Ideas to covert a lowrider...

[cajunjay]

Hi guys

Got this lowrider I want to convert but racking my brains on what will or wont work. This bike is for cruising and doesnt need to be very fast at all, no more than 15-18mph maximum with steady acceleration as if it was a road legal 36v 250w hub motor.


Hub motor is my first idea but these bikes have 72 spokes and going down to 36 takes away from the look/appeal of the bike.

Rc setup with reduction running through the bb is another idea but probably hard to implement

Lastly a friction drive unit, this seems the easier option but you guys are the experts.


All ideas are welcome..........

 

[melodious]

The 144 spoke holed Ezee from http://ebikes.ca/store/store_motors.php was the first thing to pop in my head. Those lowrider wheels have a lot of spokes to account for :wink:

 

[cajunjay]

pretty cool hub, but a little expensive aswell.

Nice find tho mate

 

[ddk]

single-piece cranks and BIG fenders limit your options.
I would pay someone to lace up the wheel :lol:

 

[Drunkskunk]

72 spoke wheel means you can drill the hub for an extra 36 spokes. I'd go with a Q100 and put the controller and batteries in a fiberglass tank that was made to contour to the frame.

RC or Friction would only be cool if you could make the parts match the style of the bike, reflecting the curves, angles, and finish of the frame/forks/bars in the mounts and gears.

 

[aroundqube]

another idea to research; do not mess up the bike, research adding a push trailer. build your own polished aluminum custom dome and tail lights for the trailer.

 

[dogman dan]

Yeah, just pick a hub, and drill 36 more holes. But first get at least the covers chromed. Hide the controller under the bananna seat, run it on a very tiny 10s lipo pack, possibly one carried on your person so you don't have any ugly battery boxes. If you must, have something very nice looking attached to the back of the bannana seat. Mabye integrated into a sissy bar? Wiring has to look good, in some kind of slick looking sheath. NO zip ties either.

Looks is everything with this kind of bike.

 

[John in CR]

Cajunjay,
You say you got it, but have you actually ridden this bike? With that negative trail I question putting a motor on it at all, but if you did then a free-wheeling geared hubbie on the front, and brakes only on the back wheel. With the driving force on the front and braking force only on the rear, then it might actually handle better than it does as a pedal bike, which is quite suspect. As state earlier, adding 36 more spoke holes is a simple matter.
John

 

[cajunjay]

Thanks for the various ideas some things to think about.

Drilling 36 more holes into the hub seems a good idea but not something I can do personally. A friction drive could be a good option but means i will have a cover over the parts which will take away from the overall look but not much. Just need the space between the back wheel and the downtube.

 

[USAEBIKECO]

Low riders are great. They are really fun.