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Converting a Late 70's Jawa Babetta 207 to Electric.

I have recently acquired a late 1970's Jawa Babetta that has been stripped down to basically a frame. I was interested in doing a full restore on it only to discover that finding the parts would be very expensive/hard to do. The frame, before I tear everything down, weighs about 40-50 pounds. I found your website from one of the few moped conversion blogs that exist. I was looking at your scooter/go-kart conversion kits and those look to be in a reasonable price range for me. I live about 5 miles from town and was wondering which kit I should go with or if any of your kits would be compatible with this chassis type. 

We can definitely help you to convert that moped from gas to electric. The first step is to figure out the gearing and top speed, and then everything else will fall into place.


On relatively flat ground the following top speeds are possible:

    • 500 Watts - 15 MPH
    • 750 Watts - 20MPG
    • 1000 Watts - 25 MPH


    I need to ask a few questions in order to figure out which parts will be best for this project.

    1. What is the top speed that you would like the moped to have?
    2. Will the moped be used on primarily on flat ground or will it need to go up hills? (To make a hill climber the top speed will to be lower and a larger motor is required)
    3. What is the diameter of the tires? (Distance from ground to top of tire.)

    Thank you for the quick response. There are pedals and a chain that currently are geared to the rear tire. I am looking to keep these intact and then use whatever motor I decide to get to assist the pedaling. My main goal is to make it to campus and back (approx 10 miles) on one charge. The route that I am anticipating is mostly flat with a few smaller hills. I believe that my top speed that I would be shooting for would be around 20 mph. The tire diameter is 16 inches.  I have attached a picture of what it currently looks like without the engine. I plan on removing the gas tank to decrease weight. 


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    A 36 Volt 1000 Watt motor geared for a top speed of around 20 MPH would be ideal for the riding conditions that you have. For a 10 mile range on relatively flat ground I recommend using three 22Ah batteries.

    Here is a gear ratio scenario that I calculated for this electric moped conversion project.

    Our 36 Volt 1000 Watt motor has a 3000 RPM speed and an 11 tooth sprocket. An 80 tooth sprocket will need to be bolted onto the moped's existing rear wheel sprocket. And then a chain can be ran between the 11 tooth motor sprocket and the 80 tooth rear wheel sprocket.


    For the kit, does a 1000 Watt motor with mounting base (MOT-361000B), three 12 Volt 22 Ah batteries (BAT-12V22A), and a twist throttle with built in battery gauge and key switch (THR-110K) sound good to you?

    Would all of these parts be tested at the facility to confirm that they are all compatible? I think it's worht mentioning that I am somewhat on a budget. What would be the total cost of a kit that has everything that I need? I was also wondering if the power converter would have a low voltage output that would be able to run headlights and brakelights/turn signals or would I need an additional power source for these functions? 

    When we make a kit we install matching labeled connectors on every parts and test run the parts to make sure everything is wired correctly and that all of the parts work. So all you have to do is plug everything together after you get it.

    I can include with the kit a 36V DC to 12V DC converter that will output 12V for all of the lights and turn signals.

    There are a lot of parts needed to make this kit including a motor, controller, battery pack, battery charger, throttle, Voltage converter, and wiring harness. With the 1000 Watt motor and 22Ah batteries the cost would be around $450.00. The cost could be decreased by around $100.00 using a 750 Watt motor instead of a 1000 Watt, and by using 15Ah batteries instead of 22Ah. What type of budget do you have in mind for this project?

    The budget I am shooting for is around $300.00 I would probably be able to make it work for $350.00. I believe that the 750 Watt may be the way to go and I can work around when I charge it. I may be able to find an outlet on campus that I can use. Would everything that I need be included in the kit for $350.00?  

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