Winter Weather

So this winter in Kansas City has been a pretty harsh one. I did manage to make it out and enjoy it just enough to know I needed to put winter tires on (required in Germany). I am currently at ~ 3600 miles and have some minor repair to keep it operating at peak performance. Major things to note after a harsh winter is to make sure to keep everything weather proofed so it doesn't rust to provide easy repairs and maintenance in the future.

I did make a trip over to visit Germany and get some basic maintenance tips and other things to keep TWIKES in the USA up and running. I plan on working with a few other TWIKE owners in the USA to get a better maintenance guide on their vehicles. One called me up with "hey, have you ever noticed this weird noise" and with my limited experience, I was able to walk him through the repair and how to make sure it didn't break anything else.

As I've found out recently, if you are interested in learning more about the twike, INFO at TWIKE dot COM is usually the best way to get info if you don't have TWIKE contacts to lean on and ask questions

I have finally taken a road trip on a beautiful spring day about 50 miles (~100 round trip) over to Lawrence, KS to  visit a friend. I was able to utilize the J1772 High voltage charging plug to fill up my batteries because I averaged about 50 mph heading over which mostly drained them.  My favorite part is the cars that will pass you on the highway and stop just so they can pass you again. 

As long as the road is in good condition, the drive is never really that bad. Lightweight vehicles do have obstacles to overcome, but it's not bad for a vehicle made in 2000. ( oh yeah, on my trip to Germany, I found out mine was delivered in  2000 over to North America)

Upgrades

I ran into battery troubles just before summer 2012.
In the fall I was fortunate enough to drive TW433 up in Illinois and fell in love with the reliability and ease of driving with Lithium-Ion ( LION) batteries.

I saved up for the batteries and in the mean time I decided to upgrade the audio system and install LED tail lights.

The batteries got ordered. With my busy schedule, it took me some time to get them installed. Within the last week, I finished all upgrades and took it for a test drive. I fell in love with driving the TWIKE again. 

New batteries arrive:

There are 7 "cells" per battery pack. They come labeled with " Batterie Box 1/7, Batterie Box 2/7, ... etc". the wireing on them is very clever as to only allow the batteries to be wired so that they cannot be shorted out.

Wires are just long enough to connect two together, but short enough to not connect positive to  negative. 

New battery install:
 It was done with some major assistance and a steep learning curve,  but it really was pretty straightforward. I am willing to help if anyone decides to do so.


New software install

Before running the vehicle, the new software needs to be installed to give the proper charging algorithm and battery capacity to the vehicle:

Configure and verify settings.


Air up the tires
- Per the Manual it is going to be 4-5 Bar ( 58-73 PSI)
-- I usually run on the high side to get best MPGe

Go for a drive.

Tis a good day for TWIKE'n

Makerfaire KC

It's that time again! 

http://www.makerfairekc.com/

Makerfaire is a time to get everyone's great stuff out on display in town. Why not get the Twike to show it's Face. I'm still repairing the batteries, but This is definitely a time to spread the news. Come on out if you are in KC. 

Earth Day

Sorry for the long delay in posting, Work has kept me busy.

the Electric Vehicle club made it out to Earth Day. I was able to meet and drive the MiEV, Volt and fun little electric bicycles. The display was at the Shawnee mission East High School.

Since the display, I have had some battery issues and my long hours at work. I hope to get some time to get the Twike up and running soon, but in the mean time, it has had some rest.

MiEV sits on one side

Volt on the other

Some people pop their hoods, other's pop their sun roofs. 

About the TWIKE

The Twike is a 3 wheel electric vehicle that is currently built in Germany. for more information, the Wikipedia article is pretty informative and a good place to get some information. I have numerous links on the right column of this site that I update periodically with more information. All together, they get you quite a bit of info.

Browse around the TWIKE website and others for more information. If you would like to contact me or get more information (or a ride) Please visit the contact section on the website and put in the appropriate information and I can get in contact with you via email. For quicker response, please put " TWIKE in KC" so it can be routed to me quickly (few days).

The TWIKE is my daily commuter vehicle. It was Built in 1999 and when I purchased it in 2011 it had ~1000 Miles on it. I was able to salvage the vehicle and revive it with new batteries. I have learned a lot in the process and would be willing to share/help with any EVs if people would like some insight or to demonstrate this to a group for education or discussion of topics.


TWIKE on!

First Months

My goal in purchasing this was to make it my daily commuter, and my goal is complete. I have been driving it to/from work, as well as other activities and clubs. The only reason I've not driven is for extreme range. My favorite story so far is being pulled over to have my registration checked. "Is ..... That..... Street.... Legal?" the officer asked in complete disbelief that it could be street legal ( trust me officer, I spent nearly 4 months figuring out all the legal issues with it). I may start a story section on here for humorous comments. What I've noticed that that most of the people that approach me are very excited about the prospect and form factor of the vehicle. They love how small it is and how efficient it is.My favorite part is when people realize that it is electric. It is Quiet, sleek, and for reasons that escape me, it stands out in traffic.

 I have noticed that the cold weather does affect my range a little bit. I'm excited that the temperature is warming up and that I'll be getting some good testing on range coming up soon.

Driving during the day is SOO much more fun that at night . I then can tell that people can see me as well as the friendly Honks and comments like " HOLY COW! IS THAT THING REAL" as I pull into parking lots.

Driving this is a real learning experience. I have learned more about driving by watching other people watch me. I suggest to you all to pay more attention to other people on the road, see what they do, watch how they accelerate... see how going faster than the speed limit doesn't really get you there sooner? Drivers really need to chill out.

I have broken a few charging station.... I think the Twike likes to take all the current it will be given... or else their Circuit breakers are poorly set. I will investigate this when time permits.

First Drive on New Batteries

New batteries are holding up so far. My estimates give me about 30+ miles per charge, I think it may go farther when the weather warms up.

SUCCESS! It drives.
I ran into a few mechanical hiccups as is expected with an older vehicle, but in general, for a vehicle that has been Idle for 4+ years, it is running fantastic. the vehicle does have a audio system on board , but I've resolved myself to not turn on radio for first month or so of driving; not only to extend range, but also to fully get my attention on the vehicle. Get to know the sounds, the turning, the feel of the vehicle. It really is exhilerating.

Thing that I've noticed and will get accustomed to:

* People like to take pictures of it
* if the person pulls right up to your bumper, it's not them being impolite, it's them getting a better look at the vehicle.
* They aren't honking at you.. more of a "with" you, affirmatively.
* Defensive driving
* Having a crowd around the vehicle


I am planning on getting a ChargePoint account which allow me to use the public Charging Stations. (it's fantastic)

I'd been debating for a while what to expect while driving the vehicle around.What would people do. Would people follow me? What questions will they have? Is it possible to give a ride to Everyone?
It's all happening now and it's going to be exciting.

It really comes down to being honest, giving people facts and bring them out of the "Shock" of seeing it. Everyone goes back to being a little kid when they see it. I've heard multiple people say " it looks like a _____" .... In my mind, it looks like a TWIKE.

Few fun photos of getting it out and about:

Everyone needs to inspect it

Also changed the tires on it because it had been sitting for a while: 

It's a pretty simple task to replace the tires, once again, refer to the TWIKE MANUAL.

Basics: 

*leave the back wheels on, and jack the back side up one at a time. -> Change tire

*Jack the front up, remove the bolt, but make sure to know where the washers are before you take them out(take a pic).