Beautiful build quality...puts all my stuff to shame, but that's not necessarily hard to do. Agree that SLA pretty much sucks for motive applications, especially something that looks like it could really fly nicely with a good Li ion pack. I use LFP (A123) in my stuff, but even cheap LFP should be a huge improvement over SLA. If you look at my motorcycle thread
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=63163
you'll get a good idea of what kind of improvement you could expect going to Li from SLA. I've experienced this difference (SLA to A123 LFP) on several devices now, and the difference is always about the same in relative terms. (It's important to note here that I'm using 8S for a "24 V" system and 16S for a "48 V" system, giving me nominal voltages of 26.4 and 52.8 respectively. Some of the advantage I gain in this motorcycle scenario comes from the handful of "bonus volts" I get by running 16S. 14S of LFP would be more of a fair fight, but I'm not going to sacrifice performance of my bike to be "fair" :lol: ) For a pack of equivalent capacity I see roughly double the range, far better (and more consistent) acceleration, and about a ~25% increase in top speed. My pack is over 57 Volts when fully charged, but it doesn't stay above 52 very long, and a 48 V controller can usually handle up to 60 Volts. Lots of guys do this, I'm into my third season with the bike now.
Do you really think your bike is too fast at 48 V? My "48 V" motorcycle will go 60 mph (100 kph) and I want it to go freeway speed!
I am seriously envious of your fab skills. Mine are improving, but have a long way to go. I have a Miles ZX40ST truck thread going on ES as well...you can get a good idea of where I'm at with that one. It don't look like your bike by a longshot. Congrats and good luck should you pursue a battery upgrade!