I Converted a KLX250 Dirtbike to Electric..Twice!

In this video, I re-convert a previously converted electric motorcycle to even DOUBLE electric! 2x the electric, 2x the work, 2x the fun!
This bike started out as a working Kawasaki KLX250sf Enduro dirtbike, which I converted to electric but the range and performance was roughly that of an arm-less man in a wheelchair. Here I go back the drawing board and do it the right way!
Need help with your build? Book a consult:
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Test Ride Video for this Bike:
• I Rode My DIY Electric...
EV Module Battery Build Video:
• High-Power Battery Pac...
Watch me ride this bike until it (almost) dies:
• I Rode My DIY Electric...
Ridiculous 15kW Ebike Build:
• I Built a 15,000W eBik...
Best Way to Build an Ebike:
• This Might Be The Best...
1st Video of this "quick and dirty build" series:
• Converting a Kawasaki ...
QS138 90H direct drive motor used in this build:
www.aliexpress.us/item/325680...
Fardriver ND84530 Controller used in this build:
www.aliexpress.us/item/325680...
CT-22 Display
www.aliexpress.us/item/225183...

[@luke8329]

Welds only a mother could love. Cool build.

[@GaiusGarage]

this is what happens when you only paint and leave out the grinder

[@felixb.59]

but the wiring, 3d prints and everything else looks very neat. Just use some epoxy filler and fresh paint on the welds and the whole build will look factory 👌

[@mattjonesturbo1]

My opinion it's 1000 times cooler than a surron and the feeling of doing it yourself priceless. Awesome build, I knew it was going to be a sick bike after I seen the battery making video.

[@goingoutotheparty1]

Yeah true older gas bikes make excellent conversions. Currently stark varg is similar in design to this.

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you! Yeah I feel the same - I am a big fan of Surrons and a do have some advantages over a bike like this, but some disadvantages also..for instance is this a much smoother and more stable highway ride that a bit less conspicuous. Either way, being able to ride something you build from the ground up does add a level of satisfaction you just can't get from even a highly modded Surron

[@pashko90]

​@@GaiusGarage I thought about finding a web site or service to see how much times you said "conduit" in this video, sadly did not find one and was been too lazy to count by myself.😂

[@donavanblack4347]

The “ quality welding suddenly cracking and sending me hurtling to my death “ 😂😂😂😂😂 Oh God I can’t stop laughing 😂 😂😂. Thanks you showed me I am not the only one who fears their welding skills. 😂😂😂

[@GaiusGarage]

Lol yeah my mig welding takes a sort of "spray & pray" approach

[@shakysugars]

lmfao ugh.. so funny

[@Noname-zv9cz]

"I'm not so so focused on the ascetics right now" Dude! that bike is sick asf!!!!!!! all the wiring, charger location, battery and motor mounting design is very thought out! sick build dude!

[@GaiusGarage]

haha yeah I guess when you're so close to the project you notice all the little details where it could've gone better. I appreciate it! I think it does look pretty cool as long as you don't get to close lol

[@davidfuller764]

@@GaiusGarage your welds are superior to mine! Well done!

[@dienowplease3565]

I cannot unsee those welds

[@popbandol]

😂

[@firestorm755]

That's the best diy build of an electric bike I've ever seen! It looks almost factory fresh

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you! I made a good amount of effort to give this a "production" feel so I appreciate the comment. I think I did a decent job of achieving this goal..until you look closely 🧐

[@TheStuartstardust]

​​@@GaiusGaragereally good idea with the working mockup battery - also a lot safer during development if a short was to happen! 🤓👍

[@GaiusGarage]

@@TheStuartstardustthank you!

[@amyrob5496]

really thinking of building one of these with my old crf250R frame... probs will also get a lot of trouble with water and mud-proofing for London. Eternally grateful for quality videos like these!

