How I built a performance electric motorcycle (and how you can, too)

This video is for all of you Do-It-Yourself types out there who are thinking about making your own electric vehicle but don't know where to start or what parts to use. IWhile I could not cover everything in this video, I tried to hit the main points. If you want to know more, please post in the comments and I will try to answer your questions.
My Email if you need help with your own build is [e-mail] If you need contacts or links, just let me know.
Specifications:
Top speed: 145 mph
0-60mph: 3.5 seconds
Peak rear wheel torque: 450 lb-ft
Range (in miles): 155 (mountain terrain), 175 (highway), 190 (city)
Total cost: $11,400 (no, it wasn't cheap)
The bike:
Frame: 1985 Honda VF700 sabre
Front end: 1984 V65 Sabre 41mm with All Balls tapered bearings (due to added weight)
Rear shock: Hagon performance shock with 200 weight spring
Tires: Pirelli Sport Demon
Brakes: Regenetive power assisted rear drum and Stainless steel lined dual disc in the front.
The electrical system:
Motor: NetGain Hyper 9 with controller - www.go-ev.com/
Transmission: Direct drive (no gearbox)
Battery: 36X LiFePO4/120 Ampere-hour cells in series - www.osnpower.com/
Battery management: Orion BMS2 - www.orionbms.com/
Charger: TCCH 1.8kW - www.electriccarpartscompany.c...
Throttle: EV West lever potentiometer dual channel - www.evwest.com
Regen brake: mobility scooter 5K potentiometer (you can just use a second throttle potentiometer for this)
12V battery - Home built lithium phosphate 5 Ah (see other videos on this channel

[@m4r7ijn]

This is unironically the best build I have seen yet. It seems more accessible than all the other builds. It is high performance while having a good range and keeping a cool conventional look. Great work!

[@PhiTonics]

I love that you did this in your backyard, yet major manufacturers can't seem to get above 75-100 miles of range. Well done sir, this is the bike we need! 👌

[@highervoltage5430]

Admittedly mine is heavier. Batteries aren't light...

[@PhiTonics]

@@highervoltage5430 nah! What's it weigh? Couldn't be more than a standard Harley or cruiser at an average weight of 800lbs.

[@highervoltage5430]

@@PhiTonics This weighs in at 550lbs. The issue is that it is top-heavy. I gave it 11" of ground clearance which is excessive.

[@nithulnath9331]

@@highervoltage5430 That's not heavy considering the current high performance ev offerings, I guess. Energica range has a weight over 600 lb.

[@wangy01]

This is definitely the best tutorial on KZbin about building an electric motorcycle. Key points including the choice of battery, the mechanism of the electric motor, the weight distribution, and etc. are all very clear. I particularly like how you orally presented the math of power.

[@enigmaGG33]

Motor and power requirements 3:02 Battery overview 4:05 Balance and weight 8:14 Power routing, contactor and fuses 11:40 Battery management and charging 12:45 DC/Dc convertor and 12v system 15:00 Final notes on converting a motorcycle 17:00

[@andrewgreen2626]

You forgot the part where he electrocuted himself.

[@highervoltage5430]

@@andrewgreen2626 - Not the first time and won't be the last ;)

[@paradigmshift528]

@@andrewgreen2626 *gets electrocuted* 11:25

[@adambrown6532]

@@paradigmshift528 thats definitely the most replayed moment of the video

[@colinm1325]

​@@highervoltage5430 Hi Alex, l really njoy ur channel, thanks. With ur electric Sabre road bike, being able to centralise the motors mass, could you use a power divider/drop box l've heard them called? Could give it a little extra mechanical/gear noise. Maybe a redesign, or something for the next one.....😊 Just a thought, cya.

[@lynskyrd]

VERY impressive. I like the fact that you took into account motorcycle balance. Also noted that you're thinking safety as well. The use of LFP type batteries makes so much sense in a motorcycle application- you nailed it. Thanks for making this video and thank you for including all the links. I got a lot of 'homework' to do but I'm almost ready to pull the trigger. Your vid I think pushed me further towards the edge. Ride safe sir.

