Due to the current high demand for clean, efficient transportation systems, designers
have looked to the electric motor as a means to end the reign of the internal combustion engine
(ICE). This has lead to the development of numerous electric vehicles, including motorcycles
and scooters, as well as the traditional automobile. The electric drive systems in these vehicles
have, for the most part, been retrofitted to mate with existing systems of power transfer
commonly found in ICE vehicles. We propose to design a hub motor drive system for
motorcycles that eliminates the reuse of these components not necessary in electric motorcycle
design. By positioning the motor inside the drive wheel, greater efficiency is achieved,
significant parts are eliminated, and space within the frame typically used to house drive
components is opened up for battery systems. We plan on utilizing pancake electric motors
because of their high torque in narrow configurations. Our motor will be fixed to the swingarm
of the bike and will drive an outer housing that will double as the rim of the wheel. We intend to
build a functional prototype of the proposed design and fit it to a motorcycle frame for analysis
and testing
