2012 Summary

I haven't updated anyone about the bike in a very long time. I'd like to do so, briefly. The two main things I'd like to document are some recent aesthetic enhancements and a new charging system.

My motivation for some of these changes is related to an upcoming opportunity for displaying the bike. My employer will likely be hosting a grand opening for our new office in early 2013. This office has just been constructed and incorporates many energy efficient and environment friendly features. One such feature is the electric vehicle charging station. I think I'm the only employee with a battery-electric vehicle, so I'm hoping to make good use of the parking spot and convenient charging. I'd be proud to have the bike present at the grand opening and I'd like it to look its best.

Since I posted a picture of the bike last, I've had the wheels and gas tank powder-coated white. I've also touched up some of the chassis in black. Those are the new primary colors. The tank seems to have changed shape a bit due to the powder coating process (it has no bottom and I suspect the curing oven caused the change). I'll have to make some adjustments and do some re-assembly before posting an updated picture.

The charging system is being swapped out while the bike is partially torn down for painting. The two 36 volt chargers originally installed worked alright over the past few years. However, I feel I have learned part of the answer to a question I had when originally trying to understand and purchase chargers. That question was, "Does it matter whether I go for many individual chargers, one huge charger, or slice the battery-pack into multiple, smaller battery banks?" I eventually decided to slice my six battery pack into two banks of three and purchase two 36 volt chargers. In principle, it adds up just fine. In practice, the primary issues with that approach is how unbalanced the pack can become.

The pack becoming unbalanced over time seems unavoidable now. As an example, I think my PakTrakr taps the first battery alone, which I now consider poor design. I hope they have changed it since then or that I am somehow mistaken about it only drawing from the first battery. Even that tiny draw (in my situation) just further unbalanced the first battery from the rest of the pack. I installed a small on/off switch for my PakTrakr and the first battery was immediately more in-line with the others.

I'm moving to six individual chargers. I'm sure I could have gone the other way and moved toward a single charger as part of a battery management system, which may just be a fancy (and justified) version of using individual chargers. However, that seems like good territory for a second build given the expense and research required. In the mean time, using individual chargers is a pretty cost effective and simple solution for the bike and should give me optimal charging.

I'm hoping to use the bike for routine commuting in the new year, in line with its original purpose. Despite the winter season, I hope to have it looking and running well soon.
-Colby