Electric Motorcycle Building:Gen I
It started as a bicycle. It ended as a full-on motorcycle.
This page showcases the first build process from bicycle to motorcycle. For its successor, see the 2.0 build page!
The development of my first electric motorcycle was an ongoing upgrade process throughout years. At this point I know how to build electrical motorcycles from the ground up.
When first moving to Los Angeles, I got a cheap bicycle just to get around the area.
The hills took a toll on me, so I ended up slapping a hub motor on it, and 52v battery on a rear rack.
Little did I realise, a 52v30ah battery was much more energy than I needed. I was flying around at 55-65kmph!
Taking the battery into work with me every day was a pain, and the rear rack cracked from the weight of the battery.
At this point I figured a steel frame to secure the battery was a wise investment.
However, the steel frame needed a rear shock absorber. This was my first ever rear suspension in a bike!
I was definitely aware that the old front fork was more than subpar suspension compared to the rear at this point.
So naturally, I pitched in for some better front suspension (DNM-USD 8)
I also felt like the bicycle seat looked a bit goofy with the rest of the build, so I got a pitbike seat.
With this style, I could now wear a dualsport moto helmet without it looking out of place, which kept that 60kmph wind out of my eyes.
After some off-roading, some spokes broke on that rear wheel, the motor could bake an egg, and the tire wore out very quickly.
At this point I opted for a motorcycle rim/tire (1.85x19in rim, SR241 2.75-19 tire) with a 3kW 72v motor.
This was also the point at which I removed the pedals, thereby making it a motorcycle/scooter.
Problem was, the motor's kV rating was awfully low, and as such, the top speed really suffered.
It would top out at about 1kW on flat with a 45kmph speed at 52v. Yikes.
A quick fix to me was: increase the voltage. And as such I did, with a 72v30Ah battery.
With the voltage bump, it was able to top out at about 1.8kW with a 65kmph speed on flat. Still not great, but better.
The torque uphill/offroading was great, though, with 4kW continuous power.
With how much riding I did on the street, I knew I needed a brakelight and signals, so my first step was an LED strip in the rear with brakelight and signal wires.
This required a small 12v downstep module from 72v, spliced from a disconnect of my battery wires. I opted for some $10 one on amazon capable of 10A.
Thereafter, I got signals in the front, and a 5.75in motorcycle headlight.
This made riding around at night much easier, without needing to charge small bicycle lights that were much weaker.
I then found a J1772 to IEC C13 adapter online, which allowed me to charge my bike at almost all EV chargers in California.
At this point, the only thing making this build not look like a motorcycle was the front bicycle wheel.
So... Naturally, I got a matching motorcycle rim for the front, laced onto a dual-rotor 20mm thru axle hub.
However, this time, I went for a road tire. A Michelin Pilot Activ 3.25-19in tire.
This made turning much safer and smoother, whereas the thin bicycle tire before felt like riding on a tightrope in comparison, especially with the bike weight.
It was at this point I found a longer motorcycle seat, making it easier to have a passenger behind me, as well as being more comfortable.
I found a new matching rear fender, and also found a motorcycle hitch for my car, in which I modified the framing to support.
At this point, I had replaced almost every single part I started with, and was able to rebuild the old bicycle!
The top speed of the motor was very annoying to me, in the way it would not even get close to max power for speed usage.
I ended up paying a lump sum for a QS-273 v3 50H motor laced into a 1.85-19in rim, however, I was completely unaware that the axle flats were 2mm larger than standard.
This motor went unused for nearly a year as filing steel drop-outs was a task I seemed to put off forever. However, a year later...
I had used tungsten dremmel bits to carve the dropouts, followed by filing bits, followed by steel files to get it down to a tenth of a millimetre accuracy.
I tapped in my own bolt hole threading for a torque washer in the side of the swing-arm for further protection.
I drilled mounting holes in the frame for a new DC-AC three-phase controller, the Kelly KLS7230s, which was pushing around 6kW of power and up to 300 phase amps.
The bike was now capable of 100kmph on flat with acceleration showing 0-65kmph in about 2-3 seconds.
The range was anywhere from 65-80km, depending on speed/power usage, and it could be charged at any EV charger.
This bike was stolen in December 2020, but has now been recovered in May 2021 from Riverside!
Update Jan 2022: I rebuilt new batteries for the bike myself: 2 in parallel, altogether 72v35AH. The bike's total power is risen to ~9.5kW peak and range boosted significantly. If you ever have any questions, feel free to email me!