[@1607rosie]

That is the ultimate electrical erector set. Didn't know that about the phosphate batteries good info. Nice job!

[@user-be4yc2vr5c]

I could tell 6 mins in this was gonna be good. Rock on with the indepth explains. Love it. Loved hearing about the batteries to. subbed

[@davide4456]

This was by far the most comprehensive and informative video for electric motorcycle conversions I have seen. Your explanations have helped me out immensely. I will definitely be contacting you about my build.

[@vasaoz]

Beautiful work brother. I love it watching you explain.

[@martinjohnson9316]

I love motorcycles but hate electrics but your crystal clear presentation and logic of design made this a pleasure to watch and learn from. Thankyou for uploading this!

[@jonathanacuna]

I learned so much. I want rebuild my own, so this has been super helpful to understand why you choice the parts and the others options available with their trade offs🙏🏼😄

[@Jerbrown]

Thanks so much for taking the time to document all this!

[@themf11so]

1.25x though xd

[@evolveelectricvehicles8551]

I have made a fast electric motorcycle inspired by this video, video on my channel #electricmotorcycle

[@CuddlyJon]

This is by far the best build I have ever seen. If this was manufactured, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Fantastic engineering! Fantastic looks! Fantastic performance! Absolutely great job!

[@TShepard]

Sabres are great bikes. Great build, you gave me the confidence to start planning my own. thanks!

[@andrewslejska4205]

Doing some research for my first ev project thanks for the walkthrough.

[@ramman347]

Nice job man. On the vid and build. Good explanations and no mumbling or fumbling for words.

[@liteglow2000]

Wow... Just wow.. This is the most informative video I have ever seen. So much important info in so short time, and so very well explained. I do know alot, but after seeing your video, I know alot more now :) After 10 seconds it was impossible to stop watching, and the build was incredible good work. Thanks for sharing.

[@TechWizardForever]

I remember when you were building this Alex, happy to run across this video a couple years later.

[@slartybartfarst9737]

The best realistic electric bike build. Good idea to use shaft, my 220Kg (480 lbs) Zero SFF used hard hammers the drive belt with its 14 kWh battery / 110 HP motor. My guess is your bigger motor, shaft drive and heavier battery equates to 550 lbs and as you say riding an electric gives an uparaled connection to the biking experience. I ride other gas bikes but ill take that linier glitch free. smooth, throttle response over noise anytime. Thank you for taking time to show how its done, brilliant practical build.

[@jonnyroy]

EXPOXED BUSS BAR!!! HUGE SHORT/FIRE RISK. Props for the superb project!

[@BertVermeulen]

Fantastic work!

[@Arkoss]

It's my dream to build my own electric motorcycle. It's awesome that people like you are building these machines themselves and achieving such ridiculous numbers! I'd be glad if my future build even had a 3000 Watt motor in it. Thanks for sharing your build! Didn't know those batteries. They seem like a good option for EVs. Subscribed! Hope to see more EV related content or more insight into this beast!

[@fidelcatsro6948]

naaaaaaaaah dont fret its everyones dream here... you can start with this and save a lot of weight and bulk hassle for the motor www.ebay.com/itm/High-Power-8KW-72V-Brushless-Electric-Motorcycle-Scooter-Hub-Motor-55-74mph-NEW/124100643651?hash=item1ce4f98b43:g:e6MAAOSw5K5dFnNh you can pay me later for the great advice! i only accept paypal by the way.. ;)

[@bhairomurmu6209]

Great Innovation Sir.

[@raptortrampton9557]

Brilliant video sir

[@SirBalageG]

I believe I re-watched your video at least 4 to 5 times so far, it's that good. great job!

[@pasha1663]

fantastic job. thank you

[@mkkn3240]

Thank you for doing it and sharing your knowledge

[@rwehuman]

they dont call you Ibcrazy for nothing. great job man.

[@johnathanh9369]

Appreciate you making this vid. Very new to EV conversion. I'm in my early stages of research and this helped a ton.

[@highervoltage5430]

PM me if you need any help. That is what I am here for.

