Inspired by the E bike that many of us got to ride at the HSF, I did a little research and stumbled upon this design. The first I've seen with fat 20" tires. The reviews on this thing are pretty darn good, and it seems to be a good mix between practicality and compactness.
http://electricbikereview.com/ssr-motor ... ail-viper/

I am about convinced my day job crane operation needs to have this thing stashed in one of the rigging boxes, I need to measure and make sure it will fit and then check with a seller of these and confirm. Many times I need short range transport when on a job, unexpectedly, if I know in advance I'll bring the Montague and throw it up on the bed, but then it's in the way and not a good long term thing.

But this thing.... if it fits, could be onboard all the time, and as a crucial needed piece of equipment for the crane biz, it'd be a biz expense right?! It's truly a real advantage (and good business) for my customers for me to have my own transport, allowing me to leave the crane onsite, they avoid travel fees that way. At a bit over 50 lbs it's a good 20 more then the Montague so I'm not sure I'd take it in the plane, but it looks like it'd maybe take up less space. The E bike business is exploding, and that includes fat tired E bikes, and with this design, fat tired folding E bikes, pretty cool or a frigging joke?

That's a really cool bike. Wow.



* Battery Voltage / Amp Hours / Watt Hours : 36 volt / 10 ah / 360 wh
* Chemistry : Lithium-ion

I wonder if the plane's battery went down if you could use it for a jump. I see it is 36 volts.

I assume that is 12+12+12 so even if your plane had a 24 volt system you might be be good if you can tap into the bike's batteries. Of course amperage wise it may be a no go for a totally dead battery.

Here is a more powerful Voltbike Yukon at 56 pounds and 48 volts but not as compact, so size might be a deal breaker.

Yes there are a lot of options nowadays in E bikes out there, (and some are more like electric motorcycles, 2000 watts power!) but not ones that will fit in the plane and/or the crane, this one is pretty unique and perfect for my needs. I just ran into town and measured my one underbed box I have reserved for it: 32" wide x 21"high and 23" deep. I've emailed one outfit that sells them, and have asked them to make a cardboard mockup to make sure it'll fit and if so they have a sale. I'll keep ya'll posted.

I forgot to mention that I know there are many options for getting 12 VDC, or any voltage for that matter, out of a 36 VDC battery bank. NOT by tapping off a few cells, that'll screw up the battery cell chemistry somewhat, rather a use specific 36 VDC to whatever voltage converter. I've used them in the solar biz, like back in the old days I had a 32 VDC off grid system, but with a converter ran my 12 VDC answering machine (pre cell phone and voice messaging). I will for sure have some type of option for charging it with the crane, while it's working I can either use a 120 VAC inverter or an above mentioned converter to up the cranes 12 VDC. I need to install a 3000 watt 120 VAC inverter anyway to run my electric chain saw and other tools, (coffee maker) so could just use that, inefficient but so what as the cranes idling anyway.

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Courierguy wrote:
I forgot to mention that I know there are many options for getting 12 VDC, or any voltage for that matter, out of a 36 VDC battery bank. NOT by tapping off a few cells, that'll screw up the battery cell chemistry somewhat, rather a use specific 36 VDC to whatever voltage converter. I've used them in the solar biz, like back in the old days I had a 32 VDC off grid system, but with a converter ran my 12 VDC answering machine (pre cell phone and voice messaging).

Could you elaborate a little. Did you home-brew some DC to AC converter and then drop the voltage and the back to 12v and then back to DC or go via a regulator chip or ? I appreciate your expertise in photo-voltaics and related electronics.

Here is an interesting link: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=46965.0

I have a lot of ham radio gear that runs on 12 volts. I have not fired that stuff up in years.

No home brewing, and I'm sure no expert in electronics! But I have picked up a few things, mostly how to google things, ha ha. Here's one outfit http://www.powerstream.com/dcdc.htm Also this long time solar gear provider: http://www.backwoodssolar.com can probably also point me in the right direction.

What kills me is seeing someone with a off grid system (let's say it's a small 12 VDC system) with a need (for instance) for charging a hand held radio. So they run a 2000 watt inverter to get the (perceived) need of 120 VAC so they can use the plug in transformer that came with said radio. The trans former of course puts out low voltage DC, maybe at 9 VDC. The damn inverter losses present more power drain then the actual job, way more efficient to take the time to procure a, in this theoretical case, a 12 VDC to 9 VDC converter. I had just this situation on a little system I installed for the local ski area in the Patrol shack (at 8600'), yeah it worked but grossly inefficient.

