EvNerds
This year DEUS BIKE BUILD OFF got some interesting contestants, two of them were electric motorcycles. One of them won the BUILD OFF AWARD!
Some of you do not know what DEUS BIKE BUILD OFF is. Dare can expalin!
Dare’s vision has been at the core of all previous events – a contest that rewards people who can
“make something funny and original while not spending a lot of money”. – DARE JENNINGS ( founder of DEUS EX MACHINA )
First Builder is Patrick Belmonte with Electric Scrambler Bike
Please note that content used for this article belongs to DEUS BIKE BUILD OFF WEB-PAGE and Instagram pictures to their owners. Please check at the end of the article the original source as well
This is what he posted on DEUS BIKE BUILD OFF
Name: Patrick Belmonte
Bike: Trash find / Gas-Electric conversion / Scrambler
Location: USA
BEHIND THE BUILD: My name is Patrick Belmonte, at 37 years old, and live just outside Boston MA. Out for my morning jog last fall, I stumbled across a a small seized and rusty motorcycle on someone’s trash. Wires were hanging everywhere, lights were broken but I was intrigued, so I pushed it home.
I had never ridden a motorcycle, nor did I have any experience with repairing gas powered engines. About ten years ago I found Zero Motorcycles on the web, and thought, if I was to ever ride a motorcycle I would want it to be electric.
This was because of my commitment to environmental issues and the work I do in the STEM education / sustainability field. (I work in low income community schools running workshops for children on sustainability and climate change.) You should see how excited kids get when they see this motorcycle silently pull into their classroom! It has turned out to be a great learning tool. So after much research, I began the process of building an electric motorcycle.
After many iterations, I have a fully electric motorcycle, that I built from mostly recycled/repurposed parts. It uses about 500 of the same lithium-ion cells as a Tesla. The 10,000 watt hub motor and the 84v battery set up gets the bike up to 50MPH in about 5 seconds. It has about a 60 mile range.
It charges in about 3 hours on a regular 110 outlet but also has regenerative braking, so i can extend rides if ride it right.
It links via bluetooth to my phone for full control of amperage, battery temperature, throttle and braking sensitivity. The “gas tank” is a very large storage area. I think this is the ultimate city bike.
This bike is a blast to ride, it makes absolutely no noise, and handles like a dream. Everyone who takes it for a ride, even the hardcore Harley guys, (which includes my father-in-law) comes back with a shit -eatin’ grin
Check Out DEUS Customs here, and Patrick Belmonte instagram here
Second Builder and the WINNER OF THE CONTEST is Aaron Laniosz with his HONDA S90 conversion
Please note that content used for this article belongs to DEUS BIKE BUILD OFF WEB-PAGE and Instagram pictures to their owners. Please check at the end of the article the original source as well
Name: Aaron Laniosz
Bike: Electric Honda s90
Location: USA
BEHIND THE BUILD: I moved to Long Beach, CA almost exactly one year ago. Upon arriving in California, I knew I wanted two things: my first surfboard and my first motorcycle. I picked up both on Craigslist. I paid $40 for each. The surfboard was riddled with holes. The motorcycle was rusted and seized. The seller had used this Honda s90 as a parts bike to complete a restoration build on another. He had removed enough that there was slim chance it would ever run again. I didn’t know what I would do with it, but I was desperate to own something with two wheels. So I told him, “If we can fit it in the back of my little sports car, I’ll take it for $40” He promptly grabbed a wrench, removed the front wheel and together we wedged it in. Single-handedly lifting the motorcycle out of my car in the dark that night was far more sweaty and arduous. I began meticulously dismantling and removing rust piece by piece until I had a naked frame.
I sprayed everything with two cans of satin black spray paint. Then, I began to reassemble. The summer before I moved to California, I taught a summer camp for elementary school students in which we built a collection of E-Go-Karts. That experience is where the idea of an electric motor conversion originated. I ordered the parts and began creating custom mounts for the motor, controller, and battery. Throughout the build, I had no access to metal working tools. All electrical and wiring components were replaced. The internal combustion engine was replaced with a 48v 2000w brushless direct current motor powered by a 17AH lithium ion battery. All work was done in my converted garage/studio apartment. The bike and all of its pieces sat on the floor between my bed and my kitchenette. I stepped over it each day getting out of the shower. I did, however, have access to a 3D printer and CAD modelling knowledge from my studies in architecture. I 3D modelled and printed all necessary custom parts at work during the day and fit them on the bike each night.
The whole build was a learning experience with endless Google searching and watching of Youtube How-To’s. The moment I mounted the new tires and got it rolling, I was so stoked I stopped building and rode the bike for over a month without proper brakes. Now, completed enough, I ride the bike to the gym and back every single day. It has its quirks, but nothing beats rolling around on something you built with your own hands, within a budget of $900.
Big SHOUT-OUT to the DEUS BIKE BUILD OFF team and people who made it happen! We are so happy to see gas and electric motorcycle compete together. All of them are 2 wheel machines anyways!
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