Author Topic: Electric Conversion (Read 6661 times)

Lunchbag · **on:** January 17, 2015, 09:48:24 pm

Last year my connecting rod broke and destroyed the engine casing. While I agonized over what to do, my wife reminded me that I happened to be looking for a motorcycle with blown engine to do an electric vehicle conversion. Although I had previously no intention of using the RE as a platform, it made more and more sense as I looked into it. Here is a video of a bench test of the equipment and a preview of how it will be installed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2mVDMEmIt8
I'll post more when I get it on the road...

High On Octane · **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2015, 11:21:36 pm

My boss is building Hybrid 2 Impreza right now. I tried to tell him to use a motorcycle motor, but he wasn't to use the Subaru motor. I say do it! It's a perfect motor for it, really efficient and best at producing low end torque.

ajb235 · **Reply #2 on:** January 18, 2015, 10:09:09 am

That's an interesting project!
What batteries are you using, and do you know the weight of the battery pack?

Good luck with this, looking forward to hearing more.

Adrian II · **Reply #3 on:** January 18, 2015, 11:43:58 am

Sadly it's not just the weight but also the cost of viable batteries that's off-putting. One Electric bike was retailing at about $14,000, of which the batteries alone cost $9,000.

A.

flyboy · **Reply #4 on:** January 18, 2015, 01:19:09 pm

Awesome project Lunchbag!
If you don't mind sharing, approx how much do you have invested in components for the bench test?
Do you know the weight of the bench components?
I'm guessing the motor and trans out of that military weighs in at about 125lbs. Just curious of the difference in weight...may not be as much as most would expect.
Please keep updating with photos as progress continues.
Good luck!

Lunchbag · **Reply #5 on:** January 19, 2015, 03:44:18 am

The batteries are Nissan Leaf modules. I'm using 11 for this project (the Leaf uses 48). The battery pack weighs 92 lb. The motor is 39 lb. Charger 13 lb. Controller 8 lb. Contactor 3 lb. Framing metal will be a few more pounds. I would like to end up at or below original motorcycle weight. Weight distribution should be close to original as well.

I have just under $4100 invested. Total conversion cost should be under $5k when complete. I'll never recoup the cost but is has been a blast to learn all this stuff, and the building and riding should be even more fun. I'm documenting the process pretty thoroughly and will one day get a good description online with photos, however it is a slow process for a first-timer so it will be awhile.

High On Octane · **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2015, 12:10:07 pm

Wait..... Are you building a hybrid bike or car?

Lunchbag · **Reply #7 on:** January 23, 2015, 02:04:45 am

No, it will be an all-electric conversion of a Bullet 500

High On Octane · **Reply #8 on:** January 23, 2015, 02:26:49 am

That will be cool!

Lunchbag · **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2015, 01:24:00 am

Update: I got the entire drive system installed and took my first test ride on Sunday. Here are the links to a couple videos:

Walkaround: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvjDo8ZO7bI
Test Ride: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnO8s7pUaD8

I have other pictures and documentation of the build, which I will eventually put on a website. Then I'll stop clobbering this forum with my electric frankenbike news, I promise!

Mike_D · **Reply #10 on:** March 25, 2015, 01:56:08 am

Wow, awesome! What is the top speed roughly? And your range between charges?

single · **Reply #11 on:** March 25, 2015, 02:56:20 am

Wow!Really nice work.Thanx for the videos.This is a cool project,for sure.I also would like to know the top speed.

ace.cafe · **Reply #12 on:** March 25, 2015, 03:05:51 am

Very cool. Goes very well!
I enjoyed watching the video.

Gesewa · **Reply #13 on:** March 25, 2015, 04:49:56 am

+1 on wow.

greenie · **Reply #14 on:** March 25, 2015, 06:42:04 am

WOW!! what a great way to give a bullet a new life! thanks for the good videos.

ERC · **Reply #15 on:** March 25, 2015, 01:05:06 pm

Very nice job, what do you think the range will be before a complete recharge on the batteries. ERC

Lunchbag · **Reply #16 on:** March 26, 2015, 01:28:00 am

Thank you for the many encouraging words.

