Started with the motor1996 Sportster ConversionAlternative Energy FairFull assemblyTank DecalClimate Action DayGreat Commuter!36 volt brick
OwnerMike Workman
Owner's Other EV1995 Nissan Altima
LocationTumwater, Washington United States map
Vehicle1996 Harley Davidson Sportster
Conversion completed Feb. '07
MotorMars ME0709 Series Wound DC
24 to 72 volt, 19 Hp peak,
8 Hp continuous
Drivetrain11 tooth sprocket direct mounted to motor shaft.
Chain drive to rear 51 tooth sprocket. (4.64 to
1 ratio)
ControllerAlltrax Axe 7234
300 Amp Programmable.
Batteries72 Headway 40160 S, 3.20 Volt, Lithium Iron Phosphate
24 each 16 Ah in series, 3 rows in parallel for
a total of 48 Ah 72 volts.
System Voltage72 Volts
Charger Hota AC6
Charging each parallel cell group individually
with 5 amp R/C chargers. (6 chargers total, each
charging only 4 cell groups for max. rated
amperage transfer.)
HeaterDetachable windshield for winter driving.
DC/DC Converter N/A
Rather than a DC/DC converter, the bike retains
the original 12 volt 19 Ah battery (used for
lighting). It's charged with a seperate 750 mA
Battery Tender.
Instrumentation2 Digital multimeters, one for total battery
voltage and one connected to a 500A/50mA shunt
for battery current.
Bicycle spoke magnet speedometer.
Homemade LED display to indicate cell voltages
below 2.7 volts.
Top Speed56 MPH (90 KPH)
Controller set to 100% and 11 tooth front gear.
(Faster top speed with 12 tooth front sproket,
but slower off the line.)
Acceleration"Brisk". 1/8 mile approx. 12 seconds and 52 mph.
Range30 Miles (48 Kilometers)
Absolute range yet unknown. At 30 miles, cell
voltages would dip below 2.7 volts on hard
accelerations and steep inclines.
Watt Hours/Mile125 Wh/Mile
"Kill a Watt" recharging measurements (1.19
kwh/9.5 miles = 125 Whr/mile)
EV Miles
Current:19 Miles (30 Kilometers)
 
    As of 2/18/2018
Seating Capacity1 adult
Curb Weight456 Pounds (207 Kilograms)
Original vehicle weight 525 lbs.
AGM layout was 630 lbs.
New Lithium layout saves 174 lbs.

TiresDunlop D401 hard compound
Conversion TimeOn and off for 3 months. Maybe 80 hours total
compressed production time for original 60 volt
layout. Additional several days for Lithium
battery pack build.
Conversion CostApprox. $4,700 for present running condition.
Plus lots of mistakes!
Additional FeaturesLED lamps used for turn, tail and stop lamps. The first winter I had
installed an experimental battery heating system with the AGM layout.
It was an 18 foot 120volt AC water pipe heat wrap. It drew about .6
amps (at 60 volts DC) and heated the batteries about 20 degrees above
ambient. Could warm them even more when the batteries were wrapped in
a rubber floor mat. Ugly but effective! It did show improved
performance and less depth of discharge.
Traveled 7,850 miles with lead acid AGM batteries.(Was only getting
about 3,000 miles on a set of lead acids before the performance
started dropping). In Spring of 2011 upgraded to Lithium Iron
Phosphate. Bike is much lighter, quicker and way more fun to ride!
Original motor was a PMG 132 with a 19mm shaft mounted to a 3/4 inch
sprocket (one of my mistakes). The sprocket eventually loosened up
and chipped the motor shaft keyway! Now running the MARS motor with a
7/8 inch shaft and 7/8 sprocket. Slightly less top speed possibly due
to right hand mounting and thus CW rotation. (2/18/2018) Still on the
road as viable commuter vehicle. Recent installed legit LED
headlamp.


code by jerry