Readying the frame for the conversion.
OwnerColby Hearn
LocationTyler, Texas United States map
Web/EmailWebPage email image
Vehicle2006 LIFAN LF 150 - 25
Lifan is a Chinese vehicle
manufacturer. This bike seems to have
been designed for commuting which is
how I plan to use it as well. My
commute is 3 miles one way.
MotorMars ME0709 Permanent Magnet DC
ME stands for Mars Electric. They
designed and manufacture the brushed,
permanent magnet, direct current motor
commonly know as the Etek-R (ME0708)
and Etek-RT (ME0709).
125 Amp Continuous, 300 Amp Max, 36
Lbs, fan cooled.
DrivetrainThis motorcycle has a stock top speed
rating of approx. 55 mph, depending
upon cargo weight. I will be shooting
for similar performance.
ControllerKelly KD72401
72 Volts
160 Amps cont.
400 Amps max.
For PM Series wound DC motors.
Allows for regenerative breaking.
Batteries6 Interstate DCM0035L, 12.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, AGM
35 Amp-hour rated SLAs that will
hopefully make good first-try
batteries.
System Voltage72 Volts
ChargerSchauer Japlar JAC0891-102
I'll be using two chargers to charge
the batteries. Theses are 36 Volt, 4
Amp, 3 stage chargers that accept 100
to 240 Volts AC.
DC/DC ConverterSevcon 11086
This model seemed to be popular, and
provides ample power without being too
costly. Its size and weight were
acceptable also.
A connector didn't come with this 300W converter but I found one and have the specific part numbers on my blog.
InstrumentationThe original speedometer and odometer
will likely be used. I purchased a
Paktrakr module for battery monitoring and it's been a really great tool. Easy to install and operate.
Top Speed43 MPH (69 KPH)
(Target is 55)
Highest speed limit during commute is
50 mph.

Currently, with a 12 tooth front sprocket and 68 tooth rear, my ration is far lighter than originally intended. I'll be getting maybe a 15 tooth soon.

AccelerationI personally don't mind accelerating at a rate that only draws about 10 or 12 amps. It's easy to pull 50 to 100 though and accelerate quite well.
Range18 Miles (28 Kilometers)
Absolute minimum required range is 7
miles and I was hoping for about 15 miles per charge.

Early road testing indicated a range of no less than 18 miles on a nearly full charge. Most of that 18 was at 40 mph.
Watt Hours/MileI've been watching Amps on the PakTrakr instead of Watts. I'll check it soon.
EV Miles
Current:86 Miles (138 Kilometers)
 
    As of 8/26/2010
Seating Capacity1 adult
Curb Weight0
This motorcycle's stock curb weight was
310 lbs, with a maximum cargo capacity
of 330 lbs. Estimated final curb weight
is currently 400 lbs.
Conversion TimeDate - Approximation:
Estimated hours accumulated:
06/26/2009 - 80 hours
(Customizing, Modification of Chassis)
05/25/2009 - 30 hours
(finalizing, ordering)
01/25/2009 - 25 hours
(procuring, cleaning, tons of research)
Conversion CostTarget project cost is around $3000.
I've spent about $2900 and have 90% of
all the components I'll need.
Additional FeaturesI'm very interested in designing and implementing a
custom dashboard interface at some point. Once I have
accomplished my main objective of converting the
motorcycle to run purely on electricity, I hope to
develop a custom LCD panel dashboard with a simple user
interface to assist in the display and logging of
critical EV information and statistics.
Still to do:
Complete Chassis Modifications
Mount components
Test vehicle
Vehicle Inspection
Creation of new VIN from receipts, bill of sale, etc.
Completion of TxDOT form VTR-470.
Purchase Insurance
New Title & Registration

06/26/2009 - Continued Modifications
The battery and motor compartment has been fully welded to the bike. We left clearance room for the front tire, fairing, and fork travel while still planning ahead for how to mount and secure the batteries and motor. Battery trays are more or less done, but their final placement is being carefully planned.

05/25/2009 - Began Modification of Chassis
The frame has been adjusted to better suit its new
application. The support for a two-person seat has been
removed and the engine compartment has been opened-up to
support the larger volume required by the batteries and
motor.

04/24/2009 - Continued Ordering of Components
I did a bit more research and asked some questions of
suppliers before purchasing the motor controller,
contactor, PakTrakr, and fuses.
ElectricMotorsport.com replied to emails and quickly
shipped my order.
ElectricVehiclesUSA.com has not answered an email I sent
a week ago.
MarsElectricLLC.com has done a fine job.
KellyControllers.com has outstanding service (imho).
Battery-Stuff.com has good selection and ordering was a
breeze.

04/14/2009 - Began Purchasing Components
After taking a break to concentrate on work, I decided to
just go for it. Based on research and many calculations,
I knew the parts I wanted, so I did some price shopping
and started getting parts on their way. I'm now figuring
out exactly what will fit where the best.

01/25/2009 - Created EVAlbum Entry
What little information I've filled in is simply my
current plan. I have not purchased any components for the
conversion aside from the motorcycle itself. I hope to
finalize my design in a few weeks and then begin the
actual work.

08/08/2008 - Purchased Motorcycle
I found a motorcycle with a blown engine on Craig's List,
contacted the seller, and purchased it the next day.
*Never Purchase A Vehicle Without A Title*

The name:
786Ze = 7.86 zetta electrons = 7.86x10^23 electrons = the
number of electrons carried on-board and at my disposal.

Lastly:
At full power, my motorcycle would consume about 1
Snickers candy-bar a minute, if it ran on Snickers bars,
that is.

code by jerry