Ready to ride? I propose to help you to make your electric bike with a classic bike. Then to go up more in the green transport, i will show you how to make a solar charger for your bike or your scooter.

I have made this project in January 2016, currently i have ride for more than 10 000 Km. For maintenace i have just  do the normal mainteance (tire, brake,..). If i compare with a car i am amortazing the cost  after 5000 km of ride. I have ride only with solar charger.

The daily practice is a good training for the healthy during and after. Don't lose your time during the job transport, improve your pleasure and your healthy.

In first time i am going to talk about how to make your electrical bike, after we will look for to install a solar charger.

Summary

1-Make a electric bike

2-Make a solar charger

3-More

1-Make a electric bike 

Chose the bike:

To make your electric bike, you need a solid bike, for mine i have used a old bike that costed 400 €, and it had ride lot of. I had to change the wheels after 2000 Km after of use with engine.

I advice to you to use a good base, the second-hand market is very active, you will able to find  a high-end bike for the price of a mid-range bike. The number of trays is not important because you will note use it ( for the motor that i propose). Plan a speed cassette with great amplitude, i choiced 11-34, the engine will help you. Don't choice more than eight speeds, like this you will able to use a strong belt.

In summury the electric bike will have to support efforts like if it was using by a hight level sporter, prefer a quality bike.

Choice engine:

There are two choices of engine, the wheel engine or the pedal engine. The second  choice is ofen more expensive, but i advice strongly it. It allows to keep a good bike balance and allows to participate better at the effort (or not). The third advantage is that the engine is help by the speeds of the elecric bike, that allows to climb the difficult odds. With this kind of engine you keep your wheels and the maintenance is easier. 

I would to make a legal bike, for this i choiced a Bafang engine BBS01 8FUN 250W 36 Volts. The electronic driver is inclued in the engine, that allow a beautiful and easy integration.

It had a good press and  it is possible to change the settings. After three years of use i am already satisfied.

Choice battery:

There are several types of models., bike gourd or back luggage rack. The type gourd conserves a better balance of the byke, but the luggage rack is more discret. It is a personnal choice, city bike or mountain bike.

The have to include a BMS controler to protec the cells. The voltage will be the same as that the engine, 36 V for my bike. its capacity will determine its autonomy. For my electric bike i have bought a battery of 15 AH, i can do 75 KM with a strong assist. More the capacity is great, less you need to charge it and more the  lifetime increase.

Note: If you chose a great power engine, it is better to work with high voltage, this decrease the intensity. You have to verify if the battery support the current used.

Bike Assembly :

For this step, follow i attach the documentation of builder Bafang. It is a freindly documentation.

Documentation moteur Bafang

Youtube can help you too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngau7WNtLA

I attach also a little software with witch change the settings. Be careful if you change setting, you lose waranty and the approval.

Logiciel de reprogrammation

Pour plus d'information: https://cyclurba.fr/velo/765/Bafang-BBS01-BBS02-reprogrammation.html

 2-Make a solar charger:

The solar panel:

The main types of panels are the monocrystalline solar panel and the polycrystalline solar panel. The monocrystallines are more efficient but they are more expensives and the énergy cost to make it is more important. I have chosen a polycristaline solar panel of 250 Watts, the solar is cheap you have to count about 1 € per watt. I ride 50 km per day, adjust your panel for your need.   ;-)

The battery pack:

These are stationnary batteries charge by the solar panel. Their capacity is bigger than bike battery, it allows to charge the bike at night or when the weather is cloudly. You need to use traction battery or solar battery, they can accept a deep discharge. I have choiced  two batteries 12 volts 110 HA free maintenance. They can stock 2640 WH of energy (about 2 sun days), the bike battery can stock about 540 WH. Il can charge at least 4X the electric bike. In fact i don't know, because i never discharge completly the stationnary battery. The capacity of the batterie decrease when the weather is cold, protect them of cold. Be careful when the battery is in charge, there is hydrogen create, this is an explosive gas, it is necessary to install the pack in a place ventilated. It is possible to found batteries watertight.

The fuses:

This part is really important, the battery can stock a lot energies and that can be dangerous. A overload or a court-circuit can creat a fire or do explode the batteries. You need to protect your intallation with fuses. For this i have used fuses holder car, with i can protect several 24 V circuits .

The support of the solar panel

I have made a support with a profiled tube 60x30 mm thickness 3mm. It fixes itself on a wall. I can adjust the angle of the panel with a cable, i advice 25° in summer and 35° in winter. 

The battery  charger:

I have found it on Amazon, its max output is 20 Amp. It works well with floating mode.  Think to adjust your fuse. The main output is not regulate, this is the same voltage of the batteries . it has also two usb charge output and two 12 volts regulate output. Its wiring is easy, just you do not interconnect the grounds, the regulation is made by the grounds.

The charger battery bike:

Here is the last device that you need. This is a boost MPPT charger, it is able to provide until 70 volts. You could to set it for your need, it is able to provide 600W. To charge my battery i have setted it at 42 V 2.5 Amp, It regulate the courant until get 42 V. If you don't know how to adjust it, follow the same setting than the charger delivery with your battery. 

3-More:

External light:

Finally my installation is bigger that my need. To optimise it, i have had external light connected on motion detectors. I have use 24V LED projectors and 24v motion detectors, it is really practical and efficient . The result: