Some progress on the Privateer SL-EV prototype

Описание: I've been making some (slow) progress on the prototype.

I made this video to show what it's like to ride the thing on the streets here, to show what it can do and what it is like to get around on a low power, lightweight, 2 wheeled vehicle.

The first part of the video is all on "low stress" streets. Low stress = low speeds, low traffic, low risk. It's an easy ride on those.

The second half of the video is in traffic on Water St. and Morrissey Blvd. here in Santa Cruz. The speed limits on those are in range for the bike as long as the cars are only going a little over the speed limit.

The recent modifications:

Full fender/mud guards to keep the electronics dry on rain rides.
Larger triangle battery for a greater range. ~ 45 miles now
New sine wave controller and SW900 display - smoother power from a stop, a little more power overall, an improved display, and a quieter motor.
Waterproof nylon fabric cowling to reduce splash on the electronics - in my fave "neon gray" of course. It hides the wiring harness too.
Motorcycle-ish saddle - seems weird but it works much better than a bike saddle.
Improved fit - I shifted the handlebars behind the steerer tube - it looks very weird but it works much better.
Dual headlights to improve daytime visibility and night riding capability + improved display mount - these also hide the backward facing stem a little.
Rockshox Judy fork - not enough travel but better than the rigid fork at 30 mph on Santa Cruz asphalt.

With these modifications this version accelerates quickly enough to ride in car traffic in most situations.

It's handling is still a little sketchy at speed which is no surprise for 30 year old MTB geometry designed for single track trails.

This is about it for this bike. I'm going to clean up the fabric cowling and build a new saddle, but otherwise I'm just going to ride it and see how hard it is to keep it going.

The next one will have:

a more powerful hub motor (1500W to 2000W - the limit is 3000W).
a higher voltage battery (from 48V up to 72V)
frame modifications to dial in the geometry (I don't want to cut the Privateer up)
improved electronics.

I'm going to build a 12VDC electrical system to run the lights and accessories so I can use existing motorcycle components for those.

Keep in mind - this is not a replacement for a bicycle.

It's a way to get around town without a car.

I'm not in this as a business. If there's anyone who wants to know more about what I did, just ask.

I'm going to do a full write up on Medium soon.