[Coxbow]

Hi there,

Really like your in dept build, and also all the links and shared stl and plans on the Buell forum ( In fact i subscribed to this forum to follow your progress as your not posting on the Buell forum anymore... )

I'm also building a heavily modified XB with the help of my 3D printers, just started to learn Fusion 360, and when I see your CAD files it kind of scares the crap out of me, as I'm self learning ( well with the help of Youtube tutorials )

It won't apparently be an easy task to put my idees into 3D printed plans !

Keep on posting !

 

[Coxbow]

About the seat, why didn't you use your " prototype " ? Were you afraid it wouldn't be strong enough ?

 

[TPEHAK]

The prototype seat is printed out of PLA plastic on FDM 3D Printer. PLA in not heat resistant, glass transition temperature is around 60 C for this plastic. Plus FDM 3D printer prints parts layer by layer and plastic adhesion might be compromised between the layers, part can crack along the layer under some stress. Also parts printed on FDM 3D printers have layered texture and require sanding and another post processing if you want to make it looks good and smooth. But PLA is easy to print on FDM 3D Printer, it does not warp too much, it is cheap so it is good material for prototyping and quick mock-up.

I was considering alternative ways to build this seat if I would not be able to have HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printed part. One of them is to print the seat on FDM 3D Printed out of Polycarbonate plastic filament. Polycarbonate (PC) plastic is pretty heat resistant, it is durable and strong, has pretty good adhesion between layers. But the problem with PC printing is it requires higher extrusion temperature and parts will shrink significantly after print, so it would require experimenting to adjust geometry properly to compensate shrinkage. PC also can warp during printing on FDM 3D printer, it is not reliable process and would require a lot of experimenting to have useful parts out of it. I have access to FDM 3D printer with closed chamber which increases the chances of successful print for high temperature plastics without warping, but even in this case it is still unreliable process. And after printing it would require post-processing like sanding, laminating with fiberglass or carbon fiber and high temperature epoxy. High temperature epoxy requires heat curing and during this process the part might warp. So this is unknown process and I decided to go the way I know will work. Also PC filament is not cheap.

 

[Coxbow]

I would understand those precautions with parts near the engine, but that's not really the case with your seat ?

I've printed loads of stuff in PLA, and if your printer is correctly calibrated and your Cura ( or other slicer ) settings are right you have perfect parts that you can, if necessary, sand down or smooth with for exemple XTC 3D, they are in this case going to be painted anyways...

ABS would be a better choice, but it's a PITA on a regular printer like mine CR10 .

Just for curiosity, how much dit cost you that seat ?

 

[TPEHAK]

The front portion of the seat is very close to the rear cylinder of the engine. The frame in that area can heat up over 100 C, if you put a drop of water on it the drop of water will boil. Even I use temperaure resistant plastic for the seat I decided to cover it with heat reflective insulation in that area inside. I will share details later about it.

ABS plastic might work, but glass transition temperature of ABS is pretty close to 100 C so maybe it will not work.

The seat cost me about $2000 with shipping.

 

[XxGRYMMxX]

The seat cost me about $2000 with shipping.

worth every penny, that seat looks amazing!!

 

[Coxbow]

The front portion of the seat is very close to the rear cylinder of the engine. The frame in that area can heat up over 100 C, if you put a drop of water on it the drop of water will boil. Even I use temperaure resistant plastic for the seat I decided to cover it with heat reflective insulation in that area inside. I will share details later about it.

ABS plastic might work, but glass transition temperature of ABS is pretty close to 100 C so maybe it will not work.

Well that's not good news for me as I intended to do it in ABS !!

The seat cost me about $2000 with shipping.

Wow !!! That's a no go for me !! I bought the whole bike for 3000 !

I will share details later about it.

Yes please arty-smiley:

 

[TPEHAK]

Then I built the licence plate bracket.

I used 3003 aluminum sheet 0.125" thick to build the bracket https://www.mcmaster.com/8973k913-8973K869

I put masking tape on tape sheet and marked it with laser machine

Then drilled holes and cut the profile

Then bent the bracket to necessary angle using plywood jig

Then covered it with primer and paint. I used high temperature primer and paint and baked it in the oven. I believe high temperature paint is more durable than spray paint but with same easiness to apply.

 

[Mattson]

Sorry but that plywood rig just feels soooo out of place in this thread it gave me aproper chuckle. Whatever works I guess...

 

[TPEHAK]

Those plywood plates clamp the flat portions of the aluminum sheet up to the bending radius lines to keep them flat during bending. One plywood plate has radiused edge to maintain necessary bending radius.

 

[Mattson]

I see that but some sort of a computer guided hydraulic bending rig would have been more on par with all the rest you do Not trying to be snarky this is just way up there and beyond compared to most of the rest of us here. Keep up the good work this is very impressive to watch!

 

[TPEHAK]

Then I built the Motosign unit.

