In the beginning

The desire to convert/build and Electric motorcycle started in the summer of 2018 while I was Backpacking in Mongolia. I saw a few videos by Benjamin Nelson on Youtube talking about converting his Suzuki to lead acid/brushed electric. The idea of of having an environmental friendly transportation solution, that wasn't as cumbersome as a full size vehicle. I imagined having the ability to park it in an alley garage or back yard when I returned to Vancouver; most parking here in the city is street parking, and I wasn't too keen on running an extension cord out to the curb. On top of those benefits, the smaller footprint means I would use less materials, helping with the cost, sustainability and flexibility of the project. All in all, it also felt like a great excuse to get into the motorcycle world, and what a world it is.

My first practical step was to actually get a Class 6 Motorcycle License when I returned to BC, but sitting in a small in Inn in Tsetserleg (Цэцэрлэг), that seemed like an eons in the future and I wanted to get started now! Unfortunately, we had a 5 day long hike into the bush planned plus two days travel back to UlaanBaatar, the capital, were I might be able to look at sourcing parts or tools. I shouldn't say "unfortunately" though, the hike was a blast.

We were joined by a Danish Couple we had met earlier in the trip in UlaanBataar. We followed a river up into a valley, hike past gers and livestock; the occasional angry dog as well. It's a whole other world over there and the concept of Electric Locomotion seemed pretty far away. I still couldn't take my mind off it though, and couldn't wait to return but didn't want to leave. I was lucky, this is my favourite state to be in.

When we returned to UlaanBaatar, my first thought was to jump on Ebay and start trying to source all the odds and ends for the build as they could get pretty expensive if bought from local parts re-sellers. However, my girlfriend at the time had a great idea and told me that we have one of the greatest "Physical Ebays" of all time, right here in the city: The Black Market (Naran Tuul). Boy oh boy, was I a kid in a candy store, I bet I could have built the whole motorcycle from that market. Unfortunately, I was restrained by the weight allowances on my carry on luggage for the plane ride from Beijing to Vancouver. So I chose the most value for pounds items I could think of at the time, whether or not these were the right choice, it's hard to say. They ended up being quite heavy. I got a 24" C-wrench, a Hydraulic Lug Crimper, Loads of taps, a slick Small Parts Vice. It ended up being 2 pounds under the weight limit. I can only imagine what the Airport agents thought when they saw it roll through the CT Scanner.

We were back though and the hunt was on for the parts.