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[NEW2elec]

I saw it posted on the FB page and there will be a part 2 so I thought I'd post it here.  So this guy is a Zero engineer but this is his creation of a light powerful electric race bike.  Also it's a 400V system so I "assume" it will level 3 charge.  Maybe some dots will be connected, who knows.  Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0x_LFOuezM&feature=youtu.be

[nnelson65]

Man, I love that project!  I don't ride on the track, but I really like that bike

[ZeroBrian]

Thanks for the support!  I am "this guy".  I charge this bike with an off-board AC charger (Manzanita Micro PFC-40) as it is the most convenient way to charge at the track.  i.e. I'm not aware of any DC fast charge stations at any track except for the ones Dorna flies in to support MotoE races.  I can pull roughly 10kW from a 14-50 RV outlet, which does the trick.  The bike was built specifically for racing or track-days, so it's quite a bit less complex than our production street bikes. 

[Crissa]

It sounds like a cool way to design a track bike.  Long way to go to race it, though!  Do you get to play with it closer to home?

-Crissa

[NEW2elec]

Oh yeah the AC charging with the Nema 14-50 is the best way to go for your track days.  Just kind of interesting that it's 400 volts which could let it charge off CCS if it were set up in such a way.  I have to ask, is it four bricks wired in series?

Thanks for chiming in by the way.  The interview guy seems really stoked to ride it.

[Frank]

Hi Brian,

Cool project and I wish you the best of luck.  I started doing some track days a couple of years ago and have been thinking about something just like you've put together - congratulations.  I've built other fast e-bikes and something like this is very interesting.

I don't think Troy mentioned the controller: PM100DX?  Can you shed some light?  (I use a DXR version in my street/LSR bike.)  Also: any chance you could elaborate on battery details?

thanks,
Frank

[Doug S]

Outstanding to hear there's some higher-voltage stuff going on up there, even if in a private and unofficial capacity. I've expressed my viewpoint on other threads that Zero's going to have to bump up their running voltage or lose market share because of the inability to DC charge. Zero's already losing ground there, and it could be very serious.

[ZeroBrian]

Hi Brian,

Cool project and I wish you the best of luck.  I started doing some track days a couple of years ago and have been thinking about something just like you've put together - congratulations.  I've built other fast e-bikes and something like this is very interesting.

I don't think Troy mentioned the controller: PM100DX?  Can you shed some light?  (I use a DXR version in my street/LSR bike.)  Also: any chance you could elaborate on battery details?

thanks,
Frank

Thanks!  Yes - the bike uses a PM100DXR.  The battery was custom built for the bike using some cells I got a hold of after Cummins acquired my former employer and they no longer needed them.  They were meant for the Victory TT Zero effort in 2016, but never made it as we ran out of time to get them shipped over, so we had to run with "Plan B" cells.

[Frank]

Thanks for the info.  Do you monitor cell temps?  Any issues?  I'm sure your ambient temps are generally a lot higher than they are around here!

[ZeroBrian]

Thanks for the info.  Do you monitor cell temps?  Any issues?  I'm sure your ambient temps are generally a lot higher than they are around here!

The battery is also actively air-cooled.  Even in very high ambient conditions (>100F) at Buttonwillow and Utah Motorsports Park, we were able to keep pack temperatures below 60C.  On the days with back-to-back practice/qualifying or racing, we used high flow fans in the pits to cool the battery down more rapidly and keep air moving through the radiator. 

[Frank]

Fantastic!  That s a huge challenge, glad it's working.

[NEW2elec]

Here is the part 2 video.   Fantastic job Brian.

[Frank]

Great video!  Congratulations, that was awesome!

If my numbers are right, average speed at Barber was around 92 mph?  Brian, can you tell us what the energy consumption was?  You're inspiring me for my next project...

[Richard230]

And here is the full Part 2 story:  https://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/lightfighter/riding-and-racing-the-lightfighter-lfr19-electric-motorcycle-part-2.html

[ZeroBrian]

Thanks for posting.  It's been a fun project and I'm happy with the results, despite the blown 12Vdc fuse (why did we even have that fuse on a race bike?  )

Guessing this thread should probably move to somewhere else as it's not really Zero related.