[Spider-man]

ok. I will start by saying that my name is Gabriel. I am a college student in the Texas panhandle, 23 years of age, and I am seriously considering converting a 1980's (I think) Honda Goldwing to electric.

before you ask why, the price was right ($400 and the engine is "froze.") I might be able to re-sale the engine as a candidate for rebuilding... is that plausible or even worth trying?

anyways. I was just curious what you guys can tell me about my build. I have a 20-lb 115v 7.6 Amp Dayton Ac motor. from the research I have done, the volts is what keeps you from getting higher speeds. (also, i found the motor unused at a garage sale for $15) it is rated at 1/2 hp.

next, since I am using an ac motor, i will need an inverter. I would like to find an inverter that works with at least 48 volts (because of amp draw) if not more. Do you know of any with a high voltage? even if it is 200v, i don't care bc I am building my own battery pack. I have at east 300 lithium ion cells at 3.2v and 2 Ah each, so the total watts will be the same for any set-up.

that being said, I will also need a charger for the batteries. I would like one that will charge it completely in 8 hours, However, I don't want to buy a charger more suited for a car if I can keep from it. (remember, I'm just a college student)

Help me please.

One last thought: I know I'm new, but I do work for an electronics repairman so basic electric concept are understood, I just need some guidance for the rest.

Any wisdom is appreciated as long as name-calling isn't involved. (if I am wrong in an idea or concept I am willing to be scorned though.)



...or should I just sell the ac components I have, forget about all those complexities, and hope that a 96v kit will be more worth my time and cheaper in the long run?

[frodus]

motor won't work, way too small for your bike. You need something rated for over 20hp continuous for a bike that big.

Sell the motor and get a new one rated for higher HP.

[Spider-man]

so you think definitely dc then? that simplifies things a lot.

any advice on the components? I would like 96v or higher if I can.

Also, the battery charger still would be an issue. What should I do about that? Is there a decent one for builds like that of a motorcycle, or are they all geared towards cars?

[frodus]

no, just not that PARTICULAR AC motor. I've got an AC20 motor from HPEVS.com and love it. DC is easier to control and they're cheaper to get, so that may be a direction to go. I know the AC20 with controller was over $3000

my build:
www.evfr.net

Why 96V? I mean, I know why I chose it, but I'm wondering in particular why you're chosing it?

Chargers are easy to get, don't worry about that. DeltaQ and Elcon are good waterproof chargers.

[Spider-man]

I just feel like 96v would be a good voltage to shoot for. I live 10 miles from work, but there is a highway in between. That being said, I believe 96v for a motorcycle would allow for a top speed of at least 70mph while still being cost effective and not enormous overkill.

Like i mentioned before though... I could be wrong

I like your battery pack by the way. I have over 300 lithium ion cells here from laptops that I plan to do a similar design with. It's good to know someone else has a similar idea!

[frodus]

Ok, so top speed of 70

what range?

What kind of batteries do you have (give part numbers and chemistry). You should have the datasheet on them if you are even considering them... right? I hope they're not LiCo laptop batteries (dangerous).