Recent content by kbarrett

It is also possible to use some complex tricks with individual motor wires and capacitors to demag individual magnets and turn the energy into current. Several supposed perpetual motion gadgets on youtube abuse this ... the video makers never want to talk about how the motors they abused...

You can also use a hammer strike to magnetize ... it's an old trick. Point a two foot metal rod at magnetic north, and hit the south end repeatedly with a big hammer. After several minutes of this, a lot of the atoms in the rod will re-arrange themselves in N-S order, and the rod will now pick...

The oil probably helps prevent atmospheric Oxygen from getting at the batteries. Drowning in diesel fuel is the proper way to put out light metal ( Sodium, Lithium, Magnesium ) fires. Water just makes them burn faster ( the metal can actually rob Oxygen from H2O when burning ). The resulting...

Ride naked. No problem.

Every group has its percentage of a-holes ... bicyclists are no exception. Just point and larf at them.

Nope ... that's just so 19th Century ... Seriously, they can't protect you. They can only, at best, arrest the guilty afterwards. I'm going to drop out of this one, as it is starting to veer out of e-bike territory fast.

Being unusual gets you attention. Cops, when you get their attention, think "Is he breaking a law or causing trouble?" It's their job to do that.

People were cutting you slack as a gaijin ... they will do that, to a point. Talk to a long term resident. If you aren't part of the group ( and there are all sorts of groups ), you are nothing. If you want to be part of the group, you have to conform. A foriegner gets cut some slack, the same...

It's just Japan. The nail that sticks up will be hammered down and made to conform. E-bikes are unusual, so ...

You can get a wheeled brushed motor, controller, and thumb throttle for about $325 or so here: http://www.werelectrified.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=25 There are a bunch of other vendors as well, like Justin at ebikes.ca, etc. ...

A bit more noise, yes. A controller on a brushed motor allows you to gradually add power with a thumb or a twist throttle. Replacing it with a simple knife switch means you have two speeds: Off and full steam ahead. Wiring the batteries to 36V means connecting all three in a string, POS to NEG...

Crystalite 408, either front or rear hub ( your option ) and a 36V pedalec controller ( avoid immediate start, if the hall sensors go, you are screwed ). Or get even simpler and do a DC brushed Clyte ( controller optional, you can fake it with a large knife switch ... be sure to hold on ). DC...

It's Japan. Blaming the group for a bad act by an individual is a cultural norm there. It would be unthinkable for them not to. The reason for the 100% conviction rate is that once you get arrested in Japan, you are screwed ... people assume you are a criminal, you can no longer get a good job...

The lower the better. Putting one heavy battery in a panier is better then putting it on the rack, even if it is unbalanced.

Some of the more spendy house light switches do use mercury capsules to do the switching ... mercury doesn't erode from sparks. This would make them unsuitable for use on anything that moves about. One good bump, or a steep turn will cause them to switch on or off. Try a cheaper switch. Test...