[@Eatcrow]

I bought a CR125 frame to do this with and after seeing this I am glad I sold it, soooo much extra work Props for sticking with it 🎉

[@GaiusGarage]

Thanks! CR125 frame mightve been an easier build. it can be done more simply but I wanted a lot road bike features and aimed for a "clean" build to the best of my ability. things like that really inflate the amount of work it takes to get it done

[@TheMarksmansam]

Been looking for one with this kind of motor. Most of these videos I watch they use the one with it built into the back tire. This hopefully will help me out when I try to start mine

[@danharcombe6569]

Neat install. Good work

[@justflight898]

this is the cleanest build I've ever seen, great job man

[@GaiusGarage]

Much appreciated!

[@Vmaxfodder]

100% respects for re purpusing something! Thanks for all the vids on this kind of stuff ! I was able to build my own most powerful e scooter in the known world by accident! . I did it by mostly watching your builds ! I use 2 175amp ANDERSON connectors connectors. Per battery. That is a great bike build !

[@GaiusGarage]

Awesome! I'm glad my videos could be helpful

[@bdjm8595]

I'm planning on doing this same thing so thanks for putting this together !!!

[@GaiusGarage]

Hope it helps! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions

[@bdjm8595]

Yes, definitely, more info is always good! I'm looking at the kits sold by Electro & Co they are pretty reasonable price, now I'm looking around for a chassis !! I like the Super Moto setup!@@GaiusGarage

[@TheBimmerBarn]

Great video and good humor too! I've always wanted to do something similar, converting a dual sport to electric.

[@sandroetn6907]

You built monster Good Luck Best Wishes from India 🇮🇳 Karnataka

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@wesleyb82]

Outstanding videos. I am blown away and inspired by the quality of your projects and videos. I will be following your channel closely, outstanding job

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you, sir! Much appreciated.

[@kwadkrazy6078]

Very inspiring, makes me want to build something similar.

[@georgyzhukov4269]

Same!

[@Area13ebikes]

Nice build. Inspiring me to get back to work on my YSR50 conversion.

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you! YSR50 is a minibike right? sounds like a really fun conversion

[@Area13ebikes]

@@GaiusGarage it's a street legal 50cc bike. 😀

[@natebaird]

Dude - tight build! Been using my Cake Osa+ emoto here in LA as my only vehicle (outside of my pedal bike) and it's a great way to get around. I've been considering doing a DIY build like yours and really appreciate you talking about all the considerations around wiring and the not so fun parts of the build. Any chance that you remember where you picked up those batteries from? Seem like the individual module size could make them pretty useful to a bunch of donor bikes. Thanks again for sharing!

[@MAGATRON-DESTROY]

Awesome build! 👌

[@ssteele1812]

This is probably one of the best conversions I've seen. Very well done. Question/Suggestion, When you showed your battery wire routing, it looked like you had something else connected to the battery end of the shunt. For the shunt to work properly, tracking all incoming and outgoing amps, the battery should be the only thing connected to the battery end of the shunt. Everything else, including chassis grounding, should be on the Load end of the shunt.

[@GaiusGarage]

Much appreciated! Yeah the extra wires coming from the proximal side of the shunt are on oversight. I plan to fix that in a round of improvements I'm looking to make in the near future

[@laugheachdaywithme]

Amazing build hats off to you.

[@limayanon]

Very nice build

[@andrewfelsinger8332]

this is by far the best electric conversion ive seen. everything fits so seamless and there is pre thought to placing everything. im definitely basing my suzuki rm 125 build off of this just with an upgraded surron motor and hopefully no frame notching lol. keep it up man so sick

[@GaiusGarage]

Appreciate the kind words!

[@je7647]

qs138 v3 watercooled

[@GaiusGarage]

@@je7647 I have one actually, saving it for the right project

[@je7647]

@@GaiusGarage oh I see, I didnt look at what motor you were using and I just heard you say "sur ron motor" and thought it was the QS165 variant that fit a sur ron. I approve of the motor you are using, I have a QS90 65 on my ktm65 and can get 10kw peak 4kw cont, pulls pretty hard

[@BukkitViper]

Great build, love the comedy in the beginning about the welding haha

[@GaiusGarage]

Appreciate it! Grinder and paint...

