I put the 10 tooth front sprocket back on. First ride the chain was too tight, and the noise was awful. A little adjustment AND some bicycle lube on the chain for today and it was much better.
The 10 tooth is much snappier, and once up to speed, I find myself coasting. The louder sounds might make me satisfied at a certain speed, maybe I was going faster with 13 teeth, but I definitely did not see any 300-400 AMP accelerations
going by on the meter.
I think the trick is the batteries, and sizing the motor/gearing for the weight. Its been a critical lesson in my EV study, glad to test on a bike before a car.
I am pondering a #40 drive upgrade - maybe add MORE teeth front and rear sprocket to keep the same ratio with more and quieter links. Motor mounts or deadening to quiet the current racket is also under consideration.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
13 tooth - 50% Mileage Reduction
So after 3 rides with the 13 tooth sprocket, the most noticeable change has been a drastic REDUCTION in mileage, and hence RANGE.
The TBM and my Kill-a-Watt meter are consistent in indicating the change. I am hoping its my riding style, maybe too aggressive on launch with long drifts to stops. I've been checking the motor temperature, it does not feel much hotter.
The big unknown is my speed - maybe I am just riding faster - I did notice acceleration to 30 is very brisk now, and the bike keeps pulling AMPs at speed - with 10 teeth all AMP spikes were observed at launch. Maybe its time for another movie. And a TBM with GPS.
The upshot of the lowered mileage is I didn't dare ride to the motorcycle shop for a brake check today in fear of running out of juice. I am also looking at regen again (electricmotorsport has a 48v controller with this), motors more optimized for speed, and stuffing more power on board.
The TBM and my Kill-a-Watt meter are consistent in indicating the change. I am hoping its my riding style, maybe too aggressive on launch with long drifts to stops. I've been checking the motor temperature, it does not feel much hotter.
The big unknown is my speed - maybe I am just riding faster - I did notice acceleration to 30 is very brisk now, and the bike keeps pulling AMPs at speed - with 10 teeth all AMP spikes were observed at launch. Maybe its time for another movie. And a TBM with GPS.
The upshot of the lowered mileage is I didn't dare ride to the motorcycle shop for a brake check today in fear of running out of juice. I am also looking at regen again (electricmotorsport has a 48v controller with this), motors more optimized for speed, and stuffing more power on board.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
13 Teeth, Can Tronbike 1.2.3 Drive 55?
Okay, so I am bawking at selling out, not willing to go cheaper to move Tronbike, and I keep improving the gauge software and on Sunday, installed the 13 tooth gear. I thought it was 12, but 13 is what I ordered, the torque calculation spreadsheet confirming the decision.
I learned about the magic of a tool called "gear puller" to get the 10tooth off the shaft, and had to install a link back into the #50 chain with my tiny handpress. I always thought bike chains were a pain, this was a whole new level.
The result is now Tronbilke hould go 57 mph now. I have only ridden around around the block in the dark with the new gear on - it certainly feels smoother and runs quieter. The gauge indicated a lot of amps and quite a bit of consumed power too for the mileage - 3300 - 2887 = 413 W-Hrs for about 2 miles, under 5 miles per KW-hr, much less than my average of 8. The motor might be working significantly harder going from a ratio of 7.1 to 5.46, so temperature might also need to be watched more closely.
The plan is to take it to a shop to check brakes and suspension before trying to break the 50 barrier, and maybe recruiting a better test pilot to do the deed.
I learned about the magic of a tool called "gear puller" to get the 10tooth off the shaft, and had to install a link back into the #50 chain with my tiny handpress. I always thought bike chains were a pain, this was a whole new level.
The result is now Tronbilke hould go 57 mph now. I have only ridden around around the block in the dark with the new gear on - it certainly feels smoother and runs quieter. The gauge indicated a lot of amps and quite a bit of consumed power too for the mileage - 3300 - 2887 = 413 W-Hrs for about 2 miles, under 5 miles per KW-hr, much less than my average of 8. The motor might be working significantly harder going from a ratio of 7.1 to 5.46, so temperature might also need to be watched more closely.
The plan is to take it to a shop to check brakes and suspension before trying to break the 50 barrier, and maybe recruiting a better test pilot to do the deed.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Hybrid Tronbike? An Analysis
Surfing through the YouTube, I ran across a big Harley electric conversion that included a sidecar with a bio-diesel generator for charging on the road/extending range.
This got me thinking and looking for a generator, and it turns out good old Honda (and others) have 1000 and 2000 watt generators that weigh 29 and 46lbs respectively. Mounted on a rear-carrier, I was thinking Hybrid! I did not see anything diesel/biodesiel of similar dimension, let me know if you do!
But is it worth it - ie, what sort of mileage would this hybrid have given all the conversions between mechanical and electrical and back?
First off, the 1000 watt version should be enough for my chargers. The Soneil 1212SRs actually only push 12 volts at 5 amps max = 60 watts. Times 5 of these is 300 watts.