The development of my first electric motorcycle was an ongoing upgrade process throughout years. At this point I know how to build electrical motorcycles from the ground up.
When first moving to Los Angeles, I got a cheap bicycle just to get around the area.
The hills took a toll on me, so I ended up slapping a hub motor on it, and 52v battery on a rear rack.
Little did I realise, a 52v30ah battery was much more energy than I needed. I was flying around at 55-65kmph!
Taking the battery into work with me every day was a pain, and the rear rack cracked from the weight of the battery.
At this point I figured a steel frame to secure the battery was a wise investment.
However, the steel frame needed a rear shock absorber. This was my first ever rear suspension in a bike!
I was definitely aware that the old front fork was more than subpar suspension compared to the rear at this point.
So naturally, I pitched in for some better front suspension (DNM-USD 8)
I also felt like the bicycle seat looked a bit goofy with the rest of the build, so I got a pitbike seat.
With this style, I could now wear a dualsport moto helmet without it looking out of place, which kept that 60kmph wind out of my eyes.
After some off-roading, some spokes broke on that rear wheel, the motor could bake an egg, and the tire wore out very quickly.
At this point I opted for a motorcycle rim/tire (1.85x19in rim, SR241 2.75-19 tire) with a 3kW 72v motor.
This was also the point at which I removed the pedals, thereby making it a motorcycle/scooter.
Problem was, the motor's kV rating was awfully low, and as such, the top speed really suffered.
It would top out at about 1kW on flat with a 45kmph speed at 52v. Yikes.
A quick fix to me was: increase the voltage. And as such I did, with a 72v30Ah battery.
With the voltage bump, it was able to top out at about 1.8kW with a 65kmph speed on flat. Still not great, but better.
The torque uphill/offroading was great, though, with 4kW continuous power.
With how much riding I did on the street, I knew I needed a brakelight and signals, so my first step was an LED strip in the rear with brakelight and signal wires.
This required a small 12v downstep module from 72v, spliced from a disconnect of my battery wires. I opted for some $10 one on amazon capable of 10A.
Thereafter, I got signals in the front, and a 5.75in motorcycle headlight.
This made riding around at night much easier, without needing to charge small bicycle lights that were much weaker.
I then found a J1772 to IEC C13 adapter online, which allowed me to charge my bike at almost all EV chargers in California.
At this point, the only thing making this build not look like a motorcycle was the front bicycle wheel.
So... Naturally, I got a matching motorcycle rim for the front, laced onto a dual-rotor 20mm thru axle hub.
However, this time, I went for a road tire. A Michelin Pilot Activ 3.25-19in tire.
This made turning much safer and smoother, whereas the thin bicycle tire before felt like riding on a tightrope in comparison, especially with the bike weight.
It was at this point I found a longer motorcycle seat, making it easier to have a passenger behind me, as well as being more comfortable.
I found a new matching rear fender, and also found a motorcycle hitch for my car, in which I modified the framing to support.
At this point, I had replaced almost every single part I started with, and was able to rebuild the old bicycle!
The top speed of the motor was very annoying to me, in the way it would not even get close to max power for speed usage.
I ended up paying a lump sum for a QS-273 v3 50H motor laced into a 1.85-19in rim, however, I was completely unaware that the axle flats were 2mm larger than standard.
This motor went unused for nearly a year as filing steel drop-outs was a task I seemed to put off forever. However, a year later...
I had used tungsten dremmel bits to carve the dropouts, followed by filing bits, followed by steel files to get it down to a tenth of a millimetre accuracy.
I tapped in my own bolt hole threading for a torque washer in the side of the swing-arm for further protection.
I drilled mounting holes in the frame for a new DC-AC three-phase controller, the Kelly KLS7230s, which was pushing around 6kW of power and up to 300 phase amps.
The bike was now capable of 100kmph on flat with acceleration showing 0-65kmph in about 2-3 seconds.
The range was anywhere from 65-80km, depending on speed/power usage, and it could be charged at any EV charger.
This bike was stolen in December 2020, but has now been recovered in May 2021 from Riverside!
Update Jan 2022: I rebuilt new batteries for the bike myself: 2 in parallel, altogether 72v35AH. The bike's total power is risen to ~9.5kW peak and range boosted significantly. If you ever have any questions, feel free to email me!