[@sayo9394]

Really impressive build! Really enjoyed watching

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@Gallardo6669]

Awesome dude!

[@brentbauer8258]

Awesome build

[@bikesareco3749]

Great build! I am 14 and have a rm85 at home that i converted by myself and you can relate to the feeling of it relyably working.

[@Fedified]

Got a guide?

[@crispysocksss]

That's awesome, keep at it. I'm only 8 but I've built a few razors and ebikes

[@Fedified]

@@crispysocksss no you aint

[@crispysocksss]

@@Fedified my dad helps sometimes when I don't know how to do something

[@Wheelieking619]

Great video Mr. ! Love the super moto wheels . I also homebrewed an electric supermoto from an RMZ 450 frame. I’ll bet there’s more like us out there😅

[@jeffreyrh]

Excellent build!

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you, sir!

[@enterlematrix]

Sick build! Insane skills.

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you, sir!

[@mitchellcamps7595]

Badass build man, that battery is just amazing.

[@GaiusGarage]

Thanks so much!

[@nikbivation]

so clean design and build, nice

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@tadhapper2013]

Excellent build

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@AllThingsElectric_]

Insane build man, so clean

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you! really made an effort to give some attention to detail. many places that could use improvement but Im overall happy with the result

[@NajAbdul]

Very clean work. keep it up!

[@GaiusGarage]

thank you!

[@ivanpopovic1266]

Good job! 👍

[@iam2scottw]

Unbelievable build. I can’t even imagine how many hours you have in this. I am blown away and really appreciate your attention to detail. So much for quick and dirty!

[@GaiusGarage]

Thanks so much!

[@cyclemoto8744]

Very well done for your V 1.0. Cheers from OZ

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you, sir!

[@jonathonalsop2120]

Congrats on all that conduit. And the bike it's in.

[@GaiusGarage]

thank you! I had my doubts at first but I just kept telling myself "you conduit"

[@shaner.5]

Super nice build!

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@shaner.5]

@@GaiusGarage which Qs motor is that and what is your gearing?

[@GaiusGarage]

⁠QS138 90H motor direct drive. I don't actually remember the gearing, something like 5:1

[@FarmerFpv]

Came out sweet! Great job.

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@qs138v3]

I love your build!

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@hschokker86]

I like this build, might consider something similar in the future. Already have a (non-electric) project right now so maybe in a year. :)

[@ELECTRICMOTOCROSSMACHINE]

Real quick and dirty, if we knew what it really takes we would never attempt it. It took me 4 1/2 years to make my new motor. It is 40kw water cooled, with gear reduction.

[@GaiusGarage]

well if I actually attempted to build my own practical motor from scratch, I'm sure it would take me at least as long or double after I quit halfway through. what kind of motor is it? BLDC, sinosoidal AC?

[@juice9767]

❤ That is one Hell of a Job.. well done 👏 👌 Im subscribing right now 👍

[@GaiusGarage]

Much appreciated!

[@EVGizmo]

18:42 got me real good

[@jirx7]

I’ve got this motor set up on a atc 70 and a electric bmx, way overpowered for these applications but tonnes of fun

[@katiekumcgil]

your video ,audio, your production is getting really good ,keeps you interested the whole way though,cheersKT

[@GaiusGarage]

thank you! I'm definitely making an effort to improve the production quality over time so I appreciate the feedback 🙏

[@BlueSquatchproductions]

Great videos thanks

[@user-vm9je4ek6d]

Great job cool bike

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@dailyrider2975]

1:30 Makes you appreciate the clever design of the Vespa scooter and its' strength.

