A DIY electric bike has gone beyond its capabilities. A build from an Electrek reader Luke built an e-bike during the pandemic in hopes of replacing a family vehicle. He modified his Rad Power Ties RadWagon 4 electric cargo bike.
(Photo : CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)
A woman takes pictures of a Serial 1 eBike by Harley-Davidson with a drive system by German company Brose engineers during a press preview at the International Motor Show (IAA), on September 6, 2021 in Munich, southern Germany.
Impressive Upgrades
Several upgrades were made to the bike to help it perform better. The stock controller was swapped with a 1,500 controlled that is mounted underneath the platform. On top of the platform is a 200W DC-DC converter that can deliver a 12V outlet for any accessories that can be run on the bike.
The DIYer also painted it white to prevent it from heating up too much under the sun. Waterproof SAE connectors were also used for all connections to make the system water resistant.
The mechanical disc brakes were replaced with hydraulics that showed a significant improvement as it can reduce the need to adjust and tune the brakes. A suspension seat post has also been added to the saddle to improve the ride.
What's even more impressive is that it has a solar setup with a 50W SunPower solar panel mounted on a custom lightweight plywood frame. Foam door seals were added to reduce vibration and captive threaded inserts instead of nuts to give the bike a cleaner look.
The frame was connected to the Rad Power Bikes Conestoga accessory and mounted with Rad's sun cover canopy shade. Its solar panel goes through a GenaSun MPPT boost charge controller that will re-charge the battery of the bike straight from the panel.
The mounted solar panel also comes with a waterproof enclosure to protect rear passengers. And when it rains, it comes with a Chinese scooter waterproof canopy that can withstand heavy rains and speeds up to 35 km/h.
The 50W solar panel trickle charges the battery and when under the full day of sun, it would put around 50 percent of the batter's charge back into it. With that, as long as it is used around 50 percent or less of the battery a day, it won't likely need to be plugged into an outlet to recharge.
The bike is being used to bring kids to school and for grocery runs. There is also a corrugated plastic box in the kid carrier that can accommodate four grocery bags. Indeed, this DIY e-bike is impressive.
There is now a growing number of solar-powered e-bikes today, such as the one that was recently dropped by Delfast, The Delfast Top 3.0 electric dirt bike with 200 miles of range per charge.
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Written by April Fowell
