E-bikes

[kaibo 开 博]

I recently bought an e-bike. It is a customised job and you can choose the power configuration you want. I have a 60 Volt 800 Watt set-up but here is the good part -- modifications can be done progressively.

My bike, a glossy black Vespa retro design, easily pulls 60kmh and can carry two big foreigners no sweat. It can travel distnces up to 60 km if you feather it but if you like hammering it at 60kmh it only achieves around 40 km. By converting it to an 84 volt 1200 W machine, it can travel up to 90 km and reach about 80kmh -- not bad!

I want the extra oomph but might settle on waiting for an electric car in a year or two if time permits. However, 72 V is a possible consideration.

Any foreigners who might be interested on buying one -- call me on 13003060214 -- my friend will maintain your bike and you can even get a custom paint job. There are several designs available.

The Chinese do runs around town and if any are interested in joining me -- a pack of laowai on e-bikes could be fun also. We can form our own bikie gang and get club colours!

[ryan_madden]

I can vouch for being one of the "two big foreigners" mentioned 

Going uphill, we still had plenty of momentum without flogging the guts out of the e-bike.

[Aussie Mike]

2 batteries
What's the cost and ease of running 2 batteries, home and work?

It's inevitable that I'd end up stranded somewhere.

Petrol has advantages.  
Laws are working against them but for good reasons.

Are there any E-motorbike styles? Not scooters.

I'm seriously considering modifying the ZhongSheng 250cc to the biggest capacity battery that'll fit.

Might look at a fiber cowling to break the box shape of the motor and battery.

[kaibo 开 博]

Yeah Mike, the skies the limit with E-technology for the future.
 
For a start, the first production E-vehicle was produced and sold by a USA GM affiliated company about 90-yrs ago. Detroit Electric (1907 - 1939) was an automobile brand produced by the Anderson Electric Car Company in Detroit, Michigan. Currently Detroit Electric is an brand of the Chinese manufacturer Jinhua Youngman Vehicle Co., Ltd. The company works together with Lotus Cars and Proton of Malaysia. Lotus was also in bed with the Zap X in California.
Add to that, converting a vehicle to E-power in some states is attracting hefty subsidies from local governments making all the more attractive in the US.

Currently, even in Perth, WA, there is a company converting standard vehicles to E-power. I have full access to plans for a car conversion and also a full run-down on converting a bike with some concept plans. The technology is full on and available readily.  I wouldn't mind converting a bike up here also and then just seeing if it can be licensed. Imagine getting pulled over on a 100kmh e-bike in a full size frame -- the constabulary wouldn't know what to do -- there is no law limiting them except a speeding fine in Hefei.

The best bet for conversion is to choose a frame that is not too weighty -- a fully fledged light weight racing frame is the go. It is a great feeling, even on my bike, keeping pace with the traffic around Hefei roads at 60kmh, so coupled with my electro-tech engineering & construction background, making a high-powered E-superbike that would leave them eating dust would be self satisfying. However, the cost would exceed the cost of a commercial machine.

However, with all the rooting around, why reinvent the wheel; the bikes are starting to hit the straps up here but lack the power of the US models which are really ramping up the KW and the distances to boot. Capacitive discharge is the means they are employing to give the thrust off the mark.

Yes you can get modern designs off the shelf!

I have so much info on the technology as it is becoming an obsession of interest for me now. Next step is seeing if there is an outlet online for e-commerce and make some pennies. A man's gotta eat and making obsessions pay their way is the smart I need!

[kaibo 开 博]

Check this out -- 0 to 60mph in less than 1-second http://www.gizmag.com/killacycle-world-record-electric-motorcycle/10280/
It ran a sub-8-sec quarter @ 168mph using a GPS

There are some mighty machines in Fujian wholesaling for around 2000 USD -- min. order 20 bikes -- they currently retail for around 4-5k  in the USA. I think the company might be associated with the Zap X project that perhaps has not really found the funding to get off the ground in the car market.

http://www.iloveebikes.com/EM3500.html

They can't be bought here in Hefei because there is no market for them. I have already tried and the company was a non-respondent to sell a single bike in China though I never pressed the point to open the door.

Have you thought about doing a conversion on a Chang Jiang sidecar? It could pull off maybe a great number of benefits and be able to run a 60 volt alternator for recharging auxiliary batteries with a powered wheel to drive the sidecar as well if the main batteries died in the arse. It would be weighty but still be fun as a project. Those old engines unless LPG converted are gas guzzlers but E-power would wise them up no end.

[Aussie Mike]

A123 sounds like the battery to have.

[kaibo 开 博]

What I didn't add was that my 60v machine attains to that voltage by running 5 of 12v batteries [20Ah] in series. It is termed a battery pack and they can't be removed for charging.