[@larrytaylor2692]

Looks amazing man I’d love a bike like this one day❤

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@mikenott4494]

Hey man, very nicely done I gotta say. I have done a fair bit of sheet metal fabricating and if I was making that one part at the top of the false tank there.. I would follow the long straight line along the front of the seat, simply span the area your covering with minimal bends, I like to use construction paper and for a pro finish Bondo is my go to product! Anyways great work, great bike. And the f'n crack about my mother.... earned you my script..lol Cheers Dude!

[@GaiusGarage]

nice tips! thank you. I'm definitely pretty green with sheet metal work (or any metal work, for that matter)

[@Voltermort]

Impressive!

[@andy2676]

Sick! 👌👍

[@sterlingscott2602]

This is so sick man. I want one!!

[@VenuGopal-ho2cq]

It turned out to be an exceptional machine 😎 👌

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@educateorstagnate9183]

Looking good. Water/mud inclusions will be a future problem with lower wire box, horn, maybe charger fan. How do i know... been there, enjoy. :)

[@JohanAndersson78]

I believe this is what is called "a hack" 😀 Nicely done, cool project 👍 It looks really cool. Off the shelf e-motorcycles look ridiculous.

[@GapRecordingsNamibia]

Hi, neat build, can see you put a LOT of thought into this, A few questions if I may? On the charger wires, You have them going into the cabling box, does this box have a weep hole on it? The reason I ask is because there are no drip loops for any condensation (water) that may run down them, (I did not see any weather proofing grommets on those wires where they entered the box). This could cause the box to trap condensation which could lead to corrosion on those contacts of the plugs inside that box. The only other thing is where the phase wires pass, very close to the shock spring which moves quite a bit, I understand wiring code say that wires need to compress rather than stretch all good with that, and I understand you would not want sharps bends or tight pinches in them, is there possibly another route for those? Other than that..... MAD MAD MAD respect to the attention in detail you have put into the build.... Very very very nice!

[@connelly6375]

The line about never thinking about the sketchy weld just about killed me laughing

[@panagiotiskoufogiannis7008]

You need to put cooling fans from pc under the battery to have cold air for motor and cables unit

[@seran-nei227]

I am loving the Removable Battery design. it would make maintenance and emergency refills faster.

[@MrSillypoptart]

Ive been thinking about doing this myself but with surron parts! im guessing that would make it easier because the controller, battery and motor will already work together! just to figure out how to fit it onto the dirt bike!

[@geoffsutton78]

I hope you have holes drilled at the bottom of the battery case to eliminate water accumulation :). I am impressed with the work gone into this.

[@GaiusGarage]

nope! lol but the only part that not water proof is at the cover so if water is getting into the battery pack, I have much bigger problems

[@geoffsutton78]

@@GaiusGarage Condensation. The battery temperature will be changing and unless the box is hermetically sealed (which I doubt considering it is simply welded together...) then air with moisture will be coming in. That moisture will condense with temperature changes :)

[@Cookboy3857]

Nice motor men

[@EmxBrandon]

19:03 🤣🤘 such a clean build!

[@seelenbauherr]

Nice bro

[@user-zt4gt6vf6f]

Tip on the welding. Use aluminum on the back sideof your weld joint and turn the heat up on your welder. You need mor penetration with your welds, aluminum won't weld to steel so when you "burn thought" it will keep you from makeing big holes in your metal.

[@GaiusGarage]

This is an excellent tip! Thank you 👍

[@EVCustoms]

Really good job man...!

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@DFX2KX]

(looks over at the absolute horror show that is his E-bike's wiring 'harness' with apprehension) Right, way to feel inadequate. Jokes aside, that is a REALLY clean setup there. I'm impressed!

[@nielsdelrue7242]

Not afraid you get water on your bus bar ? Verre cool build i love it

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you! To which bus bar are you referring?