I went ahead and pulled the trigger, the fat tired /foldingTrail Viper is on it's way! No doubt it's included charger will be using a 120 VAC source, I'll use the 427 horse Mack truck engine to keep the crane batteries up while recharging the bike via a 3000 watt inverter. For sure, laughably inefficient, except for the fact that while the crane is running I'm also doing crane work, I doubt I'll start and idle it just to recharge the bike

I am going to be the coolest guy on the job site, or the biggest geek, when I whip the bike out of it's onboard garage, fold it out, and ride off. I really like getting off the job site during lunch, and this thing will expedite that and let me keep the Montague in the hangar. Can't wait

I want one. Wonder if it will fit in the back of the Citabria.

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Courierguy wrote:
I went ahead and pulled the trigger, the fat tired /foldingTrail Viper is on it's way!

Excellent !! Do post some pics, particularly on how it folds in the back of the S7.

Do you plan to craft some sort of a back up battery pack in case the original accidentally is discharged or goes bad? I am such a pessimist and plan backups for everything

The battery below, although not NiMH or Lithium, is compact, dirt cheap at only $15 dollars a pop, and can handle abuse and temperature swings. Strapping three in series will give you the 36 volts you need at not too shabby a current capacity.

12V 2.3AH BATTERY, SEALED LEAD ACID
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/gc-1223/12v-2.3ah-battery-sealed-lead-acid/1.html

No extra batteries needed, it come with a backup system. Pedals.......no drag from the motor either.

Yup...Pedals work...

I was looking at that bike and wondering...hey...how hard would it be to home-brew an electric folding mountain bike? If you google DIY folding electric bike you get TONS of hits.

With so many folks on this site who have welding and electrical skills, has anyone home-brewed their own small electric bike that could be folded or taken apart and tossed in the back of your small back country plane?

Electric bike in back of plane


Plane on the back of electric bike

If I feel the need for backup electrical power, I'll throw the (yet to be bought, hoping through) 1000 watt EU Yamaha generator on the Travoy folding bike trailer=D and have a folding fat tired E/hybrid bike.

Still waiting for it to show up, darn it.

Two years ago at OSH, my airplane neighbor was Ramona Cox, who calls herself "Sky Chick"--and says that she is a world class adventurer and world renowned pilot. I have no opinion about whether she fits those appellations, but she flies a fairly new T206, loaded to the gills with stuff. If those of you who have camped near me think I'm a "glamper", I'm a minimalist compared to her.

So this thread reminded me that one afternoon, as she was preparing her notes to conduct a seminar, she had her Honda generator running so that she could run her laptop.

Cary

Been doing further research on E- bikes in general....I may also switch out the Montague's rear wheel to one powered by a hub motor. It laces in and takes the place of the old hub and wouldn't change the ability to quickly fold. The battery and controller are carried in a small rucksack on the riders back, connected to the hub motor by a quick disco cable. The hub motor is 3.4 kg. Battery/ controller about the same. 30 mile range, more or less, depend on terrain and how much assist it gets from the rider. 20+ mph. This sounds like an ideal E-upgrade for my existing bike/S-7S combo. Short ride? Leave the battery at home. In the plane, carry it where best cg wise.
I'm working out of town, for several days now, I hope to see the big brown truck left my new fat tire ride when I get home tonight.

Working/living away from home on a big crane job, so have yet to lay eyes on my new fattie folder, its sitting in my shop though![

In between picks, I've gotten further educated on all types of E-bikes ( the smart phone is a godsend on these boring jobs, plus the sat. radio, I have an hour or so at a time between picks).., and have found a conversion system for the Montague that will be a game changer. For a 10 lb weight gain (750 watt mid point motor and mount system), plus a removable 52 VDC 7 lb. battery ( I have a stash spot for it already picked out, in otherwise unused space, under my pass. seat, only 9.5 x 3 x 3 inches, I plan to rig a inflight recharging system, amazing) I'll have a 30 mph ride (higher even, all depends on what gearing I choose) for around 30/35 miles! This seems like a good trade off for the increased mobility once ground bound. More mo-gas opportunities, more motels, restaurants and bars, will be available quicker and easier then my current just pedaling mode. A couple good links: www.electric- fat bike.com (a 6''10" maniac who tells it like it is on his E bike blog, entertaining also). My chosen supplier: www.lunacycle .com . More to follow as this project continues.....

