WORLD’S FIRST Electric Shifter Kart With a 6 Speed Gearbox

In this video we are building another electric dirt bike, this time we are modifying the dirt bike engine and installing the electric motor into the engine so therefore we can still have the 6 speed transmission and clutch.
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[@TechKnowCSS]

I think this was your first, FIRST test run that had ZERO failures or breakdowns AND the longest.

[@davidfrank6666]

"zero" emissions?.

[@CheeseMeat_]

@@davidfrank6666 He said nothing about emissions

[@rogeryoung2567]

@@davidfrank6666 it has emissions ,you're just not observing them directly when it is operated . think about all the emissions from manufacturing all the components and producing the electricity that charges the batter. it 100% has emissions!

[@jok3yjesu339]

Man you do electric builds so much different than everyone else I love it. I particularly love how you made it work to still have a gearbox that you can shift. Adds some of that raw feeling back to it which you really need without the engine noises. Honestly I feel like if you made the design a little better you could sell them

[@CaseyBDook]

This is old school. This is how it was done in the 80s with actual cars. 40 years later it's still epic. Electric vehicles have come a long way, but this kind of ingenuity is still necessary. White zombie is a drag racer that got rubber in all five gears. Electric drive. Datsun 510. From chat gpt because I am lazy AF. The White Zombie is a modified 1972 Datsun 1200 electric drag racing car that gained fame for its impressive performance. It was converted to electric power by John Wayland and became known for its incredible acceleration and speed. The White Zombie helped to popularize electric vehicles in drag racing circles and demonstrated the potential of electric power in high-performance applications.

[@therealcmplx]

Ok bro....as a legit kart racer I have to say...kudos on this build. I want to see this up against a KZ2 on a sorted chassis. Well done sir!

[@jeremykastrup6907]

I am a little angry I sold my 420/amr300 kart , just fuel and noise. This is way cooler

[@gokartbob6478]

I second that .👍😎🏁

[@kevinsellsit5584]

I agree! It looks like this thing would truly shine on a track with major elevation changes (like 1000 feet). You could always go to an overdrive ratio on the final drive. Make sure your ramp up rate is maxed out on the controller.

[@REDAMISS]

😅😅

[@eriklarson9137]

Legit as in actually do it? So videos would be really hard to make and upload??

[@oze-bikes4life663]

I think that driveline whine really adds to the feel & experience of that E-Kart (even if unintentional) it sounds awesome when shifting. "Champagne experience on a beer budget" as a result of your exceptional maching, problem solving & welding skills. Well Done 👌

[@Goatee_yay]

My manual DR650 ev conversion has that slop in the dogs too. The rubber cush drive helps alot. BUT the best thing to do was adjust the controller's rpm (speed) PID loop to limit the rate at which the motor rpm can ramp up. This will only slow acceleration if you go too far. Finding the point right before that is a sweet spot for not slamming the dogs or limiting accel. You can also tune the current (torque) PID loop. I'm actually working on putting an encoder on my shift drum so I can have gear specific PIDs, no lift shift, etc.

[@Yellow_Hammer]

Most underrated fabrication channel on the Tube.

[@RoamMeYo]

zero doubt

[@stevesayler1920]

was that 60 mph on a go-cart? Or 70?

[@willierule3744]

You know I was watching something you filmed 2016 and Man let me tell you you have come so freaking far just want to give props where it’s deserved and you are so good at what you do these days. Good job.

[@WireWeHere]

A cushioned rear hub might help with some programming of the ramp if it is or can be made available. Another thought option to test is setting an idle speed for the electric motor to force using the clutch as intended. A bonus being it shouldn't be prone to stalling.

[@MK2Scirocco]

I guess your neighbor won't get mad about this one 🤣

[@djmjr77]

I'm sure they will find something to complain about 😂

[@memkev101]

U Bet

[@kanartech]

Yeah, so real😅

[@ianellithorpe5918]

Who cares if he is?

[@laymanengineer7502]

Yeah that guy is a jerk. He would complain no matter what.

