Suzuki Katana

OK, it all fits in! The lithium cells are 1/3 smaller and 40% of the weight of the lead acid batteries. I am hoping for about a 50 mile range of average driving.
Same motor and controller, geared for 105 mph, should have decent performance to about 80 mph. Lots of wiring with the battery management system, etc. to be done. It's now Sept. 2010 and I will be happy if I can be on the road before Christmas!

March, 2011, and the Katana is on the road! There are still some cosmetic details along with fabricating a door in the tank for access to the BMS. Road testing yields 74 mph as geared, with 60 mile range. Outran a Harley up to 50 mph! Plans are to drop a few teeth on the rear sprocket for 90 mph top end.

November, 2011... Have had the bike on the street since March. I have a new Cycle-Analyst meter to install, need to reprogram the Curtis controller, do one more tear-down for final details, and finish some access panel doors, etc. on the fairing and gas tank cover.

I added a couple teeth to the front sprocket and top speed is now above 80 mph. My ThunderSky lithium cells are the weakest link in the bike, so de-tuning the acceleration some might keep the voltage sag to a minimum and get the most life out of the batteries.

My drive is to design this as a sporty commuter bike. It will not be a race bike, but is plenty quick to have fun in traffic. I have run several miles on the freeway and even though it will run the fast lane I would choose to stay to the right and run about 65 mph. A recommended daily commute on this bike would be around 30 miles unless you add some charge while at work. The life of the lithium cells should be maximized if you stay within 40-80% state-of-charge.