Pre-ConversionOn the road again...Motor Mount UsedFamily Dog
OwnerChris
Owner's Other EVTBD
LocationWashington, District of Columbia United States map
Vehicle1976 Honda CB550F
My trusty old classic Honda. An EV
motorcycle with historic tags.
MotorBriggs and Stratton Etek Permanent Magnet DC
The original.
DrivetrainDirect chain, 11t to 48t. Just a bit too
tall. 11 to 54 would have been better.
ControllerAlltrax 24-48V 300 Amp
"NPX" non-programmable.
Batteries4 Interstate SRM-24, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
Good for about 100 cycles to 70% DOD
before I lose too much range. That's about
1000-1200 miles per battery set. AGM
batteries would be smarter.
System Voltage48 Volts
ChargerDual Pro Eagle 9Amp
Big, heavy transformer so I keep one at
home and one at work.
Heater
DC/DC Converter 48V TO 12V Converter.
The thunderstruck one. This doesn't
give me enough juice to honk my horn
(10A current, 12V supply), but
everything else works. Having
alternator voltage would have been nice
as lights are a bit dimmer now.
InstrumentationCycle Analyst, the 99V 600A one.
Top Speed51 MPH (82 KPH)
Top speed of about 50 mph on level ground
with this gearing. 40 mph up a steep hill
10 miles into my commute. Need 45 mph
tops. 35 mph average.
AccelerationAcceleration is fair with a fresh charge.
A bit tame after 10 miles.
Range20 Miles (32 Kilometers)
Range is quoted for 100% DOD and 35mph
back-roads riding. Figured both with
battery charge voltage and charger
energy needed after a run. The bike
starts to lose some acceleration after
about 8-9 miles and my top speed drops
5mph. Commute is only 13 miles so this
is ok.
Watt Hours/Mile85 Wh/Mile
Measured by "Cycle Analyst" from
Thunderstruck EV.
EV Miles
Start:17,350 Miles (27,916 Kilometers)
Current:19,000 Miles (30,571 Kilometers)
Total:1,650 Miles (2,654 Kilometers)
Seating Capacity1
Curb Weight450 Pounds (204 Kilograms)
Haven't weighed yet. Should be about the
same as before the conversion.
Tiresstock.
Conversion Time~100 hours, not counting years of
considering it. Could do it again in 30-50
hours probably.
Conversion CostAbout $1400 plus my old bike.
I recommend skipping the Lead stage if $ allows. Still a
very fun project though.

Update: Bike was disassembled to use the parts for future
projects. Performance was acceptable, but safety was not.
Riding a silent motorcycle around the 3 ton tanks driven by
inattentive DC commuters is not a risk worth taking. Why are
these people allowed on the roads?

Considering conversion to a biodiesel touring motorcycle in
the future.

code by jerry