# My crazy Goldwing trike. 9" motor, 200V AGM pack, 80% done, 80% to go.



## kerrymann (Feb 17, 2011)

*EV GRIN!  My crazy Goldwing trike. 9" motor, 200V AGM pack, monster is ALIVE!*

I finally got some more pictures on my conversion project and I thought I would share with the community:

LeadWing


First of all I must say that this project looks crazy because it is supposed to be. I am building it for the fun and experience, and as much as possible scavenging stuff I have or can find for cheap. This project is a stepping stone to doing a small car and the expensive EV components will be reused on that project. Since I was 13 I have wanted to build a electric motorcycle and I just love building in general (I am a ME) I had access to batteries and found a good deal on a bike, then a motor.... It really just grew organically based on what I could find. The pics and text are in chronological order. I started transferring it all to blogger but got lazy when I found out I could share the FB album publicly.

The donor is 1987 goldwing that was half converted to a trike. I bought it for $750 off of CL and have already made most of that back by selling off the parts I don't want. I do have to say that I am really not a fan of trikes (I greatly prefer reverse trikes or a even number of wheels) but the extra wheel will help cope with the 200V battery pack and a 9" motor. Also the goldwing frame is almost perfect fit for my batteries and the allowed for inline motor mounting. I am thinking about naming the bike a leadwing which is appropriate for obvious reasons but also what I am doing to this bike can be thought of as a form a reverse alchemy (turning something that has some vlaue into something that has almost none). 

I have been keeping track of my time and have put in about 12 hours of time when I find it in between design solar collectors and raising a 3 year old (which is not much). I was hoping to finish up in the next month but work is taking my to spain for a while (again).


----------



## INCONCEIVABLE (Feb 19, 2008)

I like it !!!


----------



## mizlplix (May 1, 2011)

*Yikes!!!*

It looks cool. Keep us informed please.


----------



## Squiggy (May 12, 2011)

I like that design!!!! Very smart. Please post more photos and updates when possible.


----------



## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

Crazy! But I love it!
That single spring at the rear is just so  but also so right!
Electro-punk springs to mind.

Is the motor unsprung, fixed to the swing arm?

I would have been tempted to put the motor low down at the front and run a shaft to the diff. The two batteries there could go where the motor was (but on the frame not the swing arm) and eventually be replaced by lighter weight lithiums.


----------



## kerrymann (Feb 17, 2011)

Woodsmith said:


> Crazy! But I love it!
> That single spring at the rear is just so  but also so right!
> Electro-punk springs to mind.
> 
> ...


Thanks! Electro-punk, I like it! 

The spring was just what I had laying in the garage (came off of my jeep). 
Yes, the motor is attached direct to the swing arm. My original plan was to use the drive shaft just as you described but the bearing shaft of the swing arm just kept getting in the way so I just worked around it.

Unfortunately I won't be doing anything on it again till almost July. I was hoping to install my controller but it has been delayed and I it won't arrive until I am out of town. But when I get back I hope to get the current flowing.


----------



## kerrymann (Feb 17, 2011)

BTW can people see the facebook page? I have heard from some that they can't get to it.


----------



## JRP3 (Mar 7, 2008)

Worked for me. Once you get your gear ratios set you might want to switch to a toothed belt drive. Much quieter, no chain stretch, and no lube flying around. I made the switch on my 6x6 and have been quite happy with it.


----------



## kerrymann (Feb 17, 2011)

*It is alive!*

Well I got back in the country last week and waiting for my was the Soliton1 controller, and my battery cables. Tonight I had the house to myself so I was able to put in the last few hours of work to get her moving under her own power! I set the controller to 24V and drove it out of the garage!  The I plugged my tablet in (I really like the Soliton1 controller) and reset it to 48V and drove up and down the drive way. I still need to wrap up a lot of little items but it was great to to the first ride. I have upload new pics to the FB page.

I bought my soliton1 from Jim Husted Eric Pedersen at jimerico.net. And I must take my hat off to evnetics for the Soliton1. As and engineer I really appreciate the entire design of the controller. From the interface all the way to the form with function of the heat sink fins, they really did a great job. I went lazy on the cables and had them made by bohannon battery (http://www.bohannonbattery.com/html/cable.html) It was almost the same cost as buying the parts and making them myself. One was a little to short but they sent me out a replacement ASAP.

I still need to add on some little safety stuff like rear brakes, terminal covers, a few shields (including one for the chain just in case), etc. maybe some lights...


----------



## kerrymann (Feb 17, 2011)

JRP3 said:


> Worked for me. Once you get your gear ratios set you might want to switch to a toothed belt drive. Much quieter, no chain stretch, and no lube flying around. I made the switch on my 6x6 and have been quite happy with it.


I might do that just becasue the chain strength is marginal for what the motor could put out. But I probably won't ever do that much torque so I will just leave it until the parts are recycled into the next project.


----------



## kerrymann (Feb 17, 2011)

Did some battery load testing this afternoon. I just put the front tire against the curb and starting turning up the amperage. Finally I turned the current up to 800 amps and did a little burn out in the garage. I checked the logger and showed 800amps at the motor and the pack voltage sagged to 176V. All in all I am happy. I still have the motor limited to 100V I haven't tried going any higher yet. But I was expecting the batteries to be in much worse shape since they are circa 2007 and some had drained down to 16.1V! Obviously I need to do more testing in order to judge ah capacity.


----------



## kerrymann (Feb 17, 2011)

So I am trying to decide on rear brakes. I am actually thinking about a single disk mounted to the rear diff sprocket. The big question I have is would it actually work? I am thinking that unless I weld up the diff into a spool I would get scary uneven braking. But running a spool in a trike would make turning an even more preposterous idea. . Thoughts?


----------



## kek_63 (Apr 20, 2008)

kerrymann said:


> So I am trying to decide on rear brakes. I am actually thinking about a single disk mounted to the rear diff sprocket. The big question I have is would it actually work? I am thinking that unless I weld up the diff into a spool I would get scary uneven braking. But running a spool in a trike would make turning an even more preposterous idea. . Thoughts?


Why not just use the original drums on the rearend? You might have to play around a little with master cyl. size and pedal length, but you have room for that. I agree that you would not want to put all the braking force to the tire already sliding on the gravel.

Later,
Keith


----------



## kerrymann (Feb 17, 2011)

kek_63 said:


> Why not just use the original drums on the rearend? You might have to play around a little with master cyl. size and pedal length, but you have room for that. I agree that you would not want to put all the braking force to the tire already sliding on the gravel.
> 
> Later,
> Keith


The original drums were shot and I would have to figure out how to fit a car master cylinder with very limited space. Drums take a lot of volume. I do have a set of rear discs from a BMW 325 lemons car but I don't think I will have enough volume to drive them.

Kerry


----------



## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

Could you fit the discs and then use motorbike calipers?
Maybe a pair of front calipers from a bike would work.
The parking brake could be a mechanical caliper on the transmission maybe?

A larger rear brake cylinder, being operated the foot pedal, could be mounted remotely further back on the frame and linked with a push rod from the pedal. The you could have a larger cylinder if you need it.


----------



## kerrymann (Feb 17, 2011)

Woodsmith said:


> Could you fit the discs and then use motorbike calipers?
> Maybe a pair of front calipers from a bike would work.
> The parking brake could be a mechanical caliper on the transmission maybe?
> 
> A larger rear brake cylinder, being operated the foot pedal, could be mounted remotely further back on the frame and linked with a push rod from the pedal. The you could have a larger cylinder if you need it.


I thought about turning the disc down but it would still be close on volume. I actually have a master from a goldwing that is designed to run two calipers( front and rear) so i'll see if I can get it working.


----------

