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DELTA-11: Updates for 2012 |
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Durability and Weight Analysis - November 2011 In November 2011, the Delta-11 proto-type was completely disassembled to study how components were holding up, to weigh and document every single part, and to prepare for building an improved (lighter, more powerful) version for 2012.     |
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Weight Tally - November 18, 2011 Here's the detailed weight tally... Highlighted items are individual components that are included in a larger assemblies weight. We've identified lots of opportunity for weight reduction!  |
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Little Stuff - December 2011 While the frame joints are holding up great, there was surface corrosion around the stainless steel finishing washers. We evaluated various rubber gaskets and found some that will keep the sharp edges of the finishing washers off the aluminum. The washers will be updated and all unpainted, brushed aluminum protected with "Sharks Hide" coating.   Various parts are being painted.  Lots of little details (i.e. lifting spools, lightening holes, sponser logos, etc.) are being addressed.  Improvements to throttle for shift management.  |
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New Front Tire and Fork Springs - March 2012 Kraig put a new tire on the front rim. We went with a direct replacement of the Dunlop OEM tire because the T.I.R. of the OEM tire was nearly ZERO! The replacement tire was not as perfect, but was still very close. Dismounting and mounting were are breeze after watching the following videos: Scudman Tire Removal Scudman Tire Mounting However, getting the Dunlop K630FMC50S tire to seat on EX250 front rim was a nightmare. We eventually had to take it to a tire store that had a bead blaster. When designing a bike with a dustbin front fairing, you must make sure there was enough ground clearance when braking hard, hitting a bump and leaning hard. Royce Creasey does a good job of describing the many factors to consider when designing a Feet Forward bike at the following location: http://www.bikeweb.com/node/2412 To help reduce brake dive, keep my nose up and to handle the extra 200 lbs of batteries, I installed 1.0kg/mm Sonic Fork Springs. This is the stiffest spring I could find. It's on the high end of what's available for a Ninja 500. Stock EX250 springs are rumored to be .44 to .75 kg/mm. With springs removed, it was easy to measure the following things for the 1999-2000 vintage EX250 Front Fork when it is fully compressed: Total fork travel possible = 5.25 inches. Ground Clearance under frame = 1.5 inches.   Clearance between the frame and the wheel = 1 inch.  Here are the old and new springs. The original springs are the longer ones. The Sonic Springs brand springs are the shorter ones. OAL of springs is adjusted by spacers.  |
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Little Stuff - March 11, 2012 Stiffer auxillary handlebar mounting and stronger composite handle bar.   |
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Water-Proofing - March 15, 2012 Motor Controllers have a $50 option to be waterproofed when you purchase them. PLEASE pay extra to get this option! We have a motor controller that we are using that isn't waterproof, so we used silicone sealant to make it a little more water resistant.  |
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Going Back Together - March 17, 2012 The warm weather provided a great opportunity to pull the bikes out of the workshop for a picture or two.   |
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HD Relays - March 21, 2012 Entertrac is constantly improving their Hub Motor product. They provided us with a Heavy Duty version of their relay stack to try for the 2012 riding season. This relay stack allows us to switch the Hub Motor windings effectively creating an "Electric two-speed transmission", that gives quicker take-offs with lower current and more torque at higher top speeds.  |
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Main Power Disconnect - April 1, 2012 A low cost way to build a high power disconnect switch using a DeStaCo clamp and Anderson Connectors.  |
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Brake Lines - April 3, 2012 This picture shows how brake lines are placed to allow for remote steering.  |
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Rolling Again - April 2012 After being totally apart, the Delta-11 prototype is back on the road, getting the word out that Electric Vehicles are here.  |
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Cell Balancing - April 8, 2012 In our quest to learn more about Battery Management we are experimenting with manually balancing our battery packs. Here is a break-out board and some tools used to manually balance cell voltages when required.  |
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Improved Instrumentation - April 11, 2012 Cycle Analyst and precision power supply arrived today.  |
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Throttle Replaced - April 22, 2012 This Magura 0-5K Ohm throttle has deteriorated over 5,000 miles to having a resistance range of 1,800 to 5,550 Ohms.  |
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Cycle Analyst - April 25, 2012 The Cycle Analyst is an awesome instrument. It is nicely backlit and is easy to read during the day or night time. It gives real time feedback in MPH and KW draw and calculates AH/Mile along with keeping track of max and min voltages and amp draws and regenative braking statistics. I do miss my clock and ambient temperature gage that was on the Vapor Tech speedo, but otherwise I'm loving the Cycle Analyst. Things I've learned so far include my recharge efficiency is 83%, meaning while I am using around 80 Wh/Mile for average commuting purposes in 25-70mph speed zones, from the wall I'm using around 96 Wh/Mile. Also, I'm getting about 5% back from using regen. braking on an average trip (and much more during city driving). There is more to gain from regen, because I am still using my regular brakes at every stop.   |
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Inventing a better tomorrow today... Copyright 2012, Schultz Engineering, LLC, written by Kraig Schultz |