The Honda EU1000i's tech specs indicate it can run full tilt for 3.8 hours, using 0.6 gallons of fuel, or 1/4 load (250 Watts) for 8.3 hours. This represents 3800 Watt-Hr or 2075 Watt-Hrs respectively.
How many miles per Watt-Hr is Tronbike getting? Looking at the full history, 190 miles have consumed some 23.5 KW-Hr according to the Kill-a-Watt. Division gets us 8 miles/KW-Hr, which was a bit of a relevation.
What is the max range? 3.3KW-Hr pack times 8 miles is 26.4 range.
MPG from the Honda EU1000i under perfect conditions? (ie assuming all charge captured in
a timely enough fashion, Soneil claims their 5 amps to be as fast as 10 amp equivalent chargers, thats still
55amp-hr/10 amp = 5.5 hours.)
Best case: 3.8 KW-Hr times 8 miles/KW-Hr = 30.4 miles divided by 0.6 gallons = 50.7 MPG.
Worser case: 2.075 KW-Hr times 8 miles/KW-Hr = 16.6 miles divided by 0.6 gallons = 27.6 MPG
Using this particular generator for high MPG is not a good use of fuel. Adding the range might be interesting, but a better pack of a Lithium type battery is a cleaner, more progressive approach to the range problem.
New battery manufacturer was found today, KOKAM, used to power the www.proev.com racecar.
This got me thinking and looking for a generator, and it turns out good old Honda (and others) have 1000 and 2000 watt generators that weigh 29 and 46lbs respectively. Mounted on a rear-carrier, I was thinking Hybrid! I did not see anything diesel/biodesiel of similar dimension, let me know if you do!
But is it worth it - ie, what sort of mileage would this hybrid have given all the conversions between mechanical and electrical and back?
First off, the 1000 watt version should be enough for my chargers. The Soneil 1212SRs actually only push 12 volts at 5 amps max = 60 watts. Times 5 of these is 300 watts.
The Honda EU1000i's tech specs indicate it can run full tilt for 3.8 hours, using 0.6 gallons of fuel, or 1/4 load (250 Watts) for 8.3 hours. This represents 3800 Watt-Hr or 2075 Watt-Hrs respectively.
How many miles per Watt-Hr is Tronbike getting? Looking at the full history, 190 miles have consumed some 23.5 KW-Hr according to the Kill-a-Watt. Division gets us 8 miles/KW-Hr, which was a bit of a relevation.
What is the max range? 3.3KW-Hr pack times 8 miles is 26.4 range.
MPG from the Honda EU1000i under perfect conditions? (ie assuming all charge captured in
a timely enough fashion, Soneil claims their 5 amps to be as fast as 10 amp equivalent chargers, thats still
55amp-hr/10 amp = 5.5 hours.)
Best case: 3.8 KW-Hr times 8 miles/KW-Hr = 30.4 miles divided by 0.6 gallons = 50.7 MPG.
Worser case: 2.075 KW-Hr times 8 miles/KW-Hr = 16.6 miles divided by 0.6 gallons = 27.6 MPG
Using this particular generator for high MPG is not a good use of fuel. Adding the range might be interesting, but a better pack of a Lithium type battery is a cleaner, more progressive approach to the range problem.
New battery manufacturer was found today, KOKAM, used to power the www.proev.com racecar.
Friday, July 4, 2008
New Camera Mount, New Videos, New TBM Features
Check out the new video, highlighting the Tronbike Meter (TBM) in action.
I went a bit artsy with it, and hope to do more, maybe at dusk or under some clouds. A wider
lens would be nice to catch the MPH, but a bike computer might be the way to go here.
To create the video, I mounted the "Cycle Machine Works" stand on the tank (very easy) but found the PDA mount comparitively lacking in stability. So I rebuilt the mount for the PDA by cutting out a lexan disk and velcroing that in place as a platform for the PDA's velco, overcoming the lip of the standard gauge. Works like a charm, eliminating the wire-shaking jiggle previously experienced.
The TBM has some new features. I now track time when watts (power) is actually consumed versus time the meter is checked. Its really interesting, the bike is really doing a great deal of GLIDING (see the "clock" row). The ratio of power to overall is expressed as a 0-100 percent value.
I also use this "time under power" in the total time available estimate (etb), which makes more sense as time under power is what truly counts in an EV. This number seems really reasonable too, and does not wildly fluctuate when gliding or hammering on the throttle.
The plan at the moment is to post the software as an Opensource "sourceforge" project, to encourage
others to use, improve and port the TBM codebase. I might be open to providing specific support for
private features or integrations of the software on a consulting basis, as could others as long as the product follows the letter and spirit of the license I choose (to be determined).
On the sales front, I am getting lots of interest, one candidate in particular is a great match on paper...
I went a bit artsy with it, and hope to do more, maybe at dusk or under some clouds. A wider
lens would be nice to catch the MPH, but a bike computer might be the way to go here.
