Electric bikes are becoming more popular by the day. There is practically no week that you will not see in the news that another model or variant has been introduced. A significant number of these electric bicycles are in the 25 to 45 km/h range. While that is nice for regular riding, many other users will appreciate higher levels of speed.
There is an increase in the number of users of electric bicycles. An electric bicycle that can run faster helps in coping with traffic. The thing however, is that not so many brands have fast electric bikes. This is the main reason why you have to build your own DIY fast electric bicycle.
Items Required
The parts that you are going to use are significant to the overall quality of the DIY fast electric bike you will develop. Here are the most crucial components that you need from a donor bike which you will convert to an electric variant:
- Hydraulic brakes
- Electric bicycle conversion kits. The ideal kit will contain the controller, hub motor, brake levers, throttle, gear freewheel, custom torque arms, pedal-assist sensor, 48V battery, and a Cycle Analyst meter. But you also need to know that kits vary in prices, but you should follow on the ones with the highest level of quality, safety, and excellence.
- Batteries (separately if not present in the kit)
When you decide on which donor bicycle to use, make sure that you go for the best and not just a cheap full suspension bike. Choose a bike that will offer the highest level of safety and quality. The torque arms are critical to ensure that safety is guaranteed. You can also consider downhill bikes when thinking of the donor bikes to go for.
Steps Taken in Building Your Own DIY Fast Electric Bike
Now that you have your components all set, the next thing will be to start the assembly. It can be relatively easy to assemble the kit once all your components are in place. You may get a bicycle stand if you can, but it is not compulsory. You can turn it upside down in the absence of a regular bicycle stand. Here are the steps that you are going to follow:
- Commence by detaching the rear wheel.
- Do a transfer of the tire and the inner tube to the hub motor wheel. You should ensure that you also transfer the disc brake rotor too. You then follow up with an installation of the freewheel gears. This is done by screwing them on the threads in the motor housing unit. You should do this carefully so that the threading is done correctly.
- Position the motor wheel in place with the rear dropouts. There may be a need for you to adjust your disc brake calipers if they are out of line with the motor. You may even be lucky enough to have a kit where there is a perfect alignment. If there is the correct alignment, there is no need to adjust the brakes.
- Fix the torque arms on both sides of the motor. The arms are designated left and right, so it is easy for you to put in place. Do a tightening of the axle nuts so that the motor can be firmly in position.
- Installation of the controller below the down tube can be done if the bike is still turned upside down.
- Turn the bike over so that it can support itself on the tires. It is at this stage that you go ahead with the installation of the battery. Start this by detaching the locking plate from the battery unit then put it on the down tube. The ideal thing to do here will be to utilize water bottle bolts to fix the frame. It all depends on the level of the water bottle bosses concerning the mounting plate holes. If it is too low, you can drill a pair of tiny holes to attach the frame and plate as a unit.
- Ensure that the frame you are using is sufficiently large enough to contain the battery. Immediately you are sure that the battery sits well; you can put the shock in place using screws.
- After the battery is in the position, you can then include the Cycle Analyst meter on the handlebars, then put the throttle assembly in place with the right handlebar. For those who are interested in making use of the pedal-assist sensor, it can be done with the bottom bracket. However, that may not even be necessary as you are working on an electric motorcycle to forget about the pedal assist sensor.
- The final step will be for you to do a connection of all the wires. These include units like the throttle, motor, speed switch button, Cycle Analyst alongside the battery wires. You can make it all neater by using cable cords to fix the wires to the entire frame.
- Switch on the battery power button and press on the throttle to ensure that the Cycle Analyst meter works properly. At this point, you are going to have a functional, fast electric bike. You should make sure that you charge the battery fully before deciding to take the bike for your first spin.
Testing Your New DIY Fast Electric Bike
Now that you have charged the battery to the full level, you can take it to a level surface and try it out. But before you do so, you must take steps to ensure that your region’s laws allow the use of electric bikes. If the rules are in your favor, you can try it out in a public space; otherwise, you will try it only on private property.
Put the speed selector switch at the minimum level and switch on the electric bike to commence your pedaling. Try out the brakes initially at very low speeds, and if all works perfectly, you can add more throttle. Start pedaling slowly and pay attention to know if there are some unexpected sounds or malfunctions. Pay close attention to the performance of the bike. You should also ensure that you do the testing with the right riding equipment like gloves, protective jackets, pants, and a bicycle helmet.