I cut necessary shape board for the LEDs array out of prototyping board https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072Z7Y19F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought these LEDs with integrated resistors for Motosign unit:

- Blue for Low Fuel Light https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...XXDWpGKR18w==&countrycode=US&currencycode=USD

- Red for Oil Pressure Sensor https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...znjtoVCBbVQ==&countrycode=US&currencycode=USD

- Yellow for Check Engine Light https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...xezXeEGVjfQ==&countrycode=US&currencycode=USD

- Two Green LEDs for Turn Signal Light and for Neutral Gear Light https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...MUueo6XymDw==&countrycode=US&currencycode=USD


Then I laser cut special jig out of acrylic sheet for soldering LEDs array with necessary spacing.

Assembled the jig, attached the LEDs and two diodes for the Turn Signal LED so left and right turn signals can use same LED.

Then I soldered the LEDs

I used Motogadget Motosign 9 wires cable for my Motosign unit. You can buy Motogadget 9 wires cable here https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/motogadget-multi-conductor-cable

Attached the Motogadget cable to the board, trimmed the wires and soldered them to the LEDs, trimmed LEDs legs

Then I prepared the Motosign housing for potting

Mixed 5 minutes epoxy and applied it on the LEDs base surfaces to seal the chamber, attached the LEDs in the Motosign pocket

Waited about 1 hour, mixed potting epoxy and encapsulated the LEDs chamber https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073JNDRXJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Put the assembly in the vacuum chamber to remove the air from the compound

Removed the assembly from the vacuum chamber and let it cure for 24 hours. And here is the custom Motosign unit

 

[Auser6guy]

If this was a YouTube channel you’d be rolling in dough. Keep it up bro.
Also can anyone else see the last series of pictures? Broken links for me #sad

 

[TPEHAK]

Thanks. I opened the thread from another browser on another machine and can see all the pictures. Try another browser.

For the tail lights I had to build connecting interface between the tail and the seat frame.

The interface consists of 4 connections. Each connections consists of:

- Pogo pin https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...ha2pyFaduhFognuM2XGfbE/PoridpUWIB%2BeMBeptZA=

- Modified receptacle (Socket) https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...DI/R-4-CR?qs=sGAEpiMZZMsZWBNk6eoNFXZxL3cPZm/G

- Modified brass set screw https://www.mcmaster.com/92991a217

- A modified brass shoulder screw (Pad) https://www.mcmaster.com/95446a510

- Different colors mPPE plastic insulation wires . I do not remember the gauge, it was probably 22 or 24 gauge. The wire should snugly fit into the wire channel in the tail light pocket. I used these https://www.mcmaster.com/6450t24 or these https://www.mcmaster.com/6450t23


The tail light is Radiantz INTEGRATORZ PREMIUM DUAL COLOR LED STRIP with Smoke D-tube and 75 LEDs https://www.radiantz.com/Dual-color-LED-strip-red-and-amber-p/4821-xxx.htm

I also bought DUAL ELEMENT CIRCUIT FOR Z-FLEX for 65-125 LEDs (this is just resistor and two diodes) https://www.radiantz.com/Dual-element-circuit-p/19.htm to control brake-run light.

For the tail light wiring I used different gauges and different colors of TXL wires I bought here https://4rcustomswire.com

First of all I trimmed and drilled the brass set screws for pogo pins. the hole inside the set screw should have a step with 2 diameters, smaller and bigger to fit the pogo pin and the pogo pin receptacle

Than I tin plated the front portion of pogo pins housings and soldered it into the set screws holes using heat plate

Than I built the pads for the pogo pins. I drilled, milled and trimmed the brass set screws to build the pads

Put solder on one portion of the pads for wires

Marked the pads with different colors to match the wires colors should be attached to them

Trimmed the pogo pins receptacles to necessary length

Then I former the mPPE wires insulation on the tip area using receptacle and heat gun to match the receptacle hole diameter

Stripped the wires and crimped them to receptacles tips using YJQ-W1A crimping tool https://www.amazon.com/PRECISETOOL-...sr_1_7?keywords=YJQ-W1A&qid=1580075599&sr=8-7

 

[TPEHAK]

Then I had to install the pogo pins and wiring in the seat.

I tapped 4 pogo pin holes to 1/4-20 thread

Installed the pogo pins into the holes with some silicone sealant https://www.amazon.com/2-8-Ounce-Si...marine+silicone+sealant&qid=1580076668&sr=8-1

Attached receptacles to the pins and routed the wires in the channels. Since I was not able to find all necessary colors wires I painted the wires to necessary colors with Sharpies

Injected some silicone sealant on top of the pogo pin holes to seal the connection from moisture

Then it was time to build tail light from the Radiantz kit

Radiantz dual color LEDs stripe can be trimmed to length. It has section by 5 LED each. For my tail I need 15 sections (75 LEDs).

