Not getting what everyone is doing!

[Off road all day]

I have a $100 wal-mart bike with a 450 watt Chinese frame mounted motor on it, i just went through a blizzard with it, seriously i could not see 5 feet in front of me at times, by the way it was at night, now flooding, still going. In the summer i tried to beat it off-road until i found a weak point, i found it, it was me, i was worn out.
Everyone you don't need $thousands just a little mechanical knowledge
I just took broken racks from a grocery store, cut them then welded them into a sealed acid battery box. Now i have to do the same on the opposite side to wire the 2 sla's in series for 24 volts. their 20 amp hours each for a total of 20 amp hours, 24 volts
Now i'm going to pull some Apollo tech. I'm going to dump the SLA 's at my dads place, rewire for 12 volts and charge them and run on my 24 volt, 30 amp hour lithium
Really if you want your motor or any gear real world testing give it to me, %99 fails, this motor and bike has not!

 

[erider_61]

Would really like to see a pic of this ebike build. Not all of us want to build our own, just like I would prefer to drive a Tesla than build my own electric car.

 

[Off road all day]

It's not an e-bike to me either, it's a frankenbike, i have no idea why it's still in one piece erider 61.
It's not a build it's just trial and error.
A cheap welder, motor and cheap bike. I went to a 22 tooth gear rear hub, freakin' best move i ever made. The factory is 16 tooth.
This thing rocks and rolls

https://flic.kr/p/2dNUVKF

The battery rack is made from a grocery store rack

 

[rich c]

What's not to get? You prefer a cheap bicycle with heavy low performing batteries, I prefer a ride with quality components and a braking system that stops as good or better than it goes when I reach the 28+mph. I also like the higher end of a 35-60 mile range when I go touring. To each their own, it's easy to understand. I put in a 40 year career to get to this point and I intend to enjoy life to the fullest.

 

[ebikemom]

Looks like you are having a lot of fun and are a creative guy who thinks outside of the box. Enjoy!

 

[RabH]

Its horses for courses, I went with quality as I could afford it and I like to do long miles so reliability is paramount for me! You can have fun on any bike, no matter the cost but I prefer to spend my hard earned money on something that I can enjoy for many miles and many years! Good luck with your bike, enjoy it

 

[indianajo]

Having slid into the side of a car that ran a stop sign on a rainy day from 3 mph, I have to say rim brakes are obsolete. I never liked them having grown up on coaster brakes, and now there is an alternative that works even with motors - disk brakes. The disk doesn't run through the water like a rim, and performance doesn't deteriorate as much in the rain.
It is possible to up convert an old frame to disk brakes, but the lack of sources for greater caster steering frames convinced me to buy the stretch cargo frame left for $1600. Baskets like shown in post 3, , lighten up the front tire so much that the 3 previous frames have dumped me on my chin. Wheel whips sideways on an obstruction, bike slams to a stop, rear tire lifts, my chin hits the pavement. 4 times in 4 years. Broke it the last time. The stretch cargo frame left puts my weight on the front tire even if I have 60 lb supplies in the back. I haven't been over the handlebars on my chin yet on this frame, 15 months & counting. Your motor conversion is cool, but my welding skills are not good enough to make a frame with similar fork geometry to my Mother's 1946 Firestone 26" bike, that could plow through a pothole, and stay straight with my hands off the handlebars. A custom frame builder couldn't understand what I was requesting, increased front tire caster. I checked 200 26" frames on a website, all had exactly the same trail measurement. Which is too short, the steering is too fast and twitchy for roads. Modern frames have fast steering made for off road mountain biking, which I'm not doing.

 

[Alaskan]

It great that you enjoy your way of doing things. Best to recognize that your approach is not for everyone. Dig what you do and let others do the same.

 

[harryS]

Have fun! If I could weld, I'd be a danger.

 

[Jerry LM]

Also depends on how much time you want to spend on this kind of building and fooling with things, some love it, some like me and the Tesla lover above just want to GO! I have had no failures of any kind on my bike.
By the way don't think anyone will build a car in their back yard that will outdo the Tesla 1/4 mile times of under 7 sec. and 125 mph stock! Was watching video from CA. drags and the Tesla smoked the Dodge Hellcat and Demon, unbelievable! Then he drives it home and parks in the garage for work the next day.....

 

[tomjasz]

Good for you! When you decide to finally build a safe and sane bike you'll have developed great skills!

 

[Feliz]

I restored, bought and sold, raced and rode vintage motorcycles for decades and at this point in my life (80) I prefer to ride eBikes rather than make bikes........to each there own. I also did my own work on my cars/trucks, I designed bridges for a living, now I'd rather just drive on them.

 

[Feliz]

Also depends on how much time you want to spend on this kind of building and fooling with things, some love it, some like me and the Tesla lover above just want to GO! I have had no failures of any kind on my bike.
By the way don't think anyone will build a car in their back yard that will outdo the Tesla 1/4 mile times of under 7 sec. and 125 mph stock! Was watching video from CA. drags and the Tesla smoked the Dodge Hellcat and Demon, unbelievable! Then he drives it home and parks in the garage for work the next day.....

Amazing isn't it! I was a muscle car addict in the 60s and 70s and if I broke 12 seconds and exceeded 100 mph or so I thought was was really doing something.

 

[Volt_Ampere]

But the Tesla sounds like a vacuum cleaner and the real cars sound cool! Now someone needs to make a sound system for the Tesla to make it sound like a muscle car.

 

[Feliz]

But the Tesla sounds like a vacuum cleaner and the real cars sound cool! Now someone needs to make a sound system for the Tesla to make it sound like a muscle car.

My other hobby is flying drones and RC aircraft and lots of guys now install sound systems in their RC toys that replicate WW2 fighters etc and they sound surprisingly good. Why not a Tesla!

 

[Tuna]

But the Tesla sounds like a vacuum cleaner and the real cars sound cool! Now someone needs to make a sound system for the Tesla to make it sound like a muscle car.

Here ya go

 

[Ian Moone]

But the Tesla sounds like a vacuum cleaner and the real cars sound cool! Now someone needs to make a sound system for the Tesla to make it sound like a muscle car.

Personally, I think Tesla Should build Coffee makers and Toasters instead of ? box cars ... But then again just another opinion.?

 

[erider_61]

Personally, I think Tesla Should build Coffee makers and Toasters instead of ? box cars ... But then again just another opinion.?

My friend owns 2. I also grew up in the 60's & 70's when muscle cars ruled. One ride in a Tesla reminded me what it's like to be pinned back in your seat while accelerating. My 1970 GTO was fast, but nothing like the Tesla.

 

[Toomanycats]

One of the things I really like about this forum is the diversity of voices. Everyone from The tinkerers with road warrior type machines to those who have worked and saved (or have great credit) and are able to purchase one of those fancy German or Swiss bikes that does everything but clean your garage for you.
Everyone’s experiences are interesting to me, and I’m fascinated by what some of the mechanically inclined can do even though that’s not in the cards for me.
I can put air in the tires!
And why do my monster mountain bike style tubes have those little presta valves, anyway? What’s up with that?

 

[MikeDD]

One of the things I really like about this forum is the diversity of voices. Everyone from The tinkerers with road warrior type machines to those who have worked and saved (or have great credit) and are able to purchase one of those fancy German or Swiss bikes that does everything but clean your garage for you.
Everyone’s experiences are interesting to me, and I’m fascinated by what some of the mechanically inclined can do even though that’s not in the cards for me.
I can put air in the tires!
And why do my monster mountain bike style tubes have those little presta valves, anyway? What’s up with that?

I have the same question, except my tires are tubeless.