[@gokartbob6478]

The only thing that beats this build... Is Chris's laugh when driving it 😅😂🤣 🏁😎👍

[@markmcintosh3255]

Peewee hermon of 2024

[@michi_danksta]

Very cool build. I still think you need to send those cases off to have sand mold made. Its sellable

[@javuls]

this right here, this needs to be done!! I want one

[@bryandickerson5365]

Really glad I found this - electric + shifting is what I’m talking about! I’m inspired to follow your lead at my first opportunity. Thanks!

[@jamesfmforce6790]

Half circle thing you're unsure of is Transmission vent/overflow it's a rubber grommet and a hose on the bike. Since the Transmission oil warms up it must be vented so to not create transmission case pressure.

[@alexmigneault]

Normally the trans case has a vent tube. I guess they don't install it when you get it in a kit.

[@aarongrabowski3775]

Chris you have become one of my favorite channel’s. You do really good work and you always think outside of the box. Anyone else that has done a build like you do knows just how much thought you have to put into your projects in order to have them finished and working properly. Thx. Keep up the great work.

[@jlucasound]

When I saw the thumbnail I thought I was going senile! Did I miss something?!! When you told us about it in the video, I was relieved. Great idea, though and we (and you) get to see this motor on the kart _and_ in the RM!! Win/Win!! 😁🥰👍😎

[@brsrc759]

It's got a satisfying sound banging through the gears! It's twisting my brain not hearing an engine but still hearing the shifts. I think it might be a sound none of us have ever heard before. Not only did you build one badass electric transmission setup. But you also created a new sound 😂. Can't wait to find out what the top speed is. Bravo bro! Amazing build!

[@danw1955]

Very cool stuff Chris! I think you can probably program your controller to ramp in power more gradually to get rid on that drive train thump. The fact that you can flat-shift it through the gears is pretty awesome. It looks like it moves right along in 6th gear, so probably if you had a second battery pack and upped the voltage a bit, you'd have a real ripper. Glad to see all your gearing and the trans work as intended. That was a LOT of machining and welding to get where you are now.😄👍👍👍

[@luckys9249]

That throttle is the symbol of this channel 😂

[@davestevens4263]

Man if it works its not dumb. !! 💯 % correct ....

[@bustinyanutz4195]

Jerry rigging or what you guys call it in the south bigger rigging

[@victorSarramalho]

Like the glue used for the oil leak.

[@ericpetry7525]

Chris, I learned a lot from you. I've been there with your triumphs to your disappointing experiences. I will continue to be. Keep up the great content. Thanks

[@BradleyBellwether-oy2qi]

I'm not exactly captain safety, and in fact, safety is usually 3rd in my shop. But I would absolutely invest a piece of sheet metal and 20 minutes into fabbing up a chain guard. Lol

[@Mr.Phoreskin]

2 guards I believe in when it comes to moving stuff, chain guards and grinder guards. Both are common for dudes to encounter and failure can be catastrophic. Just takes getting stung by a wasp and torquing a cut disc to send a piece into your mid section. Chains are just nasty when they fail period, without a guard.

[@1BigDaDo]

Did you see the size of that chain it's not going to break...

[@BradleyBellwether-oy2qi]

@1BigDaDo You understand nothing about engineering. That chain is held together with links that are stamped out of sheet steel about 1 mm thick. Motorcycle chains do fail.

[@phillipcarlson7860]

Again, not worried about the car doing 60mph coming around the corner, worried about the chain??

[@BradleyBellwether-oy2qi]

​@phillipcarlson7860 1. You started your comment with "again", when you never said anything in the first place. 🤣🤣🤣 2. Who in this thread even condoned driving this in the street? You're either a moron or a troll. Regardless, the way you entered this thread, I already don't care what you have to say.

[@zaccheus]

I'm glad to see this video doing this well. You've earned it with all of the hard work you've out into this channel.

[@BrookyGSA]

When you take the helmet off and your grinning like that, it's fast enough, that looks awesome, can't wait to see it in the dirt bike!!

[@ABCustoms]

I think he doesn't have the right controller for the qs138. With a Votol EM260 this engine can deliver 40 hp. so there is still a lot to gain!

