[mastiff1]

I am building a 3 wheeled EV motorcycle married to a quad w/metro car parts. I want to use a chain drive the rear wheel. Does anyone have info on what type motor could be used and if I would need a torque converter or if a multispeed motor might work. I would like to utilize a used forklift drive motor and attach motor cycle chain drive or maybe transmission to the EV motor drive shaft but don't know if trans could take the instant torque. I must admit I am brand new to EV power and any info is appreciated.

[order99]

I am not even close to an expert on this-hopefully they'll showup momentarily-but I have a few questions:

I don't under stand '3 wheeled EV motorcycle married to a quad w/metro car parts'(i'm easily confused...). Since you want to run the rear wheel i'm assuming you aren't using the Metro's axle (as it has Front-wheel drive). Are you building a Three-wheeled Tadpole custom platform from Quad parts and adapting a Metro chassis to it? Or are you just picking up some choice Metro bits such as wheels, suspension etc to your unique EV frame?

As far as a transmission goes-what do you estimate for the weight of your finished product, and what top speed and climbing abilities do you want? I've seen EVs on this Forum and others successfully use-fixed gear, motorcycle trannies, twin motors with a series/parallel switch, manual trans both with and without clutch, modified Powerglide trans, snowmobile and scooter CVTs, and Deraileurs (see the Bikes section for those ). Once you get the weight/torque/speed questions answered, the Gurus on this Forum should be able to zero in on several good solutions...

BTW, if I were in possession of a decent Metro shell-

(and money, and time, and SKILL, etc etc)

- i'd be tempted to trade out the back axle for a single (unpowered and suspended) back wheel, toss the back seat, keep the manual trans minus clutch and pop in some Lithiums and a good Forklift motor. A Metro Trike running FWD at half the normal weight would be a peppy, decent-ranged EV with the surefootedness of a Mountain Goat...

Good luck with the project BTW!

[mastiff1]

thanks for replying order99. I have access to a metro, quite rough and not road worthy due to rust in the pan and sills. My plan is to build a light weight solar/plug in. My goal is a 2 seater/sideXside minimalist vehicle is enclosed in hardcore foam/fiberglass like a Riley body. I want to keep the chassis and body to under 500 lbs if possible. I plan to split my honda 4 traxx quad, remove the swing arm and spread it to around 66" w/appropriate tubing and connect to a full honda 750 (1975) frame (w/clear title). It can then be licensed in OH as a motorcycle. The goal is distance ability but I would like to be able to get up to highway speeds, even if it takes awhile. I am playing w/the idea of utilizing "wind" energy similar to Mitsubishi's recent solar/wind EV that supplies only a very minor amount of electric via small wind turbines. I have been thinking of wind usage for a few years and believe I can do it, but of course there is added weight but I am hoping to offset this w/less battery weight. I was planning of using Metro hubs/brakes/lines and steering as well as various parts like window cranks and possibly windshield frame, all depending on wieght. I know it sounds like a lot of fabrication and I and my son are novice welders at best, but I have redone a few cars in my life so I am not too new to the machinery, just to electric propulsion. As far as EV hp of course I like speed, but cost and weight are the issues. About 30-50 hp is what I'm thinking and maybe utilizing the metro fwd to add 5-10 at each wheel so the larger motor can be swithed off for efficiency. Sound crazy yet? Any ideas or facts or sites are appreciated.

[Salty9]

Have you considered a 3 wheel hybrid? I have been planning a light weight hybrid with the front wheels, suspension and steering of a small car powered by a relatively small electric motor and a Honda 450 rear wheel and ICE motor in the rear.

[mastiff1]

I have considered a hybrid but I'm trying to keep as simple as possible first time around. Will consider a hybrid maybe next time. I really want to try EV racing w/this one.

[order99]

So it's a custom lightweight Tadpole Trike with some Metro parts in the mix-cool!

If you can keep it under 500 lbs (definitely Lithium packs!) you might want to consider CVT technology to get that mix of hill-climbing-to-highway speeds you want. CVTs need to be properly tuned to get the perfect power mix-the good news is that they can be, even by a ham-fisted idiot like me. Heck, this vehicle-

http://www.rqriley.com/urba-e.html

-ran the motor at a constant speed and use an Electronically-controlled CVT in place of a Motor Controller! Too bad that model is out of service these days...

If the money ever starts flowing a bit faster for me (may as well ask for superpowers, right?) I was planning on building a two person/one person& cargo Trike of my own. Assuming the requisite financial miracle actually occurs, I was tempted to try a NuVinci hub-

http://www.fallbrooktech.com/home.asp

-as i've heard that they would be suitable for motorcycles and other light EVs. Of course if your EV ends up at under a half ton (and you're shooting for about a quarter-ton there) then an entire world of motorcycle and ATV/snowmobile transmissions opens up to you. If the budget gets tight, forget NuVinci-one visit to Craigslist and a nice 'engine blown, good for parts' Kawasaki or Honda could be yours for spare change.