Ok, scratch that idea 
Thursday, October 26, 2006, 04:52 PM
I'm not going to rebuild it to run on gas. I poked around the motor a bit. It has good compression, but all four carbs need to be rebuilt, and there are wiring problems, the throttle isn't completely set up properly, and a few other bad things. She's not getting on the road until she's full on EV.

If I do all the work to get it restored, I'll never do the EV conversion. Looks like I'll be selling off the extra parts.
  |  permalink  |   ( 3 / 2533 )
Sans Title 
Tuesday, October 24, 2006, 11:35 AM
So the free bike has a hidden cost. The title's been lost for years. My friend over at the PD is going to run the vin for me to make sure it's not stolen or anything. Once I know it's clear, I'm going to pay $75 to ITS Titles to get it fixed. I used to deal in older cars, so I know it's the easiest way to get things fixed up.
  |  permalink  |   ( 3 / 2499 )
Restoring the machine 
Monday, October 23, 2006, 11:15 AM

I got the bike on sunday! It's pretty complete, but in dire need of restoration. The brakes haven't been used in a looooong time. It has front and rear discs, so I get to deal with two hydraulic systems.

The motor has good compression, so I'm going to restore the rest of the bike and get it running before starting the conversion. My time is pretty limited for a while, so it's a good compromise. It's also far, far easier to get it licensed and inspected with the original hardware.

For now I'll post updates as they come along.
  |  permalink  |   ( 3 / 2554 )
Motors 
Friday, October 20, 2006, 05:30 PM
I almost picked up a 6.7" Advanced DC motor off ebay. I didn't bid too aggressively because I wasn't sure I really wanted it.

I think there are two choices for motor.
The briggs and stratton Etek motor - chinese made, usually about $500.

I'm leaning towards a Perm 132. It's the same technology as the Etek, but german made and bigger and better. It costs a bit more, but it's the heart of the machine.

Perm 132:
at 48v: 15.1 peak hp, 86% efficency.
at 72v: 34.2 peak HP, 88.6% efficiency.

That's enough to temp me into a higher voltage system...

  |  permalink  |   ( 3 / 2447 )
nice battery comparison page 
Friday, October 20, 2006, 12:17 PM
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/lab/8679/battery.html
  |  permalink  |   ( 3 / 2237 )

Back Next