At the request of Kerm, I am bringing my project documentation to this forum. I know you guys will know what I'm talking about and will appreciate what I am trying to accomplish.
With that being said, here is the bicycle that started it all, from my local Habitat ReStore (which I volunteer at) for a whopping $5:
Note that when I got it the tires were flat, and the handlebar was very badly rusted. After an hour or so with some power tools, I got the handlebar rust free and shiny and found out that the tires held air. Ironically the rear tire is new while the front is badly weather cracked.
After reading through many projects at EVAlbum.com, I came across a conversion I had been interested in before, one done by Simon Beausoleil:
http://www.evalbum.com/1353
His conversion was done very cheaply, which was one of the high points. His bicycle, although not much of a speed demon, got good range for a good price. That's what I was looking for. The cheapest I could find the motor he used for was $55, and I couldn't justify paying that for a motor that many people hadn't used, but after finding out it was used in the Razor Dirt Quad, I managed with a discount code to get a motor and controller brand new for $55, with shipping costs included. After emailing Simon, I was relieved to know that the motor is very reliable after being used for a long time.
The motor produces 350 watts of power at 24 volts, at around 3500 RPM. Electric motors are most efficient at their peak RPMs, so I wanted to buy a motor with a gear reduction to avoid awkwardly large and expensive rear sprockets. The motor has a reduction of 10:1, giving the final output shaft an RPM of around 350. I ordered a 9 tooth pinion, and since the rear sprocket is around 15 teeth or so, I will be turning the rear wheel at full power at around the same speed as a person pedaling madly would.
Simon used a higher gear ratio on his bike, and removed the pedals. I, however, am going to leave the pedals connected in line with the drive chain to force me to pedal or get brandished by them. I need the excersise, and every little bit extends the range of the bike.
I am also going to replace the front mechanical brake by using an electric brake to the motor, a feature included with the motor controller. The brake will be on one side, while the shifter and throttle will be on the other. If I left the front brake of the other side, that side would be too cramped to sufficiently move my hand to let off the throttle or downshift to avoid an accident.
I have bought the u-bolts I needed to bolt the motor to the frame, and luckily I am friendly with the metals teacher and cutting out an adjustable adapter plate for the motor will be an easy task for the plasma cutter. As soon as the motor arrives, I will have the drive system complete within a few days. After I make sure everything will work, I'll go ahead and buy the throttle and brake, and finally batteries later down the road.
I chose to source all of my parts from the Razor Dirt Quad, for a few reasons. Parts are very cheap through Razor, and are proven to work with each other. Also, since all of the electrical parts will be from a Dirt Quad, If I have any problems I will be able to contact Razor.
With that being said, here is the bicycle that started it all, from my local Habitat ReStore (which I volunteer at) for a whopping $5:
Note that when I got it the tires were flat, and the handlebar was very badly rusted. After an hour or so with some power tools, I got the handlebar rust free and shiny and found out that the tires held air. Ironically the rear tire is new while the front is badly weather cracked.
After reading through many projects at EVAlbum.com, I came across a conversion I had been interested in before, one done by Simon Beausoleil:
http://www.evalbum.com/1353
His conversion was done very cheaply, which was one of the high points. His bicycle, although not much of a speed demon, got good range for a good price. That's what I was looking for. The cheapest I could find the motor he used for was $55, and I couldn't justify paying that for a motor that many people hadn't used, but after finding out it was used in the Razor Dirt Quad, I managed with a discount code to get a motor and controller brand new for $55, with shipping costs included. After emailing Simon, I was relieved to know that the motor is very reliable after being used for a long time.
The motor produces 350 watts of power at 24 volts, at around 3500 RPM. Electric motors are most efficient at their peak RPMs, so I wanted to buy a motor with a gear reduction to avoid awkwardly large and expensive rear sprockets. The motor has a reduction of 10:1, giving the final output shaft an RPM of around 350. I ordered a 9 tooth pinion, and since the rear sprocket is around 15 teeth or so, I will be turning the rear wheel at full power at around the same speed as a person pedaling madly would.
Simon used a higher gear ratio on his bike, and removed the pedals. I, however, am going to leave the pedals connected in line with the drive chain to force me to pedal or get brandished by them. I need the excersise, and every little bit extends the range of the bike.
I am also going to replace the front mechanical brake by using an electric brake to the motor, a feature included with the motor controller. The brake will be on one side, while the shifter and throttle will be on the other. If I left the front brake of the other side, that side would be too cramped to sufficiently move my hand to let off the throttle or downshift to avoid an accident.
I have bought the u-bolts I needed to bolt the motor to the frame, and luckily I am friendly with the metals teacher and cutting out an adjustable adapter plate for the motor will be an easy task for the plasma cutter. As soon as the motor arrives, I will have the drive system complete within a few days. After I make sure everything will work, I'll go ahead and buy the throttle and brake, and finally batteries later down the road.
I chose to source all of my parts from the Razor Dirt Quad, for a few reasons. Parts are very cheap through Razor, and are proven to work with each other. Also, since all of the electrical parts will be from a Dirt Quad, If I have any problems I will be able to contact Razor.
