4-5-2012
Yamahopper EV Conversion


I am going to embark on an electric scooter conversion. I am a math teacher for both high school and middle school. I play the drums, bass, keyboard, and trumpet. I enjoy sports and play golf, softball, and table tennis. However, I am not a mechanic. I have done some minor work on a car but nothing major. I know how to change the oil, replace a spark plug, and install a stereo. But, beyond that, I have little knowledge of the inner-workings of a car.

I recently acquired what I think is a Yamaha QT-50 scooter thingy. Some people call it a Yamahopper. Others call it a no-ped as it has foot pegs like a motorcycle (enginecycle?), but no pedals. It is somewhere between a scooter and a moped. When I went to try to start the vehicle, it would not start. That is okay as my plan is to remove the gasoline engine and replace it with an electric motor. Even though I am planning on removing the engine, I decided to try to get it running. This does a couple of things. It will allow me to sell parts off of the yamahopper with the knowledge that they work. It will also let me take it for a ride which will give me a means of comparison for when the electric conversion is complete.