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!

See the video here: http://thekneeslider.com/archives/20...-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...

[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.

[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!