960W 36V Giant ATX 7speed electric shifter

[KCvale]

I had this little middle aged woman bring me this little Giant ATX bike to motorize for her.

By 'little woman' I mean her inseam was like 24".
Her legs are so short she has to stand over that crossbar to keep both toes on the ground.

There was no way any gas motor would go in the cavity so I gave an in frame electric a try. She lives up North in Prescott AZ so she has to deal will hills so using the gears was a must.

It turned out pretty well.

It sports a speedometer and a 1200L Lithium Ion CREE headlight and a taillight.

It's a pretty bright light and great in strobe mode.

She also bought a pet trailer so she could tow her dog around with her.
Here is a shot with the trailer in the background.

I have built over a dozen gas shifters and rode one for 2 years but the closest I've even been to an electric bike was electric golf carts, lots and lots of electric golf carts.
This is nothing like a golf cart.

I was absolutely blown away with how fun and quite this build is. Granted I am 6'2" with a 38" inseam so it was like circus clown toy bike for me but I still had a blast testing it.

She will pop wheelies and creep along a 2MPH in 1st and climb a wall, but do 28MPH wide open in 7th for 20 miles with no pedal help ever and then *poof* instant dead until it gets a 2-4 hour charge. If it dies on the road no biggie, the electric motor has a freewheel sprocket so there in no electric motor resistance to pedal either.

Despite making a living building gas bikes my next bike will be an electric shifter.
1200W 48V on a more man sized bike, and geared a bit higher I think ;-}

 

[Mike B]

Cool ain't they?

It's my new favorite bike.

No noise, no fumes, no vibration, no starting or idleing problems. No gas tanks to worry about.

I am thinking of doing a big bike too with that 5 KW Golden Motor.

 

[paul]

i am going electric also. love gas bikes but living in a condo they are a hassle. i am in the states and get home thursday. my e-bike kit is waiting along with a new bike to put togather. great looking ride kvcal. looks like a lot of fun

 

[motortriker]

Nice build KC !

 

[KCvale]

Thanks guys,
I just got another (and last) of that same electric kit in today.
They were a beta test kit for a design that is going either 24V or 48V.
I am eying a soft tail full suspension mountain bike no gas motor would fit for this 2nd electric.
Pretty much this bike http://www.motivelectricbikes.com/standard-bike with a single speed 500W rear hub motor and side dangle battery for $1750.

Mine will have dual suspension, 7 motor/pedal gears and 960W for $800 less.
Granted that is my parts cost not labor, but for sale still a way better machine and a few hundred less ;-}

 

[paul]

what kind of speed do you think you will get kc?

 

[KCvale]

what kind of speed do you think you will get kc?

My electric kit came in yesterday ;-}

Well, a 960W electric only has 1.3HP but it has it with a flat 100% torque line for the full RPM range. Given the right gearing it should run with a 48cc 2-stroke shifter and a 49cc 4-stroke shifter just as well and both of them can do 35MPH+ but more importantly given what I felt with the first one it'll beat both of them off the line but at least keep up with the quick 2-stroke.

Too bad I can't drop the electric in a Macargi Pantera, I have a new 2-stroke shifter and Big Red the 4-stroke shifter on that frame sitting here right now and with a couple friends could go drag race them all together ;-}

 

[merry]

My electric kit came in yesterday ;-}

Well, a 960W electric only has 1.3HP but it has it with a flat 100% torque line for the full RPM range. Given the right gearing it should run with a 48cc 2-stroke shifter and a 49cc 4-stroke shifter just as well and both of them can do 35MPH+ but more importantly given what I felt with the first one it'll beat both of them off the line but at least keep up with the quick 2-stroke.

Too bad I can't drop the electric in a Macargi Pantera, I have a new 2-stroke shifter and Big Red the 4-stroke shifter on that frame sitting here right now and with a couple friends could go drag race them all together ;-}

Battery for the e-bike is so important, so ,when choose the battery, we also need to carefully.

 

[KCvale]

Battery for the e-bike is so important, so ,when choose the battery, we also need to carefully.

Indeed, just look at Boing's new fleet of 787 jets grounded for their Lithium Ion batteries catching on fire.
It is local news for me as the power controller for them is made here in Phoenix and the Charger down the road in Tucson, AZ.

This bike was 1st with that kit, I built another and it's battery was crap.
It would outrun any non-shifter but only for a couple of miles before the battery petered out.