[@p3dtesla118]

​@@highervoltage5430Can I buy this bike from you ??? Where do you live ??

[@highervoltage5430]

@@p3dtesla118 - I am not interested in selling it, but you are free to come ride it. I am in Amherst, Va. If you are in town, feel free to reach out. I am always happy to let other riders try it. I publish these videos so that people can build their own.

[@VisualBasic6]

"Why did you choose a brushless motor ?" "It's brushless"

[@davidmuir6849]

Fanastic clip this is the future Thanks Dave from Scotland

[@frazahmad5268]

Great job on this build. Great documentation.

[@jordigirvent9250]

Impresive build, Impresive how in so litle time explains so many things in a way someone like me with 0 knowledge abaud electric can understend. Sire your Moto and vidio looks to me like the work of a great Master.

[@highervoltage5430]

It feels like a hack job to me honestly. I cannot make things look good to save my life. I just make them work. THe truth is electric vehicles are pretty simple compared to their gasoline counterparts.

[@highlanderfreelancer4553]

@@highervoltage5430 how much does the bike weight ? how muck does the motor and batteries weigh?

[@highervoltage5430]

@@highlanderfreelancer4553 - The bike weighs in at ~560lbs which is about 40 lbs heavier than the bike I started with. It is definitely top-heavy, but once you get going you don't notice it. It is such a difference and peaceful experience riding an electric bike that it is hard to describe.

[@highlanderfreelancer4553]

@@highervoltage5430 Thats not bad about what a 1200 HD sportster when you get 400 pounds and under the wind can blow you all the road.

[@evolveelectricvehicles8551]

@@highervoltage5430 I have made a fast electric motorcycle inspired by this video, video on my channel #electricmotorcycle

[@bradyoungblood8577]

Good video. I am getting ready to redo / upgrade an electric motorcycle built in 2009. Your video is a lot of help.

[@kadeenE-moto]

Awesome video man, stay safe🙏🏾

[@caseyjones1999]

This dude deserves more sub's. Nice work

[@LatinDanceVideos]

Super impressed with this project. I hope this catches on as there are thousands of people would buy this finished project.

[@raf3321]

Sweet build bro!

[@pylypbutin5799]

Amazing project . Good to see how you enjoy your own creation. God bless.

[@FranksWay]

I will certainly be building one in 2022...your insights are great...keep it up and thanks again for the info, i subscribed :)

[@GAJENDRA19061992]

Brother , first comment on KZbin while watching it for last 12 yrs. *Superb*

[@absorbtheride]

Really good video. Thank you for doing it and sharing your knowledge, really enjoyed watching it.

[@alanriley9754]

Well spoken easy to grasp information. Thanks.

[@SlipperyFPV]

Popped up in my recommended... I was sure I knew the face and voice but threw me as it wasn't the content or channel I was expecting... Great content and very informative as expected from you! 👌

[@Wheelieking619]

Yo IBCrazy antenna genius, that’s right on track for my thoughts lately ,thanks!

[@Wheelieking619]

Update! It’s almost done! ✅

[@nitebirdscuffle4213]

Thumbs up after 50 sec. ......Thanks for making this vid.....I've been curious about this kind of build

[@highervoltage5430]

Glad you liked it!

[@renegarcia1807]

Very good job man congrats!!

[@jamesscholz8338]

Right on dude! My commuter is a side car rig that I'm dreaming of doing this to once the bike's motor gives out. 2012 KLR650

[@highervoltage5430]

Just did a KLR250. I highly recommend it!

[@gamingSlasher]

Well done.

[@marcteleki2801]

I have a m109 r Suzuki and you the first one to put a shaft drive very nice

[@trackfriends]

Great work and great video. You are an excellent presenter!

[@SoverSky]

Good Job , I love it .Thanks for your share

[@Mike-sBike]

Great man!!!, great job

[@colinm1325]

Great info Alex, and thank you for sharing and the walk through, Kind regards. 👍🙂🌈🌏💞

[@florentinvonfrankenberg7102]

Inspiring!

[@agnirudrapal]

Really well made video man. Amazing job . Amazing.

