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And for my next trick

4K views 25 replies 8 participants last post by  GrapeSmuggler 
#1 ·
So before the Motoped I was riding my surface604 electric fat bike. When I did the engine swap the other day I got to thinking. How badass would the Motoped be if I converted it to electric AND gas? All I need to do is install the rear hub and put the battery on the rear rack. The v1 I have has both pedal assist and hand throttle but I would just use the pedal assist. It does 20mph for 30 miles on battery alone , I got to make this work?
 
#7 ·
it already is... the rear electric hub is 8lbs, the battery is 2.5lbs. SO.... 10lbs total. The biggest issue is the width of the rear electric hub, I'll check it tonight. That will be the only obstacle. View attachment 177473
So what did your rear hub end up measuring? I'm guessing fat bike it prolly came out to somewhere around 175mm. If I remember correctly Motoped swing arm is 135mm. I have a few hub motors floating around I'll check and see if one bolts up and report back with spacing info.
 
#6 ·
I like where you are going with this, are you going rob parts from your fat ebike for the mod or use new electrical components? Here's a 41 sprocket that should work with your 420 chain. If the freewheel doesn't hold up you could always weld it solid however all the added moving parts would seriously cut battery life. click on the thumbnail to see the flanged sprocket adaptor Staton Inc
 
#9 ·
The 135mm Crystalyte hub motor slid right in and fits the Motoped swingarm like a glove. The 140mm "Crown' motor in the photo will fit if you spread the swingarm however that wouldn't be my first choice.

The sprockets you see are bolted up to the std bicycle 6 bolt disc side of the hub for my mid drives, and since they are ISO spacing rotor alignment shouldn't be an issue. If you need to fine tune spacers are available in assorted thicknesses.

So I would say putting together a reasonably priced 1000w-1500w rear wheel Motoped setup should be no problem. The folks at LA Ebike should be able to build something into a 19" moto rim and provide everything else needed including the battery. http://laebike.com/collections/diy-hub-motor-kits
 

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#16 ·
So I've tried 2 different hubs, The rear tire from my Surface604 was too wide, it has a 4.8" tire and rubbed the chain, my next shot was to try front wheel drive and have a thumb throttle so I could keep the Motoped throttle stock. I'm waiting for the wheel to be shipped but thanks to BarnFresh I may just stop by LA Ebike (only 5 miles away) and get some ideas on how to make this happen. I've owned front wheel drive electric bikes and currently have a couple rear drives so I know I like rear drives more but a professional shop with lots of experience would be invaluable for this build. When I had the 4 speed manual shift 125cc on my Motoped I accidently ran out of gas and had to ride it about 2 miles to a gas station. it was no big deal but it was a slow 5mph ride that I don't want to repeat. I think this thing would be insane with 2 drives plus pedals and I want to be the first:sgrin:
 
#17 ·
well, that didn't work out... I went to LA Ebike and their selection is insane, they do custom work on anything but my idea of adding an electric motor isn't going to happen. The problem is the batteries. there's no good place to put them. One idea was to remove the rear gas tanks and locate them there. Problem is, too heavy. Also the batteries come in big bulky blocks, nobody makes custom battery packs yet.
 
#25 ·
GrapeS,

if La ebike does not seem very interested in your build then maybe contact Hi-Power Cycles instead..
HPC is very familiar with putting electrics onto motoped chassis..
hi-powercycles.com

(but maybe also ask yourself why you would need two power systems??, that would be heavier and expensive but with what benefits, also would not be the first to put dual drive electric & petrol on a moped)
 
#18 · (Edited)
Batteries should be no problem at all, there are plenty of folks that make custom lipo battery paks you just have to search them out. No need though as there are plenty of light weight rack type batteries that you can use, or you could pull one or both of the fuel jugs and replace with an ammo can to hold a prefab lipo brick. Lots of options with the survival bike rack. I just measured mine and I think the battery in the link below might slide right down the middle. Another option is carry your batteries in a backpack or fanny pack and run a pigtail to the controller, very common practice with the downhill ebike crowd. 48v Panasonic Ebike Pack 11.5 or 14ah SLIM LINE Rear Rack - Luna Cycle


http://www.google.com/search?q=e+bi...x5DPAhUI44MKHdYxC2YQ_AUICigC&biw=1024&bih=672
 
#19 ·
yeah, I asked him about that and he said nobody sells custom size battery packs but he sells bikes with custom size battery packs so... I did mention the fuel tanks, I can cut one in half and install the battery packs, glue it back together and voila ! He said it will be too much weight over the rear end. I pointed out the adjustable rear shock and he said he doesn't see it being an option.... I hit him up with a front wheel drive option with small battery pack and once again, battery weight and location bugs him.
 
#21 ·
Ask him if he knows how much 2 gallons of gas weighs, the slim rack battery I linked to only weighs 7 lbs! On longer rides I run an extra set of 48v batteries that weigh in at 14lbs on the rear rack of my Motoped Pro, plus a couple spare inner tubes and tools in the bag. I can tell they are there and it affects the off road handling a bit but I don't even bother with stiffening up the shock. BTW if you really wanted to go custom with the batteries you don't need to cut up your fuel tank. RotoPax makes a storage container that looks just like their fuel cells and uses the same mounts.
 
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