1953 NSU Quick52 Moped Electric conversion

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Hi! I acquired a 1953 NSU Quick52 Moped without an engine in a trade (accepted it as a trade for a hawthorne/rollfast "zep" tank for it). At first i was a bit hesitant about the trade, thinking there was no way i could find/afford the correct engine parts and do a proper restoration. But then i saw some awesome electric bike/rats/motorcycle builds and i realized that i was basically free from the restrictions of a proper resto job. That being said, i decided to avoid drilling or welding into the original parts in case an opportunity to restore presents itself in the future.

Here it is as i got it:


Here's what it's supposed to look like:


I've been researching a lot but have been getting conflicting info. This is basically a motorized bicycle. The original had a 98cc two stroke engine and ran with 26" bicycle wheels and a coaster brake! As i was disassembling it for cleaning, i found out that the BB and crank do not use any bearings at all. Instead, the BB and crank has a built in oil well which keeps the thing perpetually lubed. It operates very smoothly but i decided to replace this with the more familiar cups and bearings set up. Besides, the chainring couldn't utilize a regular bicycle chain. Luckily, i found modern BMX US (single piece) BB cups that fit snugly. Unfortunately, the one piece cranks did not clear the chain stays. Again, with luck on my side, Euro size cups fit right into the bearing surface of the BMX sealed bearings and i was able to use bent cottered cranks from an engine kit.

Here it is as a very heavy bicycle:


Since this is my first ever motorized build, i decided to keep things simple and use an electric hub motor, in this case a 3000W Mxus motor and a reliable 12-fett controller from Lyen.
I made a fiberglass cast of the NSU tank so i don't have to cut into the vintage original. It's just basically a shell. Rough finish for now. I've attached the controller to the frame with U-bolts and the tank shell goes over it. Fits nicely.




The Mxus is HEAVY!!! I hope my steel bicycle wheels laced with g10 spokes can handle the weight. I hope my tires can too.


Unfortunately, I have no convenient place to mount the caliper for the rear disc brake. :( The closest i can get places the action lever of the caliper towards the rear of the bike so that a brake cable would have to somehow loop around to activate the brake. Is there some sort of pulley system that can allow this?

I stupidly had the batt box made in stainless steel. Is that an absolute no-no? What if i coated it in EVA foam or something? In any case, i had another battery box frame made in aluminum then i plan to rivet / screw fiberglass/ carbon fiber panels to the frame.

Here it is mocked up:



I've since replaced the bars with an original set and i've also purchased an original front fender, both from Ebay Germany. Still waiting for a few parts before wiring everything together. More to come!
 
that is a cool idea!!
I love the look of it.
as far as the cables go I think some of the 3 speeds have a little pulley that runs the cable to the rear wheel it might work but not sure.
be worth a try
I think you can buy bolt on disc brake mounts that will bolt right to the frame with no welding but unsure of that as well.
another option would be to run the cable like a drum brake setup along the bottom of the frame. again might work might not
nonetheless looks great so far and I agree with luke that fork is awesome kinda reminds me of a girdered fork in some sorts.
good luck with the build
sean
 
Thanks!
I was able to retrofit a band brake to the disc mount on the Mxus. I just couldn't find any place to mount the caliper for the disc brakes so went with band brakes instead. Cheap, and better than just regen, i hope. So for brakes i have a rebonded Worksman front drum + rear band brake + regen. Hopefully that'll be enough to keep things safe.

Here it is so far

 
If you have a look at my scooter conversion, you'll see how I solved the problem of no where to mount the caliper. The adapter goes over the axle and slides back and forth with the wheel to maintain the correct position with the disc. I've made three of these for projects, they work well. If you can't put a stop on it to engage with the dropout, a bar with an adjustable clamp should work.
 
If you have a look at my scooter conversion, you'll see how I solved the problem of no where to mount the caliper. The adapter goes over the axle and slides back and forth with the wheel to maintain the correct position with the disc. I've made three of these for projects, they work well. If you can't put a stop on it to engage with the dropout, a bar with an adjustable clamp should work.
Do you have a link? I am new here, and just now learning how to navigate...
 
I really love the look of this project. I'm looking forward to how it turns out...

If you ever want more power, the MXUS 3000 you have has a 45mm wide stator, and can easily handle an 18-FET controller.

If you are happy with the power right where its at, but would like a slightly lighter motor, the Edge 1500W is identical to the MXUS 3000, but the Edge has a 35mm wide stator.

The 12-FET controller is a perfect fit for the MXUS 1000W V3, it has a 28mm wide stator

All three of these motors have the desirable aluminum stator support (to act as a heat sponge for temporary amp-spikes), and the thin laminations, and both of those features are not common on the more frequently seen hubmotors.
 

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