[@rowannadon7668]

Yeah he needs a more powerful controller and battery to really push that motor

[@EMMX39]

I think the "unknown" hole at the top is supposed to be a breather-hole (to compensate for heat-expansion?). Originally there's a rubber "plug" with a rubber hose in it.

[@MotoMackUK]

Amazing work, quite easy to make a "quickshifter" just cutting power from the motor with a sensor on the shift rod, then you don't need to lift the throttle to change gears

[@eljaibas16]

Yeah, and then don't need the clutch too, I'm proud that I can quick shift manually lol (just cutting throttle)

[@dg9bfc]

I did that on my Yamaha for a long time.. only used clutch jn first gear for take-off

[@TheAnthonyBrandi]

Most bad ass electric build I have ever seen. Omg it sounds amazing.

[@Dylan-zj1lz]

With how the gearbox is setup (a standard motorcycle), which is designed not to start from 0 when in gear, the engine is always spinning, maybe if you could have the electric motor have a constant rpm? So when you have let off the throttle, the motor will idle at say 200-500 rpm? Maybe higher if needed, but that way it would force you to use the clutch and allow for a much smoother launch.

[@TheDustyShredder]

Actually, 60 rpm is sufficient for this task. The whole point is to maintain dog gear contact while limiting wasted energy, why use higher rpms when they require more power?

[@DarkAttack14]

A gearbox does not care if you start from 0 RPM or start at a normal Idle RPM.. its effectively an input and output regardless of your starting RPM

[@noname-gp6hk]

​@@DarkAttack14A dogbox has a lot of internal slop on purpose. Yeah the transmission will output power based on the input power, but without a slight load on the dogs there's going to be some lash. If the electric engine had even a low minimum RPM as opposed to 0RPM, then the dogs would be kept in contact and you'd have much smoother takeoff.

[@gregswafford9839]

Absolutely would love to have this set up on a mini bike. Talk about a sweet local commuter ride. Awesome build, I love it.

[@leweyfountain8442]

Using the clutch to pull away would probably help with the jerking

[@liamwatts8597]

Do you know how torquey electric motors are? Goodbye clutch.

[@thatkidwyatt8270]

Could help with the feeling during takeoff, but i think he’s more worried about the gears getting smacked by the jumpy throttle of the motor

[@LemonySnicket-EUC]

A cush drive would help.

[@jimmywhitlow2012]

​@@LemonySnicket-EUCcush helps everything. 😂😅

[@flyingkaratechop]

Best solution will be a programable throttle

[@chriskalomiris4377]

Dude, that's awesome! I say he'll with the dirt bike direction. Keep it on the shifter cart. More fun and more comfortable. Love it. Sounds like a F1 car.

[@cinemoriahFPV]

Bro you knocked it outta the park!! 😁

[@stephenthompson9722]

So awesome. When I was a kid in the late 90s i dreamed of somehow connecting an eletric motor to a bike but keeping thr gears and being able to shift the gears. You have built that concept into a go cart i love it.

[@DarkAttack14]

They do have motor kits for bikes that maintain the gears btw!

[@stephenthompson9722]

@@DarkAttack14 Yeah I was thinking there must be something out there now :)

[@Applesupnorth]

“It’s not stupid if it works” 😂😂🙃

[@mxcollin95]

Story of my life… 😂

[@speedskid4838]

I gotta admit, not really a fan of everything going electric, but this is genuinely cool. The sound as it rows through the gears is crazy. I wanna build one of my own now

[@stroker93]

You're a talented man, love to see this kinda stuff....as a fabricator for many yrs these videos dont do justice to the real time it takes to fab such parts... Its Great to see guys still wanting to fab to go fast... Once again amazing job...

[@isaacsielaff191]

You should really start a company and mass produce these engines, pure genius man.

[@sanelb1147]

I doubt he would like that, he just enjoys his freedom and no responsibility to anyone else. Just doing his own thing

[@Motofred5]

That thing it awesome n you rock having built it. Thanks for taking us along on the build and ride. That looked like more fun that's legal to have. Alls you need now is for someone to build another.

[@ScottReamsMusic]

"I'm trying not to speed and be reckless." *Also banging 6th gear pulls down the road... BASED

[@fire_node2416]

i expected the gears to be basically useless due to the torque and high rpm of an electric motor but its soo cool that it actually revs out in every gear and sounds pretty cool.

