OVERVIEW
The finished project is a 1981 Kawasaki KZ440, converted to electric. It is powered by four Optima Yellow Top sealed (AGM) lead-acid batteries, that drive a Briggs & Stratton Etek electric motor. The speed of the motor is controlled by an Alltrax brand "AXE" programmable controller that can run at up to 48 volts and 300 amps. Contrary to popular belief, and electric motorcycle is NOT silent, but is CONSIDERABLY quieter than a typical gas cycle.
The cycle is GEARED to 45 mph, has fairly good acceleration, no clutch or transmission. There's no oil to change, to mufflers to rust off, no air filter, no carbs to tweak, and no gasoline. I designed it for primarily city riding. The top speed and acceleration could be easily changed by swapping out a $20 stock sprocket.
The cycle recharges from the wall, through a renewable energy program, and if there is a blackout, I can actually run my house off my electric motorcycle! In the future, I hope to expand my system to include charging the cycle with photovoltaic solar panels. Real-world range per charge is 23-32 miles, and charging takes less than 10 hours for a full charge. ( A different charger could charge them even faster - see details on the Batteries PDF)
In this Instructable, I'll walk you through the work required with the motor, batteries, controller, and mounting all components, including showing you some low-tech paper and cardboard "CAD" tricks.
Your Project
But what do you want? You might not even know yet. I always encourage people to take a look at the EV Album. It's an on-line listing of mostly home-converted electric vehicles. Each listing shows the make and model of the vehicle, the cost to convert, the speed and range, and other specifics of each project. You can also search by type of vehicle or brand name.
For example, if you go to http://www.evalbum.com/type/MTCY , you'll see a wide variety of electric motorcycles. Different brand names, lithium and lead-acid battery types, and a wide range of costs of conversion. Likewise, if you want to see Scooters, Mopeds, and Minibikes, you can visit http://www.evalbum.com/type/SCMM
Give some thought to what cycle you would like to convert. Do you like sport bikes? Great! They have a lightweight and strong aluminum frame! Do you like standard? Great! There's lots of those out there and you can show off the motor and batteries. Hang out at biker events with your unique ride!
If you aren't sure what to expect in terms of range per charge and top speed, don't worry, online calculators can help you out.
EV RANGE/SPEED CALCULATOR
Power Use at Speed Calculator
and of course, a
GEAR RATIO CALCULATOR
For more on my electric motorcycle, electric car, and other projects, swing by my blog at http://300mpg.org/
If you are interested in building your own electric motorcycle, but want even more information, more details, and hands-on style instruction, check out the INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO DVD that I created to teach how ANYONE can Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle!
If you are a teacher, and would like to start a class or extra-curricular at your school, I would like to GIVE you a copy! (Click this link for details.)
The finished project is a 1981 Kawasaki KZ440, converted to electric. It is powered by four Optima Yellow Top sealed (AGM) lead-acid batteries, that drive a Briggs & Stratton Etek electric motor. The speed of the motor is controlled by an Alltrax brand "AXE" programmable controller that can run at up to 48 volts and 300 amps. Contrary to popular belief, and electric motorcycle is NOT silent, but is CONSIDERABLY quieter than a typical gas cycle.
The cycle is GEARED to 45 mph, has fairly good acceleration, no clutch or transmission. There's no oil to change, to mufflers to rust off, no air filter, no carbs to tweak, and no gasoline. I designed it for primarily city riding. The top speed and acceleration could be easily changed by swapping out a $20 stock sprocket.
The cycle recharges from the wall, through a renewable energy program, and if there is a blackout, I can actually run my house off my electric motorcycle! In the future, I hope to expand my system to include charging the cycle with photovoltaic solar panels. Real-world range per charge is 23-32 miles, and charging takes less than 10 hours for a full charge. ( A different charger could charge them even faster - see details on the Batteries PDF)
In this Instructable, I'll walk you through the work required with the motor, batteries, controller, and mounting all components, including showing you some low-tech paper and cardboard "CAD" tricks.
Your Project
But what do you want? You might not even know yet. I always encourage people to take a look at the EV Album. It's an on-line listing of mostly home-converted electric vehicles. Each listing shows the make and model of the vehicle, the cost to convert, the speed and range, and other specifics of each project. You can also search by type of vehicle or brand name.
