Electric trike

[FrankenMech]

Does my 7 speed trike with pedals and an electric motor count as an electric moped?

Kind of looks like this but blue and no rear fenders:

[90GTVert]

Close enough.

[FrankenMech]

Three wheels are a personal requirement for balance. The two black semi-rectangular blobs are where I mounted two 9AH SLA batteries. The 24V electrics are mounted above the batteries on a 1/4" (too) thick plate. The area between that and the batteries is wire spaghetti. The black and grey blob under the frame is supposed to be the 24V 350W motor. My artwork sucks. I need to find my camera and get it working. I should also document the parts list and schematic. I am waiting on a new wheel assembly to replace a busted one. After that I may modify the crappy factory wobble-drive lug for the right rear wheel which is the only driven wheel. I need to have a machine shop make the new drive lug. Range sucks but I only use the electrics to climb a hill to get from home and back. The 50cc scoot didn't like those hills either.

[90GTVert]

If you ever get around to it, I'm sure some of us would enjoy seeing it. I briefly considered converting a scooter to electric recently. Looked at the price of 10-15kw motors and gave up immediately. I wanted to climb some really steep hills. 😁

[FrankenMech]

10-15kw motors would make it highly illegal

Batteries for that would also have to come from a Tesla or something.

To just burn rubber a 5kw motor and an extension cord could be used....

Remember, Kansass is Flat.

My camera had some batteries leak in it and has taken up residence in a box somewhere. I never could take pictures worth a damn because of the ET. I sweated blood over those few pics in my build thread.

[messenger]

Jan 16, 2022 7:08:40 GMT -5 FrankenMech said:

10-15kw motors would make it highly illegal

Batteries for that would also have to come from a Tesla or something.

To just burn rubber a 5kw motor and an extension cord could be used....

Remember, Kansass is Flat.

My camera had some batteries leak in it and has taken up residence in a box somewhere. I never could take pictures worth a damn because of the ET. I sweated blood over those few pics in my build thread.

There are ways around taking good in focus pictures if you havent got a steady hand.

you could use a tripod, doesnt have to be anything flash or expensive, just the most basic tripod or even a 2nd hand one would do it.
ive taken pictures with the camera sat on a table or even a fence post before, any flat surface would do really if you havent got a tripod.

also these days even the most basic cameras come with a timer for taking pictures. set the camera up with your picture in frame, the camera on a flat surface and the timer set to 5 seconds. 

[FrankenMech]

Hmmmmm, I think I have a small tripod for a laser level somewhere in my piles of junk
I am an atypical blind hoarder with no memory due to measles and 3 strokes

[messenger]

Jan 16, 2022 12:46:47 GMT -5 FrankenMech said:

Hmmmmm, I think I have a small tripod for a laser level somewhere in my piles of junk
I am an atypical blind hoarder with no memory due to measles and 3 strokes

Im sorry to hear about your issues.... necessity is the mother of invention remember !

I enjoy taking pictures... im not that good really, and i envy those who have a much better eye for it than me...

but i enjoy it all the same 

[jackrides]

Isn't a 3 stroke a rotary engine? Sorry to hear about yours. In NC, your trike would be an elec moped Or a 'mobility assist device' so you're covered both ways. It seeems states are still slowly getting on the same page for those definitions and speed standards.

[FrankenMech]

Electric bikes are severely limited on speed and power in most places. The Feds and states have different regs. Kansass is less than 1000w and 20MPH on streets, off-road anything goes. My 50cc scoot is a Moped in Kansass, my electric trike meets most of the same regs, -it is insane. The E-trike is actually more of a 'moped' because it actually has pedals, is step-through design, less than 3HP, and less than 30MPH design speed.

Rotary engines are 4T if I remember right, just don't know for sure. They didn't work or last well for some reason. But then my brain does not work or last well either. Getting OLD and feeble sucks. I should give up and die.

Maybe today I will get my replacement wheel shipped with FedEx. It was due Thursday, 1/13 then it was said to be early, due Wednesday 1/12, then it was shipped back and forth on the 210 all over the Eastern side of LA. Then it was due Thursday again, then Friday, then Saturday, then Sunday, then Tuesday, now today, Monday. The 26" wheel has probably been crushed into a 12" cube and wrapped with 1" thick shrink wrap. Maybe I will see today.

[FrankenMech]

Surprise surprise surprise, the wheel finally arrived ~OK. I took it and another wheel down to the local bike shop to be aligned. The shop charged $20 per wheel but it was worth not having to screw with it -again- and getting a precision job. They did not have any problems with fixturing the 15mm sealed bearings in their alignment equipment.

Now if I can find a local machine shop to make the new drive lug and solid 6302 bearing 15x42x13mm replacement. Finding Loctite 638 or 648 seems to be a small problem. Amazon has a few bottles for sale but they are all expired or counterfeit, a common problem with Amazon items nowadays. I have an industrial bearing shop near me that may have it. Amazon is going downhill fast like eBay with bogus China sellers peddling junk. Caveat emptor is the new Amazon watchword.

[farmer54]

Hi Frankenmech been a long time since I talked to you. I think we both had a reverse trike from dong fang and mine died 5-6 yrs ago. I like the look of the 3 wheeler and the updates you are doing to it. I hope you can post some pics as I would love to see it. I know the problems of getting older as I don't have any balance and now glaucoma has taken most of my eyesight, it sucks getting old. Hope otherwise you are doing good. frank

[FrankenMech]

Good to hear from you! My Dong Fang is out of commission also. I am putting it up for sale but I figure nobody will want it except for engine parts. The frame is bent, the valves need adjustment, and the CVT needs work. It has a non-standard carb that has been sitting for a couple of years and the battery is probably long dead. The 50cc models were essentially useless, horribly under powered due to weight and drag from three wheels.

[FrankenMech]

I am still working on the e-trike. It is over 100°F in the garage where my metal shop resides. I am too old to go out there and work in the heat. We had a few nice days this spring then global warming took over. I may have to figure out some way to add AC to the shop (F$%*@&g HELL, another damn project to do ). There is always something to do before I can do something else before I can work on something I WANT to do. I am still working on getting my small lathe set up to make that rear axle drive hub. I also need to get my new dumb 24V battery charger set up. The original fancy charger with a computer chip went tits-up (out of warranty of course) but the dumb one will overcharge the battery. I am thinking a couple diodes in the line may lower the charge voltage just enough not to ruin the batteries. -CRAP-

[jackrides]

Just think of the creative bitching you will be able to do while installing the a/c, the agression you will release destroying part of a wall to fit the a/c. And the final satisfaction of admiring a large poster of a palm tree beach with an icedrink in your hand. For me, I've given up hammering if a screwgun will do.