[SpaceKaseJase]

I am very excited to share my second project (wip) with the community. As a result of the invaluable help from people in this group, my first project was a success. I took a Razor E300s that someone threw away and upgraded it to an 800w, 36v scooter that went about 18 mph. I really had fun cleaning it up, upgrading it, and changing the look (see pic). Unfortunately, the escooter bug bit me hard, and I wanted something faster.

For my second project, I originally wanted to upgrade a Bladez XTR 450 (see pic). I procured 3 of them (in pretty bad shape) for around $60 on Craigslist. Decided to clean a couple of them up before deciding what to do.

I was thinking of overvolting the existing motor using lithium batteries, but after testing the 24v motor with 36v sla's, it overheated too much. After receiving some advice from zen_racer I decided to go with a Boma bldc 1500w motor. He also suggested I get a Kelly controller or Golden Motor controller. Rhyoo suggested I go with two Multistar 16000mah 6s lipos.

After purchasing the batteries and motor, I realized the Boma was going to be a pita to mount to the frame, and the lipos were too big for the battery box. Not only that, but I felt this thing was going to be pretty fast and powerful, so having only one brake and no suspension was going to be a problem. So I decided to switch strategies and see what other platform I can find that was more robust for my system. I found a Super 1000w scooter used on Craigslist for $300. It's the typical Chinese scooter, but it had what I needed: dual disk brakes, dual suspension, plenty of room for my lipos, and a spot for my Boma to drop right in. I figured it was a pretty good deal since it was fully functional and it also had an extra battery pack, so I pulled the trigger.

This is where the real journey begins. I was able to do some side jobs and earn enough money for a full upgrade including motor, lipos, charger and ps, and the controller. I have already begun my project, but I thought I'd take some time and periodically post updates so others who want to do a similar project can learn from my experience. Everything I've learned so far has come from hundreds of hours of research over a couple years. I hope others can find this thread both enjoyable and edifying.

Here are the main specs:

Super 1000 watt electric scooter 36v frame (dual disk brakes, front/rear suspension)
48v, 1500w, 4300 rpm Boma brushless inrunner motor (rpm's for Boma motors are often overstated, so taken with a grain of salt)
Kelly brushless KBS48121X mini controller
Two Multistar 6s lipo batteries (12c) wired in series for 12s (44.4v min.)

[SpaceKaseJase]

Here is a pic of my "spread". Still waiting for a few more parts to come in the mail. The first thing I had to do for my project was empty the chassis of the original SLA batteries and take out the 1000w brushed motor. What you are seeing is the empty scooter chassis, the bldc motor, an iCharger 206B, power supply, paraboard, my two lipos, two lipo buzzers, some 10 awg wire, XT90 plugs, and the Kelly KBS48121X controller.

[SpaceKaseJase]

The next thing I did was start to wire the Kelly controller. I decided to begin with the hall wire plug from the motor. Seems simple so far. Connected the ground wires (black on both ends) and 5v wires (red from motor to purple from controller). Now the hall sensor wires (blue, yellow, green) were the same color for both ends, so I matched the colors... for now. I understand that the hall signal wire and the motor phase wire combinations are a bit nebulous, so for now I start by matching the three colors of the signal and phase wires from the controller to the motor. If motor doesn't start up correctly, I will need to refer to this forum for other combos to try:
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3484

Here is a pic of the plug wiring:


Here it is connected to the Kelly controller:

[SpaceKaseJase]

I purchased my lipos in October. I was advised to put them into storage mode since I have no idea when my scooter will be ready to test. I was nervous since I had never balance charged any lipos before. My first step was to convert the charging cable that connects the lipo to the charger. I had to remove the alligator clips and replace them with an XT90 plug. This was my first try at installing an XT90, and it went very well.



While each lipo was charging, I took my newly-acquired XT90 soldering skills and made my first series harness:

[SpaceKaseJase]

Since the phase wires from the controller and the motor ended in ring connectors, it would make no sense to try to use a bolt and nut to connect them. The ends would be exposed thus risking a short, but using shrink insulation would prevent the ability to easily remove the controller for programming. So I decided to use some HXT plugs. And for the record, getting those plastic sleeves on were a b****!!!

[SpaceKaseJase]

Now that the bullet plugs are installed, it's time to work on the throttle and brake wires in order to connect them to the controller. After lots of back and forth between a rep from Kelly, I think I figured out the wiring for them:


If (and I mean IF) everything works, I will create a simplified diagram of my setup.