The Radiantz dual color LEDs stripe has dual color LEDs, amber and red. To maintain left and right turn signals you have to brake the stripe circuit on two parts. I split the stripe on 7 section on left and right side so 1 section in the middle does not have amber color to make the turn signals look symmetrical. To split the turn signals I just broke the pads on the middle section with drill bit

Then I bent the D-tube to necessary shape using head gun and trimmed the D-tube to necessary length

Soldered wires to the LEDs stripe and attached the LEDs stripe into the D-tube the way the D-tube has two wires on each end. I did not use wires from the Radiantz kit, I used TXL automotive grade wires instead.

Attached D-tube caps to the tube ends and sealed the D-tube ends with silicone sealant

Pealed off the adhesive backing off the D-tube and stick it to the seat tail routing tail light wires through the channels inside the seat

Soldered the wires from the pogo pins and from the tail light

 

[TPEHAK]

For the seat pads I used 1/4" thick foam. Unfortunately I do not know what kind of foam it is. I found a bunch of different kinds of foam sheets in stock and tested them for durability, tear resistance, water absorbing resistance etc. I picked the most durable and water resistant foam among what I found in stock.

If I would not found the foam satisfies me among the stock I would probably buy Minicell Polyethylene closed cell foam for the padding.

I flatten the double curved surfaces of the pads 3D models in SolidWorks to create flat pattern for laser cutting and cut the pads out of the foam sheet.

Washed the pads after laser cutting and glued them to the seat with 3M Super 77 spray glue

 

[yantosh]

thats all really impressive clever stuff arty-smiley:

 

[TPEHAK]

Thanks!

The last piece for the seat part was the licence plate light. As you can see I use 4 wires to control the tail lights: mutual ground , left turn light, right turn light, run-stop-licence plate lights. Run-stop light is the same LEDs array connected through resistor. This resistor is mounted in the wiring harness on the motorcycle side before the tail lights 4 wires interface.

The licence plate light uses same power source wire as the run-stop LEDs array. Ideally you need 5th dedicated wire to control the licence plate light, but I found there is not enough space in the seat in that area do put one more pogo pin for 5th wire. I did not want to compromise the tail look and mechanical integrity just to have space for one more wire.

So I decided to use 4 wires and connect the licence plate light through LED driver to keep the licence plate light brightness constant regardless if the brake is pressed or not. Originally I was planning to use this LED I found on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K89C3F1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 And the licence plate pocket shape in tail was shaped for this unit.

To keep the brightness constant I bought Supertex CL2N3-G LED driver http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/20005448A.pdf But after some tests I found it does not work for some reason, it changed brightness same as the run-brake light.

So I asked my coworker who is EE guy about what is going on here and how to make it works. After he scratched his head he said that this driver definitely does not work but he can design custom PCB for me with LEDs array and controller all on one board so it will be constant brightness flicker free light for licence plate. He said it is super simple and will take a couple hours and he drawn this schematic for me

Well, it actually took a few nights to design the final schematic and PCB

I gave him the PCB dimensions I need to fit the pocket in the tail and he designed the PCB. Then he ordered the custom PCB boards. He planned to use some boards for some of his own projects so he ordered extra

Then he showed me how to build the board. I applied soldering paste on the board with custom stencil he designed and ordered for this purpose too. Then attached the components on the board under the microscope.

Then we cooked the board on the heat plate to reflow the components. After this I soldered the wires to the board and cleaned it with alcohol and plastic brush

 

[TPEHAK]

Then I build housing for the PCB. I found a piece of scrap plastic and milled the housing

Then I glued the PCB board to the housing bottom and plugged the wires hole with 5 min epoxy.

Then I mixed Easy Cast clear casting epoxy and filled the housing with it. Degassed it in vacuum chamber and let it cure for 24 hours.

Then I trimmed down the light to match the seat surface profile to be flush and hand polished with sandpaper and polishing compound.

Attached on the back side of the licence plate light housing 3M WHB thin double side tape and attached the light to the tail pocket routing the light wires in the tail channels. Soldered the wires.

Attached heat shrink tubes on the soldered wires and folded them inside the channels. I used mostly Dual Wall Adhesive Heat Shrink Tubes to insulate the wires connections. Thse tubes have very good shrink ratio, they are more durable and have hot melting glue for insulation the connections against moisture. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H279N16/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Sometimes I add some Yellow high temperature resistant hot melt glue additionally under the shrink tube if the wires splicing is big and bulky and requires more glue to seal the connection https://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Melt-...esistant+Hot+Glue&qid=1580273142&sr=8-2-fkmr1

And finally I plugged the wires channels holes with nylon plastic snap-in plugs https://www.mcmaster.com/cadinlnord/9688k125

Attached the licence plate

 

[Mattson]

Gonna be real bummed if this thing isn't controlled by an altruistic AI through a cerebral implant... I'd LOVE to see you take a jab at fabbing an electric bike!