Recumbent Trike DIY Electric E-Bike Conversion and Test Drive
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Having received a few ex-hire KMX Recumbent Tricycles as a freebee, I set about converting one of them to full electric propulsion. This video is a short walk through of the finished project and its first proper test drive out on the highway.
Very different to most E-Bike conversions that feature a three phase motor-hub and Li-Ion battery, this Recumbent uses a DC motor chain-driving the rear wheel from small lead-acid leisure batteries.
Features a dashboard with GPS Speedometer, ammeter and battery level meter.
Top speed on the flat with my 100kg+ body on it seems to be about 22-24 MPH, faster on a downhill gradient, slower on uphill gradient.
Range untested but given a long smooth straight road and full-throttle, the electrical current draw sits around 28 amps. Those particular batteries are 22AH capacity so they should provide about 0.8 hours run time on full speed, which at 22mph would give a range of 17.5 miles. This is based on my 100KG body weight, a smaller person (say 55kg) would see a faster speed and lower draw, and therefore a greater range (possibly 25 miles or more).
The Recumbent would take larger batteries without difficulty, even 60AH ones would still be practical, resulting in close to a three-fold increase in range. Swapping over to Li-Ion cells of the same dimensions would see the range doubled again, so potentially the vehicle is capable of travelling well in excess of 80 miles between charges.
Future upgrades intended:
1) A larger motor. The small cheap one I used here is reliable but easy to over-stress, especially when trying to go up-hill.
2) A vertical storage bay with solar charger: Being able to hook it up on a wall in a wooden enclosure would be handy and by using a 100w solar panel for the roof, it could self-charge with no grid power needed, for 100% emission free zero-carbon transportation!
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Don't know where you live, but in the states a ebike must have operable pedals to be classed as a bike.
Great video, I'm building an e-trike of my own and liked getting your thoughts on how your bike performed. Helps me on designing my own. Cheers
I'm in the process of begin to build an etrike ,just waiting to finish work in the next eight days so I can finish my shed off and get cracking on my recumbent trike, how has your build gone ,have you gone more to the electric three wheeler hillclimb car side of build , or more pushbike components side of things ? would love to know how it's gone ,and what's your centre of gravity like ?
I know this is a old build but where did u get a bunch of these trikes I found it hard getting my kmx tornado f8. I also intend to turn it electric but for long range over speed. I also intend to build a trike my self.
You lost me at "I like lead acid" .... Seriously? It costs more and delivers less, over its lifetime. Which means the rest of your information is suspect.
Everything on the Internet is suspect. And when I say I like Lead Acid, that doesn't mean that I'm saying it's better. I just like it because it's familiar and trustworthy. And doesn't explode to 100 kilotons if the internal insulation fails. I do have a Lipo battery for my three-wheeler, it's fine, perhaps I should use it more.
What difference does it make if it gets you from A to B ?.. You pick up old batteries for peanuts and sell them to the scrapies when they're knackered !..
@@AA-69 The difference is lead acid is crap, plus it costs you more in the long run?
you need heel straps if your feet fall off of those pegs it's going to have a very bad ending for you.
Yes you are right Dave, that would be better, although the peddles it came with didn't have them either as standard. Funnily enough the day I recorded this video is the last day I rode it, not managed to do any improvements yet! Thanks for watching my video :)
This looks like a hoot, awesome build!
Thank you! Interestingly enough, this drive-around was its first and last journey, it's been at the back of the shed ever since. Maybe I enjoy making things more than I like using the things I make. Perhaps I'll try and resurrect it at some point and gear it in such a way it's not so strained on the hills. Or put a 5kw motor on it and register it as a Motor-Trike.
I was going to fit a Alfine 8 speed back wheel and motorise it...
You could use temperature sensors on the batteries to avoid overheating.
How do you read those dials? The light shining on them makes it hard to see, from the capture here. Do you intend making it into a velomobile with a cover? I think when I finish mine I am going for 50 mph and have higher gears for the Dales here.
Well I was able to read the dials fine, I think it was just the camera when I filmed it. It's sat in the shed ever since, not done anything else with it. Considering making something much bigger and more powerful but it'll need type approval and road registering.
Loved the video and keep them coming as the project progresses. I am from Missouri in the USA. Built a e trike with a Sun chassis and a 500 watt motor like yours. Mine was a dog on hills also so, being a home shop machinist, put a Sturmey Archer 5 speed gearbox between the motor and wheels. Just wonderful and gave me the low end and top end to solve my issues. Also used a United brand motor that is geared down to around 400 RPM and eliminated the giant cog wheels. The bike is sweet!! Have a great day and keep on the projects!!
Hi Mark, thank you so much for watching and for your comments, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond, only just noticed your message. I googled that gearbox, wow yes a hub gearbox would certainly be just the thing, it's crying out for gears especially with me on it and living in a hilly area. It does get up some speed on the flat.
The trike is currently broken, the motor controller died and needs replacing. I actually have another motor that is geared down 10:1 I think, although it's only a 350 watt unit, I might try it for comparison.
Thanks again for watching!
15 mph?! That's ridiculous and pitiful. I want mine for my main form of transport and that's too slow, although I'm going for e assist more than simply electric only and as a full velomobile. But I do like what you've done with it.
Thanks for commenting Mark. Yes the law is 15.5mph, although this bike that I made went about 24mph with me on it. But I'd no idea how fast it would go, that was it's first and last journey. The law is the law I suppose. Not that anyone else seems to stick to it...
@@TheAmazingAdventuresOfMiles , you can insure the trike and get plates for it like you would a moped, just have to have working lights a horn and indicators , then you don't have to worry about 15mph ,just watch out for those speed cameras
Made me dizzy swing that camera all over theplace. Gave up after the first minuit, fell on the floor dizzy.
Great build!
What motor would you recommend as I am building one but do not understand which one I should get
A recumbent trikes uses PEDALS he is using it as a motor car with no pedalling so its NOT a trike this is typical of the LAZY generation not to use pedals no wonder there is so much obesity in the UK
Hello Derek, thanks for watching and commenting! The defining specification of a "Trike" is that it has three wheels, the power source is irrelevant, so it is actually a trike. I did chuckle at Lazy Generation, being 42 years old you've made me feel young again thank you. I'm actually an outdoor instructor by trade, and surprisingly capable for a tubby middle aged bloke ^_^
keeping the changable gear at back would help with the hill climbs
Thanks for watching and your comment David. Yes you are quite right, unfortunately the chain type is different to a normal bicycle one so it couldn't share the same system. In hindsight I wish I'd tried harder to make it all work together. Another problem I has was that the gearing at the back was all rusted solid from time spent out in the open. If I did another conversion I would certainly try harder to retain a multiple gearing system.
@@TheAmazingAdventuresOfMiles man that sucks yeah i think in the case of diferent chain thickness a jocky shaft would have to be used if we dont try then we dont know how to do better
Lead acid dependable. Lmao.
Hi Paul thanks for commenting. Why do you think Lead Acid isn't dependable?
rear wheel sprockets the larger the sprocket u gain more speed [flat ground] small sprocket for hills
I think you have that back to front. Small rear sprocket = higher top speed but slower acceleration and poor hill performance. Large rear sprocket = lower top speed but better acceleration and hill performance.