For example, if you go to http://www.evalbum.com/type/MTCY , you'll see a wide variety of electric motorcycles. Different brand names, lithium and lead-acid battery types, and a wide range of costs of conversion. Likewise, if you want to see Scooters, Mopeds, and Minibikes, you can visit http://www.evalbum.com/type/SCMM
Give some thought to what cycle you would like to convert. Do you like sport bikes? Great! They have a lightweight and strong aluminum frame! Do you like standard? Great! There's lots of those out there and you can show off the motor and batteries. Hang out at biker events with your unique ride!
If you aren't sure what to expect in terms of range per charge and top speed, don't worry, online calculators can help you out.
EV RANGE/SPEED CALCULATOR
Power Use at Speed Calculator
and of course, a
GEAR RATIO CALCULATOR
For more on my electric motorcycle, electric car, and other projects, swing by my blog at http://300mpg.org/
If you are interested in building your own electric motorcycle, but want even more information, more details, and hands-on style instruction, check out the INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO DVD that I created to teach how ANYONE can Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle!
If you are a teacher, and would like to start a class or extra-curricular at your school, I would like to GIVE you a copy! (Click this link for details.)
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Signing UpStep 1: Safety
It may be cliche, but every shop class, repair book, and seminar starts off talking about safety.
The reason why is because IT'S IMPORTANT! Any type of work always has some sort of risk to it. Minimize that risk, and protect yourself by thinking ahead and using proper safety equipment.
I'll hit a few of the basics here, as well as a few you may not have thought of that are particular to this project.
Personal Protective Equipment
Wear your safety glasses, work gloves, and hearing protection. If you already wear eyeglasses, the larger "boxy" type safety glasses work well over your eyeglasses. Otherwise, add side protectors to your existing glasses. If you don't wear eye-glasses, I like the the slimmer style that fit tight to the face. This is the same type some motorcycle riders wear out on the road. Heck, get yourself a nice pair, and they are multipurpose!
Wearing work-gloves will save your hands a lot of cuts and scrapes. Thick leather gloves are durable, but clumsy. Mechanics gloves give you much more dexterity. I prefer these, as I can leave the gloves on while using any type of tool. If you have to take gloves on and off to use a particular tool, it doesn't take long to give up on wearing gloves. Wear welding gloves when welding. Latex or other rubber gloves are sometimes handy for working with fluids or while painting.
Wear hearing protection. During any drilling, cutting, or grinding, you should be wearing hearing protection. Soft ear plugs are cheap and disposable, and pretty comfortable. I like the big "ear-muffs" because they are easier to take on and off than soft plugs are to take in and out. I like having "normal" hearing while I am not cutting and grinding.
Remove jewelry, or at least cover it up. Besides getting caught on a moving part, most jewelry is also extremely electrically conductive. Remove rings, wrist-watches, necklaces, wallet chains, and that big key chain hanging on your belt loop. Don't wear big conductive belt buckles that can also scratch paint-jobs. If you can't or won't remove a piece of jewelry (wedding rings, etc.), cover it up. Wearing work gloves will cover a ring, and a necklace can be tucked inside your shirt.
Clothing. I'm sure you've worked on enough projects that you know what appropriate clothing is. Typically, you want long shirt sleeves and long pants. Don't cuff your pants. Metal shavings, dirt, and possibly hot metal likes to get caught in there. Wear closed-toe shoes or boots, preferably leather, and safety toe if you have them. Natural fiber clothing is also preferable. In a bad situation synthetic fibers can melt (onto a person!) At least wear a cotton T-shirt under your fleece sweatshirt....
Now onto a few things that are more specific to this project.
Motocycles are powerful, heavy enough to hurt if they fall on you, have chains and sprockets, and run on electricity by the time we are done with it.
That brings up a few safety cautions of particular concern:
Pinch Points: Be really careful where the chain and sprockets come together! Always make sure you have the chain guard in place. Build a custom chain guard if the project requires it. I once got my finger pinched between the chain and back sprocket when I was adjusting the chain. YEOWCH! That was just with me turning the back wheel slightly by hand. I'd hate to imagine if the same thing happened with the motor running!
Electric Spark and Shock: Always keep covers on the battery terminals. Never work on the cycle with the power connected. Always have the real wheel off the ground when testing the vehicle. Keep conductive materials away from the batteries. 48 volts is right on the border of what is generally considered low-voltage or not. Risk of shock is fairly minimal, but all electricity should be taken seriously. SPARK is a greater concern. 48V short circuited has the potential to create large sparks that can melt battery terminals and propel molten lead. Always wear safety glasses when working on batteries and battery connections.
I recommend covering the handles of your battery wrenches with shrink tubing. You get a nice snug grip on your wrench and greatly increase its electrical resistance. You could also use electrical tape, but that's just going to make everything sticky eventually.
