Swamp worthy electric bike?

GoldenMotor.com
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HatchieLuvr

New Member
Aug 21, 2012
3
0
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Jackson, TN
Hello folks, I'm a newbie here and first let me say that I'm ASTONISHED what is possible and what I've seen members do here in the few minutes I've been surfing this site!

I've been looking for something to transport myself and others back and forth across my 625acre west TN farm during hunting season. I have 4 wheelers, electric carts and 4x4 trucks but for various reason they just aren't "getting it done" in my "swamp". My requirement is that the equipment be SILENT so electric is all I've found to work. But, being a riverbottom that floods and is all mud, the place is **** on electric golf carts (even the "jacked up redneck carts" built expressly for such). I have decent roads but as I said they are very muddy from Nov-Feb. I also have a need for occasional driving through water as deep as 3ft deep with most waterholes being 6"-2ft deep.

I've seen the "electric hub motors" but assume the waterholes would make those not an option?

I see most motors are built or placed inside the bike frames where the pedal hubs are/were located. I'm curious and am thinking could a motor be placed above the rear tire, perhaps under the rear seat so as to hold it out of the water?

Battery pack wise, I'm not opposed to buying the fairly expensive lithium-ion packs I've seen if they save weight and increase capability. I'm not traveling large distances and don't really care about top speed. 1-2 miles in the morning and the same in the afternoon would be FINE and speeds of 10ish mph is more than enough (I realize bikes and true mudholes make for a slippery & cautious combo so I'm in no big hurry topend wise.) I just wonder how much "mudding ability" such a creation has? I realize it won't be my Honda 4x4 with swamp tires but I'm curious if some dirtbike sized (width) tires could be incorporated to aid in "floatation"?

Any ideas of what kind of power such a creation would need?

Thanks, dnut
HL
 
vsavoldi

vsavoldi

New Member
Jul 24, 2012
78
0
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Monterey Bay California
Welcome,

I am a newbie also but I have seen quite a few motors mounted above the rear tire. I'm a believer that anything is possible with a little imagination and a lot of sweat!

We all know electricity and muddy water don't play together very well.

Good luck in your quest and please keep us updated as your project sounds totally feasible to me. You just need a bike that can handle the mud and slippery roads.
 
BarelyAWake

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
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Maine
Off road electric bicycles aren't infeasible, they're just a touch on the pricy side lol;

http://optibike.com/r-series-optibike
http://www.fortunehanebrink.com/products/electric-all-terrain

For some DIY swamper potential there's the fat bikes, obviously a custom frame & forks would only be the start of it;


http://gearjunkie.com/fat-bike-trend

...ofc just about any normal mountain bike & knobbies would prolly do ya fine.

Water resistance depends entirely on the motor choice, some are completely open & some are sealed, non-sealed motors would be problematic not just due to water but also due to the muck, grit & grime. Even the sealed ones vent but aside from constant immersion the sealed motors would most likely be fine, I've run my sealed (hub) motor in torrential downpours w/o any issues, the battery packs tucked away safe in panniers & w/waterproofed wiring.

However hub motors w/a 26" wheel are often "geared" too tall for most slow speed rugged trails, and w/a smaller wheel they'd be immersed frequently so an in-frame motor may be a better choice for the power application (such as the above links), even jackshafted for extreme low range... & how powerful a motor you would need depends on your gearing/speed choices, but geared down even the commonly available 48v 1000w motor should do quite well on the trails @ your "speeds of 10ish mph" - range dependent on the battery packs ofc, but a mere "1-2 miles in the morning and the same in the afternoon" really isn't much to ask for lol

...while I was writing this, I had the thought that there may be some DIY potential in 24v (or greater) electric trolling (boat) motors for this application, given their low RPM torque & as they're obv completely sealed (could be some heat issues w/o water?), they even come w/a controller... but then again I've only ever had the one electric bike and it's just a (hub) kit - so in all honesty I've no idea lol, jus' some thoughts is all ;)

If you dump the bike & it sinks, there's going to be consequences ofc - but that's true for ICE as well, so as it is w/all things, the choice is yours...
 
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HatchieLuvr

New Member
Aug 21, 2012
3
0
0
Jackson, TN
Do people really pay $7k-$15k for a freakin electric bike??? WOW, P.T. Barnum was right huh? lol Before I spent that kind of money I'd buy another "redneck golf cart" or something like the new electric Polaris Ranger. I'm just trying to come up with something cheap and workable. I have carts and even a small, electric powered boat that I reach some areas with. But there are others I'd like to ride into thus my ideas with the bikes.

BarelyAWake that fat tired bike in your pic sure looks like a good start to me! Exactly what I have in mind, my only hesitation is just how "waterproof" are these "waterproof" hub motors? Waterproof and submersible are usually two different things!

My father-in-law is a retired arsenal machinist and has a virtual machine shop in his backyard shop so between me being able to cobble parts and info from the inet, he's got the mechanical know how & equipment (spelled Billybob Engineerin!)

I shall endeavor, dnut
HL
 
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