DIY Electric Motorcycle

[Speedtospare]

Project: Full electric Motorcycle, nick named the EV Suzuki until someone suggests a better name.
Budget: $1200.00
Doner Motorcycle: 1983 Suzuki GS 550E blown motor


I though this would be a fun little project to build over the winter. I have already aquired the speed controler for the motor and I am testing AGM Sealed deep cycle batteries and Li-ion batteries for cost vs milage vs life. The frame is the GS is built very sturdy and should support the battery weight. The motor is an Mars AC Etek Style, 48 volt brushless DC
4000 rpm, 8 hp continuous, 15 hp peak. The controller will be a curtis or Sevcon PMAC 24 to 48 volt, 250 amp. I am building this cheap as possible. Battery chargers were an expensive problem. My solution is to use 4 Makita Lithium-ion 7.2-18V used with the cordless drills. This way I can charge up all the batteries at once and have a balanced charge per cell pack.

I have stripped the bike down to the frame right now and I plan on painting it after I weld in all the new tabs, motor plate, and brackets for the batteries.

I will try and post my progress as I go. Keep in miney this isn't going to be a 2 weeks project. it will probably take the whole winter and into spring. I have very limited free time and there always that damn money thing, or the lack there of.

[Speedtospare]

BTW, anyone know where I can get a 72 tooth rear sprocket made around the GTA?

[Vlad]

With 8/15Hp you'll need to strip that bike off any and all unnecessary components and reduce the weight of the remaining ones as much as possible. Taking that sprocket as an example, get the lightest one you can find (aluminum), for the lightest chain practicable. Get a cheap "no-ring" chain, O/X/Y-ring chain will rob you of too much power. Get rid of the fenders (especially if they are metal), chain guard, tank, headlight (put an LED in if you have to). Mount the batteries as low in the frame as possible.

I'm assuming this is not going to be a road legal bike and I don't know what, if anything, is required to register it. I'm also not an electric bike expert - the advices above are just common sense logic. Best of luck and keep us posted.

[zacm7]

check envy rides for stunt sprockets.

[inreb]

The 8/15 hp could be misleading. It's all about the torque.

On standby, waiting to be corrected.

[eastcoast_gsx]

Subscribe!

[AdRath]

Can't wait to see the progress

If it works out well it would be a great way to recycle motorcycles with blown engines etc.

[chinto]

maybe you should get this thread moved to the projects section so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle of the general section. I'll be following your progress as well.

[Paul]

maybe you should get this thread moved to the projects section so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle of the general section. I'll be following your progress as well.

Done

[Kri$han]

The 8/15 hp could be misleading. It's all about the torque.

On standby, waiting to be corrected.

Correct.

Your top speed will suffer (power is related to force AND engine speed), but with plenty of available torque, you can get that beast moving at moderate speeds.

Might I suggest looking into a CVT transmission? There are relatively simple ones out there that can be had for cheap. Basically, they run via a belt which slips on a conical surface, depending on wheel speed, while keeping motor speed constant (great for electrical motors, since they pretty much perform best at their optimal efficiency at one speed) Plus the added benefit of no shifting, and smooth operation.

Prepare to end up with a bike that will weigh more than your "engined" gs500... batteries are heavy mofo's.

How about "SuzukEE"?

[Speedtospare]

Vlad

Yes its going to be road legal. If I use the li-ion batteries it will be much lighter than stock. All signal lights will be made by myself out of focused 8-10 mm led. I have some test units working already. The headlight will be a problem. LED's dont project really far, I will worry about that later. I will need a flash controller for the led's.

Zacm7 : thanks I will call envy after I get the frame painted and the motor mounted.

Inreb: the HP is very misleading. Some people have the Etek-R motor running 72V and achieving over 120 kms/hr although there distance is only about 12-15 miles. I will run 48V max whick kills acceleration and add more batteries in parallel to give me longer run times.

