Street-Legal DIY Electric Motorcycle Costs Under $2000
June 29, 2008 · Print This Article
Filed under: Automobile Tech, Green Tech
We’ve seen more silly homemade electric cars than we care to remember, but Ben Nelson’s electric motorcycle manages to retain some of its original two-wheel charm while using only a penny of juice per mile — roughly the equivalent of 300mpg.
Nelson bought the bike for $100 and swapped out the original engine for a Briggs and Stratton 8HP DC motor he picked up on eBay for $500, using four $160 Optima Yellowtop lead-acid batteries for power. Nelson says he can get the rig up to a top speed of 45MPH, and he’s got a range of about 20 miles before he needs to plug in — enough to run errands around town.
Best of all, the say of Wisconsin willingly registered his bike as a “hobbyist” vehicle, which means he’s free to (silently) roam the streets at will. Ben first built the bike about a year ago, so he’s accumulated a ton of useful info if you’re interested in following in his tire tracks — hit up the read link to learn more, and check the video after the break.
[Via ecomodder]
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