power source
OwnerSteve Keays
LocationToronto, Ontario Canada map
Email email image
Vehicle custom-built
1/2" Plastic pieces,with heavy duty metal brackets, copper pipe handle
Motor Permanent Magnet DC
350 Watt scooter motor
Drivetraindirect chain drive
ControllerYi Yun LBD 14
24 Volt
Batteries2, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, AGM
12 Ah
System Voltage24 Volts
Charger
24 Volt 2 prong
Top Speed30 MPH (48 KPH)
Seating Capacity1 adult
Curb Weight45 Pounds (20 Kilograms)
(about)
TiresDarcor polyurethane soft rubber caster wheels
Conversion Timeseveral days
Conversion Cost$350 to $400
Additional FeaturesScooter thumb throttle can be held in hand while riding.

There is no steering mechanism. Steering is done by shifting ones weight from side to side,and by touching the ground lightly with the feet. The wheel at the front turns, so this works quite well.It certainly helps that the riders weight is balanced just right between the back wheels and the front wheel. The reason the cart is tilted back is to take some of the weight off of the front wheel. I have tried a more upright version,without the piece underneath which mounts the front wheel. This was very slow and difficult to steer. Therefore weight distribution is of critical importance in how this moves so smoothly.
Braking is done by forcing both feet against the ground. This will wear down the soles of the shoes over time,so it is best to wear a cheap pair of runners if a lot of braking is anticipated.I plan to try a control box with regen braking,and this should help quite a bit. I also will try and add a brake to one of the wheels one day.
Riding this scooter is quite comfortable,since a very natural sitting position can be maintained. Holding the feet off the ground doesnt require much more effort than having to apply ones foot to a gas pedal or brake constantly. I dont have to keep my feet attached to the sides of the scooter like I would with a 2 wheel scooter or motorcycle. I also dont have to lean forward at all like I would on most motorcycles,and to have to constantly hold onto handle bars(or a steering wheel as in a car).

Since there is plenty of room left inside the box,it can be used as a cart as well. In fact this is what it started as.

The handle is very helpful to push it in areas where I cant ride it,like shopping centers or busy sidewalks.

Due to its compact size,and relatively light weight, I can easily bring it on a bus or subway. I can also sit on it while waiting for the bus or subway.
In order to view the video at the bottom of the page,you will have to come back to this page through the Firefox browser. For some reason Explorer doesnt work for it yet. I have just started riding this with a motor very recently, and I cant be more pleased with the results. I used to ride it down hills, and finally got the confidence and knowledge to add the motor. There are still several improvements I would like to make however. For example, I want to try using a 1000 Watt, 36 Volt motor for better hill climbing. I could even fit an Etek in there with room to spare.I will also add a quality contolIer like an Alltrax or Curtis,which are supposed to be waterproof+built for more powerful motors. I also plan to make one with a much more styled, and unified body. This model uses a milk crate as the base, because I made this to haul around old lps. I buy and sell lps for a living, and this worked out great. The crate fits lps perfectly, and I can easily remove it, since it is attached with only a bolt and a wing nut to the frame. I definitely want to market this scooter one day, but I am so busy with day to day business, I'm not quite sure what to do next. I just found this site, and thought it seemed like a good place to show it off .It probably wouldnt be too popular in rural ares with few or no paved roads. In fact this scooter is dependent on the roads to be very well paved in order to use safely. I was thinking that this could be used as a form of recreation in places where there are no paved roads. There could be hills which could be made especially for these,where you could rent them by the hour. Of course there could be lifts or vehicles at the bottom of the hill to bring you back up. Honestly ,riding down the hill you see in the video is a blast,but sometimes I wouldnt mind trying one even faster or longer.
As a closing thought on its legality,considering it is a motor vehicle,it probably isnt going to be legal on the roads in your areas. However,as long as you stay in the bike lane,close to the curb,I dont see why the police would have a problem with it. I believe that by the time I get through with this,after adding a better motor,control box,and a brake,this will be a very safe vehicle to use. A better control box should give me better control over the speed,which is sometimes inconsistent with the cheap one I am using now.

Here is a 361Kb video of it in action:

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