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By appointment only!
Scott MacGregor
Plainville, MA 02762
Phone: (508) 695-3717
Fax: (508) 643-0233
LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE!
A 30+ MPH Custom Electric Motorcycle
You Build from Plans
After admiring El Chopper’s classic styling, you’ll find it a truly pleasant surprise to sit down into the comfortable riding position, grab a handful of throttle (0-30 mph in five seconds), and cruise around town in eerie silence, and with easy handling. The looks alone that you’ll get from kids to yuppies to hard-core bikers will be worth the price of admission! A 40 mile range from El Chopper’s big batteries is an added benefit.
El Chopper combines the latest electric vehicle technology with a totally new approach to lightweight transportation. El Chopper combines rugged off-road bicycle wheels, brakes, and suspension with a high-power electric vehicle motor, controller and inexpensive, readily available batteries to achieve a very long-range, high-performance, 30-mph-class machine. El Chopper is designed to accommodate Harley-Davidson seats, tanks, and other accessories to personalize your machine with off-the-shelf parts. The unique, single-shock rear suspension, Harley seat, and off-the-shelf front forks provide pure comfort for around-town cruising. An assortment of battery, gearing, and cargo-carrying options are possible to adjust to your individual needs.
This class of vehicle typically does not require a motorcycle drivers license, and is easy to register, insure, and ride (check your local state regulations).
El Chopper’s design evolved from several generations of electric scooter
predecessors that were tested and improved through extensive electric vehicle
racing.
Technical information is included in this Builder's Guide to give the reader a sense of why El Chopper was built the way it was, and how to customize El Chopper for a variety of uses. An introduction to vehicle dynamics and electric vehicle technology is also included, so that the reader will have a basic understanding of electric vehicles, and how to apply electric vehicle components.
Building El Chopper is primarily a frame building and assembly project. If you have done simple steel welding, you’ll find that the frame is very easy to build using materials from your local hardware store. If you do not have welding skills or access to welding equipment, you can have the frame built by taking the frame drawings and Builder’s Guide to a local welding shop.
Most of the components for El Chopper are available at local hardware, discount, auto, and bicycle stores, and your local Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealer. The motor, controller, throttle, chain, and sprockets are available from mail-order/web electric vehicle component suppliers and go-cart suppliers.
The design accommodates a variety of motor, controller, and battery options. Sources for hard-to-find and critical parts are listed in the Vendor List section of the plans.
Harley-Davidson parts may be purchased from your local H-D dealer or after-market parts dealers. Many of these parts (tanks, seats, pegs, mirrors, etc.) will bolt right onto El Chopper.
In addition to zero local pollution (ozone, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulate) from riding El Chopper, the cost of electricity per mile to power El Chopper is about one-third the cost of riding an equivalent gasoline-powered scooter. Also, the maintenance on El Chopper consists of periodically filling battery water and adjusting the chain!
Electric bicycles are useful and efficient, but are short on speed and range. There are many electric scooters and moped two-wheelers out there, but most 30-mph electric scooters and mopeds have low performance, short range, and they look like scooters. El Chopper now provides a superior performing electric in the 30-mph licensing class with the look of a $30,000 custom Harley. You can build El Chopper in your garage for about $1,000!
El Chopper has a unique single-shock rear suspension design that, along with a standard mountain bike front fork, provides a comfortable around-town ride. The single-shock rear suspension incorporates a mountain bike’s rear shock, spring, and pivot bushings to keep the parts cost down by using off-the-shelf components.
El Chopper’s low saddle height (23") and adjustable foot peg position accommodate riders from 4’9" to 6’7" tall.
|
Specifications |
|
| Length | 89 inches |
| Width | 17 inches |
| Height | 36 inches |
| Wheelbase | 62.5 inches |
| Power (continuous) | 1 to 1.6 HP (depends on motor and controller) |
| Power (peak) | 3.5 to 5.1 HP (depends on motor and controller) |
| Weight (w/o batteries) | 85 pounds |
| Weight (w/long range batteries) | 220 pounds |
| Front wheel | 26 inches |
| Rear wheel | 20 inches |
NOTE: Books and plans are not refundable items.
Plans ($39.95) LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE!
Plans are provided in a 67-page, 8 ½ X 11- inch, photo-illustrated manual. CAD drawings are provided in both 2D dimensioned layout drawings and 3D perspectives to give you a complete view of what you are building. Many detailed photos and CAD sequences show a step-by-step build-up of the welded steel frame and the assembly of all the parts to make a complete motorcycle.