Doug's EVs, some background
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My first EV project was a 1980 Kawasaki 250 converted to electric over the winter of 2001-2002, using an E-tek motor. Due to extensive use of plastic from cut-up Rubbermaid Roughneck storage containers, it was nicknamed "The Rubberneck" on its EV Album posting. By the spring of 2002 I was experimenting with building a compact generator to make this in to a hybrid (my first "plug-in hybrid"!). This led me to an association with eCycle, starting from using their compact and efficient MG series brushless DC motors to make a DC generator at the battery pack voltage. By June this hybrid EV motorbike existed no more, put back to its original gasoline configuration. Why? I had advised the SAAQ (DMV of Quebec province) that I had converted the bike to electric. They responded that I must get it inspected. I would soon bring a Skoda electric car I had bought in Ontario, in for inspection at the same place (required as being an out-of-province used vehicle) and I was concerned that some home-made aspects of the bike, (like the brake pedal made of bent threaded rod, to make room for a battery, and a frying pan used as a chain guard), would cause the inspector to be leery of me and the Skoda car and give me a hard time. Also, since I had recently bought a Honda 400 in order to convert it to a better electric motorcycle, I decided to end the short but fun life of the Rubberneck electic.
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