I would say it is legal as it is, because the new laws on "no throttle" have not come in yet. The law is supposed to change in July, I think, and when it does, it will not apply to existing bikes. That is my opinion, others may disagree.

The old Powabyke Euro I ride has a 2 mode switch , that switches the pedal sensor on and off. I NEVER us the pedal sensor . I use throttle and pedal as I want or need to , and I have to pedal from a standing start, as it has a wheel mounted motion sensor. At any time I can switch off the motor using the throttle.It suits me fine.

Personally , I would go with the plywood battery box . Make it strong but light . I would have 2 hooks to fit on the crossbar, and some kind of detachable fixing at the bottom . You also need a heavy duty non-reversible plug and socket. I think lead acid batteries are a bit too heavy for bags ,

Hi

 

we used to fit lead acid battery in our older bikes we made metal work to fit inside Avenir pannier bags

 

the metal work will take 3 or 4 12 volt 12 AH battery's In your case 2 battery's on one side one on the other

 

You need the avenir rack as well

 

 

RALEIGH AVENIR Double Pannier Bag Cycle Bike 20L ACB927 | eBay

 

 

Avenir Bike / Cycle Pannier Rear Rack 26 inch - 700c Silver 5023857367053 | eBay

 

 

I have some metal work left can sell for £20 delivered

 

These racks are still going after 3 years

 

The only problem is this is a permanent fixing NOT removable

 

Hope this Helps

 

Frank

@banbury frank. I really need to retain the ability to remove the batteries, otherwise your solution might be a good option. I'm using 4 12v 7ah batteries but I'm a bit puzzled though. Where exactly does the metalwork sit within the whole setup? Is it split into two peices, each sitting in the bags either side?

Hi Yes 2 battery ether side and the controller mounts under the battery's it bolts inside the bags

 

There are hooks the clip onto the rack and what we did we drilled out the rivets that fix the mounting hooks and replaced them with nuts and bolts bolting through the metal work insde the bags

 

Frank

I took a trip to B&Q to eye up some materials and come up with a plan to build a battery box. I didn't buy anything, but I'm moving towards a frame constructed with right angle aluminium edging, skinned with aluminium sheeting.

 

While I was out, I picked up a couple of p-clips for the rear rack. I noticed that the mounting holes I've been using for the upper arms, are probably not intended for the purpose, resulting in poor structural rigidity. Having now used the p-clips to affix the upper arms, the rack feels much more solid, perhaps now able to hold the batteries securely. I'm going to give it another go before attempting to build a battery box anyway.

Okay, I've had a couple more weeks to refine and enjoy the ghEttoBIKE and I have to say that it no longer feels 'ghetto' at all. Here is a photo in its current state:

 

[ATTACH]3883.vB[/ATTACH]

 

As you can see, I gave up on the idea of mounting the batteries in the frame triangle. Having clamped up a single battery to the frame and going for a short test ride, I found that my knees kept on hitting it, so that was that idea out the window.

 

Rather randomly, while I was was in Ikea, I came across this:

 

PRÄNT Box with lid - IKEA

 

As it turns out, it is the perfect size for 12v 7ah SLA's, but way too tall. Made from 5mm plywood, I was a little unsure if it would be rigid enough, but at less than 4 quid, I thought it was worth a go. I cut each piece to the required height with a jigsaw and Dremel and and put it together. To finish, I sprayed it black and riveted on a peice of alluminium plate salvaged from a heatsink from a broken coffee machine. To this I attatched a power socket to match the charger I bought and added another to the controller. I have also bought a key switch, which I have not yet fitted. Here is the finished result:

 

[ATTACH]3879.vB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]3880.vB[/ATTACH]

 

Once constructed, the box is definitely strong enough for the task, although I don't know how many times it would survive, say, hitting the pavement from a moving bike. The sprayed finish is quite nice (pretty muddy in the above photo), although already starting to wear due to the way I've mounted it to the rack. For this I've used a combination of l-brackets and a bunjee cord:

 

[ATTACH]3881.vB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]3882.vB[/ATTACH]

 

Although slightly cumbersome to attach and remove, the bungee cord and l-bracket combination keeps the box mounted secure to the rack. I still want to find a better way to mount it using a clamp mount, although I still haven't worked out a good way to do this yet. This will do for now though.

