Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle

Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle......Page 1
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 16
Acknowledgments......Page 18
1 Why You Need to Get an Electric Motorcycle Today!......Page 20
Convert That Motorcycle!......Page 22
What Is an Electric Motorcycle?......Page 23
Electric Motors......Page 24
Electric Motorcycles Are Fun to Drive......Page 25
Safety First......Page 26
Myth 2: Electric Motorcycles Have Limited Range......Page 27
Myth 3: Electric Motorcycles Are Not Convenient......Page 28
Time to Purchase/Build......Page 29
My Passion......Page 30
Coolfuel Roadtrip......Page 31
Why Do Electric Motorcycles Save the Environment?......Page 36
Environmental Benefits......Page 37
Save the Environment and Save Some Money Too!......Page 38
Electricity Generation: How Is It Made?......Page 39
Hydropower......Page 41
Efficiencies of Power Plants......Page 42
U.S. Transportation Depends on Oil......Page 43
Emission Facts......Page 44
Economic Benefits......Page 45
Summary......Page 46
EPA Testing Procedures for Electric Motorcycles......Page 48
Copeland Steam Motorcycle......Page 50
Early 1900s......Page 54
Vogelbilt Corporation's Electra Cruiser Was in Coolfuel Roadtrip......Page 55
The Prototype......Page 57
The KillaCycle—Bill Dube Breaks NEDRA Records......Page 59
E-mail from Bill Dube......Page 60
Ducati Project......Page 62
The Vectrix VX-1......Page 64
Summary......Page 66
Eva Håkansson's Electrocat Electric Motorcycle......Page 68
KillaCycle and KillaCycle LSR Electric Motorcycles......Page 69
Zero Motorcycles......Page 70
Brammo Motorsports......Page 72
KTM "Race Ready" Enduro Electric Motorcycle......Page 75
EVT America......Page 76
Summary......Page 80
Rake......Page 82
Trail......Page 85
Fork Length......Page 87
Fork Dive......Page 88
Travel......Page 89
Spring Rate......Page 90
Rear Suspension Styles......Page 91
Hybrid Twin-Shock H Swingarm......Page 94
Monolever Suspension......Page 95
Conclusion......Page 96
Choosing a Frame and Planning Your Design......Page 98
Selecting a Frame Dos and Don'ts......Page 100
Standard Measurements and Formulas......Page 102
During Conversion......Page 103
Weight and Climbing......Page 104
Weight Affects Speed......Page 106
Remove the Weight But Keep Your Balance......Page 107
Streamline Your EV......Page 108
Choose the Lowest Coefficient of Drag......Page 109
Relative Wind Contributes to Aerodynamic Drag......Page 111
Roll with the Road......Page 112
Rolling Resistance Defined......Page 113
Pay Attention to Your Tires......Page 114
Less Is More with Drivetrains......Page 116
Drivetrains......Page 117
Difference in Motor versus Engine Specifications......Page 118
Going through the Gears......Page 120
Manual Transmission versus Chain or Shaft Drive......Page 121
Design Your EV......Page 123
Horsepower, Torque, and Current......Page 124
Calculation Overview......Page 125
Torque-Available Worksheet......Page 127
Why Conversion Is Best......Page 134
Muffler......Page 135
Tires......Page 136
Lighting Devices and Reflectors......Page 137
Fenders......Page 138
7 Batteries......Page 140
Battery Overview......Page 141
Early Pioneers in Battery Technology......Page 143
Starting Batteries......Page 144
Deep-Cycle Batteries......Page 145
Sealed Batteries......Page 146
Nickel-Cadmium Batteries......Page 148
Lithium Batteries......Page 149
Battery Case......Page 151
Plates......Page 152
Sulfation......Page 153
Terminal Posts......Page 154
Inside Your Battery......Page 155
Active Materials......Page 156
Electrolytes......Page 157
Overall Chemical Reaction......Page 158
Electrolyte Specific Gravity......Page 160
State of Charge......Page 161
Gassing......Page 163
Equalizing......Page 164
Battery Explosions......Page 165
Battery Calculations and Capacity......Page 166
Power or Watts......Page 167
Battery Configurations: Series and Parallel......Page 168
Battery C Rating: C/20, C/3, C/1, etc......Page 169
Available Capacity versus Total Capacity......Page 170
Basic Battery Spreadsheet......Page 171
Environmental Benefits......Page 174