[SpaceKaseJase]

Before I wire the key switch, I needed to determine what type of fuse to install between battery positive and the controller. After hours of research (and advice from others) I decided to forego the typical MAXI bladed fuse and go with a mini ANL 100 amp fuse and holder. The rep from Kelly verified that it will work with my setup, and I like the compact size. Picked up the following holder and fuse from my local car audio store:

[SpaceKaseJase]

According to the Kelly diagram, I also needed a 2A fuse between the controller and the key switch that came with the scooter. I found an inline glass fuse holder from an auto parts store, but the wire is so thick! I need to find a way to splice (or plug) in the skinny red wire from the key switch to the giant wire of the fuse holder. My solution (when I get home today) is to replace the thin and thick wires with something like 24 awg wire. It will require some more soldering and customizing of the holder, but I think I can pull it off. If successful, I will wire everything up and see if I can get the key to turn on the entire system, and have the throttle work with the motor. Goal is this weekend.

[SpaceKaseJase]

So here's the dilemma I was working through: the original wires connected to the key switch were then connected to two very thin extension wires that ran down the handlebar shaft into the original controller located in the battery tray. Since I needed to connect an inline 2A fuse to the thin, red wire, the problem was that the fuse holder had wire that was way too thick. I decided to purchase some thicker wire from the hardware store to replace the thin wires, then I spliced the fuse holder into the red side.




I'm no electrician, but I hope the thicker wire doesn't pull more than 2A and blow the fuse. If that happens, I will go back and use the thinner wires. Anyone with expertise is welcome to chime in.

[SpaceKaseJase]

I also have this quirk about keeping the wires from the controller in their original state as much as possible. In order to connect the 100A fuse holder to the battery positive wire coming from the controller, I would have to cut the ring connector off, strip off some insulation, and screw it down into the fuse holder. I wasn't sure how good a connection that would've made, so I bent the connector end of the positive wire in a way that I can use the already connected ring. In order to make the clear plastic cover of the holder fit, however, I used a Dremmel to increase the size of the hole so the bent terminal will still fit. My only hope is that the terminal itself doesn't get too hot and damage the plastic covering.


The other end will be for the 10 AWG red wire to go into from the XT90 plug.

[SpaceKaseJase]

Speaking of keeping controller wires in their original state, I needed to connect the red wire from the key switch to pin 7 of the controller in order to provide power to the controller itself. Since pin 7 is the only wire I needed out of a nest of wires connected to a plug, I decided to remove the pin from the plug and create a makeshift connection between it and the red wire. This would prevent cutting off the original male connector and crimping/soldering on a different connector. The female end with the red plastic ring surrounded by wire shrink was something I got from an old craft kit my kids had when they were little. Kind of pleased with it. If it becomes too flimsy, I'll just use an rc connector.

Next step is to connect the black wire from the key switch to the positive battery wire coming from the controller and placing both wire ends into the positive end of an XT90 plug (and the negative battery wire into the negative end of the plug). Once this is done, I can connect everything up and hope it all works. Again, plans are to do this over the 3-day weekend.

[SpaceKaseJase]

So I wracked my brain trying to figure out the best way to incorporate a watt meter into my scooter in order to see battery info in real-time. That way I can get a feel for how far and fast my batteries will allow me to go. I purchased a GT Power RC watt meter for under $20. The best way to hook it up is to place it between the power source and the controller. However, the best way to get a real-time reading is to find a way to mount it to the handlebars. Unfortunately, that would require four 10-12 awg wires going from the handlebar mounted meter all the way down into the battery box. It would look unsightly, and I also read to keep the power wires as short as possible.

The solution is to create a remote shunt that goes between the battery and controller so the meter can connect to it (via 3-wire cable). After further research, I made the determination that the remote shunt idea will most likely not work the way I want it to. Many have tried this mod with mixed results--the only consistent reading being the voltage. So I made the decision to go with the original installation (meter in the battery box). I just need to periodically open the deck and check the meter.

