My latest

[wesnewell]

Switched from a hardtail with pack in triangle to a FS Mongoose Ledge 2.1. Having almost no triangle space presented a little problem for battery pack placement, but with an old aluminum yard sign, jigsaw, vice, and some double back tape it came out working ok.

 

[e-beach]

How is the FS working out?

 

[wesnewell]

This one is working real good. I don't even come close to bottoming it out. Got the bike on sale black Friday for only $99. Love the new DH39 front wheel. Got another one on the way just for the rim to put on the rear hub motor.

 

[dogman dan]

It's a bit hard to see what you did from those pics. I'd like to see more, that really shows what you did with the battery box.

I think it's pretty important for those of us that write a lot, to show how we did it right. Protecting Hobby King batteries from crash, or bike tip over damage is really important.

 

[Alan B]

Pics are small and/or cluttered, can't really see what's going on.

 

[wesnewell]

I started with an aluminum for sale yard sign and using a jigsaw with a fine toothed blade cut it to 10.75"x17.5". Marked center and then bent it around the top tube of the bike. Using a vise (don't have a sheet metal brake) bent up the bottom of each side to form an upside down U with 1.75" wings at 90 degrees at the bottom for the batteries to rest on. Batteries are taped together using packing tape. Then applied 3 2" wide strips of double back tape the length of battery holder on both sides. Set batteries in place on both sides and then used additional packing tape around the pack and fabbed battery box. There are 6 4S hardcase packs on each side for 24s2p at 100.8V charged. I don't feel the need for any more protection, but could put a metal or corrugated plastic covering on each side if one desired. The whole object of this is easy removal of the whole pack in no more than 10 seconds. I made 2 special bance cables that takes 3 4s balance plugs and tuns them into 2 6s plugs so I can break the middle connection on each side and charge the whole pack as 12s4p. The batteries are paralleled using 6 4Sx2 balance cables which plug into the 6s adapter cables. Lots of balance wiring, but it folds up on top of pack. I don't care much about pretty, but could have a top covering easy to cover it all up. But just more crap to deal with and I don't ride in the rain or snow. If you look closely at the top, you make make out part of the old sign. Click for full size image.

 

[docnjoj]

That is a neat workman like job, Wes. Does anyone ever comment on the batteries hanging off the sides. In my town we go for stealth so as not to wake the sleeping dogs! We cover up everything.
otherDoc

 

[shock]

Not too shabby for a "get me on the road now!" build, needs an enclosure though, IMO. All the exposed wiring looks unfinished.

That looks like a pretty small frame also>?

 

[dogman dan]

Not really, what I couldn't see before was that they are hardcase packs. So as long as they are securely fastened, it's good.