DIY 6600W Electric Bike Commuter 50mph, 30mile Range

[evolutiongts]

Here's my electric bike commuter, that I'll built myself for about $2500. High performance rear hub motor. 52mph top speed, powerful torque and on average 19 mile range. More if I keep speeds around 20-25mph. Only my fiance drives the car she has to commute 22 miles a day. My commute is 15 miles round trip and my bike can make it without a sweat.








http://youtu.be/6-FL0lu4--E?list=UUjJ09nXLbfEcX2ZXD1-rPbA

http://youtu.be/yB7I0C-iMdE?list=UUjJ09nXLbfEcX2ZXD1-rPbA

[GuitarStv]

I commend the size of your giant steel balls to be riding that around at 52 mph.

[evolutiongts]

Its actually very stable, I have high quality suspension (Marzocchi bomber and Fox rear shock), extended swingarm, 4-piston Shimano Hydraulic Disc Brake and Regen braking in the rear. I use to ride motorcycles, so It all feels the same.

[Rickk]

That is an electric motorcycle.
Please don't ride that on bike paths, I don't want my legal electric bike to get banned because of people building and riding these kind of things illegally.

Beyond that - it looks really nicely done, and has got to be a blast to ride!

Enjoy it safely . . . .

[evolutiongts]

That is an electric motorcycle.
Please don't ride that on bike paths, I don't want my legal electric bike to get banned because of people building and riding these kind of things illegally.

Beyond that - it looks really nicely done, and has got to be a blast to ride!

Enjoy it safely . . . .

Thanks, I ride on the bike paths but limited to 15-20mph. Its much safer than battling it out with other motorists on the big streets at 40mph. No traffic so it cuts down on my commuting time as well.

[enigmaT120]

That's a cool electric motorcycle.  Do you mind sharing details:  motor, battery pack, controller?  What does it weigh?

[evolutiongts]

Thanks, Cromotor, 80 volts 10AH of Hobbyking RC battery. Chinese Greentime Controller 24fet 80 Amps. Weighs 70-80lbs fully loaded (Batteries weigh 13 lbs, motor 26lbs).

[Johnez]

What a beast!

[Rickk]

Thanks, Cromotor, 80 volts 10AH of Hobbyking RC battery. Chinese Greentime Controller 24fet 80 Amps. Weighs 70-80lbs fully loaded (Batteries weigh 13 lbs, motor 26lbs).

You may already know this - but for those following along . . . .
If those are Lithium Polymer batteries (like many RC batteries are) then please be very careful charging and storing them.
Over on endless-sphere there are some good accounts and videos of what happens when those batteries decide to spontaneously light on fire (it is pretty spectacular - but does not end well for the bike).
It is generally recommended not to charge or store them indoors for that reason.

[evolutiongts]

Yes that is true. Lithium Poly does require careful monitoring and charging. Accidents happen to those who are careless during charging (overdischarge and overcharge).

I can fast charge my batteries in 30 minutes, @40amps, of course I balance everytime and top off at 97% to be safe.

I've used other chemistries before such as lithium ion but those take forever to charge (Up to 3 hours), and less power.

[Sparafusile]

That's pretty cool. How do the other bike components hold up to going that fast over long distance? Have you upgraded the brakes too? Can you still petal and provide power without the motor?

[evolutiongts]

11 months of everyday commuting, only had to replace brake pads. Tires and Tubes. My regen braking does most of the braking for me and its instant. Recharges a bit of power as well and helps significantly during downhill riding or slowing down from high speeds.

I have 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes with oversize rotor, braking is fantastic.


Batteries last a while since I take it easy. Suspension is doing well. I do mix of road and off-road.

I can pedal without the motor but its a pain, about 10mph and maybe 3-4 miles tops without the motor since its a heavy bike. This bike was designed to be a electric "motorcycle" disguised as a bicycle. I ride along with cars taking the whole lane and have no problems keeping up with cars at 50mph.

Rickk's geared motor is much better for pedalling since it free-wheels and is much lighter.

[brian313313]

Cool ride. I would consider commuting with something like this if I could keep up with traffic. No bike lanes around where I live with lots of traffic during "rush" hour.

[Rage]

When does an electric bike cross over into becoming an electric motorcycle?  At what point do you need to get license plates and a motor cycle drivers' license?  I'm guessing these questions don't have answers at this point.

Does the build cost include the bike frame?