To create the video, I mounted the "Cycle Machine Works" stand on the tank (very easy) but found the PDA mount comparitively lacking in stability. So I rebuilt the mount for the PDA by cutting out a lexan disk and velcroing that in place as a platform for the PDA's velco, overcoming the lip of the standard gauge. Works like a charm, eliminating the wire-shaking jiggle previously experienced.
The TBM has some new features. I now track time when watts (power) is actually consumed versus time the meter is checked. Its really interesting, the bike is really doing a great deal of GLIDING (see the "clock" row). The ratio of power to overall is expressed as a 0-100 percent value.
I also use this "time under power" in the total time available estimate (etb), which makes more sense as time under power is what truly counts in an EV. This number seems really reasonable too, and does not wildly fluctuate when gliding or hammering on the throttle.
The plan at the moment is to post the software as an Opensource "sourceforge" project, to encourage
others to use, improve and port the TBM codebase. I might be open to providing specific support for
private features or integrations of the software on a consulting basis, as could others as long as the product follows the letter and spirit of the license I choose (to be determined).
On the sales front, I am getting lots of interest, one candidate in particular is a great match on paper...
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
*ELECTRIC* Kawasaki ZX-11 NINJA, 1991 (EV Conversion) - $3595 (berkeley)
*ELECTRIC* Kawasaki ZX-11 NINJA, 1991 (EV Conversion) - $3595 (berkeley)
Reply to: sale-741087416@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-07-02, 9:08PM PDT
Electric Conversion Project Performed on a Kawasaki ZX-11:
* Original ZX-11 chassis has 35000 miles, newer tires, good brakes, good fairings
* 200+ miles total as an EV
* Top Speed: 45mph
* Range: 15-25 @ 30-35mph
* Weight: 450 lbs
* Tranmission: NONE, direct drive
* Gas: NONE (tank hides chargers)
* Radiator: NONE
* Oil: NONE, just chain and shocks
* Blog and website: http://www.tronbikes.com
* Price: $3595 **
EV PARTS:
* MOTOR: Briggs & Stratton E-TEK (15 hp peak elecric motor (rated 48v) )
* BATTERY PACK: 5 AGM 12 volt 55Mah batteries @ 60 Volts
* CHARGER: 5 Soneil 1212SR fast chargers, board mounted
* connected via 5 plug power strip, 15 amp capacity
* optionally removable via quick connector
* CONTROLLER: Alltrax DC, 72 Volt 300 Amp Programmable
* DRIVECHAIN: New #50 size machine parts
* 71 tooth in the rear, Sprocket Specialists
* 10 tooth mounted up front
* Spare 12 I've never installed ready for 50+mph
* DC-DC: 100watt Astrodyne DC-DC converter for 12 volt accessories
* MOUNT: Custom 1/4 plate steel motor bolted to the original motormounts
* LIGHTS: LED brake and signal lighting all around w/new flasher relay
* HEADLIGHT: 35 Watt H4 HID bulb and ballast
* EXTRA: 12 volt accessory plug
* HIGH POWER SYSTEM: fuse, master switch and solenoid cutoffs, 2 gauge copper wiring
* LOW POWER SYSTEM: fuses/fuse holders, 14 gauge wiring throughout
EXTRAS INCLUDED:
* ZX-11 manuals and receipts for bike and parts
* Spare ZX-11 parts I've taken off (no motor, tranny or ICE parts anymore)
* Tank mounted camera/gps/geek mount for taking super cool videos of the bike in action
NOT INCLUDED BUT ALSO AVAILABLE:
* Arai Helmet, new gloves and protective gear
* Rear swing-arm stand
* Custom fuel gauge software on PDA
* Domain name: www.tronbikes.com
* My "Secrets of El Ninja" by John Bidwell (buy it) ***
NEGOTIABLES:
* Willing to part out LEDs & chargers for my next project, maybe other parts
* Trade? Looking for a 4-Door BMW E30 or E36 chassis in great shape
REASONS FOR SALE:
* I am ready to build an electric car, I need the space and focus
* Bike needs a real rider for higher speed development
* Does not fit my lifestyle - I need to haul kids in the rain
TODO:
* Gauges:
* A nice 2" analog Voltmeter would be great in the dash
* Embedding a PDA in the Tach would be very cool
* Improve waterproofing and then necessary cooling
TERMS of SALE
* QUALIFIED BUYER: I will only sell to someone who demonstrates they know what they are getting into
* PARTING: This thing needs to be ridden, only as last resort.
* SUPPORT: I will tear-down/document the bike and train the new owner, and provide reasonable ongoing assistance.
* SHIPPING: No, unless you come to me with piles of cash. Euros welcome.
* TEST RIDES: Cash/trade in hand and M1 to test ride.
** Complete dev cost to me (tools, gear, training/license, insurance) has been $5550 ***
*** DON'T hesitate to build your own, its a terrific project
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