A while back, by friend Chris from our local EV Club started converting a motorcycle to electric.
When it came time to find a controller, he wanted one that was good, fast, and cheap. Rather than settle for the usual two-out-of-three, he instead decided to build an Open ReVolt Controller.
At about the same time that Chris decided on the home-built controller, I just happened to do something stupid, and wrecked the logic board on mine. So, we wrote to my friend Paul, who started the Open ReVolt project, and he gave us a special deal on a “controller-and-a-half” kit.
Chris and I both put our logic boards together, but then he had to wait on the power diodes – magical devices that will make his controller a 700 amp version, while mine is only designed for 500 amps.
Just a couple days ago, the diodes arrived in the mail at my house, (along with a diesel flywheel) and Chris jumped on getting them, and finishing off the controller. Just this morning, I saw a YouTube update that Chris was already finished building the controller.
After making sure both the throttle AND the current sensor were hooked up, Chris made this video.
A couple of things to notice about Chris’s controller. The 0-5K potentiometer he is using is an electronic twist throttle. This will mount directly to the handlebar of the motorcycle when complete. Also notice that all three buss bars stick out the same end of the controller. On mine, the M- bar sticks out the opposite end to make more room for attaching the cables. On Chris’s, the M- is on the same end, but sticks out extra far, and will have some shrink wrap around the base of it.
If you want to check out Chris’s blog, please visit:
http://chriscarini.blogspot.com/
PS: In his blog, he leaves out the fact that he had to break-in to my house (with my permission) to find the correct version of the current sensor for his controller.
