This is how I built an electric motorcycle.No gas, no oil and it is almost silent. 36 Volts with upto ~30kmph of pure fun.

The Best Part is that it is built from trash at minimum cost.

Step 1: How to and Why

I work 4.5 kilometers from home but with gas prices getting out of control, I thought it would be great to have an electric vehicle and decided that making an electric motorcycle would be a good EV project, keeping costs down, and be fun to ride.This project took about 3 week of research and development. All in all, it cost me about $150 to buy and build including the price of the bike.

With a top speed of over 30 kmph and 10 km per charge, this vehicle is perfect for me.

The following instructable will not give you exact step by step instructions, but if you have some mechanical skills and welding ability you should be okay. A little knowledge of motorcycle maintenance wouldn't hurt, too.

Step 2: Components and Tools

Every motorbike is different but the basic components can be the same. Below is a list of the parts I used and where I got them, but you will have to do some research to figure out what fits your bike and requirements. Check out the photos at the bottom to see what I bought.

Frame: I looked at many different bike styles and decided on Bajaj Pulsar 150cc for a few reasons:

1) I like the style of this bike and also that it has room for batteries and gear-box inside the frame.

2) The seller was close to my house.And the bike didn't run, so it only cost me $100. If you have an old bike or someone will donate one then that's great--but for the rest of us, try the local paper, junk yards, Craig's List or ebay motors.

Motor: I chose a 36V PMDC motor, because it's weight and dimensions where good for my frame and i got it really cheap from a junkyard for just 4$.

Batteries: I went with 4 Lead Acid UPS batteries because they are sealed and cost less.

Charger: You have to match your charger with your voltage but the speed of charge in Amps is also up to your budget. I went with the usual 48V e-bike battery charger since i used a 48V battery system and also i found that too in a junkyard.You might have noticed that i used a 48V battery & charging system but a 36V DC motor to increase the speed and performance of the bike.Also a small amount of over voltage does no damage to the motor but it decreases it s efficiency a little (90% of the rated).

Gear Box: By now, you must be thinking that everything here is from junkyard & you are right because the gear box too is from a dead washing machine from a junkyard and it worked fine.

Other parts: Electrical tape, Wire connectors, Wire wrap.

So guys, don't forget to check the junkyards if you are planning on starting with a similar project and all you need to do is look at the stuff there and think what role it can play in your project.

Tools: Basic shop tools are required such as screw drivers,wire stripper, etc. Additionally a volt meter, metal grinder and crimper are used in this project.

Step 3: The Build

Start by removing all of those nasty internal combustion engine parts. Remove the petrol tank and using your grinder or other cutting tool to cut out the bottom. This makes room for extra batteries or components. (Make sure all petrol is out before cutting).

Reference your owners manual so that you don't cut any necessary wires, and try to sell some of the parts to help pay for this project.

Now for the hard part. You need a secure battery box and motor mount.

I took an old metallic box that was big enough to hold all the 4 batteries and the filled the remaining space with rubbery materials to provide necessary cushioning.

I didn't have to make any frame for the motor and the gear box installation as you can see.

Now that you have all of the welding done and your frame looks great, let's install the electrical components and start wiring it up.

Step 4: Wiring & Test Driving

I didn't used any motor speed controller, all i did was connect the batteries , the motor and a switch in series.

When i turned the switch on, the bike started running and when i turned it off, it slowed down and for an instant stop , i have the brakes.

All i had to keep in mind was not to apply the brakes when the switch is ON because that is going to damage the motor and the wiring.

I have been riding the bike for many months now without any issues.

It would be better to connect a 15A FUSE in series if you are going to use a bigger battery set to protect the motor and the batteries.

I know these weren't step by step building instructions, but that's because of the complexity of this project and variables in component use. My intention was to give you the motivation to build your own by seeing how I did it.