Overview of my personal project

Went for a trail ride

The bike didn't have much of a problem. It went through send well, and got some nice speed on the straights. Fun ride.

Some range measurements.

I went for a ride today to measure the range of my mini-bike. I rode 2.5 miles from my house to Mitchell park. There I did some riding in the grass, weaving through some sidewalks, and just toured the parking lot. Afterwards, I started riding home. When I got to a particular stop sign, I checked my distance, which was 4.2 miles. Accelerating off the line was poor, and a little bit down the road, the bike was going a little slower than bicycling speed. This was when I hopped off, took the screenshot below, and then had to wheel the mini-bike home. So I would safely say the range is 4 miles on a charge, before you should worry about dying on the side of the road. It's not as long of a range as the gas engine, but I wouldn't consider the two comparable. I didn't burn any fossil fuels riding today, which I consider an accomplishment.

Its Alive. Its Alive!!!

So glad I finally finished. Everything is heavily secured to the frame. The wiring is pretty clean, but it peaks out a little just to show it off. I'm satisfied with the new top speed, 21mph. Here are some pictures of it in my driveway, and on a trail I took it on:

Making a mount for the batteries

Wired it up right!

I connected the wires wrong...

Wiring = Done

The making of a battery tray...

 Got some epoxy, and the aluminum supports so it became time to make a mount for the batteries! Pictures: 

Wiring is hard...

Started splitting wires and making connections. Got the throttle, motor, and key switch connected. All that is left for the project is mounting everything, and wiring the batteries and charger. But in order to wire the charger, I first need to determine which wire is positive, and which is negative. So, I will have to bring it to a friend with a charge tester, and finally buy some mounting brackets for the batteries. Hopefully I will be done soon. Here are some pictures:

 

Just a little more motivation for the project!

I spotted this beauty in the Publix parking lot in town. It is definitely conversion, with one single-gear, just like my bike. I think it must make a great town commuter, and I would have loved to meet the owner. Here are a couple pics: