ElectricMotorcycleForum.com

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Phantom on December 22, 2009, 07:07:10 AM

Title: Hi from MA, USA
Post by: Phantom on December 22, 2009, 07:07:10 AM

Hi,

I found this forum after unsuccessfully bidding on an electric 1990 Ninja on Ebay. I have been reading a lot of posts on this site and I still have a lot more reading to do. I bought the "Secrets of El Ninja" and I am looking to buy Vogel's book "Build Your Electric Motorcycle." I picked up 1975 Honda motorcycle from Craigslist that I am to try to convert to electric. 

I have been looking on EValbum for ideas on how people have put their bikes together.

I work in the finance dept. for a small, U.S. subsidiary of a large Japanese company. The equipment that my parent company produces helps other companies manufacture LED, thin film solar, thin film battery, and other alternative energy solutions.  I would not be surprised if we had electric motors and controllers in our company inventory.

I grew up as a kid in the 1970's and thought then that solar energy would have solved the world's energy demands by now. I am still betting on solar in the long-term, but the cost needs to come down a lot to make a dramatic difference.

Anyway, I looking forward to learning more from this forum and eventually helping other people out once I have enough experience.

Title: Re: Hi from MA, USA
Post by: skadamo on December 22, 2009, 10:31:09 AM

Hey welcome to the forum! Lots of knowledgable people here. Post up some pics of the Honda when you get a chance. I used to own a '75 cb360.

Title: Re: Hi from MA, USA
Post by: chdfarl on December 31, 2009, 09:57:23 AM

Hi phantom
Its nice to see new faces or screen names im in MA too
Do you have an I.C.E. motorcycle and what type of bike would you like to build

Title: Re: Hi from MA, USA
Post by: Phantom on January 05, 2010, 07:43:49 AM

I picked up a 1981 Kawasaki 750 instead of the 1975 Honda I mentioned earlier in this thread.
I just removed the ICE, gas tank and seat to work on the frame.

I am going to build a 72 volt or higher commuter bike that should hit at least 50 mph and go at least 25 miles. I am still looking into different options, but right now I am planning to use LiFePo batteries and an EnerTrac hub motor.

Title: Re: Hi from MA, USA
Post by: skadamo on January 27, 2010, 11:18:20 PM

So it sounds like you went for a Brammo Enertia according to your reply in a recent thread (http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=670.msg3022#msg3022).

Did you take delivery yet? When can we see some pics? :D

Title: Re: Hi from MA, USA
Post by: Phantom on January 27, 2010, 11:46:09 PM

Yes, I did go with the Brammo Enertia after reading a lot of positive posts from here and on elmoto.net. I am very impressed with Brammo as a company, and as individual contributors to websites like this. I have a lot of faith in them and the Enertia. The bike should certainly meet my immediate needs for a commuter bike. I will still continue my Kawasaki conversion as a project that I will build with my father's help; but the budget will be less than I had originally planned as it will purely be for just riding around.

I ordered it last week, and it is being built now. It should ship by the end of this week. As soon as I get it, I'll post pictures here.
I am also planning to use it to help promote a new product my parent company built for the EV market. It is a solar powered, rapid battery charging system for EVs. I might come up with some decals for the bike, but it is an ever-evolving idea.     

Title: Re: Hi from MA, USA
Post by: DavidL19 on January 30, 2010, 12:36:00 AM

Good luck on the conversion. If you do get that bike together check out the routes in your area. This map site, http://allstategarage.com/routes (http://allstategarage.com/routes), has routes from bikers all around the world. Feel free to add your own too. Thanks

David Lipsky
Advocate for Allstate