[@andrewslagle1974]

Awesome build!

[@steelcityperformancesaws]

Someone will be marketing these as a do it yourself kit very soon. keep your eyes open anyone who can Tig weld. So many options with this. Great design, I’m really impressed with it. Look into patenting it or something along those legal lines. First I’ve seen of this style, Incorporating a standard 5/6 speed gear box from a MX/ATV bike this is genius. I do the opposite by cutting the trans off the crank case portion to make direct drive hot saw chainsaws

[@benjaminsilvy272]

It.almost sounds like an f1 car with the high pitch whine as ya go through the gears that motor is.sweet

[@SamuelVella1995]

The sound and sensation of shifting is incredible.

[@geoffburrill9850]

Not a fan of JB weld, it can come loose with time especially if what it is stuck to expanses and contracts with temp changes. Your cart looks like a real blast. Great work sir.

[@andrewslagle1974]

Just spool gun mig it up.

[@Bob_Adkins]

@@andrewslagle1974 I would have tapped the hole and installed a screw. But JB Weld works great, never seen it fail.

[@porschetech72901]

marine tech is wayyyyyy more reliable than JBwelds joke of a product

[@davidbudy6256]

Agreed jb weld is temporary

[@jim96r]

I was so happy to see the enjoyment that you were having after all that work!!! Thank you for sharing all of it.👏🤙

[@SwordFighterPKN]

Bigger sprocket on the motor for more speed. If you can program in expo you can limit the instant torque that can break stuff. But with that said really cool build!

[@rogeryoung2567]

up to you if you try this ; use the output of the transmission as the input and direct couple with a spyder ,top gear (6th) becomes first and all the other gears are over drive gears. if you do try this expect the case to break since it wasn't designed to be operated that way. with the amount of torque that electric vehicles have this would be the only point of having a gear box imo ,the torque of electric vehicles is why most peeps are direct driving them with out gear boxes ,they simply dont need gear reduction to get them up to 1:1 speed. the only advantage i see in having a reduction is lower amp draw for longer battery life per run. something else to consider that i dont see anyone else doing is a 2nd battery pack for the return home when the primary dies. enjoyed your video +1 sub

[@johnnymac1976]

CHAIN GUARD !!!!

[@nickbowker5134]

Why

[@erik120719]

​@@nickbowker5134chain directly behind your head with a electric motor putting a bunch more torque than a gas engine has to a chain designed for a gas engine....that's why. Pop,slap, and that's your end

[@RoamMeYo]

@@nickbowker5134 safety first.. its better to feel bad about a snapped chain, than a ruptured arm/body

[@1BigDaDo]

That chain could pick up a half ton truck what are you talking about...

[@phillipcarlson7860]

@johnny, your not worried about him getting hit by a car?

[@hwperformance1409]

Thats what i think of from the Beginning of this E Motor Boom...if you look on the Power Curve of any Electric motor, you must have a Transmission to keep it in the sweet Spot, where the Benefits are at highest - in terms of Consumption and Efficency. Battery Live can be easily increased by driving these Things in the right rpm window (just like we did with ICE;) Good Job

[@calvarybuilders5689]

The Motorcycle Company Zero has no transmissions on their bikes. when I read the article about the KTM and the Zero going head-to-head they were all scratching their heads that KTM even has a transmission.

[@murdersevenfold2]

Now we need to see some kool collab w grind hard

[@jimbagle.3939]

Bro, him and Ethan on the same build? 👌

[@GregoryE.Bolton]

I agree you guys could come up with something really f#cken badass!!! Really cool shifter cart as well!!! I really dig it ,it kinda sounds like a twerked out F 1 car !!! Sweet super high revving !!!!

[@musicauthority674]

That thing is bad-ass, it had to be doing about sixty miles an hour. HELL YEAH I definitely like it. I have to say It looks like an absolute blast for sure. it has a close ratio gear box, it reminds me of a Formula one car when you were shifting it. a person wouldn't want to make any fast inputs into the steering at speed? they would be facing back in the direction they came from faster than the blink of an eye.

