Sri, I'll respond to the list with comments on damon henry's excellent points.
The Etek it self is the weakest of the pancake etek "type" motors and in fact as Damon points out they can be easy for a novice to melt through too much current abuse. Sri unspoken in my post is the fct that you will need a programmable controller like the 450 amp Altrax used on El Ninja to keep the abusive current levels in check. It is absolutely true as Damon states and as I have posted before that the ADC type series DC motors are much more bullit proof when it comes to the above 250 amps area. It really comes down to the larger thermal mass and its ability ot dissipate heat.? But the El Moto project proves that the old hot rod addage of vehicle weight (the formula is pounds per horse power) is a critical factor in the power needed to accellerate it quickly (my fun factor). Sri, where will you be spending most of your?time speed wise? Near 50MPH wind is a factor and Jeff's point about a fully faired 250cc sport bike is very valid. I still would encourage you to seek out the very lightest rolling chassis and build arround it is spirited performance is on your list of goals. So how important is performance to you? How hilly is the terain in your area? How agressive is the typical SUV driver behind you at a stop light? How tall are you? Dirt bikes tend to make the inseam challenged amoung us nervous because of their seat height. All things to think about before you make the leap. One final question for you to ask yourself. Which would you prefer to drive or be seen driving, a small crotch rocket or a dirt bike? Choose the one that you will want to ride. Our recommendations tend to be alighned with what we want to ride. What you decide works for you may be different. - Mike B DEVC. -----Original Message----- From: Sri Subramanian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: ElectricMotorcycles <listserv@electricmotorcycles.net> Sent: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 4:38 pm Subject: Re: [ElectricMotorcycles] Choosing a bike for conversion I saw this in the Santa Babara event. I spoke with the guy who is distributing it in the U.S. The company is Swiss and only makes enduro bikes for ditstribution to the U.S. now. It is called Quantya (quantya.us). Seemed a bit pricey to me at 10k, but then it boasted Li batteries and a 2000 cycle charging capacity. Thanks for all the feedback. I also happened to see Bidwell's Kawasaki 125 bike (http://www.evalbum.com/1425), and he's posted 87 Whr/mile with a range of 41 miles with a 3.6kw system (72v, 50ah) using Lead Acid batteries. I am looking at getting Chinese LiFePO4 batteries from the eBayer who seems to be popular, which is why I figure I can get around 50 miles range. But there's something to be said for starting off with Lead and working up to Lithium. Esp, since I can get those much cheaper. Thanks again, Sri ----- Original Message ---- From: john fisher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: ElectricMotorcycles <listserv@electricmotorcycles.net> Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 2:26:07 PM Subject: Re: [ElectricMotorcycles] Choosing a bike for conversion I just sat on this: http://homepage.mac.com/danielgirard/EarthDayWEB_08/images/_MG_9836.jpg claimed 195 lbs 40 ah 48 V Lynch motor 1 speed $10k I loved it, but I didn't believe the claims for range ( "a couple of hours" ) ... yeah right! But the components looked to be high quality - marzocchi - sachs etc. They claim they'll be available in CA soon. I think $10K is pretty reasonable, if very high compared to a gas bike. damon henry wrote: > I still cringe everytime someone recommends an Etek motor. > damon > > > Want to know what I'd build in your shoes ?A modern 125cc to 200cc drit > bike/enduro.