Lifting and Jacking: Chances are, you will want your cycle elevated. It makes it much easier to work on, as it prevents you from bending over, and working from floor level. I recommend a motorcycle lift. A small, sturdy table can also make a good stand, but it's challenging to get the cycle on and off that stand safely.
Whether using a lift, jack, or stand, make sure the cycle is SECURELY attached to it with straps or some other means. An elevated vehicle could easily become unbalanced while working on it, falling off the stand, damaging the motorcycle or landing on you, your other projects, or someone you love.
Use your multimeter correctly. Many typical multimeters allow for you to test voltage, amperage, and resistance. To test amperage, you have to physically move one of the probes to a different jack on the multimeter. MAKE SURE YOU MOVE IT BACK when you are done with the amperage test. Even if you flip the control on the multimeter back to voltage reading, but forget to put the probe back in the right connection point, the next time you go to test voltage, you will melt the tip of the one probe off in about one billionth of a second. And it scared the bejeezers out of me. I mean you. In theory, if that happened, it would really startle you. So make sure you use your multimeter right.
Don't smoke: Smoking is a fire hazard. Especially when you take the gas tank off.
Don't drink alcohol while or before working on the project. It impairs judgement, and you might do something stupid. Likewise, do not drink, smoke, or do other drugs while RIDING. Go for a ride, come back, and THEN have your beer.
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What a transmission in general really does is convert engine speed into torque. Electric motors tend to have HIGH torque at LOW speeds, so you don't neccessarily need a transmission.
For a commercially-built EV cycle WITH a transmission, take a look at the Brammo Empulse.
Changing the cheap front sprocket out for one with a few more teeth would give the cycle a 65 mph top speed with no other changes.
I am wondering if anybody knows a reputable place and possibly a wholesaler that sells lithium batteries? or if other batteries are better than AGM lead acid batteries? that wont cost an arm and a leg :)
The Electric Auto Association is also a good place to start for general info, including some vendor links.
http://www.electricauto.org/?page=EVinfo
If you don't "dig too deep" in discharging, batteries last much longer. My average trip is 10 miles, so I'm typically discharging the batteries only about a third of the way.
I do sort of baby my batteries, but they WERE the most expensive part of the entire project. By taking good care of them, and always recharging them right away, they have been great!
As far as lead-acid batteries go, I don't think I could be happier.
1) Does anyone have a simple schematic for the electrical? I've looked at Alltrax's schematic, but it includes all sorts of diodes and extra fuses that I don't think are really necessary.
2) What is the coil voltage for the contactor in this project?
3) What is the voltage rating for the keyed switch?
4) Could you just use a heavy duty red switch in place of the entire contactor?
Thanks!
The coil voltage on this cycle is 12V.
They keyed switch is rated for 48V.
Yes, you could use a very heavy-duty switch in place of the main contactor. The advantage of a contactor is that it REMOTELY controlled, so a very small and conveniently-located switch can turn it on and off. It's also easy to rig one or more safety switches in series to the main contactor. For example, so that you can set it so that the drive system can't power up if the kickstand is down, etc.
http://www.alltraxinc.com/files/Doc100-081-A_DWG-AXE-PermMag-no-Rev-wire-dia.pdf
Some of the parts in the diagram I am confused about:
Diode IN4004
6AMP Diode Reverse Protection
Fuse 5A Max
Are these parts really necessary? What do they do? Thanks!
You SHOULD have a DIODE IN4004. It just goes across the main contactor. Since you are using a magnetic field to hold the contactor shut, when you turn it OFF, that magnetic field collapses and creates voltage. I theory, it can get pretty high and create a brief spike of voltage that can be bad for components. The diode stops that from happening. You can get that part at radio-shack, it's no big deal, but you should have one.
The 6amp Diode reverse protection - Frankly, I'm not sure why that's there.... I don't see anything that should cause a reverse of polarity that should be protected against.
The "Fuse 5A Max" you should have - it protects the logic portion of the motor controller. Pretty much anything with power running through it should be protected by a fuse, including your "ON" power through the key switch.
One more note on this particular controller. On the diagram, you can see that Pin #1 is right next to buss bar B-...... Note that Pin#1 connects through the keyswitch to the plus side of the battery pack. That means you practically have both ends of of your battery pack coming together to only half an inch apart. Always make sure that ALL POWER IS DISCONNECTED when working on your motor controller. Keep in mind that some power can still be stored in the capacitors inside the controller. A short circuit from accidentally touching the pin#1 wire to the B- bar (like when giving it a tug to pull it off) is enough to vaporize a 1/4" spade connector. Please use insulated spade connectors.....
