I saw a homemade electric motorcycle today, now I am hooked

I was riding my electric scooter up to school to drop off my wife's charger for her electric scooter when i was passed by an electric motorcycle.

It was a chopper style frame. The motor/gas tank area was so empty. The whole thing was so quiet. I wish I had my GoPro set up to record while i ride, i really want some pics of the thing. Now i watching videos and reading blogs of building an electric motorcycle.

58 points · 24 comments · view on lemmy.world

24 Comments

Sicurio@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 16 pts · 2d (10 replies)

A DIY EV motorcycle is absolutely the dream.

artyom@piefed.social · 3 pts · 2d (9 replies)

I've thought about it many times but motorcycles are leisure vehicles for me and I wanna ride it off into The Sticks without having to stop every hour.

Sicurio@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 2d (8 replies)

I feel the same way. I put a 10 gallon tank on my motorcycle so I could go far. My preference would be something that gets at least 300 miles per charge and doesn't cost $40k.

yakko@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 2d (1 reply)

A 300 mile ride is not my idea of leisure, personally. Intensely gruelling, stressful. I never could hang with the folks who do those big rallies.

Sicurio@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 1d

Well that's totally understandable. It starts to get to be a bit much for me around 400 miles. I bet it would be easier without so much vibration.

nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 1d (3 replies)

10 gallons?!? Dakar bikes only carry 25-30 liters. That’s not even 8 gallons. That’s seems crazy big unless you have some huge touring bike with a flat 6 or something.

Edit: Air cooled beetles only has 8-9 gallon tanks and could go 300 miles with 4 people in them.

Sicurio@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 1d (2 replies)

You're right. It is crazy big, but I am crazy. I have a klr650.

nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 1d (1 reply)

Are the additional tanks down low?

10 gallons is like 60lbs of sloshing weight.

Sicurio@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 1d

Yes the weight is much lower

artyom@piefed.social · 1 pts · 2d (1 reply)

I mean even if it costs $30k, compare that to an ICE motorcycle that can do the same for $5k and you're gonna have a REAL hard time convincing me LOL. I do, however, have an ebike for trips <50 miles.

Sicurio@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 1d

Absolutely. I'd expect to spend a little more on an EV but the current prices are insane.

sam@piefed.ca · 11 pts · 2d (1 reply)

altr

BooBees@fedinsfw.app · 4 pts · 2d

It’s not for sale, Francis

psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 11 pts · 2d

Every time i saw an electric moped goes by, my urge of getting one is increase a little bit. The thing that prevent me from riding a motorcycle is the stupid vibration, i'm sure the older i get the less tolerant i have with vibration. And the noise. (And also the phobia i had when i get left hooked by a car last time)

SpruceBringsteen@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2d (3 replies)

Has the market for used choppers crashed yet? I see so few millennials on them compared to Gen X and boomers, let alone Gen Z.

nocturne@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 1d (2 replies)

I could only hope. From what I have seen in a few hours of searching is no.

Back when I lived in Maryland there were always some great old bikes for cheap. New Mexico very much has a problem with "I know what I've got" people trying to milk out every cent.

SpruceBringsteen@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d (1 reply)

Helps they don't take up a whole lot of room in a garage. I'm sure plenty are content to have their bike as a show piece given the sentimentality around them.

Probably won't happen until they start getting passed down to kids who don't want them.

nocturne@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 1d

This one might be the way to go. 2004 yamaha vstar 1100

Looks like $1050 for the frame, seat, forks, & both wheels.

TerraRoot@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 1d (1 reply)

So whatca thinking to build? Custom frame or a converted existing bike? How much you got for batteries?

I love smooth and quiet, but I think personally a maxi-scooter is enough for me.

nocturne@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 1d

I do not have the space to do a custom frame as much as I would like to do that. Plus, I am unsure I trust my welding skills that much yet.

I started looking at Craigslist for motorcycles with no, or a dead motor. So far "everything runs great!" but I will keep looking.

As for batteries, right away I only need maybe 50 (80.5) - 60 miles (96.5km) of range. Enough to get me out to my dad's house from town and back on a single charge with wiggle room. It is an 18 mile (29km) drive one way. I am hoping that I will have room to expand battery capacity later, maybe enough to get me into the city and back (85miles / 137km one way).

I have never driven a motorcycle. So I am not planning for any long crazy trips.

I think I would love to do a chopper, but I will probably end up with whatever I can find cheap.

Looking at this 100cc Kawasaki. It is $1000.

artyom@piefed.social · 2 pts · 2d (2 replies)

Pics or GTFO

nocturne@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 1d (1 reply)

I wish I had my GoPro set up to record while i ride

artyom@piefed.social · 1 pts · 1d

I SAID PICS NOT VIDEO

_haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 15h

I like stuff with pedals so you can pedal if the battery dies but having electric assist can be a game changer (I still ride my regular bikes too though).