Project View

Electric bike with sidecar

Whaletown on Cortes island

290

Published: 2023-12-13

Cargo Bike

eZee

GMAC

Multi-Motor

Powerful

SideCar

A one piece aluminium bicycle and sidecar. Front and rear clutcheless geared hub motor Ezee 26 in the front and GMAC in the rear each with a 25amp controller. I built the 57Ah 48v battery with Vruzend caps. The rig weights about 73kg, I weight 74kg and I can transport up to 68kg with ease.

I live on Cortes island on the Pacific coast. There are very few flat stretches of road and a lot of short 200/400 m very steep hills with 8 to 14% grade, my range on the island is 60km.

My average speed is 22km/h and I do not know my maximum, I am 72 and I take my adrenaline differently. In the past 3 years I have ridden 3832 km in all weathers except snow.

The rig does not ride like a bicycle it is a sidecar and has to be ridden like one. I chose this design because I live in a rural area with roads with irregular surfaces and the geometry of the bike gives me great stability in a small footprint with a heavy irregular load. Living on an island I have to take ferries and the size of the rig lets me get on as a bicycle. My foot print is that of a touring motorcycle with panniers, but so much more nimble.

I fabricated the bike out of square aluminium tubing because I could use my woodworking tools to do the fabricating. Izabelle Perry did the welding
if you have any questions email me at gdinim@netidea.com
I now have 4300km and I am always amazed how well it works

the battery is under the floor between the rear wheels — Bicycle/sidecar Biscar?

In a sidecar the freight has to be carried as far back as possible.
I have an aluminium box with a lid that fits perfectly between the wheel wells and that attaches with 3 screws I use as my trunk for most of my uses — Cargo area

the motors in the pic is a 36 V I later changed to 48V motors — fabricating

testing the geometry making sure that the sidecar wheel turns evenly in corners and does not — first outing

trueing the wheel after changing motor from 36v to this Ezee 48V — changing motor

I used cardboard to test design ideas — designing the components

the electric part battery in the rear pan between the wheel wells and all the other connections in the front pan — electricity

Living on an island to get on a busy often with overloads my rig gets me on the ferry everytime — always room on the ferry

here is about 95lbs 43kg of Douglas fir — hauling fire wood

this makes it so easy to work on the wheels — maintenance

I started with 36V but it was not enough with Vruzend caps I could easily reconfigure the battery to 48V — battery