That 5amp fuse can also be pulled when you work on the controller as well.
Just a thought......... Cool Scoot BTW.
Dan
Built in to the motor controller are diodes that prevent the improper back-flow of power. You'd have to be backing up pretty fast to be able to generate any amount of power at all, but no worries, it's not a problem.
i dont know was just a thought due to the fact charging takes freaking forever and i am sure if i built this i wouldn't be allowed to charge it at work: government employee, making it impossible to get home likely.
The stored energy in the batteries powers the motor, which pushes you down the road. If you have any sort of mechanical dynamo or generator running from the wheels or motor, this puts additional load on the batteries, thus wearing them down faster. Generating electricity comes at the expense of mechanical motion, thus either wasting battery power and/or slowing you down.
The only time this makes sense is when you WANT to slow down. That's the "regenerative braking" that you hear about on hybrids and electric cars. You regenerate a small amount of energy by converting mechanical energy (slowing you down) into electrical energy (to put a little power back into the batteries.)
To use the batteries to power the motor to turn the wheels to run a generator to charge the batteries has no external energy source, so all that can happen is losing energy (generally as heat and friction) by converting it to another form.
One fun project might be a generator side-car. The side-car could carry a generator and fuel tank, and would connect to the motorcycle's batteries. If it were rated for the average energy use of the motorcycle, it would just run continuously, more or less passing the energy through the battery pack to the motor. (Think of a Chevy Volt version of a motorcycle!)
and would this charger work
http://www.all-battery.com/TenergyBatteryCharger01224-1.aspx
Remember, you need to have enough cells in series to get to the voltage you want, and enough cells in parallel to get the capacity that you want.
I haven't heard of anyone building projects with AA cells. There are a few projects that people have built from cells pulled out of DeWalt lithium cordless drill packs. Those are more like C or D cells.
That charger is the right chemistry and voltage, but it may too low amperage. My battery pack is 55AH at 48V. If the pack is run half-way down (23AH) and you recharge it at a rate of only 2 amps, that's going to take 12 hours to recharge, and a fully discharged pack might take a full 24 hours!
For my project, they wouldn't have fit inside the unmodified motorcycle frame, but would be great for a "chopper" or custom frame.
The budget is laid out in Step 14.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2CptvxAdOdA
to electric power charged by motion. Never running out of power sound great. Check this out and think of the custom fit application on all of your toys. http://www.synchrony.com/products/magnetic-bearings.aspx?_kk=fusion%20bearing&_kt=0315a12d-4121-4ddc-9f5e-988d79a13269&gclid=CJCB59yo6bACFUFV4AodnVKUhg
Thanks to the Wheelman Club of Moscow for making such a great video that shows the advantage of superior transportation.
RichieRichSr
For anyone who HAS worked on "choppers", you can modify the frame to better accomodate the motor or more batteries.
If you build a frame from scratch, you can make something very cool, but check with your local laws first, to make sure that whatever you build will be legal for road use when you are finished.
Got an AM&D 24vdc motor and a Curtis PMC 1244 SepEx controller out of a pallet truck in 100% working condition for R275.00 (US $37.00). The Curtis controller is rated at 24 -36vdc 400A but my only concern is that the motor is only rated at 9hp (5000rpm) and may be a bit on the small side for this project. My rear tire is an Avon AM23 200/60B/16 (circ 1,98mtr)
So, the burning questionâ¦..how long is a piece of string? Will I get anywhere with this motor or should I carry on looking for a high voltage motor?
That takes positive power. The circuit is completed by the B- connection to the battery pack.
On many controllers the power that runs the logic of the controller is at the same voltage as the main battery pack.
Also, for the 12v accessories, why could you just not wire 2 extra leads onto one of the 12v batteries and connect the accessories to those? Thanks!
- Charles
For the 12V system, you COULD just connect to one of the batteries, but it is NOT RECOMMENDED.
By doing that you can in some ways "tie-together" your higher and lower voltage system. For example some controllers require a 12V power source, but will short out if that 12V is part of the drive system.
Also, most vehicles have a 12V negative ground. That can create a potential of a short between any of the OTHER battery terminals and the frame of the vehicle. Not only would it be a short, but it might be up to 48 volts.
A better way to do the 12V system is with a separate, dedicated 12V battery, a DC to DC converter, or a combination of both.