On Road
OwnerFritz Martin
LocationRichmond, Vermont US map
WebWebPage
Vehicle1981 Kawasaki KZ550 LTD
MotorPerm Motor PMG 132 Permanent Magnet DC
DrivetrainHTD belt reduction to jackshaft, 530 chain final drive
ControllerAlltrax AXE 7234
Batteries12 Dewalt DC9360, 36.00 Volt, Lithium-Ion
Nanophosphate Lithium. These batteries are unmodified DeWalt 36 volt battery packs. Mounted in hacked up flashlight bases. Special circuit allows them to be run in parallel and series to make a multi-pack pack.
System Voltage72 Volts
ChargerDewalt DC9000
Charge on board with modified charger pair - charge time about 4 hours. Charge off bike in chargers - under an hour per battery.
DC/DC Converter CUI
200W DC/DC - very nice small package, wide input voltage range - available from Digikey.
InstrumentationStock
Top Speed52 MPH (83 KPH)
Limited by fixed gear ratio
AccelerationQuick.
Range9 Miles (14 Kilometers)
Commute is 7.5 miles one way. Into town and back is 8 miles. Haven't gotten stranded yet!
Watt Hours/Mile110 Wh/Mile
EV Miles
Start:12,525 Miles (20,152 Kilometers)
Current:13,140 Miles (21,142 Kilometers)
Total:615 Miles (989 Kilometers)
 
    As of 11/1/2009
Seating Capacity2 up
Curb Weight220 Pounds (99 Kilograms)
About one half the weight of the original bike.
TiresStock
Conversion Time1 year (1 out of 4 weekends)
Conversion Cost$3600
Geared this way and with 150 amp current limit still has plenty of gusto. No problem zipping up 5% grade at 45mph.

Thanks to all of you who have done conversions and showed them on evalbum.com. I visited this site often for ideas and inspiration! Hope my bike helps inspire others. Range is only 8.5 miles but only limited by $$$. My commute is 7.5 miles - a very pleasant and fun 7.5 miles on this 220 lb bike. My recommendation - just say NO to lead acid folks - you'll never regret it...

code by jerry