Electric Motorcycle conversion -- 75mph!

[xwhatsit]

Apologies if this is a dupe, but a cursory search turned up nothing.

This American guy has converted a 50cc moped (styled like a sportsbike) to electric power. He says it does 0-60mph in 9 seconds and can do 75mph. That's as good as a GN250! :lol:

See the video here: http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/10/11/electric-motorcycle-from-derbi-gpr-50/

Being somebody versed in electronics myself, this looks like a fun project further down the track. I'd imagine an electric motorcycle would be far more practical than a car; the light weight would help -- and I imagine that (at least in scooter terms, like this thing is) that commuting distances would be shorter than in a car. Also, just as with petrol, the amount of power a bike uses is far less than a car; so you wouldn't get in trouble with your boss for blowing up his monthly power bill when you plug the thing in!

-Tom

[Insanity_rules]

I can see a problem, pedestrians stepping out in front of a bike that makes no noise. Looks like fun though.

[Finn]

I can see a problem, pedestrians stepping out in front of a bike that makes no noise. Looks like fun though.

You'd make an excellent bureaucrat.

[Cookie]

Looks like heaps of fun!!!

I saw a guy on Hobson Street the other day on an electric scooter, mixing it up with the traffic. His was just an underpowered toy compared with that thing.

[kensuem]

There are quite a lot of electric motorcycle convertions to be found on the net.the biggest problem is that most of them are powered by the Briggs and Stratton Etek motor,which is now out of production,and was never available in NZ.I tried contacting B& S,but they never even answer their Emails.There are other equivalent motors available,if you can afford them at somewhere in the region of $1300 to $1700!

[diggydog]

I can see a problem, pedestrians stepping out in front of a bike that makes no noise. Looks like fun though.
they where talking about noisey motor bikes, if they where noisey cagers could hear us better, where they are putting on makeup,phone,combing the hair etc...:2thumbsup

[sAsLEX]

Big problem would be storage! Batteries are big and costly and heavy!

Solution would be a hybrid with a Stirling engine recharging the batteries on the go, much cleaner and efficient than an ICE

[Jamezo]

Big problem would be storage! Batteries are big and costly and heavy!

Solution would be a hybrid with a Stirling engine recharging the batteries on the go, much cleaner and efficient than an ICE
Two words: Power Density!

[DougB]

When I was teaching engineering in the 1980's a couple of guys turned up at my night class and converted a LE Velocette to run on electricity. The motor was removed and an electric motor fitted in its place using its existing shaft drive. Two batteries were located in the standard panniers, one on each side. It worked quite well.

[kensuem]

Have a look at http://www.21wheels.com/elninja.html or even more impressive,http://visforvoltage.com/vol2iss1/vogel.html

[Aiolos]

http://www.killacycle.com/

[The Pastor]

My mechanics lecture at unitec is involved with new power stuff and he was saying those hydro fuell cell cars start to go on sale 2008. Said electric cars have a chance of comming in to mainstreem by looks like hydro fuell cells will be better in most ways (infact i think they are electric?? the hydro fuel cell is just a battery...?)

He also said that by 2020 we will all have solar powerd generators on all our roofs and will generate more than 3 or 4 times our needed power and we will be able to sell it back to the grid. In other words Free power (as long as the sun keeps shining....)

[trumpy]

...........He also said that by 2020 we will all have solar powerd generators on all our roofs....)


Not in this country mate......sorry I'm old and cynical. We're a LONG way from many of those sorts of predictions I heard at his age. I could give you a list.....................

[SlashWylde]

He also said that by 2020 we will all have solar powerd generators on all our roofs and will generate more than 3 or 4 times our needed power and we will be able to sell it back to the grid. In other words Free power (as long as the sun keeps shining....)

That technology allready exists. There are plenty of countries in Europe and the middle east where most if not all the houses in a town will have solar panels and solar hot water systems on the roof. As for compact power-dense grid tied inverters, that technology exists also, and has been developed right here in NZ. Trouble is it's a very slow process getting industry and a governament such as ours to understand it's potential and get on board with developing it. At the same time they wring thier hands and bemoan the rising cost of power generation. :no:

[The Pastor]

Sorry I should of mentioned, He is employed by the government to research ways NZ could get power in the future (becacuse hydro is running out or operating at max etc)

He said the best two options are nuclear and coal as in the long run they cost the same ammount (nuclear is expensive to start cheap to run expensive to end while coal is cheap to stat mod to expensive to run - evriomental issues and cheap to end they work out to be the same over 25 years)

Forget tidal wave power or gas power. Doesnt work (the main problem is transfering the energy across land you have to have your power station with in 20km and its just way to expensive on a big scale).

Sorry I forgot to put

"in 2020 all new houses will have the generators on the roofs"

Also I asked him about the visals - no one wants a big electric generator on the roof, he said soon you will be able to buy roofing material (eg corogated iron) with it already built into it! pretty nuts aye.

