http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/motorcyclist_circles_lake_michigan_on_battery_power_484354187.html Motorcyclist circles Lake Michigan on battery power BY DENEEN SMITH [20150911]
[image / SEAN KRAJACIC http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/484354191_.jpg Ben Nelson talks about his electric motorcycle that he is drove around Lake Michigan http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/484354189_.jpg Ben Nelson has made a power adapter for his electric motorcycle http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/484354190_.jpg Ben Nelson shows the power adapter he has made for his electric motorcycle ] A man who describes himself as a do-it-yourself tinkerer is taking a gasoline-free 1,200-mile motorcycle ride around Lake Michigan powered by an electric car battery he found in Kenosha. Ben Nelson of Oconomowoc was in the final leg of his journey Friday when he stopped off in Kenosha. It was his last stop before heading toward Milwaukee. He began the trip last Thursday. “It’s been a journey of discovery,” Nelson said. “I’m going around Lake Michigan without using a single gallon of gas.” Nelson said his adventure began last year when be bought a 2007 electric motorcycle. It wasn’t his first rodeo with electric vehicles — he had previously converted a 1996 Geo Metro to electric. He got a good deal on the motorcycle, a Vectrix VX-1, because it didn’t work. Nelson said he spent last winter tinkering with the bike. Once he got it running, he said, he learned the stock battery in the bike had a charge of less than 10 miles. This won’t work, he thought, and set out looking for something with a longer range. “A friend called and said there was a crashed Nissan Leaf at Jantz junk yard in Kenosha,” Nelson said. He bought the 600 pound battery at Jantz, split it into three pieces, and used a third of the battery to adapt to his motorcycle. He sold the remaining pieces to two other electric motorcycle owners. With his new battery in place, he has a range of up to 90 miles before he has to charge. The batteries power up just like a cell phone, he said, by plugging into a standard outlet. He built his own adapters that allow him to plug into a car charger that powers up the batteries more quickly, as well as the recreational vehicle outlets at campgrounds. “One of the myths about electric vehicles is that you can’t do long trips,” Nelson said. He decided to circumnavigate Lake Michigan to prove that wrong. Continuing to jerry-rig, he used a Ron Johnson for Senate sign to create an aerodynamic storage container for his gear on the back of the bike. Painted black and lettered with information about his trip, it also functions as a bit of a billboard. Each day he marks the milestones and mile markers of his trip. It also includes the top three questions he has been asked along the way. 1 - How far can he go on a charge? 90 miles 2 - How long does it take to charge the battery? Two hours 3 - Are you an electrical engineer? Nope “I’m just basically some guy who likes to tinker,” Nelson said. “I’d rather be working on something for fun than watching TV.” he said Nelson produces instructional videos for a living. But he also has a sideline in clean transportation, running a website that offers training and design for folks who want to create their own electric vehicles. “It’s about trying to be the change you want to see,” he said. [© Kenosha News 2015] ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vectrix The Vectrix scooter uses NiMH ... 125 volt battery pack ... https://www.facebook.com/Vectrix-Official-Site-173833539331662/ ... http://visforvoltage.org/forum/13702-wtb-dead-vectrix-vx-1-scooters-chargers-motor-controllers-batteries-spares-etc WTB: Dead Vectrix VX-1 scooters, chargers, motor controllers, batteries, spares etc 08/04/2015 - #15 Scotter I picked up a couple of great condition vectrix vx-1's with dead batteries for $200 and $250 ... For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ http://www.englishradionews.com/2015/09/electric-car-drivers-get-charging-boost/ Two L2 EVSE @Tenerife de Santa Cruz, Canary-Islands.es http://www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/news/on-euro-weekly-news/mallorca/132931-stations-for-electric-vehicle-charging Three L2 EVSE requested by tourists @Petra-Balearic_Is.es + EVLN: BYD T8SA 350kWh Electric-sweeper fleet in Tiananmen-Sq.cn {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Nelson-s-Vectrix-VX-1-w-1-3rd-Leaf-pack-r-90mi-tp4677660.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
