I made a thing!

[knox1138]

So i'm almost finished with my first ebike build. When i started this i knew next to nothing about making a bike or ebike electronics. I was just an avid lurker who read alot and has learned alot thanks to all the things you guys do. Now is this the best or most practical build? Not at all. It's more of a e-scooter since i basically got rid of the ability to pedal. It's more that i'm proud that i figured out how to totally diy a thing. This bike started out as one of those crappy huffy cruisers you can get at walmart for 125$, and from there i started tearing it apart, modifying things, and making it my own. I know the crappy my1020 motor is gonna fail sooner than it should, i'm pretty sure the springer fork isn't strong enough at all, and this is kinda hodge-podged together. This was supposed to be a rat bike intended mostly for looks anyway. Needless to say what input do you guys have?

 

[SlowCo]

Nice built, looking good!

But isn't the gearing really tall? What voltage and amps are you using and what speeds is it capable of?

 

[knox1138]

Lol, yeah, the gearing isn't the best. The motor is rated 48v 1000w, and the controller is 48v 1200w. The wheels are 24", and it's a 11t gear on the motor and 44t gear on the rear wheel. I have no idea what speed it's capable of, other than that when i did a test run with the batteries hooked up i held it at half throttle for a bit and totally thought the frame and forks were not made for that kind of power.

 

[The fingers]

The horse shoe foot rests are a nice touch. 8)

 

[Jonathan in Hiram]

I love your chain tensioner bracket, what did that come from?

And of course the horseshoe foot rests, good use of indigenous materials.

 

[knox1138]

Thank you guys! Lol, i saw the horseshoes at a flea market and thought ," those are so gonna be my pedals!'. The chain tensioner is one style of tensioner that's used traditional gas motor bicycle kits. I'm a welder so anything metal that I see and think might be useful I tend to pick up.

 

[John in CR]

Did the bike come with that fork? I ask because it looks like it has negative trail, something I've never seen on a bicycle, or at least never noticed. How is the handling?

 

[Dauntless]

I see the wheels don't match, did you add the disc to either wheel? If so, how?

 

[knox1138]

Oh god no the bike didn't come with that fork, it was a cheap huffy cruiser from walmart. Here's a pic of what it looked like when i bought it. Also, no, the rims don't match because I was cheap as hell an got the rims and hubs separately at very cheap prices and laced them myself because I wanted disc hubs. I spent maybe 50$ between both wheels. Overall it handles nice at low speeds, but i get nervous at higher speeds.

 

[Brake]

Nice and clean. Looks good.

 

[dogman dan]

Nice! I was just thinking the other day about something like this, even though I usually like to pedal.

Yeah, the small front wheel messed with the angle of the headset. It needs the headset re done, or the fork lengthened.

Then do something prettier with the battery.

 

[knox1138]

Sweet! Dogman approved! Yes, the fork is for a 26" wheel, and as such is small. Also, no way am I changing the battery holder on this! Ugly rat bike was the idea from the start. My next build ( that's gonna be a mix of cafe racer/motoped inspired) will be the pretty and functional one done right.

 

[Voltron]

No nitpicking... but really really reconsider the springer... esp with the disc brake. My buddy has a great vid of him riding off a curb, separating the legs of the fork at the axle so the front wheel shot right out in front of the bike still attached to the curved legs. Amazingly he flew over the bars, landing his chest right on the wheel, and it bounced him back up to his feet uninjured, but it was pure luck he didn't do a full face smash.

 

[knox1138]

You're totally right that this springer fork is not a good or safe idea. That being said I'm both cheap and poor so until I save up enough for a good triple tree fork the springer is staying.

 

[andrebandre]

Totally dig the bike just the way it is. One of a kind.

 

[Drunkskunk]

That's a pretty cool thing you made. I'm really digging those horse shoe pedals.