EV Battery Operating Requirements......Page 177
Safety......Page 178
Electric Shock......Page 179
Battery Solutions Today......Page 181
History of Electric Motors......Page 182
Choosing the Right Motor for You......Page 184
Some Simple Points and Notes......Page 185
Some Basic Terms to Know......Page 186
DC Motors......Page 187
DC Motor Basic Construction......Page 188
Armature......Page 189
Commutator......Page 190
Field Poles......Page 191
Motor Timing......Page 192
Series DC Motor......Page 193
Shunt DC Motors......Page 197
Compound DC Motor......Page 199
Permanent-Magnet DC Motor......Page 201
AC Electric Motors......Page 202
A Couple of Terms You Should Know......Page 205
AC Synchronous Motor......Page 206
Polyphase AC Induction Motor (Three-Phase AC Motor)......Page 207
EV Motor Selection......Page 208
Series-Wound Motor Examples......Page 209
Calculating Full-Load Torque......Page 212
Conclusion......Page 213
Controller Overview......Page 214
Basic Controller Explanation......Page 215
Multiswitching Control......Page 216
Solid-State Controllers......Page 217
Undervoltage Cutback......Page 218
Overtemperature Cutback......Page 219
AC Controller......Page 220
Series-Wound DC Controller......Page 221
Curtis Instruments......Page 222
ZAPI Controllers......Page 229
Navitas Technologies......Page 230
Alltrax DC Motor Controllers......Page 232
AC Controllers......Page 236
Curtis Instruments AC Controllers......Page 237
ZAPI AC Motor Controllers......Page 238
Metric Mind Engineering......Page 241
Conclusion......Page 244
Charger Overview......Page 246
Charger Checklist......Page 247
End of Charge Cycle (Termination)......Page 248
Charging Methods......Page 249
Opportunity Charging......Page 250
Battery Discharging Cycle......Page 251
Battery Charging Cycle......Page 252
The Ideal Battery Charger......Page 253
Charging between 0 and 20 Percent......Page 254
Charging above 100 Percent (Equalizing Charging)......Page 255
Battery Chargers Today......Page 256
Zivan Charger......Page 257
Manzanita Micro PFC-20......Page 261
Curtis Instruments......Page 262
Brusa......Page 264
Battery Balancers......Page 266
Battery Management Systems......Page 268
Conclusion......Page 269
Communications......Page 270
Xantrex Link 10......Page 272
Curtis Series 800 and 900 Battery SOC Instrumentation......Page 274
Ammeter......Page 277
DC-to-DC Converter......Page 278
Vicor DC-to-DC Converter......Page 281
Curtis DC-to-DC Converter......Page 283
Conclusion......Page 284
Electrical Safety......Page 286
Main Circuit Breaker or Quick Disconnect......Page 287
Main Contactor......Page 288
Safety Fuse......Page 289
Shunts......Page 290
Wiring Your System Together......Page 291
Wire......Page 292
Cable Connectors......Page 293
Routing......Page 294
Electrical Wiring Diagrams......Page 295
Conclusion......Page 297
Conversion Overview......Page 298
Before the Conversion......Page 299
Help on Your Project......Page 300
Things to Keep in Mind......Page 301
Purchasing the Frame......Page 302
Prepare the Chassis......Page 303
Mechanical......Page 304
Support for the Electric Motor......Page 305
Creating Battery Mounts......Page 309
High-Current System......Page 311
Low-Voltage System......Page 312
Battery Wiring......Page 313
System Checkout on Blocks......Page 314
Moving Forward......Page 315
14 Sources......Page 316
Clubs, Associations, and Organizations......Page 317
Manufacturers, Converters, and Consultants......Page 330
Suppliers......Page 337
Conversion Kits......Page 339
Motors......Page 340
Controllers......Page 342
Batteries......Page 343
Chargers......Page 346
Electric Motorcycle Sales......Page 347
Books, Articles, and Papers......Page 349
Publishers......Page 351
Online Industry Publications......Page 352
Federal Government Sites......Page 354
State and Community-Related EV Sites......Page 357
General Electric Drive (ED) Information Sites......Page 358
Notes......Page 362
B......Page 366
C......Page 368
D......Page 369
E......Page 370
F......Page 371
I......Page 372
M......Page 373
P......Page 374
S......Page 375
T......Page 376
V......Page 377
Z......Page 378