I have not ridden it since that first ride on Sunday, so I don't know the top speed yet. Maybe I'll try for it this weekend. I also may experiment with a larger front sprocket, which could give better range and top speed at the cost of low end acceleration. I think it will go 65+

I believe I'll get 40+ mile range. My commute is 17 miles each way, so that would give me a little margin. I can get efficiency stats (in Wh/mile) from the Cycle Analyst, but I need to do realistic driving in traffic to get a useful range figure. Which means I should really be working on the lights, signals and horn rather than performance testing. But when I finally saw the rear wheel turning last weekend, I couldn't help myself!

AmBraCol · **Reply #17 on:** April 25, 2015, 03:31:37 pm

Wow! I just stumbled on this post, a month after your last update.

Do you have any further updates on it? Inquiring minds and all...

Something that occurred to me while watching, how practical would it be to have a wheel mounted generator to power the lights, horn, etc and thus cut the load on the batteries a bit? I'm thinking along the lines of one of those old bicycle generators that one used to see powering the headlight. It would have to be a bit beefier than the bicycle ones as the motorcycle headlight, turn signals and such pull a lot more current than the tiny incandescent flashlight bulb those bike headlights used to run. Perhaps you could fit a dedicated battery in the tank along with the circuitry necessary to regulate voltage, etc. and charged by a wheel driven generator.

High On Octane · **Reply #18 on:** April 25, 2015, 03:46:18 pm

Super awesome! Just watched the videos last night on a different thread. Very cool stuff. I'm curious on the approximate build cost, as I'd like to build something similar in the future.

Lunchbag · **Reply #19 on:** April 25, 2015, 09:13:46 pm

A wheel-driven generator could be used to power the lights, but the extra load on the drive system would result in less efficiency than simply powering them electrically through the DC/DC converter. The DC/DC converter is a beautiful thing, with a capacity of 400W (way more than I need) and rock steady. It is integrated into the on-board charger, has a very high efficiency and eliminates the need for an extra 12V battery. It also has switched and unswitched outputs, allowing me to activate the lights and drive system using the original key switch and run switch.

I have a few more stats:
Range: 44 miles (actual commute profile).
Fuel economy: $0.01 per mile
My acceleration technique was imperfect and I think I can re-do it for better results, but I measured:
0-20: 2.0 sec
0-30: 3.6 sec
0-40: 5.2 sec
0-50: 7.6 sec
0-60: 11.0 sec
Top speed: 70 mph
Weight: approx 385 lb (bathroom scale method)
Cost of conversion: $4557
I have a few more items to buy to finish it nicely.

I'm building a nice website with detailed information on all the components and the build process. I'll put a link on this thread when it is presentable. I will also include detailed parts, material, cost and vendor info on the website.

AmBraCol · **Reply #20 on:** April 26, 2015, 04:29:12 am

Thanks for the info. This is quite different from 'most anything I've ever contemplated before. It fits no need in my current life style, but is fascinating to see anyhow!

How long does it take to recharge?

Bulletman · **Reply #21 on:** April 29, 2015, 08:15:59 am

Awesome Job Lunchbag, thanks for posting and sharing your progress and success.

Bill Harris · **Reply #22 on:** April 29, 2015, 06:16:13 pm

Lunchbag,

I really like what you did very much. Your workmanship on this project is beautiful! Thanks for sharing this with us and keep the good work up. I also enjoyed the videos, THEY'RE GREAT!

Royal Enfield people are good people

Cheers,
Bill

Lunchbag · **Reply #23 on:** June 22, 2015, 01:44:55 am

I now have a website online which describes this project in lots of detail:
Website: https://electriccycle.wordpress.com/

It includes pictures, descriptions, data, and videos, including this newest video:
Ride-by video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZAIOPM7eEY

Enjoy!
Aaron

High On Octane · **Reply #24 on:** June 22, 2015, 04:04:50 am

That bike is so flipping cool! Excellent job building it! Have you recorded a top speed yet?

Ducati Scotty · **Reply #25 on:** June 22, 2015, 10:57:33 pm

You actually increased the top speed! I don't think too many conversions can say that. Well done!

Is there any framing to protect the battery packs in case of a crash? I know they're not cheap.

Scott

Lunchbag · **Reply #26 on:** June 24, 2015, 12:00:26 am

73 mph is the highest I've seen. Crashworthiness is something I need to work on, along with rain protection and human protection. I have the crashbar in storage a few hundred miles away. I'm not sure if it will still fit on the frame.