How much it cost to build an electric motorcycle DIY?

Homemade electric scooter: do you need it?

 

The desire to save money is an important engine of progress. And 5-10 years ago, when electric motorcycle was expensive, such a desire more than made sense. Homemade electric scooters also made sense. Today, when the price tag for excellent models in the budget segment hovers around 300usd, the indicated meaning is much less. And we are ready to prove it convincingly.

How much does a DIY electric scooter cost?

It depends on what you are going to make it from and what characteristics you expect. From an old scooter and a motor from the same old screwdriver, you can assemble an electric scooter for literally 5 thousand, but ... and it will ride so-so, and it will hardly last even one full season.

Therefore, in further calculations, we will be guided by the standard characteristics for some state employee - for example, on 25 km / h, one hour power reserve, 350W motor, about 325 usd.

Homemade electric scooter

 

And now the calculations for homemade products:

The foundation:

 You can't just take any scooter: 25 km / h is a serious speed that puts a serious load on the structure. You need a high-quality platform that can withstand this - let's say it will be the A5 from Razor , 100usd.

Note: no, in most cases it won't be cheaper to weld your frame. Together with work and materials, a good self-welded steel frame will cost about 125usd;

Battery: We need a good power reserve and acceptable weight, so at least 50usd;

Engine. Either something taken from a donor, or a ready-made whale with a motor-wheel. The first option will cost 3-5 thousand + installation and installation costs (often a few days, even if the work hours are trite to be counted, it will turn out to be about 10-12) - in total, at a rate for work of 50usd / hour, 70usd.

And it is unclear what will eventually turn out there with characteristics, reliability, etc. The second option of electric motorcycle is testing, convenient and reliable, it can be installed literally in an hour, but it costs from 150usd and up.

Do it yourself electric scooter

 

We haven’t even counted “small expenses” (wiring, sensors, controller, etc.), and our “budget homemade” already costs 200 usd. The savings are not very significant, but in practice it turns into continuous expenses.

The fact is that a self-made electric motorcycle made with your own hands does not have a guarantee: any breakdowns - and they, if you do not use a motor-wheel, will - will have to be fixed on your own. And this is an additional cost.

And, finally, the final argument:

 The very first malfunction that occurs at a decent speed becomes a full-fledged threat to life. It is unlikely that you will test your homemade product for reliability, maximum loads, maximum mileage, etc. - and if you do, then personally, and then the meaning of testing is lost.

 Is it worth the risk of getting to a hospital or morgue for the sake of saving 100 usd (this is at best)? We definitely think not.

Where to buy a good electric scooter?

If you are thinking about making an electric scooter with your own hands, this is great: it means that you are ready to become a part of one of the friendliest and most fun community in the world, the community of riders!

 

And we FidicoKnight will help you choose an electric motorcycle that is ideal for your budget: honestly, the market is full of budget models from well-known, trusted manufacturers. Do not take risks with homemade products, you can always find a branded scooter for the amount you need.

Battery capacity calculation: how to do it and why is it needed?

Are you assembling an electric scooter? We strongly recommend that you first of all think not about the engine, but about the battery that you will put on your brainchild. Calculate the capacity of the battery depending on the load and build on it.

Why choose an electric motorcycle battery first?

And there are several weighty arguments in favor of this particular course of action:

You can put the most powerful and fastest motor on your electric scooter , but what good is it if the battery runs out in two minutes?

Power reserve:

 Again, a stupid situation: you have chosen a powerful engine, and the battery does not pull it;

Weight:

 You put a powerful engine, paired with an equally powerful battery and, suddenly, you got a scooter weighing 25 kg. No, such models also take place when they are planned, and if such a result is obtained unexpectedly, it is sad.

E-bike battery

Therefore, we personally recommend the following sequence of actions:

• Determine the maximum weight of the future scooter;
• Determine with a minimum power reserve;
• See how much the engines of interest to you in terms of speed and power weigh / consume;
• Calculate the capacity of the battery paired with each of them;

Choose the best result.

1. Literally 10 minutes of time, a little simple math, and you will already know exactly what you need.
2. Battery capacity calculation formula
3. In the formulation we need, it looks very simple:
   
   

Battery capacity = Wh / km * Power reserve

Where Wh / km is the consumption of watt-hours per kilometer for our motor. And this parameter, in turn, depends on the speed of movement and engine power. On average, the following graph is very indicative:

Are there any disadvantages of electric motorcycle?

First of all, it is cross-country ability. Electric bicycles are designed exclusively for movement on asphalt, a maximum of a primer, and then for special models. Such a unit will not pass along a narrow path, it needs a place.

 In addition, the electric motorcycle must be stored somewhere: if the children's model can still somehow fit on the balcony, then for an adult you will have to make a garage.

The rest is excellent transport, a cool gadget and just an interesting means of transportation. By the way, for lovers of speed and drive, special high-speed models have been developed that accelerate to one hundred km / h and even more!