Honda CX500 Motorcycle Converted To Electric

Honda CX500 Motorcycle Converted To Electric AG WORLD There’s no engine noise coming from Ryland Erdman’s motorcycle because it’s equipped with an electric golf cart motor powered by 16 lithium batteries He says the electric cycle can go up to 60 mph with performance comparable to a 200 to 250cc motorcycle     Erdman converted the 1979 Honda CX500 motorcycle 5 years ago and says it still runs great     The 3 1/2 hp 48-volt 3 600 rpm golf cart motor is located directly in front of the rear wheel An adapter connects the motor to the motorcycle’s driveshaft Two stacks of batteries fill in the space where the engine used to be They consist of 16 100 amp-hour GBS lithium batteries purchased at an online golf cart shop and are enclosed in a sheet metal frame An on-board charger is mounted in the main battery box     The motorcycle is equipped with a battery management system with CAN bus and a 15-amp battery charger both from Elite Power Solutions www elitepowersolutions com Recharging time is 6 to 7 hours     “It’s a simple  clean system without a lot of complex moving parts oily grime and maintenance requirements The motorcycle still has its original gas tank just to preserve the style of the bike ” says Erdman “I built it because I didn’t want to spend countless hours rebuilding carburetors or doing tune-ups on the first nice day of every spring I used as many off-the-shelf components as possible without having to track down hard-to-find parts There’s nothing exotic about the drivetrain from an electric golf cart but it’s reliable and easily available     “I did a lot of research before I built it I read everything I could find at www evalbum com which features thousands of electric vehicles ”     He says the most fun part about riding his electric motorcycle is the acceleration “High torque is available from a stand-still so it’s always ready to go ” says Erdman  “It has a range of about 35 miles in town and 50 miles at highway speeds     “My biggest surprise after building it was how much more courteous other drivers are on the road when they’re around an electric motorcycle because it’s so quiet ”     An Alltrax AXE 4844 300-amp 48-volt motor controller allows the motorcycle’s Magura electronic throttle – which replaces the original gas throttle - to precisely vary the motor’s speed and power A Surepower 10-amp DC-DC converter 48-volt to 12-volt DC reduces the battery’s voltage from 48 volts to 12 volts in order to operate the motorcycle’s lights and turn signals     Erdman spent about $3 500 on parts “The batteries and battery management system and charger cost about $2 400 The rest was for other electrical components and the motor ” he says     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Ryland Erdman 1310 1/2 Main St E Menomonie Wis 54751 ph 715 529-3522; rylanderdman@gmail com; www blackboxbikes com

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.