I love the idea of biking around on something like this while pedaling constantly so everyone looks at you and thinks, holy cow that guy is fast!

[big_owl]

A fellow mustachian from SBN, eh?

[Goldielocks]

That is an electric motorcycle.
Please don't ride that on bike paths, I don't want my legal electric bike to get banned because of people building and riding these kind of things illegally.

Beyond that - it looks really nicely done, and has got to be a blast to ride! 

Enjoy it safely . . . .

It's illegal as all heck to call it a bicycle, as it tops out the max limits for speed and power for every state / province laws I have seen.   Needs a license and to be called a do-it-yourself motorcycle, and checked out for brakes, tail lights and such.

But Kudos on the do-it-yourself.  This is an awesome vehicle, just get it licensed already.... 
      I hope you wear your motorcycle helmet -- bike helmets won't protect you at anything close to those speeds

For the poster who asked, the following are pretty typical rules, although they can vary slightly by state:

Motor-assisted cycle (detailed definition)
To qualify as a MAC, certain conditions must be met. For example:
The electric motor must be 500 watts or less and be capable of propelling the cycle no faster than 32 km/h on level ground without pedalling.
The vehicle must be equipped with a mechanism that either:
allows the driver to turn the motor on and off, or
prevents the motor from turning on or engaging before the MAC attains a speed of 3 km/h
The motor must disengage when the operator:
stops pedalling, or
releases the accelerator or
applies a brake.
The motor cannot be gas-powered.
The motor must be capable of being propelled by muscular power using the pedals, but it is not necessary to always be pedalling
The vehicle must meet any other conditions in the  Motor Assisted Cycle Regulation


Limited speed motor cycles are max 1500 Watts, and 70 mph.  For this jurisdiction above.

Electric Motorcycles would top 1500 Watts.

[Thegoblinchief]

Cool project but not my cup of tea. Be safe. Motorcycles make bicycles look like a padded room safety wise.

[GuitarStv]

Question about stopping here . . .  I can accelerate faster than a car on my bicycle, but don't think I'd be able to stop as quickly as someone in a car slamming on the brakes.  The contact patch between the bike tires and the road just isn't very large.  Also, when stopping hard the rear of the bike tends to try and lift up.

It looks like you've got pretty big tires on that thing, how quickly can you actually stop when going the speeds you're talking about?

[DarinC]

Contact patch isn't involved in braking unless you happen to be on something loose, like sand. In that case, the greater contact patch of four bigger tires would be an advantage if part of the contact patch was out of the sand.

This page sums it up nicely, and I imagine most of what applies to motorcycles applies to bikes. The big differences between cars and bikes are likely stability/weight transfer at high deceleration, and ABS depending on the skill of the rider.

http://www.stevemunden.com/braking.html

[Russ]

I can accelerate faster than a car on my bicycle

no you can't

but don't think I'd be able to stop as quickly as someone in a car slamming on the brakes.  The contact patch between the bike tires and the road just isn't very large.  Also, when stopping hard the rear of the bike tends to try and lift up.

Applying Newtonian friction, contact patch has nothing to do with available braking power. Real life, yeah a bit (mostly wrt molecular adhesion), but not quite as much as you're thinking. Bicycle acceleration is limited by center of gravity, by 1/tanx = G, where G = acceleration and x = angle from horizontal of the line from the limiting contact patch to your center of gravity. Based on this you won't get much more than 1G braking before going over the bars, even though most tires can handle more than this before losing grip.

Cars sit far lower and don't have this limitation, so even though most cars are equipped with less grippy tires they will usually be able to stop faster. Especially considering the greater stability of 4-wheel vehicles and lower impact of road imperfections on their braking

What bicycles have going for them: usually faster reaction times

[Russ]

Also please get that deathtrap registered as a motorcycle, and enjoy a solid "fuck you" for riding it on any sort of bicycle or multi-use path. It's not a bicycle, and you aren't helping bicycle advocacy by presenting it as one.

ed.:sp

[FreeWheel]

In my state (IL) motorized bicycles are restricted to no more than 20 mph. All the time, on every road. Riding much faster would draw unwanted attention and a warning or citation rather quickly I'd imagine. I often top 20 (legally) on my pedal bike, and average 15, so for me a powered cycle is not necessary.

But I do see a place for them for others, who may not be as strong, or need to travel farther. As impressive as your bike is evol, it is overpowered.

