24 Hours ago...

I've struggled to learn guitar for about 40 years. I'm currently working on ukulele, and making decent progress. I think the trouble really is that my drum kit "disappeared" during a move when I was about 7 years-old, so I never made any real progress with that. I really, really wanted to be Buddy Rich or Gene Krupa. So much that I'd slowly crawl along the kitchen floor from my bedroom to watch the Tonight Show on the little B&W TV whenever one of them was going to be a guest; just far enough from the doorway that my parents couldn't see me.

 

It’s been a week, but this photo was taken 24 hours ago.
https://imgur.com/gallery/HJGAwEt

Brick walkways are dangerous. They should be outlawed, along with gophers.

 

Broken? Looks like it could be. Dropped something from the walkway or stubbed the toe? That will be tender for a while.

 

Not broken, thankfully. Tendons and ligaments were acting like Bass Guitar strings, and muscles were torn. The doc felt no need for x-rays, and at the rate that I'm healing I agree.

I stepped off of the porch, and my shoe caught the edge of a brick. The damned gopher, that I WILL be murdering, tunneled under the walk and caused some of the bricks to settle after a recent heavy rain.

 

Damaged ligaments take ages to fix themselves. I limped every morning for over a year...

 

Yes...the first steps in the morning are horrible.
All in all, feet are stupid. Why have something so far away from the heart; limiting bloodflow and healing?!
The foot is doing well. I'm at about 80%, and can walk at my normal speed for a bit (I'm a fast walker). Unfortunately the Plantar Fasciitis has reared it's ugly head in my other foot. Walking slower isn't so bad though. I figure that I'll be healed before the Spring.

 

I've had a goal since around 1986; to convert a motorcycle to electric. As it stands, buying a ready-made machine isn't on the table. It's not just the cost, but also my need to tinker and that I'd be able to choose a frame that I know is comfortable for me. There's nothing more risky IMO than buying a new machine and finding out that it's not as comfortable as you thought it was on the test ride.

There's also the reality that a converted machine can be powered by whatever battery type that I choose, and changing to a different type later on would be much easier than doing so on a factory-built machine.

So.....

Which motorcycle would you choose for such a project? Keep in mind that the XJ750 fits me perfectly and that I'm willing to make tradeoffs in the driveline department. Maximum range is not one of my goals. This is going to be a city bike.

I'm considering using a first-gen Virago since it's so easy to pull the engine, and the spine frame lends itself to building a self-contained powerpack. On my ride tonight I envisioned that the front could be made quite a bit wider than the stock engine, and provide the same advantages as leg-shields, while also holding batteries.

I'm not married to anything yet, and the project is at least two years away. Hopefully by then there will be a few more battery options.

 

A shaft drive electric would be pretty badass, although it probably does limit the options on connecting the motor. But maybe a motor mounted longitudinal with a small gear unit on the back. If using a three phase motor and inverter, it might need a speed up gear? Like a 2:1 overdrive unit?

Sounds like a cool project however you go.

 

A lot of the newer motors come with internal gearboxes ( like so: https://www.electroandcompany.com/product-page/qs138-70h-v3-3000w-em-150-kit). I'm thinking that I'd use a belt or chain drive between the motor and the driveshaft if needed. That would allow for changing ratios without too much hassle.
There's a lot of planning to do, so I'm looking for as much input as possible now.

 

Just make sure you add fake sound to it like HD folks did with their bike. Makes it a better bike.

That will be a hell of a project. Good on you for trying to take that on. I am still in love with the gas or other fuel bikes. I guess some day they will have a bike that at the end of my 150 mile run, I can fill up or charge it in less then 3 mins.

Until then I am very spoiled with gas and go.

 

You can always use a baseball card to the spokes for the fake sound.

 

A chain loses half the power a shaft drive does, bear that in mind.
Much as I hate chains, they've got that going for them.

 

Well half of how much though?
And if the motor output shaft is pointing the correct way, it will only lose 1/4 ...
I suspect the easiest way is to buy a kit of parts, from China probably?

 

The first gen Virago would be a good starting point for the exact reason you stated. Seems to me I remember reading up on converting them to chain drive back when I had one but that was 10 years ago so I could be mistaken.

 

All sorts of clever people have tried, and some managed, to convert the 1200vmax to chain. It's a lot of work, but it can be done, if you are desperate for that last bit of power and quite a bit of improved handling..

 

That’s just what I was typing, then saw your post!
alternatively, you can can just use your voice and lips to go “BRRRRRMMMMM BRMMMMM Brooooommm (downshift) WHeeeeEEEEEE, brrrrrrrrr———“

 

Without sound it could be dangerous to pedestrians and rider I suspect, not much road noise with a pair of bike wheels...

 

…I had 8 aperture blades for my cheap Soviet Era 35mm point-and-shoot camera. Somewhere on the floor of my home office is the 8th blade. I’m only annoyed by principle. A new lens is on the way. While inexpensive, it’s costing me as much as the camera did. If it weren’t for the size of the bit of crap in the original lens assembly I wouldn’t be in this position. It’s a cheap camera, but the optics are very good. Darn me and my desire to fix things. https://imgur.com/gallery/lOUXCgn

 

I plan on the bike making enough noise to be noticed by the blind. One of my friends in JR High was blind. He was hit (ironically) by an old man who had lost his driver’s license because he was legally blind. The murderer (because he chose to drive anyway) thought that he had hit a signpost. He didn’t stop until the police pulled him over three miles from the scene.
This happened during his first quarter of college. He planned to be a computer programmer focusing on game development. Until a fire destroyed the machine, he had the high score on Centipede for both the school and the state. He still might, but there’s no proof to show anymore.

 

Yesterday I started up the X, finding one carb must have a stuck float as gas ended up on my driveway. Took a trip up to Lake Ontario, crossed the Irondequoit Bay bridge and headed to Webster Park. Walked out on the pier, water crystal clear, before heading back home. Air temp was 70 degrees and the lake was pretty flat.