Donor Bike Selection

[dozentrio]

Hello folks,

I'm planning to start a motorcycle conversion and am already stuck. I can't make up my mind what kind of donor bike to start with.

I don't want a sport bike. I want a comfortable riding position and I want to go on pleasant cruises through the country side with a passenger. To make that make sense, I need as much range as I can get. I don't mind filling some saddlebags/paniers partly with batteries. I still want to be able to cruise at highway speeds (140 kph) and make it to work (120 km).

Is it as simple as finding a honda rebel or royal enfield, or can a bigger light-cruiser like a work as well?

Has anyone done a successful conversion where they kept and used a motorcycle transmission?

 

[SlowCo]

That will be a serious build with speed and range like that. As it won't be a sportbike I would search for a large/long bike with relative light components and use a rear hub motor. A QS 273 might work and leaves a lot of room for a battery pack in the frame where the ICE sits. I wouldn't choose to use a transmission with its losses and weigth/bulk. So a bike with a normal swing arm and no cardan.

 

[Elektrosherpa]

Has anyone done a successful conversion where they kept and used a motorcycle transmission?

Sure, there are lots.
If you search on the web, you will find several builds-including such with kardan drive.

I did this, too, in my Bultaco conversion.
Had to swap the rear sprocket for a considerably bigger one (70 teeth instead of 44), that was all I had to change.

But this conversion is totally different from what you intend to do-
the bike is way lighter, and my max.speed will sure not be higher than 80-100 km/h.