[FreeWheel]

I can accelerate faster than a car on my bicycle

no you can't

I find I can accelerate as fast as cars normally take off from stop lights. Sure if they punch the throttle even the strongest bicyclist will quickly be left in the dust. But that doesn't happen. I routinely smoke big trucks and busses off the line, and it takes them several hundred yards to catch up.

As for braking, it's been demonstrated over and over with tests: Cars can stop faster than bicycles.

[GuitarStv]

I can accelerate on my bicycle faster than most cars will in normal traffic

sounds about right

There.  Fixed!


Contact patch or center of balance being the limiting factor aside . . . I'm just thinking that it would be difficult to safely slow a bicycle down from 50+ mph.

[Russ]

I can accelerate on my bicycle faster than most cars will in normal traffic

sounds about right

There.  Fixed!

<3

I'm just thinking that it would be difficult to safely slow a bicycle down from 50+ mph.

It's not that bad until you boil your brake fluid

[wortdog]

'Deathtrap' may be a bit extreme, this electric motorcycle looks way safer than most 70's motorcycles with cable actuated drum brakes :)

[okashira]

80V and 10Ah and only 19 miles range? Is that right?

[Rage]

I find I can accelerate as fast as cars normally take off from stop lights. Sure if they punch the throttle even the strongest bicyclist will quickly be left in the dust. But that doesn't happen. I routinely smoke big trucks and busses off the line, and it takes them several hundred yards to catch up.

Most drivers seem to use stoplights as a chance to catch up on their texting

[evolutiongts]

80V and 10Ah and only 19 miles range? Is that right?

That sounds about right I can squeeze out more but I slow down a bit.

Braking is impressive, regen braking brings me to a stop even better than my 4-piston disc brakes.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CopFQsqxg1o

[evolutiongts]

In my state (IL) motorized bicycles are restricted to no more than 20 mph. All the time, on every road. Riding much faster would draw unwanted attention and a warning or citation rather quickly I'd imagine. I often top 20 (legally) on my pedal bike, and average 15, so for me a powered cycle is not necessary.

But I do see a place for them for others, who may not be as strong, or need to travel farther. As impressive as your bike is evol, it is overpowered.

It is overpowered for a bicycle, but slow for motorcycle. Something in between. I've had smaller motors but they would overheat if I push them up a steep hill or sustained high speed riding.

Overkill is for durability sake, and being able to go off-road at 40mph and climb steep hills without braking a sweat/overheating electrical components.

Its costing me $0.07-0.08 per day to charge my electric bike.

My city charges $0.15 perfect kWH, I'm using 0.50kWH per charge. That takes me one way to work 8 miles. I charge at work.

[Russ]

My city charges $0.15 perfect kWH, I'm using 0.50kWH per charge. That takes me one way to work 8 miles. I charge at work.

What's efficiency like from the grid to the road? 500Wh to go 8 miles sounds ridiculous since I can't imagine it taking more than 150 Wh to do the same under human power.

Braking is impressive, regen braking brings me to a stop even better than my 4-piston disc brakes.

dubious, since as far as I can tell your regen braking is limited by rear tire traction?

[evolutiongts]

My city charges $0.15 perfect kWH, I'm using 0.50kWH per charge. That takes me one way to work 8 miles. I charge at work.

What's efficiency like from the grid to the road? 500Wh to go 8 miles sounds ridiculous since I can't imagine it taking more than 150 Wh to do the same under human power.

Braking is impressive, regen braking brings me to a stop even better than my 4-piston disc brakes.

dubious, since as far as I can tell your regen braking is limited by rear tire traction?

Charger isn't 100% efficient either I'm averaging 20-30wh per mile. Which is quite good. I'm only getting 0.5kwh from my killawatt meter not sure how accurate it is.

My battery holds 740wh my commute uses 25%-35% of the battery one way (8 miles)

Regen power is dependent on speed the faster I go the harder regen braking kicks in. Basically the during regen braking the motor acts as generator, capturing some of the energy back during braking. I don't have traction issues.

[evolutiongts]

I was also charging at 40 amps which heated up the battery cables (raised the resistance) quite a bit (10G wires), I toned it down to 30 amps, seems to be efficient.

Got it down to 0.40kwh but bare in mind I'm running two 750W Dell Power supplies in addition to my charger.

[prodarwin]

It's illegal as all heck to call it a bicycle, as it tops out the max limits for speed and power for every state / province laws I have seen.   Needs a license and to be called a do-it-yourself motorcycle, and checked out for brakes, tail lights and such.

