State to Date

The current state of my project:
I now own a 2006 Lifan 150-25.
I have roughly 97% of the original motorcycle. The missing 3% is the camshaft and piston from the internal combustion engine (I.C.E). I purchased the bike and after 5 months, have resolved ownership issues which I should have verified before purchasing the vehicle in the first place.

Lesson #1: Never purchase any vehicle in any condition without being provided an accurate title of ownership.

Where I began:
In an EV conversion, the batteries play a huge role in the ultimate performance of the vehicle. The motor and motor controller do the application and processing of power, of course, but how that power is provided is pivotal.

This is where I started with my research. After looking at the types of batteries others used and their price tags, I purchased a battery from the local Interstate Battery store/warehouse. It was a PowerPatrol 1116 Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) maintenance free battery. I had run some numbers on a spreadsheet and figured that these batteries could probably get me to and from work alright. I used the battery for planning how I might fit several on the bike chassis, and to verify their size, weight, cost, etc.

The eVFR:
During my research I had stumbled several times, upon the eVFR, Travis Gintz's converted motorcycle. In his photo gallery, I found an image of batteries, exactly like the P.P. SLA1116 I had purchased, and I got excited. I figured I'd done my homework and chosen on my first try, a battery that would get the job done. I emailed Travis about the performance of those batteries and he provided me with important feedback about them. Even considering the batteries he used were not purchased new, he still encouraged me to look at other options. Six of those 17 or 18Ah batteries were probably not going to be up to the job, and Travis mentioned how much of a pain it was to wire all 12 together in pairs. He recomended I find batteries with at least a 20 hour rating of 25 Amp-Hours.

The Gambermoto 1:
I later contacted Tim Gamber and asked similar questions about his 35 Amp-Hour PowerPatrol batteries. Once again, I recieved priceless feedback. Tim told me that even though his batteries may not have been properly balanced early on and he tended to be rough on them in terms of voltage sag during acceleration, they had worn well. This was encouraging, so I started looking at those type and size batteries myself.

Another battery:
Today, I purchased a battery from my local Interstate Batteries warehouse.
It's a DCM0035. That is to say, Deep Cycle Mobility, 12 V, 35 Ah, Sealed Lead Acid. This battery or model never showed up in any of my extensive searches on the internet for 35 Amp-Hour deep cycle batteries. The guys at the warehouse called it a wheelchair battery. So far, this battery meets all the requirements I've set for my bike, so it's definitely a candidate.

The only drawback of this battery is it's maximum discharge rating of 175 Amps for 5 seconds. The motor and motor controller I've been looking at are both rated for 300 Amps for around 30 seconds, so in this regard, the DCM0035 would be the limiting factor for the bike's performance. [This information is incorrect, as I've since learned more about how the batteries and controller interact. See my January 2010 posts.]

On the other hand, part of my correspondence with Mr. Gamber suggests that I shouldn't actually need more than what the batteries are rated for. He mentioned that he could rarely pull 200 amps from his batteries when accelerating. One difference between our bikes however, is that he was using an Advanced DC motor. I don't know much about Advanced DC motors, or how they differ from your standard Permanent Magnet DC motor, but it seems possible the "advanced" part of his motor might allow him to pull fewer amps from his pack.

Conclusions:
I'm going to see if there is a similar battery with a higher discharge rating available at the battery store. I should find out whether or not Tim Gamber's reported amperage measurements don't line up with mine mainly because of his motor, or if I can expect similar values, allowing for the differences in our bikes' properties and our estimated driving habits.

Question:
Why is the series-wired battery pack called a Traction pack?
I've heard the term, but never a definition.

-Colby