Good idea for a diy build?

[alex828]

Hey everyone, I just joined this group and have started scratching the surface of the wealth of knowledge on these pages.
I have a Berg pedal car I bought for my kids a handful of years back and the thing has never been reliable. So I am thinking of doing a conversion to an electric Kart. But, I have no idea what I am doing, so I am researching. First thing I wanted to find out is if the frame is a good and safe platform for going electric. My oldest son is 9yo, with the youngest 5yo, so I was thinking of doing a top speed of 10mph with a speed controller.

My concern is if this kart has too tight of a turning radius that could cause a roll over. What do you guys think? I have a picture of the wheel cranked but I don't think it does it justice of how tight it can turn.

 

[ghost civic]

at 10mph, I don't think you will have to worry about traction rolling it. If it should, perhaps you can add some bump stops on the steering arms to limit how far the wheels can be turned?
Seems like there is enough space under the seat to put a 350 or maybe even 500w motor.
My son has the razor 350mx dirt bike. 24v, 350w motor and it can go 14mph with him on it. So I doubt you will need more that 24v for the speed you want. You might want to go with a 500w motor though, as the dirt bike does not do well on much of an incline (decent power and speed, but not much torque) But if you gear the motor right, you should be able to get decent torque and have the top speed you want without having to put a huge motor or run 36v.

 

[alex828]

Ah! Bump stops on the steering arms, great idea man! That should be the solution if I need it.

So should I dig through the threads to find different websites for parts or should I go with a bundled kit? Something like this: https://cart.electricscooterparts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=KIT-136

Since I am just digging into how to do this type of project, I didn't know if one of these kits were marketed for the "more money than sense" parent. Or if this was a pretty good deal.

 

[drm]

That kit would be a good start since it comes with everything you need. I would look into the gearing of that motor to see if the kart drive sprocket will work. 450w will fun on pavement but might be underwhelming in the grass. Good luck!