuff like batteries / controllers, etc?
 
That bike looks AWESOME. Wish i could find something similar around here in Aus with the girder forks and everything.

With the bike have you considered going with a V-belt drive attached to the rear wheel spokes? Easy way to get a ton of reduction so you can use a nice compact 80 size motor from Alienpower with a controller like a min-e from Adaptto which you could easily hide in the tank.
 
Thanks! At first i was a bit hesitant about the trade, thinking there was no way i could find/afford the correct engine parts and do a proper restoration. But then i found this site and i realized that i was basically free from the restrictions of a proper resto job. :) Though, since this is my first EV, i'll try to keep things simple by using a hub motor for now.

Again, my goals are 45kph top speed, 20k commute, roughly 300lbs rider + bike
I've gotten the ff so far:
Mxus 3000w hub motor
Lyen 4110 controller configured for 48V, 3000W

Any suggestions for batteries? Would a 48V20ah lithium ion pack be good enough for this? I am familiar with lipos as well and have the option of going down that route, however i've only used single packs and don't have experience building larger packs. Lithium ion and lifepo4 set-ups are relatively safer for beginners yes?
 
If you have experience with lipo i would use the cheap 10c cells from hobby king. They come in up to 16ah packs as far as i know so 4 or 6 of those setup for 12s would be a simple compact and long range pack. 20ah ok but 32 would be much better :)

Yeah a hub is simple, maybe use 2 smaller hubs to mimic drum brakes. Will be more efficient and fun as the hub you linked is huge and not really great. I would skip the lyen controller and get one of the smaller sabvoton controllers with sine wave and proper variable regen functions, the improved control and features make it well worth it.
 
Thanks!

I still haven't decided on battery set-up.
I've mocked up possible battery boxes that will fit the frame and still allow me to pedal.

Here are some dimensions:
Option 1:



Option 2:



Given these dimension, what would be a realistic 48V 20ah battery config? I'm also open to any suggestions on how to mount batteries on this bike.
 
Got the Mxus and Lyen controller on hand to mock up on the bike. I made a fiberglass cast of the NSU tank so i don't have to cut into the vintage original. It's just basically a shell. Rough finish for now. I've attached the controller to the frame with U-bolts and the tank shell goes over it. Fits nicely.




The Mxus is HEAVY!!! I hope my steel bicycle wheels laced with g10 spokes can handle the weight. I hope my tires can too.


Unfortunately, I have no convenient place to mount the caliper for the rear disc brake. :( The closest i can get places the action lever of the caliper towards the rear of the bike so that a brake cable would have to somehow loop around to activate the brake. Is there some sort of pulley system that can allow this?

I stupidly had the batt box made in stainless steel. Is that an absolute no-no? What if i coated it in EVA foam or something? In any case, i had another battery box frame made in aluminum then i plan to rivet / screw fiberglass/ carbon fiber panels to the frame.

Here it is mocked up:

 
Its a nice bike but its a shame that you went with a square/ sharp angled box. Invest more time so the box would fit with the looks of bike.
I personally dont think that using stainless is a no no.
 
I think this is a fabulous project! The slack head-tube angle will make this E-bike very stable at your top speed. also, the "feet forward" posture of the rider is very comfortable. I really love the look of this. I have had a fondness for classic motorcycles and also the rarely seen girder fork.

Since you made the fiberglass copy of the fuel tank (to avoid cutting the original, thank you for that!), you can later make a fiberglass shell over the battery box that captures the type of look that matches the rest of this exceptional build.

By using a direct drive hub on the rear, you have the option to incorporate "regen", which is regenerative braking. Regen will only harvest a few watts when slowing, but builders who like it report that it works quite well as a magnetic brake (which also helps to keep the stock brakes cool and longer-lasting).

If you choose a LiPo battery pack, exercise extreme caution to avoid a fire. LiPo will be the most affordable, but you will likely only get its full capacity for about a year (if you ride often) Quite a few users have reported the packs capacity is reduced at around 300 charging cycles.

A 50V X 60A =3000W pack from LiFePO4 Headways or high-current 18650 cells would be the ultimate in safety and long life (typically over 1,000 charge cycles), but of course it would be more expensive. I wish you the best of luck with this. Not only will the finished product look awesome, but it will be very comfortable to ride.

Here is the Mental Manno project. I think you will like it.

https://www.electricbike.com/zlatkos-mental-manno/
MM15.jpg
 
Thanks!

@agniusm - Thanks, I agree that the square batt box clashes with the curves of the bike. I made it that way mainly because i'm not sure how much space the batteries will take up. Once i have the cells on hand, i can design a better looking batt box. :) I did have another made, this time just an aluminum frame. This way, i can design fiberglass panels to bolt over the frame. Hopefully i can come up with a better looking box in the near future.

@spinningmagnets - That is an awesome bike! Checking out your build for tips i can use on mine. Re the rear disc brake, i hope the regen will be enough. I have a relined Worksman drum brake at the front but i don't think instant stopping power is a characteristic of this brake. Otherwise, i just had an idea of fabricating a faux exhaust tube which bolts on the frame securely as well as serves as a mounting point for the rear disc brake caliper. Also, LifePo4 and 18650 cells would be my first choice as well...but i'm not yet sure of their availability over here as well as potential pack size constraints.
 
why do you need to keep the gas tank and make up fake exhaust pipes? it is now an electric bike. no need to try to force it to resemble something from the past if that is gonna make it more difficult to implement the conversion imo. use that space inside the frame for the battery and dump the tank.
 
dnmun said:
why do you need to keep the gas tank and make up fake exhaust pipes? it is now an electric bike. no need to try to force it to resemble something from the past if that is gonna make it more difficult to implement the conversion imo. use that space inside the frame for the battery and dump the tank.
Click to expand...
+1

I dislike faux styling, especially exhaust pipes.
 
spinningmagnets said:
I like the stock tank, and I think the faux exhaust pipe should emit soap bubbles...

17m8d0rjcu0nljpg.jpg
Click to expand...

Hahaha! I wonder if the CA v4 will have that feature build in.
 
Thanks for the suggestion, Hillhater. I'm hoping i won't need to fit panniers because the back side is already really heavy with the mxus. I was able to retrofit a band brake to the disc mount on the Mxus. I just couldn't find any place to mount the caliper for the disc brakes so went with band brakes instead. Cheap, and better than just regen, i hope. So for brakes i have a rebonded Worksman front drum + rear band brake + regen. Hopefully that'll be enough to keep things safe.

Here it is so far

 
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