In order to accomplish this installation, I needed to connect one ignition wire to the positive wire going to the battery:

I then attached an XT90 plug on the "source" side of the meter and HXT bullet connectors to the other side:

[SpaceKaseJase]

The wires coming from the battery (with the one ignition wire connected to positive side) were supposed to be the last piece of the puzzle before connecting everything and turning the scooter on. I didn't know how long to make the wires, so I began packing everything into the battery box to see what kind of room I had. It didn't look pretty. I first needed to drill some holes into the metal barrier that separates the controller from the batteries. This is to attach the controller to the wall preventing it from bouncing around while at the same time creating a heat sink:



It was then I noticed the plugs were connected in a way that bent the wires too much and put unnecessary force on the connectors. The solution was to cut a notch out of the lower, right side of the controller "wall" so the the female plugs from the controller exit one side of the wall, while the power and brake cables (male plug) exit the other side:

Here's what everthing looked like after mounting the controller, but before I connected the last two power wires. The lipo buzzers are attached via velcro:

[SpaceKaseJase]

Now all I needed to do was attach an XT90 plug to the other side of the battery cables that had the ignition wire. That way one end connects to the series harness (batteries), and the other end connects to the watt meter. Then I had an epiphany: why do I need that extra 10 awg cable with the ignition wire attached at all? It would just add the convenience of being able to remove the meter, but adds more spaghetti to the battery box. I then decided to get rid of that section of wire, connect the ignition wire directly to the positive side of the watt meter, and use the XT90 plug I planned on removing to replace the HXT bullet plugs on the other side of the watt meter (for consistency..plus the fact that I am anal about stuff like that).

Getting rid of the wires on the right and splicing the small black ignition wire into the meter (pic)


Now all plugs are uniform, lol.

[SpaceKaseJase]

It was finally time to hook everything up and turn her on for the first time. Good news is that the key ignition and the watt meter (my greatest worries) worked perfectly! Green light on the controller meant it was also connected properly as well. I bagan to slowly turn the throttle only to find the motor began running backwards, then not at all!! Since everything else seemed to work ok, I think it's the phase/sensor wire connections that are out of wack (color-coded, my @$$). Oh well, at least the bulk of the work is finished. Now I need to work through 36 wire combinations until I find the right one that spins the motor correctly--that and changing the gear ratio. Stay tuned!

[SpaceKaseJase]

So now it's time to start testing all 36 combos of phase/hall sensor wires. I first took all the hall sensor connectors out of their respective plugs from both the controller and motor. I then put heat shrink around them to prevent shorting while testing the combos:


I plan on recording the motor behavior for each combo on a spreadsheet that was created by Knuckles in the Endless Sphere forum:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/downlo ... p?id=11560

Once I find the right combo, I plan on drawing up the entire wiring schematic of my system in case anyone needs it for their build. Probably draw it by hand since I'm not familiar with drawing programs. We'll see...

[SpaceKaseJase]

Eureka! After 36 phase/hall sensor wire combinations, I discovered 3 have smooth forward motor movement and 3 have smooth reverse movement. Each of those combos pulls around 2-3 amps--which is good, according to a Kelly controller rep. Next step is to replace the chain and sprockets and try to clean/organize the battery box a bit. Will hopefully test ride with the old chain and sprocket this weekend to see what speeds I can get with that ratio, then decide if I want to keep that ratio or try a different one. Will release detailed wiring schematic soon.

[detrailers]

Awesome. Following...

[SpaceKaseJase]

Thanks! Just trying to pay it forward.

[SpaceKaseJase]

Got some industrial strength velcro and some zip tie mounts to organize and make some room in the battery tray. Also removed the extra plug with 6 wires I was not using. Wrapped the wires and tied them together to get them out of the way. Turning the lipos around so the cables are towards the back saves some space as well. Did not get a chance to ride this weekend. Hopefully by next weekend I'll have my lipos charged and the old sprocket/chain put back on (temporarily).

[SpaceKaseJase]

It looks like it's going to rain this weekend, so testing my scooter is a no-go. However, I still am inexperienced with balance charging lipos, so I'm going to take that time to research best practices so the lipos are ready to go hopefully next week. Also need to create a "lipo bunker" to prevent the spread of fire in case my lipos combust. I already have a 20mm Vulcan ammo crate and some fire brick. The plan is to drill some holes in the side of the crate for the 10 awg wires to go through as well as for ventilation. I will then mount my charger and power supply via velcro and zip tie to the outside of the crate while the lipos and balance board will rest on the fire brick inside. Once the bunker is finished, I will be charging my lipos to get them ready so I can ride in a couple weeks. I'll take pics of my bunker and post this weekend.

[SpaceKaseJase]

Making my lipo bunker/charging station was a success. Technically, I can charge my lipos using it right now. However, I'm considering adding some fire brick in the ammo can for extra protection. Also plan on placing the station in my unused fireplace while charging.