I too don't belive in those dates as such but im pretty sure thats the way were heading.

He also said in 50 years no more petrol ever. at all. well he said u'd still be able to buy it but only in small quantites and at $4-$20 PER L!! I don't want electric cars and bikes, petrol FTW!

[trumpy]

.......Trouble is it's a very slow process getting industry and a governament such as ours to understand it's potential and get on board with developing it. At the same time they wring thier hands and bemoan the rising cost of power generation. :no:


Herein lies the problem. There are many technologies in a number of fields that already exist (a surprising number of them developed right here in En Zed) that would transform our lives but you have to wade thru the Pollys and the beaurocrats first, most of whom are too busy watching their backs to really grasp what is going on, or to even understand what is available RIGHT NOW, never mind future "potential".
True, cost is a major factor but the above peoples only view costs on a one to three year cycle and rarely look at the more complex "cross" and long term benefits. No offence to any of you in the public service but after nearly 30 years in the health and disability services at both local and national levels, it is hard to come to any other conclusions.

[Drew]

Pretty cool alright. Of course, a problem would arise in sudden stop situations, because when you let the gas off completely, the back wheel would just lock up straight away. Needs to be able to freewheel like a push bike.
I cant believe how quick it is though.

[sAsLEX]

That technology allready exists. There are plenty of countries in Europe and the middle east where most if not all the houses in a town will have solar panels and solar hot water systems on the roof. As for compact power-dense grid tied inverters, that technology exists also, and has been developed right here in NZ. Trouble is it's a very slow process getting industry and a governament such as ours to understand it's potential and get on board with developing it. At the same time they wring thier hands and bemoan the rising cost of power generation. :no:

Solar panels as such as actually worse for the environment than gas fired stations etc due the large number of heavy metals (not that sort SW) in them and the way they are procuded.

There are other more effiecient way to convert solar energy to elec, most involve using mirrors to heat something which then transforms that to rotat motion then to elec




Forget tidal wave power or gas power. Doesnt work (the main problem is transfering the energy across land you have to have your power station with in 20km and its just way to expensive on a big scale).


"in 2020 all new houses will have the generators on the roofs"

Also I asked him about the visals - no one wants a big electric generator on the roof, he said soon you will be able to buy roofing material (eg corogated iron) with it already built into it! pretty nuts aye.




Being an island nation the coast is fairly close to every major electricity consumer in the country so I fail to see you tidal/wave energy argument.

And transferring energy across land are you on P mate, alot of our elec comes from down south a thousand kilometers away, and the gas to fire Otahuhu etc comes from 400km away.




visals


is this even a word?

[The Pastor]

Solar panels as such as actually worse for the environment than gas fired stations etc due the large number of heavy metals (not that sort SW) in them and the way they are procuded.

There are other more effiecient way to convert solar energy to elec, most involve using mirrors to heat something which then transforms that to rotat motion then to elec

There not solar pannels as such but a new type of somthing or other...... Im just saying what he told me.





Being an island nation the coast is fairly close to every major electricity consumer in the country so I fail to see you tidal/wave energy argument.

And transferring energy across land are you on P mate, alot of our elec comes from down south a thousand kilometers away, and the gas to fire Otahuhu etc comes from 400km away.

Waves just don't generate that much energy and are very expensive to start up maintain run and then shut down.

And how many huge big generators do you want on our beaches? Alot of costal land is either privately ownd or doc conservation land. Try building big generators on there and let me know how you get on.





is this even a word?

I couldnt spell asthetics either :cool:

[sAsLEX]

There not solar pannels as such but a new type of somthing or other...... Im just saying what he told me.


Sounds....... well dont know without any indication of the type or any info what so ever on them




Waves just don't generate that much energy and are very expensive to start up maintain run and then shut down.

Tell that to the 12 Aposteles

And why is it so costly to start up and shut down? I mean you dont need to build a dam or a large station to contain nuke stuff and when you finished just cut the thing up ......



And how many huge big generators do you want on our beaches? Alot of costal land is either privately ownd or doc conservation land. Try building big generators on there and let me know how you get on.

You spelt Maori wrong

Wavs aint the only force in the water mate, theres this funnily predictable thing called the tide and otehr things called currents, both of which can have under water (ie cant see them ) generators / turbines...........

[The Pastor]

Sounds....... well dont know without any indication of the type or any info what so ever on them



Tell that to the 12 Aposteles

And why is it so costly to start up and shut down? I mean you dont need to build a dam or a large station to contain nuke stuff and when you finished just cut the thing up ......


You spelt Maori wrong

Wavs aint the only force in the water mate, theres this funnily predictable thing called the tide and otehr things called currents, both of which can have under water (ie cant see them ) generators / turbines...........

Dude, my point was my mechanics lecturer is on the team of super nerds who research all these options, and he said coal and solar was the way were going (coal for main supply and solar to individual homes to help)

I have no idea about any of this stuff, quite frankly It doesnt bother me in the least :lol: