I am in the prosess of starting my own converstion , and thanks to you guys i does not look so hard to achive !

Having started with converting a push bike to battery power.only 300 watts. Also wired up a few houses with battery and solar power.No mains available. I appreciate how much thought and effort you have put into this project. Of course it never is really finished.Now I am having fun putting 500 watts into a push scooter. Great video. More detail please.

How great it would be if only I know how to do all these things ! You are a genius !

I am a junkyard warrior too! Now this will inspire me to build a bike. I just finished a 10' dia windmill designed by recycling guru Hugh Piggott and it works well.

I think that it is really great that you are doing things like this!! This is really good because it helps give everyone something to start with.

Nice work! One thing to keep in mind is that the engine is sometimes used as a structural element in the motorcycle frame so by removing it you might get more flex in the frame and make it prone to breaking. Probably only relevent if you're going racing but maybe add a few crossmembers for extra stiffnes.

Hey there- Thanks for the comment. In fact, the bike currently uses electric golf cart batteries, which are deep cycle. The first set of batteries I used were also deep cycle, but common ones that had already been used up quite a bit. Thanks!

Very impressive , for the hack & bash vidi . You undersold how much attention you did pay . Like the cutting of a hole in the swinging arm , but then put a buttress on the motor bracket to keep it sound . Difficult call , to transfer information without delivering boredom .

Yes, you are correct. When people refer to a vehicle as "zero emissions" they're talking about exhaust. Since the power from power plants is generally cleaner than the pollution caused by burning gas, it is much better, mile per mile, to run an AC vehicle than a gas powered one, especially if you can plug in at night when the power grid sits mostly unused. however, until the power plants are from entirely renewable sources, there will always be SOME pollution created. Thanks for the comment!

Way to go dude. Great video.

Thanks for the comment. I refer to vehicle emissions as defined by the auto, energy and science communities. There is of course the power plant emissions, but when compared mile-to-mile to tailpipe emissions there is significant differences in pollution levels, especially here in NorCal where the power grid uses a high percentage of renewables. Thanks again!

how long can you ride? what are the batteries rated at? i mean how many amp-hours? im thinking about doing this to my old bike but with li-ion packs instead of the lead acid batteries you used. li-ion batteries are about 1/4 the size for the same capacity. thanks

You can get Angle iron for battery free behind stores that sell beds. They usually set the old beds they take out of the customers house out back by the dumpster along with the bed frame rails. The bed frame rails are great for all kinds of projects.

looks even cooler w/ out the gas tank,-like the kettle

Once again you honor me with interest in my work. Are you asking about MY bike, or motorcycles in general? Any vehicle can be dangerous, or safe. It is mostly up to the rider. The rest is the risk that all riders assume. At 8 years old, I spent 7 weeks in intensive care from a low-speed bicycle accident on my Schwin. No cars, no head injury, no other vehicle or objects were involved, yet I almost died. Later I spent 5 years in NYC as a bike messenger and never got a scratch. Go figure.

Thanks for all the questions. I will try my best to answer. In CA, we have a large % of renewable sources for our AC grid, and getting better all the time so using AC is better than gas overall by a large margin. Ultimately, a small solar panel at home would charge the bike for 0$. The batteries are sealed, but can be a little leaky if poorly maintained. Small traces of battery acid ruined my pants one, but that's all. Thanks again..

True. I use "windmill" and other simplified language alot to make concepts easier for those without as much experience with these technologies to understand. Kinda like how any machine is a "robot" or anything can be "turbo". Thanks for the comments!

great work!

Thanks for the input. the Rebel didn't allow for a transmission, but some other bike conversions do. I looked at the alternator idea, but the loss of efficiency due to friction outweighs any benefits -at least for now. Thanks again!

HEY I think this is great. Very ingenious. Making stuff like this and thinking out of the box is the way to discover even better things. Nothing we have is green. Even the clothes we wear are not green. The tires we drive on are not green, The metal in cars or motorcycles or bicycles...is not green. All the people that cut down anything good like this are just about brain dead. Good job...keep it up.....

Nice video and well explained. For your next electric motorcycle, I recommend Lithium Iron sulphate batteries. They may be more expensive but they last a lot longer than lead acid batteries and are about 1/3 the weight for the same power.

nice build guys.

Could you please discribe the components and where to obtain them?

Well, have you upgraded it yet, got any videos on it?

Nice work! I am stripping my Honda Magna down to do an EV conversion on it. Also, thanks for always being positive and polite even when people on here are negative and hateful.

@foxgods77 Considering the bike was salvage, it's hard to imagine a better use for it than a city commuter that costs .02 cents per mile to operate and can recharge in a few hours at any wall socket. Thanks for the well thought-out comments! keep watching!

@TheMarxman47 The real key is whether or not the bike will take a direct chain drive retrofit. Not all bikes are set up for that. Thx for watching

@iwo2024 Good Question. We really wanted too but the orig batteries were just too big & heavy. Second battery set was smaller and did all fit in the engine area with minor fab - no chopping required.

@hobbyguy That was the recommendation from the motor company, the spocket manufacturer, and our helper who is a world class moto builder, so I think our rubber mallet worked just fine. Thanks for the comments!

@notwocdivad Hey, I do appreciate comments and criticism, especially if they are written in a respectful manner. That "troll" reply to you was written by someone else - not me. However, I DO get a lot of comments from people who only know part of the real story and I get impatient having to re-teach people basic information that they should know before getting in a debate. Many of the comments are downright hostile. It can sometimes be hard to be polite in return. Thx again for watching!

Thanks for the question. The weight of the bike with batteries is somewhat close to the original bike weight - a little heavier. Everything was strapped in tight, so handling seemed fine. If only It had the power to match!

@JamesHazBeHaiTyme The term emissions refers to vehicle tailpipe pollution. This bike has no tailpipe, no emissions. The electricity comes from the CA electric grid, which has a high percentage of renewables. While the grid is far from perfect, mile per mile the pollution created this way is a tiny fraction the the equivalent tailpipe emissions. Thanks for the comments.

Around 10 years later toward 2017, dump very bulky lead acid batteries then go for 10KWh. Lithium-ion battery system for much longer range.

Nice work from 16 yrs ago

@swampfire409 I tore apart a blown and ruined honda-shaped piece of trash and turned it into a clean green modern machine. Less landfill, more cheap rides! Thanks for posting!

hi, did you go to l.e.d. bulbs too?

"Zero emission", not really ey.. zzz. Loved the cocking pot tho!

Thanks for the comment. Actually, I consider this project to be remarkably simple, except for the wiring, whcih I had my buddy do. So simple in fact, that I was able to do it with no previous experience. It makes you wonder why the big manufacturers have been dragging their feet for so long.

@alaskanalain I am using the industry standard vocabulary. The vehicle has no emissions. I did not claim that it had zero impact on the waste stream. I live in Norcal where we generate a huge amount of power from renewables. The impact this vehicle has overall is a teeny tiny fraction of the impact that the original morotcycle has. And it costs pennies per charge. An improvement of several multitudes. Thanks for the comments.

what happens in an accident, when the batteries get smashed? and how does you leg look afterwards?

Hey! Thanks for the question. I don't know too many electric systems with transmissions. Basically it's about simplicity in both the performance and design. The drivetrain has only 1 moving part. With a tranny, it gets much more complexPlus you lose efficiency quickly with any sort of added drag. Same with alternators. The loss in drag outweighs any performance gained. That's why they catch energy with regenerative braking, Since braking wastes energy, its a great place to collect it.

PARABÉNS AMIGO.

Hey Gumby, next time, put the electronics in something that looks like a GAS TANK. That would be cool. You could flow air through it from the bottom to cool off the stuff and keep water out of it mostly

Why didnt you install the other batteries (saddle area ones) where the fuel tank used to be?

Nice project guys one question. What is the cage of the PERM 132 motor made from. Alloy or steel ?

extremely cool, im hoping to build a custom chopper like electric motorcycle, could you please inform, me on the motor ur using. cool vid.

With the same weight you could use a battery with a much higher energy density like Ni-MH F cells and likely double the distance it could go on a charge as well as eliminate the possibility of sulfating the cells if you run it too low.

Where did you get the electric motor and where does one find the control electronics information? Thanks for the video

Pretty cool conversion, what about handling with the 200lbs of batteries? Or are the golf cart batteries lighter?

can you tell me which type of electric motor you are using and its RPM and it top speed ?

I would like to know how far or how long it will run on a charge??

Buenissimo !!!!!!

At first, I wondered why you would convert a perfectly good motorcycle to electric. Then, I found out it's just a Honda Rebel. Second, hooray for you. You no longer burn gasoline. You just burn more coal, to generate electricity to charge your batteries. However, it is a cool build and my hat's off to you for it.

What electric motor are you using?? Would you say this would be the most cost effiecient design??? Over say a golf car motor etc?

I love that you used a rebel. Other good choices would include ninja 250's small kawi ltd's and the honda big ruckus. I would not mind losing those bikes to the electric revolution.

Hi! Good work! Tecnical data of motor and esc?

good point. I think what they SHOULD have said is that by switching to an electric power source it greatly reduces emissions, as it uses far less energy than a tank of gas to charge up.

I can't help but wonder why you didn't use the old gas tank for the components you mounted in the cook pot.

Thanks for the reply. What do you mean "get a grip?" The facts about carbon emissions and the benefits of alt fuels are firmly established. It's not about the cost of gas (which is once again cheap for the moment), it's about creating solutions that can remain viable into the future - unlike oil. Thanks again. Keep watching.

Thanks!

U can also use a grinder for cutting

I've used a few different battery set-ups, with ranges of 15 -25 miles. Too short for serious driving, but plenty of juice to cover in-town needs.

With the advent of the Lithium batteries you should revisit this project. :) Maybe upgrade the past project or build an all new one. :)

Are you using an Alltrax Controller?

I noticed on a lot of these, the transmission is taken out of the bikes, why is this?

I would love to. We take donations! Thanks for the comments.

This is cool. After I convert my next car to propane (which cost less than gas and burns cleaner) I'm gonna convert my bike too. It's a '78 KZ-650, that's about the same size as this Rebel. -Peace!-

@BlanchProductions Between you and me, I prefer the bike to look unique. Who cares if a whole new paradigm looks like an relic from last century? Thanks for watching!

What is the range in its current configuration? If it could a 150-200mille range per mile, it would be possibly competative.

@ilovegoatsecks Your typical lawnmower, running a 4 hp engine at 1 hr, it would emit 1.8 lbs of CO and 0.044 lbs of NOx. A typical car running (cold) for 1 mile would emit 0.0078 lbs of CO and 0.000882 lbs of NOx. The order of magnitude is roughly 50:1 for CO and 12:1 for NOx. These are rough figures, but close enough for permitting work. This is mostly due to lack of catalytic converters, also efficiency of the motor.

This bike is mostly silent, but makes some friction noise. I plan to mount a tiny mp3 player with a few sound options: Harley, Lion, Siren, etc... Recharge time is variable, based on several factors - battery size, charger's Ah power, etc... The cost of a full recharge is about .12 cents and gives about 30-40 miles. Also for any given amount of power, the vehicle's tailpipe emissions are far worse that the comparable amount of powerplant emissions for the same power - at least where I live.

I appreciate the interest in my work! All the figures and stats you want are available online. Google it. I would put a windmill on my home in San Francisco right now if the zoning would allow. "That trash" as you put it, would supply me with free energy, so yes, I would love to have it in my 'hood. I don't agree that a nice view is more important than energy responsibility. Thanks again for all you comments.

Hi h2oboy1! What name/ type of motor and charge controllers do you use? are you in Socal? or Bay Area? Are you using Basic Lead acid or Deep Cycle Batteries? Oh, Love the drop test. Used it many times myself!

I would really like to know the normal driving range for a single recharge.

What motor is that?

DesGeo is actually very right. There are quite a few retro-evolutionary groups building ultra-modern vacuum sealed external combustion engines (steam engine) which work amazingly well, in both efficiency AND power.

2nd question, Why no transmission?>

@h2oboy1 This is a sweet conversion, my favorite is the installation of motor in the suspension fork. Got some ideas for my own future conversion. Thank you. Motorcycle exhaust gas is dirty compared to modern cars'. It is well able to cause smog while a modern car outputs almost only water and CO2, you can smell the difference. The amount of carbon released per fuel spent is the same, however.

Nice. Where can i buy that BLDC? How much expensive is it?

in the realities of San Francisco hills, about 12-18 miles per charge on both 4 old 80 Ah batteries and 4 new 50 Ah batteries

hey!!!! i just want you to know that i love the idea fo this bike and am going to build one my self. but with the batterys, how long does a charge last on it. and how long is recharge time. btw i love "notwocdivad" turbine idea and will try to implamint that into design. i will comment with results.

especifications of eletric motor ?

The bike is legal and insured. Thanks for the comments

drop test - exemple of advanced technology in everyday life of electric motorbikes users

Love it

Just do what I did. Find a friend with the tools and tell him he's going to be a video star!!

how you call that kind of DC motor? I only find regular ones.

Looks heavy and bulky, wind resistance?

now that was brilliant to hammer that sprocket wheel onto the motor! Ever thought of the motor's bearings that you are screwing up that way?? OMG!!!

It would have been cool if you made a battery pack shaped as the fuel tank to make your conversion look more discreet other than that it´s a different engine where one should be.

Thats really cool... I would like to see you guys clean up the looks of the bike. Maybe custom containers for the side batteries or something. Also what is the range on it. Looks like 4x car batteries, or are they deep cycle marene batteries? Either way I'm guessing they are about 60amp hours each. So combined 240Ah at 12v. So thats a good 2.88KWhr's. I'm guessing the motor is about 5KW's? So 1/2hr of riding at full speed... 20-30 mile range would be my guess. Let me know the specifics.

Heyyyyy I wanted to do that... So what was the ratings on that motor? I presume that was a 48 volt system, and you were using a 'Perm 132'(?) pancake motor? BTW, way cool!

Ok I have to say I'm impressed with this idea. I'm sure there is alot of tweakingt you could do to improve it. Maybe some small solar panels would give it some added umph. Perhaps switching out all the bulbs to LEDs might give you a little more life per charge as well. But I guess that wouldn't make it very "GOMI" I did have one thought though, how are you keeping the electric motor dry on damp or rainy days & the electronincs free of moisture?

well done.

@4cClubT Thanks. It's a feature, not a bug!

Realy cool

You make me wish I could weld. Oh... and that I lived somewhere I could weld...

@AngelArm1110 lithium is expensive, but you could cram a lot more juice in a conversion with lithiums than lead acid for sure. you could also fit smaller cells in a lot more nooks & crannies. all it takes is a few thousand dollars.

PT2 Here is an idea for you Put a wind turbine charger on the front of the bike so as you drive it will charge the batteries, something like a pulse jet, as long as you have the power to get up to speed in the first place.I like the idea of a twist and go bike at my age! Did you know here in the UK there is already a generating deficit? Solar power to run my modest home would cost £11,ooo GBP I checked, and there is not enough wind either I checked that too, so I am stuck with the grid.

@MIKEalTV Tried, but it didn't fit. A more recent upgrade puts the electronics inline so they are more integrated to the frame. Still no tank! Thx for the comments!