[@electricbike2062]

You did everything very cool, even better than at the factory. I am interested in a detailed topic about connecting relays and fuses from the battery to the controller. Is there a video? or create a video like this

[@GaiusGarage]

Appreciate it! The fuse just goes on the negative discharge lead closest to the battery pack..basically it should be the first thing connected on the negative side. I have some details about setting up a contactor in a video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJyUaqmqm5qbhKs

[@akshayrai9542]

Wow! Great build, brother! 😍 It looks amazing. 👌 I would love to see people's reactions on the street. 🤔Conduit.

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you, sir! the important thing is to believe that you conduit 😀

[@ExcraftUS]

Try larger indicators and excellent build

[@nicdossantos5023]

Dood your a champion awesome work

[@GaiusGarage]

Appreciate man! Thank you

[@Iowa599]

Looks good! I'm concerned about water resistance of the controller, but I'm sure you thought of that.

[@GaiusGarage]

its supposedly IP65 water resistant.. I'm sure the pins and terminal lugs would rust over time with exposure but I would presumably service the bike every year or so

[@En3rgyLee]

Dam, it’s beautiful!!!

[@Ulbre]

Glad I wasn't drinking beer.....it would have sprayed over the PC screen on that closing line!!!! Hilarious. Awesome build.

[@GaiusGarage]

Lol much appreciated!

[@patrickhackett3878]

Brilliant. Some quality content here...

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you!

[@FloridaMeng]

The explosion busted me up

[@dbc105]

lube the chain on the bottom row on the inside, not on thetop outside. That way when the chain spins centrifical force will sling the oil into the chain and not off of the chain. Been riding motorcycles for 50 years and learned that one when I saw a bike with an outomatic oiler on the chain, it dropped oil on the chain on the inside right after leaving the front sprocket. All the suden then I knew. Nice job on the build.

[@GaiusGarage]

this is a good tip! I will definitely try this. Thank you

[@dbc105]

I saw a test on YT by Ryan F9 and after his test he determined chain bar oil works just as well as high dollar stuff in the can. Nice job on the bike.

[@wheels.3239]

Genuinely Impressive. (Talaria Sting owner.)

[@SamCyrMega]

Awesome build! What's the total cost of the project?

[@krisi192995]

I love the math meme from Off Topic. Not what I had in mind for a build, but cool to see it's doable with the KLX250sf. Currently looking for a rolling frame for cheap, because the SurRon I want is as expensive as a legal bike.. 🤔

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you! yeah KLX was not an idea frame for a conversion lol

[@hughcustoms4029]

Hey There Greeting from South Africa, I saw you did the mini battery for testing purposes and to save weight during the build, you mentioned it was a 24s1p setup are you using a BMS and what BMS are you using , what sort of test run time do you get with is to make sure all the electronics are working. Assume inspirational build

[@sailingluana3037]

nice work. may want to drill a hole in the metal battery tray so it doesnt hold water.

[@GaiusGarage]

Yeah that would be a good idea

[@jackoneil3933]

Exceptional! I very much enjoyed this. I'm curious what the overall weight is compared to original and if you could provide any cost and time figures? Thanks...

[@GaiusGarage]

Thanks so much! I actually dont know the total weight.. dont really have a good method to weigh it at the moment. I also didnt keep track of the cost plus there's a whole much of caveats like the fact that I recouped some cost from selling the original gasoline motor, but also used a bunch of metal that I had to buy testing and altering the mounting components.. generally, it was pretty expensive if Im being honest, you can probable buy a better bike for about the same cost give or take..and the time this took.. dont even get me started. definitely a capstone project type of activity. but I definitely learned a whole lot

[@MrBurtonf]

Great video. Awesome build! I have one question: is that front fender installed backwards? Looks like it would benefit from the longer part of the fender being behind the wheel rather than in front of it.