Tom,
Since you have started talking about this (eBike) I have been watching and learning with a lot of interest. It has been a goal of mine for some time now to come up with something practical and easy/light to load up for the wife and I when we travel. I know nothing short of what I have read here about the eBikes, it is all new to me.
Please keep up the good work telling us all how this adventure works out. They look like just the ticket for a short hop into town from the airport and would certainly fit in the baggage compartment of our 182. I guess I'm going to have to make a trip to the big city and have a look at some of these bikes, sure is interesting.

Another good source of general info "Endless Sphere", also a guy named "turbo bob" has a good blog. He claims to be a pilot also. The high level of innovation and good old American " let's make it go faster, and more powerful" going on is real interesting . It reminds me of the frenetic activity of the early ultralight era. Like then, there is some hype and BS marketing going on, so also like then, buyer beware! Lots of individual mods/ home brewed stuff that outperforms the store bought gear at thousands less.

I made it home for one day since starting this thread, just long enough to put a couple miles on the " Trail Viper" ( such a bad ass name for such a harmless looking thing ), and the first time you experience pedal assist", it is a real thrill! I rode it down to the bottom of my 40 acres (easy, real easy, about 10% grade) and then rode back up via the runway like a juiced up Lance Armstrong. Pedaling, mind you, but with enough 36 VDC help to make a major difference, almost totally silent no less. That fat rear tire made one snow covered steeper part without spinning once, very impressive. I was sold enough on the whole E bike concept that I went ahead and ordered a much more powerful mid frame conversion for the planes Montague, 750 watts (1 HP.) rated power, and with the tweaked controller I'm getting, as much as 1300 watts for short (no pun intended) periods before over heating. This add on package will add 7.5 lbs, the 52 VDC lith ion 10.6 ah separate battery pack another 7 lbs. With misc.,items (a small remote bulb thermometer buried in the motor guts with the display on the handlebars, plus a thumb throttle for no pedaling motivation for two) it should be a bit less then 20 lbs. Pictures of the Montague conversion will be forthcoming as it happens.

Courierguy! I installed a cargo door To slip 26" tires in and out of the baggage area if that bike doesn't work out.

(Actually, the door will still be in my plane even if it does work out for you, and I hope it does!)

The Viper will be for the crane, it doesn't fit the 7 as well as the Mont, which fits it perfect, like R. Schlitter and Mr. Montague collaborated or something. The cool thing is the middrive BAFANG unit I ordered for the Mont, besides being 500 and more watts more power, works through the rear gear set. So faster plus slower then the simpler rear hub motor Viper but best of all it won't change my current "putting the bike in the plane" scenario at all, near as I can tell anyway.

I was off line for the last couple weeks due to some tech issues (my home office internet signal comes off a mountain top 10 miles away, nuff said) except for my smart phone, and then I ran over my data usage on it, but enough about my problems Now I am back up to speed and just wanted to post this link about the most bad assed electric "bike" I've run across yet! http://www.stealthelectricbikes.com/stealth-b-52-bomber Catchy name!

Meanwhile, I am waiting on the Montague's power system to arrive, and will mostly limit my e bike comments to it pretty much as it is the most viable system for an airplane. The "Trail Viper" I have would be good for a 182 or other larger aircraft, but it doesn't fit the S-7 near as well as the Montague, so it will be solely for the crane and the Yaris, it does fit in the back of it just fine. I still haven't had the little fat tired folder off the mountain yet, but will shortly. I'm making a custom aluminum deck plate storage box for it on the crane, so I'll always have it on board as needed, leaving the soon to be converted Montague bike always available for the airplane. This is the same way I do my Sirius sat radio, (I have two, one for the plane/home/shop, one exclusively for the crane) sure having just one of each (sat receiver/subscription, electric bike) would be cheaper, but this way I ALWAYS have one wherever I am, a brainless way of being smart.. Like my key less entry system in all my rigs:I NEVER take the keys out, so no problems there either

Pictures to follow in a few days.

@ Courierguy

Do you have any thoughts re how to better select an electric bike for people of different weights. I'm not racing up Pike's Peak, but just for regular low key trail use.



I'm asking because the wife is interested in an electric bike as well. She weighs a petite 105 pounds , if that, dripping wet.

For me, the situation gets ugly really fast. Think about what some of those Lyco or Continental power plants weigh, and you get an idea of what I am facing. It's not pretty.

So, I figure when picking out an electric bike there are many thing to consider. It is not just frame size for a person's height. I'll need enough power to get up a hill. Is there a pound per KW or Pound per ft-pound torque, or some other statistic that can serve as a guide ?

A few years ago, a well-nourished friend of mine was out golfing with a couple of his similar buddies and the golf cart could not make it up the hill because of the combined weight. Ugh.