For those of you who missed it, I recently built a FTB: It's a 240 on a 9" wheel It is not hard to ride in the sense of extra effort or weight but it does bother my hip (aging hip) with the crank as wide as it is. Accordingly I decided to convert it to electric. I hope the frame can handle it! Robert
I got me this here wheel: I could not use the existing fork to mount it so I will need to do a fork transplant. I also modified the design for safety and to handle the torque. I modified the fork by adding a tab with a hole. I modified a torque arm so I can lock it to the tab with a screw. This will prevent the axle from spinning in the dropout and also locks the wheel in the fork. Much safer design I think... In the first pic you can see my 21.2 mm washer. I had to reduce the diameter to nest in the forged impressions in the fork. A little more sandblasting, some rust converting primer in the fork tube, and then paint! I plan to strip the stupid looking black rings off the motor cover too. Robert
Building a box to hold the battery and the controller: Thoughts? Since this a casting site- these are cast (in China) The inside is machined and the outside is painted. I stripped off the paint going for a silver look. The metal surface finish has noticeable discoloration. I cannot correct it without machining off the surface and my lathe can't handle it. Here are the covers stripped and sanded. By the way, I have a deadline! Sunday is 704 open streets! http://openstreets704.com/ I am not at all sure I can have it together, even without painting... Robert
Using my lathe as a mill! Homemade boring tool. Angle plate. Not completely finished but ready for open streets tomorrow! So aesthetically speaking- should I paint the front hub black instead of raw aluminum? Should I paint the aluminum box silver-gray matching the frame? Robert
Can't see first two tooling photos. No Yes So front wheel drive electric? Is that routinely done and have you ridden a front wheel powered bicycle? Robert
I would go with a black front hub, but that is just personal preference. I would match the box with the frame. Looks great. Wish I had one.
I had no choice with the front wheel drive because of the rear wheel and the bottom bracket. The wheel is made in China for that purpose. It does cause mild torque steer when under power. Tends to pull you out of a turn. My main concern is stresses on the steering tube causing frame failure. I should note that steering tubes take a lot of force when stopping so I'm hoping it will be OK. I'm riding about 20 miles today so I will periodically inspect the welds. Robert
Update: Here are the Cafe Racer and the FTB out on the town for Open Streets Charlotte. Great fun! Lots of interest in the bikes too! I'll post some pics of the FTB when I get it painted. Robert
That bike weighs 110 lbs now. My friend is 6'3" and 200 lbs. I would be more worried about the oncoming riders! Seriously, they blocked off the entire lane so it was both directions at this time. Robert
I believe you already told us but refresh my ole mind, what’s the top speed of that contraption, I mean bike?
Wow, that's a big number. Approximately how much of that is rear wheel/tire and battery each? Best, Kelly
I finally weighed it. The FTB is about 98 lbs. The rear wheel/tire assembly on the FTB probably weighs about 40 lbs. The wheel/motor is 16. The battery is 10. There is about 10 lbs of tools and accessories. The Cafe Racer is 72 lbs. The wheel on that is 16 lbs and the battery is smaller, probably 6 lbs. Sunday we rode all over the CLT at least 15 miles. Still had plenty of juice on both machines. These are made for style and not performance although the Cafe is no slacker. If you wanted to go lighter I would consider a mid-drive on a standard MTB frame. Robert
