Topic: Man, you guys are going to kill me.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

That's clever....I have one of those in my box of stuff too. I did make a big tool out of a piece of steel I had lying around. I'll snap a picture of it tomorrow. All I did the past few days was paint the batteries black instead of hospital scrubs teal or whatever they were before.

[KB02]

It is truly becoming clear to me that I have been absent from these boards for far too long. This is sweet. I would love to build an electric bike from scratch myself. MY problem is having the tools and money needed to make it happen. I would love to see an electric bike that could do an Iron Butt Run, but it looks like the technology is not there... yet... They have invented Star Trek style transporters, you know... so far they can only transport laser beams, but it's a start.

I will certainly be watching this now that I know what's gong on. Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see it done.

[Raef]

I don't recall if its been mentioned, are you planning on using the tank for storage or to hide electronics?

[Sheik Yerbouti]

It's going to hide the 15A battery charger. It may also act as a place to hide some other electronics for the 12V system.

[lucky]

That's clever....I have one of those in my box of stuff too. I did make a big tool out of a piece of steel I had lying around. I'll snap a picture of it tomorrow. All I did the past few days was paint the batteries black instead of hospital scrubs teal or whatever they were before.

The black color will make the batteries look very heavy.
What about a silver or gold color so they do not look so heavy?

[lucky]

That's clever....I have one of those in my box of stuff too. I did make a big tool out of a piece of steel I had lying around. I'll snap a picture of it tomorrow. All I did the past few days was paint the batteries black instead of hospital scrubs teal or whatever they were before.

The black color will make the batteries look very heavy.
What about a silver or gold color so they do not look so heavy?
Also BLACK looks like a battery. I would try to disquise that battery look.

[Retro Rocket]

Also BLACK looks like a battery. I would try to disquise that battery look.

Its clearly an electric bike so why hide it..? I would like to know how black looks heavy too.? Women wear black {especially pants} because it makes them appear smaller..

[750cafe]

Love it! I test rode a ZERO electric MX bike and it was just as powerful as my YZF400FK Yamaha!
The lack of engine braking takes some getting used to but, simple enough to do after a few miles.

Eric

[davis96]

Looks great! Don't know if anyone else had this idea already, but if you're concerned about the batteries being an eyesore, perhaps a gp style fairing might do the trick? I think it would hide everything and look great

[lucky]

Also BLACK looks like a battery. I would try to disquise that battery look.

Its clearly an electric bike so why hide it..? I would like to know how black looks heavy too.? Women wear black {especially pants} because it makes them appear smaller..

Yes black looks smaller,  dense, and HEAVY.
My point exactly.
But lets face it...Black car batteries are UGLY and clumsy.
Think outside the box!! BLACK BOXES will not always be black.
Even IBM finally went from grey computers to computers with colors.
Even gym equipment went to a green button for GO and a red button for STOP but it took them 10 damn years!!! Engineers .....got to educate them.

Before that all the buttons were BLACK. Cheeesssshhhh

You can have an electronics box that is white, clear, silver, or red or yellow or green, anything.

[lucky]

Looks great! Don't know if anyone else had this idea already, but if you're concerned about the batteries being an eyesore, perhaps a gp style fairing might do the trick? I think it would hide everything and look great

Yes the fairing helps but I would like to see the electric bike that looks good but does not need a fairing to hide the components.
The fact the electric bikes make NO noise is going to get a lot of riders killed.

[lucky]

There's a quick sideview of what is bouncing around in my head. The panels with the bolts (represented with all those little circles) will be removable, so I can quickly access the batteries/controller/etc. This bike is going to be much thinner than before from a top view, because the frame is the thing that hangs out the furthest, besides that little electric motor (the big circle).

To cap front and top I want to use sheet aluminum that I am going to get milled, so it will have holes for instruments and connectors milled in already. I'll add some color soon and get a different view so you get a better idea.