Kri$han : I was thinking about a CVT but decided against if for now due to my limited budget. Some poeple have basically taken the stock motor removed the head and rods leaving and left the crank in place. Then the electric motor is attached to the crank via a chain and sprocket. They retain there factory gear box. Neat idea but it adds weight and the low gears are not needed due to the extra torque of the electric motor. It also limits battery space.

[Vlad]

Yes its going to be road legal. If I use the li-ion batteries it will be much lighter than stock.

Nice. I wonder how much good Li-ion batteries are going to cost.

I will need a flash controller for the led's.

That shouldn't be a problem. I don't even think they make mechanical (impendance dependent) turn signal controllers any more.

[Speedtospare]

[QUOTE=Vlad;1126697]Nice. I wonder how much good Li-ion batteries are going to cost.



Almost 80 bucks for twelve A123 3.3V 2300 mA cells. Expensive.

If anyones 36V dewalt Li-ion pack stops working I will buy it off of them. They use the same cells in the drills.

[mandwer]

What kWh rating are you shooting for?
Is a 72 tooth sprocket really the way to go? I would have thought that you would decrease number of teeth for more top end. Or are you ditching the transmission to?

[Kri$han]

Kri$han : I was thinking about a CVT but decided against if for now due to my limited budget. Some poeple have basically taken the stock motor removed the head and rods leaving and left the crank in place. Then the electric motor is attached to the crank via a chain and sprocket. They retain there factory gear box. Neat idea but it adds weight and the low gears are not needed due to the extra torque of the electric motor. It also limits battery space.

Neat indeed... so, I take it you're not going to do that, or are you?

Would you be interested in fabrication plans (machining and assembly details) for a low-power CVT, used in University SAE Baja competition?

I *might* be able to get my hands on a set of plans from my university days. Two of my close friends fron Waterloo championed the UW Baja car in 2006.

[Speedtospare]

What kWh rating are you shooting for?
Is a 72 tooth sprocket really the way to go? I would have thought that you would decrease number of teeth for more top end. Or are you ditching the transmission to?

Yep, the transmission is gone as well. Single Gear, but I can rig it up so it has reverse, but its still the same gear lol.

[Speedtospare]

Neat indeed... so, I take it you're not going to do that, or are you?

Would you be interested in fabrication plans (machining and assembly details) for a low-power CVT, used in University SAE Baja competition?

I *might* be able to get my hands on a set of plans from my university days. Two of my close friends fron Waterloo championed the UW Baja car in 2006.

Thanks but that would put me way over budget. I found out with past project that its just best to keep it simple and get the thing running. Modding later is easier.

[Speedtospare]

OK, small update and some pics. I managed to get a few hours of work done tonight while the kids watched a movie. I have the kids all weekend so there won't be any work completed over the weekend.

There is some slight surface rust and a ton of grease and crud. Good news, no leaking fork seals (yeah!) but it will need tires.

I am debating on disassembling the whole bike to paint the frame. This is a budget build so every penny counts. Hmm black or silver frame.

The bike is so light I can almost pick it up. The sock weight was 495 lbs. I'm not sure if that was dry or wet.

Here is the bike is stock trim.





After an hour and a half we have a partially stripped bike. Thats right! she's a bucket.

[Speedtospare]

After the kids went to bed I decided to test make an LED signal light. I use the rear signal marker from my 06 1000RR soldiered up some 8mm amber LED's, wires, resistors, and drilled a few holes for mounting. Keep in mind this was more of a test than anything. I have some 10mm LED's with a more focused beam that I cam going to try. For the 10mm LED's I am going to make a flat mounting surface so they aim straight back.

The pictures don't so it justice, its much bright than it looks.

[Vlad]

Nice work with turn signals. However, unless you plan to put in Luxeon LEDs you'll be better off with a plug in solution like this:



Comes down to ~$5 a bulb, free shipping and no duty, from here.