I was riding my electric scooter up to school to drop off my wife’s charger for her electric scooter when i was passed by an electric motorcycle.
It was a chopper style frame. The motor/gas tank area was so empty. The whole thing was so quiet. I wish I had my GoPro set up to record while i ride, i really want some pics of the thing. Now i watching videos and reading blogs of building an electric motorcycle.
A DIY EV motorcycle is absolutely the dream.
I’ve thought about it many times but motorcycles are leisure vehicles for me and I wanna ride it off into The Sticks without having to stop every hour.
I feel the same way. I put a 10 gallon tank on my motorcycle so I could go far. My preference would be something that gets at least 300 miles per charge and doesn’t cost $40k.
A 300 mile ride is not my idea of leisure, personally. Intensely gruelling, stressful. I never could hang with the folks who do those big rallies.
Well that’s totally understandable. It starts to get to be a bit much for me around 400 miles. I bet it would be easier without so much vibration.
10 gallons?!? Dakar bikes only carry 25-30 liters. That’s not even 8 gallons. That’s seems crazy big unless you have some huge touring bike with a flat 6 or something.
Edit: Air cooled beetles only has 8-9 gallon tanks and could go 300 miles with 4 people in them.
You’re right. It is crazy big, but I am crazy. I have a klr650.
Are the additional tanks down low?
10 gallons is like 60lbs of sloshing weight.
Yes the weight is much lower
I mean even if it costs $30k, compare that to an ICE motorcycle that can do the same for $5k and you’re gonna have a REAL hard time convincing me LOL. I do, however, have an ebike for trips <50 miles.
Absolutely. I’d expect to spend a little more on an EV but the current prices are insane.
It’s not for sale, Francis
Every time i saw an electric moped goes by, my urge of getting one is increase a little bit. The thing that prevent me from riding a motorcycle is the stupid vibration, i’m sure the older i get the less tolerant i have with vibration. And the noise. (And also the phobia i had when i get left hooked by a car last time)
Has the market for used choppers crashed yet? I see so few millennials on them compared to Gen X and boomers, let alone Gen Z.
I could only hope. From what I have seen in a few hours of searching is no.
Back when I lived in Maryland there were always some great old bikes for cheap. New Mexico very much has a problem with “I know what I’ve got” people trying to milk out every cent.
Helps they don’t take up a whole lot of room in a garage. I’m sure plenty are content to have their bike as a show piece given the sentimentality around them.
Probably won’t happen until they start getting passed down to kids who don’t want them.
This one might be the way to go. 2004 yamaha vstar 1100
Looks like $1050 for the frame, seat, forks, & both wheels.
Pics or GTFO
I wish I had my GoPro set up to record while i ride
I SAID PICS NOT VIDEO
I like stuff with pedals so you can pedal if the battery dies but having electric assist can be a game changer (I still ride my regular bikes too though).
So whatca thinking to build? Custom frame or a converted existing bike? How much you got for batteries?
I love smooth and quiet, but I think personally a maxi-scooter is enough for me.
I do not have the space to do a custom frame as much as I would like to do that. Plus, I am unsure I trust my welding skills that much yet.
I started looking at Craigslist for motorcycles with no, or a dead motor. So far “everything runs great!” but I will keep looking.
As for batteries, right away I only need maybe 50 (80.5) - 60 miles (96.5km) of range. Enough to get me out to my dad’s house from town and back on a single charge with wiggle room. It is an 18 mile (29km) drive one way. I am hoping that I will have room to expand battery capacity later, maybe enough to get me into the city and back (85miles / 137km one way).
I have never driven a motorcycle. So I am not planning for any long crazy trips.
I think I would love to do a chopper, but I will probably end up with whatever I can find cheap.
Looking at this 100cc Kawasaki. It is $1000.
That Yamaha posted in the other thread is the ticket, this poor kawa will just leave you disappointed with crap suspension and crapier brakes.
How many kW are you thinking for the motor?
Edit, that vstar is a shaft drive, gonna take some engineering to mount a motor to it
Seriously thinking about this 2015 Yamaha SR400. It is chain driven, no start. Hopefully I can sell the engine etc for parts and recoup some of the cost.
Looks spot on, the bits you needs seem ok, suspension/tyres, looks like bt45 tyres, easy enough to take the single cylinder engine out, loads of these made so you can find simple stuff like speedo cables and brake pads.
Slap a 20kW motor in, gut the tank and load up the batteries, have fun.
I am not sold on this project coming to fruition yet. I just started going back to university, and am currently unemployed.
I do not know a lot about motorcycles, yet. But I am researching (i had no idea about shaft drives, thanks!). After posting the Yamaha i found yet about possible donor frame (but there listing is already gone).
I definitely think i want a cruiser style frame.
As for kW, i plan to use this around town, and out to my dad’s farm. I will be taking back roads for that, with a 55mph/88.5kmph speed limit. So nothing to crazy, just enough to carry my fat ass, the frame, and groceries. Maybe a sidecar (but I think those primarily attach to a classic/standard frame) so i can bring my dog out to the farm too.
Dog tax, she tore a ligament in her knee, and is on light activity until surgery. So instead of morning walls she gets pulled in the cart.