[@highervoltage5430]

Thank you

[@joshnabours9102]

Another good reason to make sure the suspension matches the new weight is if the rear is too soft it can become squirrely and cause you to crash. This is why bikes have adjustable pre-load on their shocks in from factory.

[@FreeRangePeople]

Really enjoyed the video. I am starting a similar build soon. Thanks for making this video. Subscribed.

[@PhG1961]

Waw, nice project. Congratz !

[@xdxdlmaoxdxd..2458]

I think that's my new favorite intro I've seen on youtube

[@DJHeroMasta]

This is one bad ass dude right here! Hell yeah man! Clean build and a solid presentation! Instant sub from me.

[@ronaldobrien211]

Well done Alex brilliant stuff mate! Its unbelievable both of us decided to build an electric drive on a Honda though mine is a classic from the late 80's. She has done around 6K clicks and handles so well.😎

[@valentinpastoriza2966]

I think you missed the "better known as iBcrazy" part😂😂. Excellent videos, I'm glad to meet your channel. Really enjoyed your FPV tutorials in the past and I'm now enjoying your ebike ones!!

[@serrotnaes]

Nonchalant. I just got shocked 😂 great build

[@jayb8941]

Thank you for this great vid 😊

[@bamboothanh]

wonderful work and perfect chasic base choice! thank you !, congratuation from Vietnam

[@SirDiesAlot89]

Thank you that was very informative.

[@highervoltage5430]

That's why I make these videos. I want to inspire people to make their own.

[@davidblackburn2348]

You have done an excellent job in presenting your expertise. I hope you don't get burnt out with not so nice people. Your knowledge is obvious and the next one you build will be far better than the first one. You are on the leading edge of the future. You might consider selling a conversion kit to profit from your hard work. What is a good database for buying the motor and controllers? Thanks and job well done.

[@highervoltage5430]

I'm not sure what is a good database. EV information is so scattered which is why I made this video. I wanted a place where people could get started and know what they need to build their own (which is why there are links in the video description). Although I have no intention on making money from this work (I do it all for fun), I said the same thing about developing antennas for drones and now I run a business doing precisely that.

[@TommyLuptak]

Nice work here!!! 😊

[@KatariFreyk]

Excelente muchas gracias por tu explicación saludos desde Perú

[@mylesdrake4518]

LOL WHAT!! DUDE! THIS IS AMAZING!!!

[@tucsonairbrush3233]

You sir, are freaking awesome!!!!

[@Louis-lu5wh]

That really is high performance 😯

[@3dconceptsofutah757]

Wow that's one beefy motor! Nice work!

[@JaredMcConnellFerzen]

Really cool Alex makes me want to make my electric vespa

[@YBL_Jae9829]

Lithium for the win when looking for range and instant power! The range you’re getting sounds wild! Thumbs up 👍🏼 on that 88 kw motor, that thing looks so beefy 🥩!!!!

[@nikbivation]

well done!

[@newman15x]

god I love this video I was just starting to research how to build an electric bike.

[@highervoltage5430]

Feel free to EMail me with any questions you have. I am here to help.

[@gomezelectro466]

nice job

[@peterkacandes5905]

This is an awesome build. Just what I was looking for. I’m looking to convert my 2005 BMW K1209s since the engine got blown throwing a rod through the crank case (most likely oil starvation to the crank).

[@highervoltage5430]

One thing you will want to do is get the center of gravity lower. I have 11" of ground clearance and it makes the steering a bit sloppy. If I did it again, I would put some batteries in lower to fix that.

[@cyclonemind7585]

You have a serious experience about building a strong ebike. Any plan to make a documentation? I would love to learn more from your experience.

[@luckyxero3]

Thought I recognized that voice and explanation! Funny that the drone guys are building ebikes now. :P

[@alisemlali1944]

Amazing

[@SculptSome]

This was great

[@thirtythreeeyes8624]

I clicked this because the guy looked like he might b crazy. Really good info Alex!

[@ericsweetman3746]

I love this video and I really appreciate the build list. Im looking at doing my own build and I was hoping if you had a wiring diagram. Great video.