 

After my first ride with the box, my only complaint was that the batteries inside rattled around far too much. To remedy this, I made a battery brace from a couple of screw feet salvaged from a broken desk and a long nut made from polymorph (LOVE this stuff btw and used it a few times on this project). I also lined the box with black sheet foam where appropriate. This has almost rid the box of rattles altogether. All in all I'm pretty happy with the result.

 

I have also made a few frugal purchases. From the pound shop (don't laugh - I'm quite handy at finding the good stuff), I bought a saddle bag to mount the controller, a pump and mudguards (also used polymorph here to mount under the rack). I also ordered a waterproof phone case/bag which mounts to the front of the crossbar. Here I also carry a puncture repair kit, tools, fuses and other miscelaneous items.

 

One thing that has made a huge difference to the asthetics, was removing all the decals from the frame. Why do manufacturers insist on covering frames with those? After doing so, the bike looks very nice and I'm also starting to like the green frame.

 

Having also deliberated over this for a few weeks, yesterday, I decided to carry out a shunt mod on the controller. I upped the current from 10 to 14 amps and all I can say is WOW, what a difference it has made. The acceleration is much improved, reaching a now slightly higher top speed of 16-17mph in about 3 seconds on flat ground. The biggest difference however is it's hill-climbing ability. The bike now eats up 25% hills for breakfast, although probably batteries for lunch and dinner after doing the shunt mod. Prior to the mod, the journeys I have been doing have left me with a half-empty battery, so I think an additional 4 amps should be okay. Also, the bike just ploughs through thick mud and over obstacles that would have stopped it before.

 

All in all, I am chuffed to bits with my bike as it stands, although I think that there's still a few more mods to come.....

Edited July 8, 201213 yr by danielrlee

Hi Daniel,

Just wanted to say that I have been following this project thread and it is good to see it come together into a bike that works well.

Thanks for the update and the photographs Daniel. That is my kind of project. I have little doubt that it will evolve over time. The main thing is that it is YOUR creation, and it does exactly what you want it to do. And it is all the more satisfying that it is built on a budget. If I remember right, you are using secondhand batteries. In the long term, you may need to think about replacing those is range becomes a problem.Well done.

It is all the more satisfying that it is built on a budget.

 

Talking of budget, I thought I'd do a quick tally:

 

Bike - £0

Motor - £31

20x 12v 7ah Batteries (enough for 5 battery packs) - £6 (probably the best bargain of my whole life)

Controller - £24

Throttle - £8

Charger - £13

Pannier Rack - £15

Cables & Connectors -£15

Battery Box - £10

Other Misc. Items - £15

 

TOTAL - £137

 

I also spent £20 on an unnecessary bag that I ended up trashing. That brings the total inclusive of losses to £157. I have spent just over half of my original budget of £300 (and btw, this is the first time I have actually revealed my original budget). All-in-all feel that I have ended up with a better bike than I would if I'd have bought a purpose made e-bike of that price. More importantly, I have learnt a lot and am confident that I will be able to sort out any problems that may occur in the future.

Love it mate - well done, I am heading out down the same path but currently just buying loads of bits and getting no time to do anything with them. Soon !

I've just come across this thread while trawling for info. before splashing-out on a 8fun conversion for my Mtb.

 

I've thoroughly enjoyed following it through & feel thoroughly ashamed that I'll be assembling a kit, rather than doing a scratch-build

 

I know where to come when things go belly-up!

 

 

Pete

Talking of budget, I thought I'd do a quick tally:

 

Bike - £0

Motor - £31

20x 12v 7ah Batteries (enough for 5 battery packs) - £6 (probably the best bargain of my whole life)

Controller - £24

Throttle - £8

Charger - £13

Pannier Rack - £15

Cables & Connectors -£15

Battery Box - £10

Other Misc. Items - £15

 

TOTAL - £137

 

I also spent £20 on an unnecessary bag that I ended up trashing. That brings the total inclusive of losses to £157. I have spent just over half of my original budget of £300 (and btw, this is the first time I have actually revealed my original budget). All-in-all feel that I have ended up with a better bike than I would if I'd have bought a purpose made e-bike of that price. More importantly, I have learnt a lot and am confident that I will be able to sort out any problems that may occur in the future.

 

thank you for sharing this info.

 

i hope can built like you. DIY.