Electric Motorcycle competition: Day 2 update

July 8, 2012

Today was another good day.  We found out that we were hitting a
software parameter that was limiting battery current on the 131mph run. This morning we changed that and were able to hit 144.5mph and increase
our record. After looking at the data from this run it appeared that
there wasn't much more we could get out of the machine except with a
gearing change or major change. We did decide to do another run to get
more data. During that run the controller hit another current limit in
the controller and the bike coasted without power the final half mile and
we only got 70mph. Nothing in the data showed why the limit was
hit...more digging and questions will be asked to figure this one out. We decided to call it a weekend and take our 144.5mph home with us. We may attend the September ECTA with a slight gearing change to try to
get past that 150mph mark and do what only about ~4 other (professional)
electric motorcycles teams have done. But we need to figure out if the
batteries are still available to us and if we have the time to commit
while still moving forward with our next build. 

Thanks for the support and help this weekend.

Kyle

Kyle Ginaven, co-team leader/technical team leader
Buckeye Electric Motorcycle Race Team