[@davessparetime83]

You should have put the other smaller sprocket on the axle too incase you wanted to try it.

[@jimbagle.3939]

He needs a bigger drive side sprocket.

[@dg9bfc]

at best both.. smaller at the rear and bigger at the front... and maybe he can Programm the controller to higher rpm

[@tjjohnston7920]

The sound of each shift is music to my ears. Love it

[@username-mk8gf]

Nice, with a proper transmission like this, you could get away with a 12v motor and keep it at it's most efficient or powerful rpm band. EV manufacturers don't like using them because of wear (the constant torque is somehow worse than the beating of powerstrokes) but for a motorcycle or go kart, it should be perfect because maintenance is pretty cheap and easy to DIY.

[@Mickbono06]

You have created a mini monster, love your projects dude. Amazing how you create and fabricate everything you need to get the job done. And that thing flies 💯🤙🏻

[@ДобрыйКот-в9е]

Bro, this is very cool! The sound of the working mechanisms is super!Respect!!! 👍

[@reebgogs]

FRIGGIN AWESOME!! p.s. too much air in the tires

[@kylesyx8432]

Price to pay, to be the best! And Special thanks to our sponsor “J B Weld ! Coming thru for us once again ✌️ Enjoyed ur video , looks like a 15 person elevator motor u dropped in the cart.. ❤ bet the engine total weight is close to 80lb

[@aizunomnom8556]

I always love the sound of straight cut gears

[@Emilthehun]

Finally someone did this! Probably the coolest project I've ever seen

[@MRsilverngold]

You are talented & you should focus on brand building,sponsorships,paid advertising & on line merchandise to optimise your financial benefit,im sure with more funds at your disposal would allow you to create even more powerful projects,I think more content of you using the builds once they are completed will be popular with subscribers

[@mxcollin95]

No idea how many hours you put into this project but this is an epic build and you are one hell of a mechanic, machinist and inventor!!! Well done! 🍻

[@kindnuguz]

No matter what anyone says, congrats; this is awesome Well done

[@dubstepTonme]

This build is so awesome, you’re very talented brother. Respect.

[@CalumChan]

The sound it makes when shifting is so good

[@BraxxJuventa]

Pretty fast from the looks of it... Thanks for filming Chris. 😁👍🏼

[@douweschoonderwaldt7898]

Rather JB Welding! Nice fixes

[@waynerogers379]

For a split second as u pull off and go into each gear it kinda sounds like a f1 car sound, can't wait to see it in the bike as I love dirt bikes but looks a lot of fun in the kart

[@NijiflianBustock]

I have an ebike of similar functionality. I found short shifting about halfway up the rpm range is where all the power was. Take a look at VESC if you haven't already. If you can get through the setup process you can get a boat load more torque on the low end and with the foc implementation you can push your highest rpm up (30-50%).

[@clements3715]

So you prooved that automaker could do an electric manual car that could be fun ! It sound a bit like an oversized supercharger, I love it !

[@camaro92026]

This is actually the coolest thing you built so far

[@MB031]

Nice area, looks like North Carolina...great project and so much fun ! Can't wait u put it on that bike.

[@Ratkill9000]

If you could eventually make helical cut gears to swap out with the spur cut gears it could cut down on the sound by a bit, not sure by how much.

[@jacquesb5248]

you had me hooked in the first few seconds!sounds awesome! now add a bit of a dash showing speed battery power maybe gear selection. improve braking! 45mph easy!

[@Noone-zd8lw]

I appreciate your full use of lanes! I’m sure you pay 100% of your road tax so fair game!

[@johnwalker194]

Dummy builds are a fact of life in this game ! At our salvage yard the majority of cars were given up on due to suspected head gaskets ! A lot of the time it was just poor maintenance and we spent hours on cooling systems, I would never use antifreeze/coolant mixture for the first fill as it was bad luck and would always have leaks or issues unless it was plain old water then drain and refill 😂

[@shadowdash3938]

After watching this video I'm inspired enough to build my own but push it to highway speeds.

