OwnerEric Hutchinson
Owner's Other EVs2008 Caddie Up
Vegas High Roller
Dual Motor Electric Pusher Trailer
LocationLas Vegas, Nevada United States map
Web/EmailWebPage email image
Vehicle1999 Next Brand Bicycle
This is a Walmart brand bicycle. I bought it at a pawn shop. I choose this model because of the square bottom tube which makes it really easy to attach a motor.
MotorUnite Motor MY1018Z Permanent Magnet DC
This is a 450W, 24V internally geared motor. Final output RPM is 418. This is the same motor that is used on EZIP Trailz bicycles.
DrivetrainChain Drive. This is an internally geared motor with a 7.18:1 reduction. The drive sprocket is a 14 tooth bicycle chain freewheel sprocket and this is connected to a 56 tooth sprocket on the cranks.
ControllerYi Yun LBD14
This is a 24V 500W controller.
Batteries3 Zippy MaxFlight, 24.00 Volt, Lithium-Polymer
I have three 8000mAh 24V lipo batteries.
System Voltage24 Volts
ChargerTenergy TB6AC
This is a smart charger that also balances. Maximum charging and balancing is at 2.3 amps, so it takes close to 4 hours to reach a full charge for each battery. However since I always keep them at resting voltage of 3.85V, they each take 2 hours to top off.
HeaterVegas heat!
InstrumentationTom Tom GPS to keep track of speed.
Top Speed28 MPH (45 KPH)
I have 21 speeds in this bicycle. The largest front sprocket has 48 teeth, and the smallest on the rear wheel is 14 teeth. This gear combination allows me to go 28mph with a slight incline and wind to my back. With no wind or incline it can hit 25mph in the fastest gear.
AccelerationPretty good if depending on what gear you are in.
Range30 Miles (48 Kilometers)
On the flats with no wind I can achieve this range. I always pedal the bike up to speed and then engage the motor. This helps me to achieve this range. These batteries can be hooked up in parallel or separate so I can customize how long of ride I need. Each battery gives about 10 miles of range with very little pedaling.
Curb Weight60 Pounds (27 Kilograms)
The bike itself weighs around 52 pounds, and the batteries weigh 8 pounds (using all three).
TiresI have two 1.5 inch width tires. They are road slicks to cut down on the rolling resistance.
Conversion TimeOne week working a few hours here and there.
Conversion Cost$650. Paid $40 for the bike, $50 for new tires and tubes, motor $70, batteries $300, controller $25, throttle $15, Custom triple chainring sprocket $120, Megarange freewheel $25, Screws / metal $5.
Additional FeaturesThis bike has a freewheel crank system attached. This allows the motor to spin the chain without the pedals spinning. I also have the option of pedaling with or without the motor. If the motor is not on then I can pedal without any motor resistance since I have a freewheel on the motor as well.

The MY1018Z motor originally had a 9 tooth fixed drive sprocket. Now it has a 14 tooth freewheel sprocket that I ordered from Cyclone Electric bicycles. This has a 20mm inner diameter, so needed to find a way to attach it to the 11mm motor shaft. I turned the 9 tooth fixed sprocket into a shaft adapter. I cut off all the teeth except one. This extra tooth was filed down to fit the key slot on the Cyclone freewheel. I grinded down the sprocket to make it fit inside the freewheel sprocket. A picture of my homemade shaft adapter is shown. I JB Welded the adapter to the inside of the 14 tooth sprocket. So far it works great!

Here's a video of me making the freewheel sprocket on the motor: WebPage />

I also have a video of me making the triple chainring freewheeling crankset: WebPage

code by jerry