Electric Bikes - Scanning interest.

This now is becoming a serious consideration for me.

I am considering buying a rolling frame from a 125 and building an electric bike. It will be built so it works basically as "free" local transport for life.

Aiming for a tank range of around 40 miles and a top speed of 40-50mph which seems pretty reasonable with current technology.

Would anyone else out there consider doing a retro fit if they knew what they were doing/had to do.

And for anyone who knows anything about electric motors, i'm considering going 12v with an inverter to 230v and a 230v Inverter Drive and an AC brushless motor.

Nope. Dont like the idea at all. I hate the lies of it being green and with the prices of energy at the moment and the probable efficiency of your ride you'd be better just getting a 125 which can do 100+mpg.

Well apart from the chain and tyres pressures it would reduce maintenance drastically. And as it's more my cup of tea i'd much rather work with an Inverter Drive, batteries and a Motor than an engine.

[yorkie_chris]

Burn the hippy!

Why an inverter? You just adding more steps of conversion all of which waste heat.

If you can do it, do it.

Inveter 12v DC to 230v AC so i can run the drive for the motor. Involves a lot of conversion really.

[yorkie_chris]

USe a higher DCV and a DC motor... invertors are not efficient devices.

Look at fork trucks, 48VDC.

It was my thought but then there's brushes and i'm lazy and AC motors are brilliant. I'm considering going DC though. But my main question here is, is there enough interest in going electric or should we stay with Petrol + Diesel (More so diesel with some of the MPG's coming out its crazy)

[yorkie_chris]

IMO electric is a dead end. You really want to wait 5 hours when you could just fill tank in 2 minutes?


[rant] Saw program a while ago, some bloody seppo telling us how average commute is only 13 miles so it's great to use these glorified milkfloats to get to work since they've got an 80 mile battery range... yeah and back in the real world when you need to go 81 miles you'll take your other car. what about the rest of us who can only afford to run one vehicle? bloody patronising hippy tossuer... reminded me of Rob Reiner in south park [/rant]

Well this is where the 125 strip down idea comes in. Buy it for £300 max, sell any bits off it which aren't needed and buy a motor, batteries and the 10k Pot throttle and try and build for under a grand. No tax (£15 a year but still) and it's something which i would feel more comfortable maintaining. But as you said having 2 vehicles etc. . but it would be perfect for someone like my mum who has never driven and may need simple transport. Or my step-dad who drives 10 miles a day and can't park anywhere.