I've thought about doing this before.  Problem is, DOT tires do not exist for putting on MTB rims that I know of.  If it *is* possible to build a legal electric motorcycle out of a MTB frame, I want to know!

I agree that this is a sweet machine.  I don't agree with riding it as a motorcycle on the street (keeping up with traffic, using the whole lane, etc) and also using dedicated bike trails.  Bike trails are for pedal-power only IMO.

I wouldn't mind seeing more build details though.  I'd love to do something like this around 1100W or so.

[evolutiongts]

DOT tires actually do exist, you can use 16" Moped tires on BMX rims (20")



Shinko SR714 tires rated for 70mph top speed, with the stock motor I'm doing 24mph 1200W Peak.

On my electric MTB theres enough power not peddal, its essentially like a electric motorcycle, I do keep the speed down to 20mph and avoid cars to conserve power. The only reason to go "high speed" is to the final stretch of commute has a 40mph speed limit. Traveling at this speed for a mile cuts down on commute time.

I do 50/50 split road and dirt riding, my bike lane has a dirt section right next to it. 1000W can still get you to 22-28mph top speed depending on your motor, battery, controller selection.

Even though my bike peaks at 6600W, going 15-20mph I'm only using 200-300 watts of power. I rarely have to use full throttle.

[prodarwin]

Hmm.  Is there a DOT Tire solution for 29" wheels?

[evolutiongts]

No, but on a 29er you can use tire liner, thick tubes, and tube sealant to make your bike very flat resistant. I haven't gotten a flat for 10 months, and a small puncture I had by a goat head was instantly sealed by my slime tube.

[alsoknownasDean]

Do you wear motorcycle protective clothing when riding it to work? I wouldn't want to be doing 40mph in shorts and a T-shirt, especially if I fell off!

Here I think electric bicycles are limited to 200W (250W for pedelecs).

[evolutiongts]

Yes I always wear gear like a leather jacket and full face helmet fox gloves.

Not as armored as my street motorcycle gear though.

[TheThirstyStag]

Really cool custom job.  Glad to hear you take proper precautions.

[prodarwin]

No, but on a 29er you can use tire liner, thick tubes, and tube sealant to make your bike very flat resistant. I haven't gotten a flat for 10 months, and a small puncture I had by a goat head was instantly sealed by my slime tube.

Well, I was asking was for legality reasons.  With DOT tires & lights + mirror, it could be registered as a custom motorcycle.

[2Birds1Stone]

This is a cool concept but at those price levels wouldn't it be more cost effective in the long run to pick up a used moped, those things get 100+ MPG and have unlimited range. You can regularly find them for less than $1000 around these parts and I am in a high COL area.

[evolutiongts]

The electric bike is more cost effective in my opinion. 6000 miles and all I had to replace was tires and brake pads, which are extremely cheap and I can do it myself in my own garage with basic tools.
I've owned motorcycles before, I had to fuel them, and maintain them (oil changes, brake pads, tires) plus I can't transport them with my car since I don't have a trailer. The electric bike is versatile and low maintance and quiet.

I can also load my bike onto my bike rack and transport it anywhere I go, In fact I can transport two electric bikes with me. I can also go off-road and dirt/mountain bike where ever I please. Lastly I can use bike paths and people often don't notice if I slow down to about 15mph. Can't do that on a moped.

[Guses]

Lastly I can use bike paths illegaly and people often don't notice if I slow down to about 15mph. Can't do that on a moped.

Fixed for you.

You can also use a bike path illegaly with a moped. The only difference is that you are less likely to get caught.

I agree that a moped is the more cost effective option although it is less cool.

Great design, but I would be more interested in a low power design that cost under 500$ and that can legally be considered a bicycle.

[jeromedawg]

Whoa this is crazy. I don't live very far from work and have always considered riding in but am just too dang lazy. Plus, there's so much street traffic in the area I'm in, with lots of drivers who have no idea how to co-exist with bikers, so it can be scary at times. If there were a off-street bike path right behind my place, like there was before, I would totally ride again.

[evolutiongts]

I commute on my electric bike everyday, 15 miles both ways plus 10 mile rides during lunch. Police had never hassled me, even when I'm going 30mph on the street. I wear full face helmet and gear. There is never any traffic for me, driving a car is just frustrating.