RSSCharles has been messing about with scooters. This is his second crack at it with the more modestly named RazEr. At least some of the work has been done at Miters in Cambridge.
The business end. The relevant power transmission implement - there is only 1 - is housed completely in the rear wheel. It is a 80mm diameter custom-built 3-phase brushless DC motor, conveniently hidden within the confines of a 125mm scooter wheel. Maximum power on it is probably about 1000 watts. I have yet to properly meter it.
Even with no torque advantage (as a direct drive motor), the acceleration is pretty absurd. It's not quite the neck-snapping and rider-launching takeoff of Snuffles 1, but I do need to hang on pretty hard. It is, however, a controllable launch, and will be even more so when a proper spring-loaded thumb throttle is installed (you know, so I don't have to hang on with one hand and one leg while twiddling a knob on a stick with the other hand)
Obviously, the project is not at a completed phase, but shows promise as a working prototype and proof of concept.
Have you got an old scooter hanging around your shed/garage/basement/bedroom? Do you have electric motors, speed controllers and or batteries that could be combined in some clever way? What could you do if you had the time, inclination and a few tools? Have you tried a project like this? What troubles did you encounter? Do you have photos, videos or descriptions of your adventures with two, three or four wheeled electrified transport? Add your comments below or park your photos and video in the Make Flickr pool!
