Help for buying electric kart parts

[cman]

Hi everyone!
First time go kart builder here. I've started a project with my daughter based on the KartFab.com plans and kit. (dead axle - one wheel drive)

Looking to make it electric. It doesn't need to be crazy fast or powerful, but fun for on-road and still able to move off-road.
(Kart holds 2 kids or one adult - say 150lb total, metal frame - not sure what final weight will be, say 100lb?)

I've read the electric guides and many posts. I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for where to buy the motor/controller and batteries?
(I'm near Toronto, Canada, online purchasing is ok too, but shipping adds up too)

The sense I get is that I should be looking at 36V and 1-1.5kW setup.

Is a $500 budget reasonable for the motor/cont./bats ? Is there anything available new for that or do I need to start scrounging the used sites? (Not my idea of fun) I can go higher in budget if really needed. It is an 'educational' project after all! At least that's how I sold it to my wife.

Any advice and/or links is appreciated!
Craig

 

[dcastillo]

I have no complaints with my kelly controller I bought
http://kellycontroller.com/mini-dc-controller-kds12v-72v-c-27.html
they might be a little more pricey then some but work well and I can plug it into my computer and reprogram it, like slow the acceleration if my 6yr old floored the pedal.
motors are tougher... first two motors I used were a really old golfcart motor and a treadmill motor... I dont have $400 to get a nice 3-5KW motor just yet
For batteries I always use
https://www.chromebattery.com/
they also sell on amazon and give free shipping and great customer support.
good luck
Danny

 

[cman]

Thanks Danny,
Yes - I really like the idea of the programmable controller. I've browsed the Kelly site. Nice to hear someone's happy with theirs.

I'll check out the battery supplier and see if they are good to us Canadians (on shipping).

So far the motor is the hardest to track down. I think I was low on my power estimate too. Probably 2-3kW would be better for my build.

Where would you buy your motor if it was in your budget?
Craig

 

[dcastillo]

found mine on craigslist for $50...
when I got there I pointed 2 of the lugs were broken, so he just gave it to me for free
It took a little work, but I rigged it up
its a 1982 2kW motor, probably not running near full potential...
It has enough power to carry myself and my three kids squeezed on the gokart and go offroad...
so a brand new 1.5kW is probably fine, assuming you aren't carrying more then I am (almost 350lbs in passengers alone!!!) you should be fine

1kW and you'll probably be wishing for a bit more. In my opinion.
-Danny

 

[cman]

Thanks for the help. With a lot of searching, I actually managed to find a good used motor on kijiji - which is rare up here in Canada. (We don't do as many of these cool projects as our neighbors to the south).
The specs look good to me, but comments and suggestions are appreciated!

 

[dcastillo]

looks pretty good to me... Is the shaft long enough to mount a sprocket to?

 

[cman]

The shaft length isn't great, 1 1/4 " .
I'm thinking of using a sprocket hub and weld-on sprocket like this..

http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/3-4-in-bore-v-series-weld-on-hub/A-p3845112e

http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/12-teeth-41-chain-weld-on-sprocket/A-p8609448e