[@GaiusGarage]

yeah, seriously! I thought the same thing. but that's the OEM fender, it only fit that one way so definitely the intended orientation, but I agree it feels like it should be the other way

[@yatta8729]

those weld looks like Art. an abstract one

[@GaiusGarage]

paint but no grinder

[@Jbmc65]

As a welder fabricator and mostly high pressure welder the main thing to do when you cut that out was patch it up like you did but………… never weld it right out and get everything super hot, that will make that area the weakest point on the bike. I cut my CR apart and fixed a crack and reinforced it over 10 years ago. Luckily like I said I weld mostly high pressure piping. So I went a bit over board, I sent the frame to the heat treaters along with some piping and made the whole bikes molecules the same now. (No more weak point) oh and it didn’t cost me anything because we already had the oven rented. Just thought I would mention about rewelding things. I love your builds, I am trying to figure what to do next. I have a Cr125 (84) and (82) to convert. I’m just wondering what kinda battery I would need for a couple hours riding in the bush.

[@GaiusGarage]

Would be great if I had access to something like that.. but given my options and skill level, I figured adding some thick plates and a bunch of weld material without grinding any of it would provide enough additional material to carry the stresses that section is subject to. I have no way of testing this so its really just spray and pray ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@oskarverheyenvanduyse3637]

Nice job! I have a question relating the contacter. You run a DC-DC converter i suppose?. However how do switch on the contacter with 12v when the battery is disconnecter (aka contacter is open)? Or is your dc-dc converter positioned before the contacter? Thanks

[@GaiusGarage]

This is a good question and Ive gone down the road with the handful of solutions. The solution I decided best fits this particular bike (and probably most smaller builds) is to run the high-voltage input through the key switch and to a solid-state relay that powers the dc-dc converter. because the voltage is high and running power of the relay very low (only about 5W) the current in the input line is extremely very low (less than 0.1 amp) so its ok for it run through the switch directly. this way, when you turn the key, it activates the solid state relay, which allows current to flow to the dc-dc converter and power the 12V electronics, one of which is the contactor. I have a video showing the power converter module used on this bike here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnOqao2udp6bsJosi=S5j4sZa6yZIZbZqH

[@oskarverheyenvanduyse3637]

@@GaiusGarage thanks this has been most helpful!

[@Omar-tz8hx]

Amazing! What 3d print filament did you use for high temp stuff?

[@GaiusGarage]

PETG has a melting point of around 260C and is relatively easy to print. PETG-CF (carbon fiber) is also an option for items that have a load-bearing application

[@unbr8kbl]

Crash bars ,would probably look good on this beast ,great job!

[@GaiusGarage]

Yeah totally! I was actually going to add some but this project dragged long enough that I skipped them. Maybe a later addition. Thanks!!

[@StansE250]

Such Great content. You Help A LOT of viewers by sharing what DIDN’T work 👍🏼. Those that only share ‘Triumphs’ aren’t helping to grow the ‘hive mind’. Watching Shark Tank, I became (more) aware of the concept of ‘scale’ (e.g. production). I wonder if you could parlay your expertise and accomplishments by selling modules for various phases of DIY efforts like this ? I mean Many ‘self-made’ geniuses such as yourself have done quite well … especially when their (concepts) get purchased by large-scale (companies) that have the infrastructure for true scale. I sure would be very … Interested. Also, I haven’t really seen much in the way of eBike development for dual-sport / enduro type use, where run time is much more critical than say, MX, where short ‘sessions’ don’t complicate the engineering. That’s where my interest lies …. But, I don’t have a Fraction of your electrical genius.

[@GaiusGarage]

Thank you! I appreciate the kind words

[@StansE250]

Outstanding ! No greater satisfaction than conceiving, then creating your Vision. 🥂 How is battery/motor cooled ?

[@GaiusGarage]

for sure! motor and battery are just air cooled.. no active cooling basically, but motor stays reasobly cool and battery is operating at probably 50% capacity so no issues with overheating at all

[@SheepThatBleep]

Rotate the cooling fins on the charger 90 degrees. For better cooling.

[@IronX77]

Could you add some cooling vents for the battery?

[@GaiusGarage]

I could but this pack is not particularly stressed by the load so cooling is not necessary so far