Mavizen TTX02 electric track bike

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/11/mavizen-ttx02/

$40K - a lot less than I expected.

Theres a whole class for them at the isle of man TT this year! several mfg.

44Dwarf wrote: Theres a whole class for them at the isle of man TT this year! several mfg.

should be fun, hope it rains. Water plus electricity = lots of fun

I'm really curious why someone hasn't come up with a wheel for an electric bike with a hub-motor built in. It seems like a no-brainer...but I haven't actually put that much thought into it yet.

Clem

Probably unsprung weight. I really like the idea of electric bikes, I think my next project might have to be a homemade one.

Hub motors are heavy, the handling would be horrible.

Opus...that's like saying water + fuel = lots of fun for the gas powered bikes. Just like you put a cap on your gas tank, a filter on your air inlet, and a boot on your spark plug wires, electric vehicles protect against the elements as well.

I think it'd be fun to build an electric bike, and with the size scaled down you can afford to use the latest cutting edge stuff (batteries, in particular) without breaking the bank....as much.

Bryce

Ah...I hadn't thought about the unsprung weight. Good point. Would it really be that bad? I'm not real up on motorcycle physics (though I can see how it would affect things).

I just knew they make them for bicycles and thought it would be cool on a little larger (more powerful) scale...and would eliminate some complexity (coupling a motor to wheel with suspension in between).

Clem

Nashco wrote: I think it'd be fun to build an electric bike, and with the size scaled down you can afford to use the latest cutting edge stuff (batteries, in particular) without breaking the bank....as much.

I've done a lot of thinking, and a little reading. I think the easiest way would be to start with an older steel tube cradle frame, from a 500-750cc bike. Use a single Briggs & Straton motor (similar to the Lynch, and the motors used on the bike above), and squeeze in about four deep-cycle marine batteries, with a golf cart controller. I saw one where the guy reused the gearbox off the bike motor (cut it apart, then sealed it to hold oil) to provide a 6 spd transmission and keep the motor a little happier. Finally, convert the lights to LED.

Any smaller bike won't have the space, suspension, or brakes to hold enough batteries. It won't have regenerative braking, but the whole conversion will probably cost $1500-$2000 on top of the $200-$500 craigslist bike. Way cheaper than any car conversion, and will probably get you ~60 miles of plug-in only range.