I am concerned about weight, which is why I decided to go with fairings made from laser cut acrylic, but I also need to create a skeleton structure to hold the batteries in place. The most obvious way is to use steel angle iron (which I would spot weld). Is there anything else that I could do that would be lighter and require minimal welding and fabrication?

It is still ugly.
When I was going to the university of Arizona they started requiring engineers to take a few drawing classes. About time. Then the computer drawing started and that was the end of them learning to draw. Too bad.

[Syscrush]

The fact the electric bikes make NO noise is going to get a lot of riders killed.

No, it isn't.

[Syscrush]

Interesting article about RC-E concept electric sportbike from Honda.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Syscrush - I saw that yesterday, it's beautiful huh? Check out the open forum, I started a thread about it over there.

lucky - Get off my sack. If I want your input on paint colors I'll ask for it. In the meantime, let me build my bike how I want to build it.

[scroggins5000]

I think black would look just fine. My only concern would be that they may absorb more heat while sitting in the sun, which could possibly effect battery performance? Not sure if that could happen, and any change may be negligible anyways.

I think it would be funny to paint the batteries to look like an 8- bit pixelated motor, haha.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I think black would look just fine. My only concern would be that they may absorb more heat while sitting in the sun, which could possibly effect battery performance? Not sure if that could happen, and any change may be negligible anyways.

I think it would be funny to paint the batteries to look like an 8- bit pixelated motor, haha.

Funny enough, the batteries work best when they're warm. In general, battery temperature seems to be less of an issue than motor and controller temperature. It only seems to be an issue in a race environment, and even then my aircooled motor and controller would be toast before the batteries get too hot.

[lucky]

The fact the electric bikes make NO noise is going to get a lot of riders killed.

No, it isn't.

The NHTSB has already reported an increase in the number of deaths of people and children from the new hybrid electric cars. It is a FACT.
There is already legislation requiring electrics and hybrids to have a device to make some kind of sound so people can hear them.
I have been walking and one of the new hybrids was able to come right behind me and I never heard it.

Want proof. Here is one of the links:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811204.pdf

[Retro Rocket]

The fact the electric bikes make NO noise is going to get a lot of riders killed.

No, it isn't.

What a load of crap, This isn't the first time i have heard this totally useless and baseless argument come to the fore when talking electric cars and bikes. I was sitting close to the side of the road at work last week having some lunch and talking about a Toyota electric hybrid car that was across the road, too cut a long story short, i mentioned this exact argument to my boss who laughed out loud when a Honda 1600 gold wing went past and virtually made no noise at all, the Toyota was just as quiet. My point is that there are piles of late model vehicles that make virtually no noise at all and with the industrial backdrop i was working at, only the noisier cars and bikes were detectable. Complacency , stupidity and a lack of proper skills get bike riders killed, not the bikes they ride....

[scottly]

Sheik, if you're taking a poll, I vote for the vintage style fairing. Aerodynamics are more important with an electric vehicle.
Lucky, please shut the #$%* up....

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I have a contact with airtech and could get a CR750 fairing, but I may try my hand at making a fiberglass fairing one of these days. I really love the "modern vintage" fairing on that new Honda concept.

[scottly]

Mold-making and laying up fiberglass are nice skills to have, but for the time being, buy a full fairing and concentrate on the task at hand; that's enough of a project, IMHO.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Taped off the terminals, this is only half of them right here.





Satin black.



The vents also have to be taped off, so we made a die on the lathe and punched some tape to perfectly mask off the vents. Saved a lot of time.

[Rgconner]

Sheik, if you're taking a poll, I vote for the vintage style fairing. Aerodynamics are more important with an electric vehicle.
Lucky, please shut the #$%* up....

And totally off topic too. He can make his own thread and see how many people feed the troll.

This bike is shaping up nicely. Event though it will be a nice project and an interesting to see how it turns out, I doubt it will be as useful as a gas bike.

But that is ok, same thing is true of every new technology: what use is a baby?

[lucky]

Lucky, please shut the #$%* up....