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The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Electric Beach Cruiser Bicycle Conversion

By Paul Crowe

48 volt electric beach cruiser conversion
48 volt electric beach cruiser conversion

Electric Beach Cruiser partsHere’s another electric conversion that looks like a pretty cool project that isn’t too difficult and has decent performance. Starting with a fat tire beach cruiser bicycle they turned it into a 48 volt electric motorcycle.

According to the builder it will go a little better than 45 mph and if cruising at a moderate 25 or 30 mph it will run for a couple of hours.

They have step by step details of how they did it and a parts list if you would like to give it a try. Pretty neat. I like the “V-Twin” batteries, too.

Link: Electric Bike via Make

Posted on January 9, 2009 Filed Under: Electric motorcycles, Motorcycle Builders


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Comments

  1. Larry says

    January 9, 2009 at 10:13 am

    Hmmmm….make some custom battery boxes with cooling fins and you could have a killer looking “V-Twilectric”! (Thanks, you got my thinkin-cap working again!)

    I here declare this is the first use of the word “V-Twilectric”! Do I have a witness?

    Larry

  2. JSH says

    January 9, 2009 at 10:29 am

    I like it! Time to pull out those old EV plans again

  3. Dorzok says

    January 9, 2009 at 12:06 pm

    COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!! I’m ordering mine today.

  4. todd says

    January 9, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    It would be cool if they could put some cranks on either end of the motor, just in case you venture out a little too far… and to manually recharge the batteries.
    That’s quite a motor it has.

    -todd

  5. todd says

    January 9, 2009 at 3:21 pm

    it has four batteries, so it’s a V-Quadrapelectric. Just had to beat Larry to any potential royalties for the use of the term.

    -todd

  6. paolo says

    January 10, 2009 at 8:16 am

    great concept and great comments from larry and todd
    using the batteries as a metaphor for a twin is cute and appropriate for a whymiscal beach cruiser and the fat tires cant hurt at 45mph ! eek

    fins would be great because batteries get hot as would a foot cranks for those out of juice moments my 1978 yahama fsie moped (showing my age..) had foot ctanks where one rotated forward 180 degrees to act as footpegs

    i question wether it would really run for a couple hours but if it does then thats pretty practical well until you have to panic stop..

  7. Larry says

    January 10, 2009 at 9:52 am

    “V-Quadrapelectric”

    That’s just friggin brilliant!!! You win!

  8. Jim says

    January 11, 2009 at 9:11 am

    I wonder what the stopping distance at 45 mph is with typical beach cruiser brakes.

    Neat though and I’m thinking…

  9. RavinRichard says

    January 11, 2009 at 10:19 am

    Looks like there is a wavie disc up front, stopping distance should be decent.
    sweet idea!

    V-Quadrapelectric” luv it!

  10. Jeff says

    January 11, 2009 at 11:38 am

    zzzzzZZZZZZZzzzzzeeeww ! Haulin electric style .

  11. B*A*M*F says

    January 11, 2009 at 7:51 pm

    Not sure I’d want to do 45+ on a hard tail with bicycle tires, but it’s a very cool project.

  12. Clive Makinson-Sanders says

    January 11, 2009 at 11:29 pm

    the first motorcycles were small displacement, low tech, internal combustion engines mated to period appropriate frames. If this is the new wave, then the “appropriate” frame would be a full suspension mountain bike. And the lack of a need for a gas tank could further affect the styling of a new breed. I think it will be cool to see rough concepts like this manifest themselves into modern production two wheelers.

  13. Grant says

    January 12, 2009 at 7:58 am

    Well, they say at their site they were inspired by the board-track racers of old. Mission accomplished. I’d say it looks like the brakes are maybe even a bit better than what existed “back in the day”. I like it. In fact, I think I like it even more with the no-paint look. So, when do we get to see video of this thing in action at a back-yard flat-track?

  14. Tom says

    January 12, 2009 at 8:06 am

    Neat, but in my state and most other places in the USA it wouldn’t be street legal. It doesn’t meet the requirements for a motorcycle, moped, motor-asisted scooter or electric bicycle.

    It’s a lot of trouble and expense for something you couldn’t ride anywhere.

  15. Dorzok says

    January 12, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    Tom,
    what’s your state? wouldn’t be a problem in California.

  16. tim says

    January 12, 2009 at 5:58 pm

    I have the PERFECT bike for that, sitting in a shed at home, unused.

  17. B*A*M*F says

    January 13, 2009 at 1:27 am

    As best I can tell, it would need lighting (headlight, tail, & turn signals) at the very least to be street legal in most states. In most states it would probably need mirrors as well. Aside from that, I can’t think of much else that would be legally required on a custom built motorcycle.

    Imagine how funny it would be to take that in for a smog inspection. “Sorry, I couldn’t bring the tail pipe. It’s a stationary power plant about 30 miles from here.”

  18. Tom says

    January 13, 2009 at 8:48 am

    There aren’t too many governments that will let the citizens motor down the street at 45mph without imposing controlls and taxes.

    In California, like most states, this machine could not be an electric bicycle or motorized bicycle because, among several other things, the build removes the pedal drive, therefore it lacks means of human propulsion (pushing doesn’t count!) It’s can’t be a moped because, among several other things, it goes too fast with too much power. AFAIK the best hope to actually be able to ride the thing legally would be to try to qualify it as a motorcycle by adding lights, signals, mirrors, instruments, getting a title, tag, insurance, etc – but then would this build use up the one-per-lifetime custom motorcycle provision?

  19. kneeslider says

    January 13, 2009 at 10:33 am

    “would this build use up the one-per-lifetime custom motorcycle provision?”

    Isn’t that aimed at internal combustion engines?

  20. tim says

    January 13, 2009 at 4:03 pm

    I need to see youtube video of someone (after queuing for an hour) trying to explain this concept to Selma or Patty down at the DMV. Comedy Gold!

  21. Johnny Miller says

    December 23, 2009 at 5:34 pm

    thinking the same thing as Todd with some pedals you could take this thing anywhere no worries

  22. Quint says

    June 16, 2010 at 12:57 pm

    Depending on laws it can be a moped or a motorcycle. We only need a headlight, a taillight/brakelight, and a front brake to be legal…. no speedo, or turns needed. A lot of custom bike builders will just register it as the Vin on the frame so using a old motorcycle frame/vin would confuse/work for most registrations.

    If you are going to have motorcycle or dirtbike power and speed you need to have proper brakes and safety equipment to safely stop the thing when you are going 45, and so it doesnt break in half when you hit a pothole going 45. This setup looks beefy enough for running around town but anything faster/heavier would need a full motorcycle frame, brakes, and dot approved wheels that wont explode going 60mph!

    Awesome project though ~ http://www.instructables.com/id/48V-Electric-Flat-Tracker/

  23. Cruiser Bicycle says

    November 15, 2010 at 7:04 am

    A strong cruiser with style. Like the shape and structure.

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