electric souped up mobility scooter

[deacon]

well not really. I think I am going to build a no pedal scooter. I think I have a good build plan I just need to make a couple of decisions then start building one step at a time.

I have a 600 watt at 24v motor I am not using. I have an axle mount so that isn't going to be a problem. I need to decide on the frame and wheels. Then decide on the sprocket size and get a controller and some metal.

I'm thinking I will get the best hill climbing if I use a 16" wheels. A lot like my old pusher was. I'm thinking build it on a 20" sissy frame. A 16" frame would just be to small. I can ride on a 20" comfortably if I don't have to pedal which i won't.

So if I buy a 20" thrift store bike for under twenty bucks I can use the frame and the front wheel. The rear wheel I can use as a spare for my Rhino bike if it is any good.

Then I need to buy a 16" or `18" bike at the thrift store just for the wheels. Pull brakes on front and one of the rear wheels should work fine. Yes I am going to put two wheels on the back.

The plan is to put the rear 16" wheel on the right side If you are standing behind the bike and the front wheel on the left. I am going to support both sides of the wheels. I will attach one side of the rear wheel's axle to the bike frame using one side of the drop outs. The other side I will attach to a piece of channel to the outside of each axle. Then I will connect the outside pieces of channel through the bike frame in front, and behind the two tires in the rear. I will probably either weld the part that runs through the frame for stability.

With a little luck it will be a very thin three wheeler. Probably a little unstable but then again maybe not too much since there won't be a lot of weight if it leans a little. There might be enough room to place the batteries in front of the rear wheels but that remains to be seen.

Anyway I think that is the plan. Has anyone ever done anything like it.

 

[zabac70]

I haven't , cause , I didn't had need for it. Width of your future three wheeler can be the same as your shoulders width, because you can't go trough anything that is narrower than yourself, even in a classic bike. That should help for stability issue (any three wheeler is more stable than two wheeler , clearly). I strongly suggest that you look at APAX VEHICLES - you just might get some ideas , especially for tilting .
I didn't quite got, what you had in mind , by your description of the rear end (that could be me - not knowing language well) - some drawings might help. Is it some kind of live axle, that you want to construct (trough both rear wheels) ?

 

[Kevlarr]

A tilting axle would make it very stable but not only does it have to tilt it would have to swing in slightly (inner rear wheel in a turn gets closer to the front) which wouldn't be that hard to do by slightly tilting the pivot point a few degrees off of horizontal.

 

[BarelyAWake]

Check out this tilting trike

 

[deacon]

one drawing coming up...

Nothing fancy here just wheels so close together that they should not cause tipping. There will be a motor hanging off the right side of the right wheel. Just like I used to have on my pusher trailer.

 

[zabac70]

Now I've got it. Thanks for the drawing. I would do that differently (and than again, that's nothing new ). Just stretch a rear fork a bit , and a frame would go over the wheels (shaped like stretched letter "U" , turned upside down) with the ends attached to outer end of axles (or welded to a fork near axle).Maybe one rod liking it to a seat pole for "sturdiness" . that is lighter solution and nothing gets in the way for legs (sharp angles on the front side of your frame). It can , also , provide mounting point for motor. And why not you use longer axle , connecting both wheels?

 

[deacon]

I went to the thrift store where I buy most of my bikes. I found a 16" girlie bike in pretty fair shape for a dollar. I paid a dollar and seven cents for it. I got two wheels with tires and tubes. that are serviceable. One of the wheels has a coaster brake style free wheel unit. I can weld a sprocket to that. The sprocket will cost me 16 bucks so the bike was a real steal.

I also took the small handlebars as I might use those on the scooter. I took the seat post for the same reason. I am now on the hunt for a 20" bike to use the frame. I decided not to move the electronics from the rhino since the controller coming is the exact size for the chain drive and the Rhino controller will go to 800 watts good for the scooter project.

 

[BossCat]

Im thinking for my next project I could do a three wheeler?
Keep the trailer im building at the moment, nip of to there recycle center and pickup a small bike, cut the front end of it and attach it to my trailer, then make a cusion seat for the lid of the trailer and were ready to go.

My own mobility scooter

Regards
Tom

 

[deacon]

I wanted mine narrow enough to fit through the shop door. My trailer also has scooter wheels. That sixteen inch wheel is the best size for a scooter build I think. I'm going to put a 80 tooth sprocket on to give me lots of hill climbing torque, I think.

Your would make a better good humor truck from the fifties. I would really like to see someone do that with an ebike. Make a replica of that motorcycle ice cream vendor

 

[Cabinfever1977]

When i saw this post i had to read it. Heres a pic of what id like to make out of a regular walmart electric scooter.These are legal for sidewalk use if they have 3 or 4 wheels. I would be using slighty larger scooter wheels and larger scooter electric motor.
3rd pic is of a motorcycle ice cream vendor that deacon mentions

 

[deacon]

with the small wheels it will always run slowly but with torque I think. I wanted a little more speed. Push off to break the tie to the road then let it roll.

 

[deacon]

I wonder what the cops are going to say when I pull up to the mall on the thing. It is going to be one weird looking thing if It works.

 

[zabac70]

If I were a cop , I'll be paying more attention to a weird looking people , other than mobility scooters (or whatever ride is in question). That ice cream thing is very interesting. I think that 16" wheels are good solution for what you have in mind (it's not just a speed in question , there is a comfort of a ride too - with wheels of a few inches you'll be counting any crack on the road surface with your kidneys and spine).

 

[deacon]

My choice of the wheel is based solely on the fact that I ran it on the pusher and have some idea of the speeds I can expect. Not much speed on the hills but it will pull them I think. I still have a couple of suspension front forks I can add if I want. What really upsets me is when I was force to clean out the shop (divorce threat) I threw away a 16" wheel witht he sprocket already welding in place. It is the one I used on my pusher. Oh well.