[@highervoltage5430]

A wiring diagram... well... to be honest, it isn't really that hard. I actually scrapped the entire harness from the original bike because most of it was for the gas motor. All I have are lights, my controller, my batteries, and my motor. There really isn't much to it.

[@JayTronik1]

holy crap this is a very unique machine, also you seem to know very much about all this, I only get parts of what you say. :) But very cool video, I'd need a mastermind engineer like you in my company . great job

[@graykimchi]

never knew IBcrazy made EVs two of my favorite hobbies!

[@highervoltage5430]

This is something new for me. Lots of fun building electric vehicles.

[@graykimchi]

@@highervoltage5430 I feel the same way and enjoy posting about my conversions/builds + FPV!

[@ASAPASPOSSIBLE]

THANK YOU....i've been trying to remember where i knew him from...Yeah..it's been some years since he told me how to do antennas, i almost forgot... Awesome.

[@buildingspeed8969]

Same here 2 birds with one stone ! Been following the Yaggy Antenna boy for years. Glad to see you here. Take care

[@keninthekitchen1562]

Ok, thats it! Changing my channels name to Ken in the Garage, Im building one of these!

[@TheFlatEarthChannelcom]

600amps that’s nuts! I’m only running 260a on my setup and it’s fast.

[@tomaszw7749]

I'm runing 35A in my e bike and it is fast. I can't imagine 600A. 🤯

[@rockroll9513]

Awesome.

[@awo1fman]

Awesome job, and good video! Shaft drive has a lot of advantages, but a chain drive bike would put the motor in a much more central position. Although your motor might be too long/big to make that feasible. I have a 2016 Zero SR, which I love, but your bike has more range and higher top speed. I also have a 2006 Hyosung GT650S, which is a lot of fun but is absolutely Neanderthal. The engine is strong but it's a V-twin and it's really not happy in city traffic. I was going to sell the Hyosung, but maybe I'll convert it instead. Electric drive in that chassis would be prodigious fun, especially if I could get more range than the Zero.

[@DragonSol42]

Very cool build. I’m currently building a GS550 Cafe Racer. But I’m thinking an electric bike will be my next project.

[@highervoltage5430]

Go for it! Well worth the time!

[@impreza99rs]

YOU are an evil genius! I love your video! YOU can put Zero out of business! I want a commuter bike with less than half the range…. Please continue building these home made electric bikes. I will buy one! Liked and subscribed.

[@eronides0]

Excelent!

[@josepht6274]

i wish i used that motor insted of the netgain warp -9 brushed. although i am extremely happy with my performance package. the controller i use is the zilla 2000 amp at 200 volt 0to 60 3.2 sec first run

[@davidfloyd9962]

Dude!! You are definitely SICK. That has got to be the smoothest upgrade to a bike I have ever seen. I have a '83 and an '84 V65 and they are pretty wicked pure stock. but this totally takes the cake. Those early 80's v4s were the "Harley Killers" (FYI). That is why your frame only had a 700cc motor. The new Harley electric is $38,880 so I would think $11,400 is a steal. And -- you have the only 1985 E-Saber known to man. Very, very, very, very impressive. I presume the regenerative braking only applies to the rear. Does that have any meaningful benefit other than extending the life of your shoes?

[@arktunes6202]

Hyper 9 is quite a famous one for electric conversions.

[@Bigdog1787]

Bike seems cool for sure for one I'd change to the graphene battey's they hold 2x more charge than lithium so means you can reduce weight. The battery's weight can be reduced in 1/2 or just have x2 more range, and if they do catch fire you can put it out with normal fire extinguisher.

[@juhopeltola3993]

Cool tech man. I been using lfp batterys in my bike and I love them. No one else gets it. I got ebike whit throtle about 1.5kw power. Its really no bicycle. I made 2 12s2p 37v 13ah batterys out of high performance 6c rated cells. So 26ah or 1kwh combinated. Performance is really good. 24mph tops, but that is whit cracy acceleration. Uphills don't matter much at all. I don't know the range becouse I never run out of juice and I can charge quikly, no point to test that. Ideal for electric vehicles :)