Got two more 3-day weekends coming up. Barring any rain, I plan on charging my lipos and taking the scooter out for a spin using the original chain and sprockets. Will determine what sprocket/chain combo to order after I see how it does. Will probably work on programming the controller after that.

[SpaceKaseJase]

More rain this coming weekend. Not that I mind--we need it. Looks like I'm going to focus on finishing my charging station and the scooter battery tray (i.e., adding padding), and the wiring schematic.

[SpaceKaseJase]

Forgot to include the phase/hall sensor wire combo spreadsheet:

[SpaceKaseJase]

I chose not to go with the fire brick inside the ammo crate. It was very soft and crumbly--difficult to cut to size. However, I also had a bunch of kaowool from when I once tried to make a forge (lost interest, lol). Cut it to fit, drilled some holes, and used some bolts and washers to hold it in place. Tomorrow I plan on coating it with Plistix and drill some holes in the lid. Not sure if I want to attach some kaowool to the lid as well.

[SpaceKaseJase]

Yesterday, I tried coating the kaowool with Plistix 900 refractory cement...not good . I've had the Plistix for several years, and apparently it has a shelf life--not that I could find it on the interwebs, but I found out the hard way. The mix was very grainy, which leads me to believe moisture collected in the zip lock baggie over time and the powder hardened into tiny granules. Upon mixing it, I got no "watery milkshake" or "sour cream" consistency. Nonetheless, I tried to "paint" with it and it did not turn out. Still waiting for it to dry, but the mix is just tiny pieces of refractory clinging to the kaowool. Oh well...too late now. Once it completely dries, I can begin charging.

[SpaceKaseJase]

As promised, I created a schematic of my entire electronics setup. Since I have no CAD skills, I used a ruler and some colored pencils to make it. Awhile back, I forgot to test the brake wire which is supposed to cut off power to the motor while applied. Tested it last night, and it works! Some things to keep in mind re the schematic:
1. Obviously, it is not to scale.
2. It is a very basic setup which allows the scooter to run in forward direction only (no reverse).
3. I have not connected anything such as brake lights, turn signals, or a head light (I did include a watt meter, however).
4. I tried to match the colors of all the wires, but to make things easier re the Kelly controller, I labelled the Kelly wires with the numbers they come with. Colors for brake wires and ignition switches vary with different scooters.
5. I used the original throttle, ignition switch (which I modified with thicker wires), and brake wires.
6. Only the wires I used in my setup are in the schematic. Several came with the controller that I found no use for. Therefore, I insulated, tied together, and moved them out of the way.



Feel free to ask me anything re this schematic, especially if you find it difficult to read. This is, after all, my first schematic "rodeo." Also, feel free to let me know if you find any errors in the schematic.

[SpaceKaseJase]

Battery box is organized and finished. Added some padding for the lipos. More rain on Saturday but not Sunday or Monday. Cross your fingers that I can test ride on Sunday.

[SpaceKaseJase]

First time parallel charging my lipos to capacity. Fireplace seems the safest place to charge/store lipos.

[SpaceKaseJase]

My inaugural run happened early this evening after my lipos were fully charged. Didn't have a smart phone mount to use GPS for a speedometer. My neighbor volunteered to clock me in his car. keep in mind I used the original gears that came with the scooter and was riding slightly uphill. I also used the stock settings of the controller (torque mode). And the verdict is...

32 MPH!!!!!!

This thing kicks like mule even with such a small gear! It was going the same speed as the stock version at only half-throttle! when I went WOT, I could feel the rear end dip down and the force made me lean back a bit. Kind of scared the bejeepers out of me! Reminded me of a cartoon, lol. Maybe if I try on level ground I might hit the 33 mph mark and add it to the "Over 33MPH" forum. We'll see.

Now that I reached my goal of making a wicked-fast scooter, I will not be posting updates as often. I may order some new gears, tweak the controller a bit, and probably install some kind of turbo/econo mode. I definitely plan on painting it and adding accessories such as lights and mirrors. Will keep y'all posted when that happens.

I just want to thank everyone who helped me out with this project that began as a Bladez upgrade. I have learned so much over these past couple years, and although this website isn't very active anymore, I hope those who are looking to upgrade their scooters find this blog useful. Feel free to ask me any questions, and I will happily answer them. God Bless, and stay safe out there!