deacon
minor bike philosopher
Well I thought I would update you guys on what I have been up to. After my accident two years ago I had to make some changes. The only reason I did, was because my wife got tired of visiting me in the hospital.
After the accident on the Gasoline driven bike with the drop clutch and friction drive, I was ordered to go electric or plan on a nursing home. Mama wasn’t going to look after me.
So I did a lot of experimenting with electric friction drive using scooter motors. I got a very efficient drive using a small wheel driven by a large motor sitting on the bike wheel. Then I ran the two wheeler off the road because my eyesight was failing. No more two wheelers, I was told.
So I bought a used trike at a good price. I ran my wheel one a wheel friction drive on it. It worked pretty good I have to admit. I experimented with different motor and power supplies. I always had a little trouble getting the trike in and out of my shop door. The trike was only on inch narrower than the door frame.
Then I had a born again moment. My neurosurgeon told me I had cataracts. I had the surgery and I could see again. That re energize me, but alas I had already made promises I had to keep.
So I went back to work on three wheelers. I decided that I didn’t want to waste a lot of money on them, so I built my own. I used a full sized bike removed the rear wheel and the complete chain drive mechanism. What I wound up with was a three wheel electric moped. It was a real attention getter. For the rear wheel set up I used both wheels from a 16 inch thrift store bike.
I build a trailer designed for bike wheels, then just bolted my stripped down bike to it. Wa-la instant trike. Then to power it I used my wheel on a wheel friction drive with a variable speed control without a controller I don’t like controllers they are too fragile.
I put 3x12v 12ah batteries on the bike. One I wired one of them through a switch to deliver 12volts to the motor. Then I had a 24v circuit run through a solenoid, strait to the motor as well. There was a switch on the activator for the solenoid.
Here is how it worked.
12 volt on only = creep- no jerk on the wheel at start up.
12volt switch + 24 volt switch = 18 volts and slightly over medium speed.
24volt only = full speed and torque.
I tried it at 36volts on the top end but it was a little scary for me. Others might find it fine.
It worked find and I got a lot of stares from the kids in the hood. It did eat up tires though. I finally decided to break down and buy a hub motor kit for the factory made 2nd hand trike I already had. I it is a 36v 700watt hub with controller and throttle only. I bought that configuration because it came in a 24“ wheel. None of the others did.
So I had to build a battery pack and charger. All that other experimenting paid off. I did the 36volt pack made with 6x 12v x12ah batteries to make a 36v 24ah pack. With and on off switch for the power supply and an input for a charge so that the pack can remain on the bike at all times.
Here is the wiring for it.
The charger is a ebay charger 36v 1.6 amp from which I removed the bike plug in. I replaced it with and on off switch and a male end of an extension cord. Ground wire to the bigger prong side.
I always turn the power off before plugging or unplugging the charger and this is just the easiest way. I simply switch the power off to the male end.
The battery pack is wired with a wall type plug from home depot as well. Then to the controller. I also have a panic switch in the circuit but that’s just me.
Because of the wall plug I can plug the charger in and also my battery meter so I can tell what my battery voltage is at any given time. It’s an easy way to do it with easy to fine parts.
Hope this will help some other old guy get around. The hub motor does extend the range of the trike I can attest to that. The trike carries the less expensive more robust sla batteries easily.
After the accident on the Gasoline driven bike with the drop clutch and friction drive, I was ordered to go electric or plan on a nursing home. Mama wasn’t going to look after me.
So I did a lot of experimenting with electric friction drive using scooter motors. I got a very efficient drive using a small wheel driven by a large motor sitting on the bike wheel. Then I ran the two wheeler off the road because my eyesight was failing. No more two wheelers, I was told.
So I bought a used trike at a good price. I ran my wheel one a wheel friction drive on it. It worked pretty good I have to admit. I experimented with different motor and power supplies. I always had a little trouble getting the trike in and out of my shop door. The trike was only on inch narrower than the door frame.
Then I had a born again moment. My neurosurgeon told me I had cataracts. I had the surgery and I could see again. That re energize me, but alas I had already made promises I had to keep.
So I went back to work on three wheelers. I decided that I didn’t want to waste a lot of money on them, so I built my own. I used a full sized bike removed the rear wheel and the complete chain drive mechanism. What I wound up with was a three wheel electric moped. It was a real attention getter. For the rear wheel set up I used both wheels from a 16 inch thrift store bike.
I build a trailer designed for bike wheels, then just bolted my stripped down bike to it. Wa-la instant trike. Then to power it I used my wheel on a wheel friction drive with a variable speed control without a controller I don’t like controllers they are too fragile.
I put 3x12v 12ah batteries on the bike. One I wired one of them through a switch to deliver 12volts to the motor. Then I had a 24v circuit run through a solenoid, strait to the motor as well. There was a switch on the activator for the solenoid.
Here is how it worked.
12 volt on only = creep- no jerk on the wheel at start up.
12volt switch + 24 volt switch = 18 volts and slightly over medium speed.
24volt only = full speed and torque.
I tried it at 36volts on the top end but it was a little scary for me. Others might find it fine.
It worked find and I got a lot of stares from the kids in the hood. It did eat up tires though. I finally decided to break down and buy a hub motor kit for the factory made 2nd hand trike I already had. I it is a 36v 700watt hub with controller and throttle only. I bought that configuration because it came in a 24“ wheel. None of the others did.
So I had to build a battery pack and charger. All that other experimenting paid off. I did the 36volt pack made with 6x 12v x12ah batteries to make a 36v 24ah pack. With and on off switch for the power supply and an input for a charge so that the pack can remain on the bike at all times.
Here is the wiring for it.
The charger is a ebay charger 36v 1.6 amp from which I removed the bike plug in. I replaced it with and on off switch and a male end of an extension cord. Ground wire to the bigger prong side.
I always turn the power off before plugging or unplugging the charger and this is just the easiest way. I simply switch the power off to the male end.
The battery pack is wired with a wall type plug from home depot as well. Then to the controller. I also have a panic switch in the circuit but that’s just me.
Because of the wall plug I can plug the charger in and also my battery meter so I can tell what my battery voltage is at any given time. It’s an easy way to do it with easy to fine parts.
Hope this will help some other old guy get around. The hub motor does extend the range of the trike I can attest to that. The trike carries the less expensive more robust sla batteries easily.