[@redeye619]

Absolutely love it, looks an absolute blast, and judging by your face at the end it is, the only thing that gets me is the sound of the gears, sounds like a cheap angle grinder, that's straight cut though so it will always be louder than helical, straight cut is much better in torque transfer and don't produce any axial trust so far better suited in this application. Again bloody awesome build

[@stevesayler1920]

This guy is fearless enough, and inclined enough, to go on to making his own eVTOL!

[@sunnyray7819]

A lot of planning and work. Awesome Job Brother!

[@Biketunerfy]

Sounds like you’re riding the accelerator pedal in between shifts. I’ve always wanted to do this, get a powerful electric motor hooked up to a bike gearbox and used it as a road legal get around GoKart. Thats what you should do get it on the road legally. You’ve just done my dream project lol. Amazing, well done 👏👏👏👏

[@matt8341]

Cant wait to see this in a dirt bike frame! If you want to get a little more speed and power out of it now on the kart id say add an extra tooth or two to the sprocket on axle of the kart and up the battery voltage to 96v. It sounds like the motor is struggling in the highest gears and this would help out a lot

[@terminalpsychosis8022]

Seeing the whole motor / transmission dis-reassembly was fun for us. We got the timelapse! Good troubleshooting. You need a speed controller you can feather. Trippy how electric makes so much torque so low. Awesome project, even with the setbacks. Camera angle needs to at least have the horizon at top of screen. Hard to watch looking at the ground, with no horizon in front.

[@Semparo]

Throwin that time-lapse in was a great idea! xD You know most of us here would watch you throw that stuff together hundreds of times!

[@nothingtoseehere4026]

Reconciling my visual and butt calibration, I want to say he was doing 60-70mph on that closed course.

[@foxwolfworkshed5080]

Dude, your projects are so amazing, I legit wish I had the abilities you had to be able to make some of these You've honestly inspired some of my own projects, and I hope theyre as fun as your projects seem to be! Absolutely love your content, keep it going man!

[@kizzmiaz]

You wouldn't get 100 yards on the road in the UK without some busybody calling the cops and when they arrive you'll definitely have some explaining to do. Out of interest is that legal in the US? Looks awesome as always!

[@LemonySnicket-EUC]

No it's not legal here.

[@jon7371]

Anyone else now want to make an electric shifter cart as well..... Love the vids

[@keju1109]

23:03 the tires are stretching but a good stretch

[@woofernl]

I smile from ear to ear hearing you laugh while driving👌🏼

[@Hnkka]

FINALLY, i love this thing. I love the whine like in dogbox transmission on a rally car

[@honda2363]

This was really cool! I think that a very slightly lower gearing would give 1st - 3rd a bit more grunt and allow 6th to pull better, but what do I know? I'm just watching, not wrenching. lol Also, the drive line backlash is from not requiring the clutch to take off from a stop. In other words, I think you kind of need to use the clutch to "pre-load the drive line" if that makes sense. I would think that should help with setting off w/out the clashing. Awesome video!

[@louischeney]

Nice work am loving your build You need to put this into production I can see this on many applications ATV’S and golf carts for sure

[@dipe277]

You always amaze me with your talent and know-how. But the heat gun on the epoxy is something even I can use

[@Ladder7]

Every time you stop my brain think the engine died. Super cool. Good luck my friend.

[@weldeddaydreams]

Excellent work sir. You really do live in the land of the free. Try that in an Australian suburb, you'll get arrested, tazed, brutalised, shot and imprisoned, in no particular order.

[@philuresky2993]

use the clutch man haha, seriously you have a clutch to smooth the take off and power delivery out.you can always add teeth to your primary sprocket for more speed. love your stuff mate.

[@boltonky]

Great build you really have come a long way since i started watching you...still no chain guard is sketchy good way to loose an arm. I did a few electric builds years ago and tech has changed but always found most gearboxes really aren't up-to the extreme RPM's some of the motors can put out (saying that some of the early 90's sport bikes etc that rev to 20k rpm can be a good solution and with some engineering you can put the motor where the pistons etc were to drive them and have insane speeds - always remember safety tho)

[@michaelfila2796]

I thought this video would have had a roll back burnout in front of the shed door for sure! Nice work

[@ShaunHensley]

Well made young man! This was my favorite yet