How can we help you today?

This forum is in read-only mode. Please continue to browse, but replies are disabled for now. Why?
Discussions Question and Answer Forums Razor Electric Scooter, Bike, and Go Kart Modification Forum

Razor Ground Force Drifter 500 watt motor coversion

My son's Razor Ground Force Drifter needs an upgrade. I want to do a 500watt motor upgrade and need all the parts to complete it. Can someone on the forum here provide me with all necessary parts to complete the conversion. Part numbers would be helpful. I'm looking to purchase all brand new parts. 

Thanks very much. Christopher.

Since you are planning on upgrading the cart to have a 500 Watt motor the battery pack could remain at 24 Volts so only two batteries would be needed. All of our 24 Volt 500 Watt motors and controllers for brushed motor are compatible with each other. The right parts for the conversion depend primarily on your vision and target for the build.


We have small and large format 500 Watt electric motors.


A smaller sized 500 Watt motor such as our item number MOT-SD156 might allow for the existing battery pack to stay in its original spot, however it would have less torque and less cooling capability than a larger sized 500 Watt motor. It would also require a custom L-shape mounting plate to mount it to the frame.



image



A larger sized 500 Watt motor such as our MOT-24500X2500B would stick out into the space where the existing battery pack is so the battery pack would need to be moved somewhere else. However this larger motor would have more torque than a smaller 500 Watt motor and also run cooler. This motor might mount directly to the frame or a piece of flat metal or plywood might need to be bolted to the frame to mount this motor onto.


image



Since a 500 Watt motor will draw twice as much power from the battery pack than a 250 Watt motor does, if the original battery pack is used then the go kart's run time will most likely be cut in half, this is especially true if the cart is driven at full throttle all of the time. To maintain the Ground Force Drifter's original ride time the Ah rating of the batteries would need to be doubled. Converting the cart to have larger batteries would require figuring out a place to mount them and fabricating a tray to mount them inside of.


The Drifter's original throttle and power switch can be reused if they are in good working condition. Or they could be replaced with new parts for an all new parts build.


We can help with selecting compatible parts for the build. We have 500 Watt controllers that go forward only, and we also have them with forward and reverse.


If you could let us know what size of motor and batteries would be best for your conversion, and if you want forward only controller or one with forward and reverse then we could start putting together a parts list?


image

image

Are two bigger 12 volt batteries better than running three batteries and changing the controller to 36 volt?


The kart is currently running two 12 volt batteries

A 24 Volt battery pack made from two batteries is a great choice for a conversion using a 500 Watt motor. If you were planning to install a 750 or 1000 Watt motor then a 36 Volt battery pack made from three batteries would be a better choice though.

The Watts rating of the motor solely indicates how powerful the motor is, and the Voltage rating of the motor has no effect on the motor's power. A 24 Volt 500 Watt and 36 Volt 500 Watt motor both have the exact same amount of power.

However sometimes three smaller batteries will fit into a given space better than two larger batteries will, in which case installing a 36 Volt battery pack and motor makes more sense than installing a 24 Volt battery pack and motor.

Ok. Will the battery run time be cut in half with the 24 volt set up? Or will the two larger 12 volt batteries have the same 40 or so minutes run time as the current set up?

If the original 7Ah batteries are used with a 500 Watt motor then the run time will be cut in half. To maintain the original 40 minute run time with a 500 Watt motor the capacity of the batteries would need to be doubled. Since the Ground Force Drifter's original batteries have a 7Ah capacity, a set of new 15Ah batteries would be a good size to install to maintain the original 40 minute run time of the go kart.
Ok. I'm on board with that theory. Can you provide me with all the necessary parts to complte the build?
We carry all of the necessary electrical and drivetrain parts for the build.

The only parts I can think of that we do not carry would be metal stock or wood for building a battery tray or motor mount if the build requires fabricating these type of parts.

We can help with selecting compatible parts for the conversion, and we could also make a kit out of the parts with matching and labeled connectors.

Deciding which motor, batteries, and throttle to use would be the first step to the process. From there we could recommend a compatible controller, and make a kit out of all of the parts if you would like.
I really appreciate your help. Is there a number I can call and speak with you directly? I'm ready to make a purchase. Chris.
Yes of course. You may reach us at 1-800-908-8082. Our business hours are 8am through 5pm, Monday through Friday.
I would like to purchase those two batteries we discussed I would like a good 500 watt motor. I would like to scooter to have reverse. I basically need everything to complete the job and I will work out fabricating a bracket for the new motor as well as placement for the batteries. So if you could provide me with part names and/or part numbers I would be most appreciative. Thank you. Chris

We have 24 Volt 500 Watt controllers with reverse so that is no problem at all.


We were previously discussing using two 15Ah batteries so the modified Ground Force Drifter has the same amount of run time as it did with the original 7Ah batteries and 250 Watt motor.


As long as you do not mind the new motor being longer than the original motor then I recommend the MOT-24500X2500B motor over the MOT-SD156 motor because it has a mounting base and also because it has a larger case with vent holes which help keep it from overheating. If you want to use a smaller motor then the MOT-SD156 will work good though.


Here is a preliminary parts list:


2 qty - BAT-12V15A 12 Volt 15Ah batteries (or any other size that you want).

1 qty - HNS-100 battery pack wiring harness.

1 qty - FUS-360 battery mount ATO fuse holder.

1 qty - FUS-ATO40 40 Amp ATO fuse.

1 qty - MOT-24500X2500B or MOT-SD156 24 Volt 500 Watt motor.

1 qty - SPD-24500R 24 Volt 500 Watt controller with reverse.

1 qty - THR-66 thumb throttle with battery indicator (the original thumb throttle could also be reused if it works).

1 qty - SWT-95 toggle switch for reverse (or a thumb throttle with switch for reverse such as our THR-132).

1 qty - 100 links heavy duty #25 chain with master link (this is more than enough and will need to be broken down to the right size after the motor is mounted).


These parts could be purchased individually or we could make a kit out of them with matching and labeled connectors. For a kit all parts needed to make the motor run need to be included so we can test the kit before shipping it, so it would need to include a throttle. We assemble and bench test all kits to make sure that they work properly before shipping them.


Please let me know your thoughts on this and we can take it from there.

Sounds excellent except for the having to purchase the throttle. The one on my son's go-kart is fine as the kart has only been run a few times. I would like those carts as a kit and I also would like the reverse thumb switch. Are youbable to provide me with a price?
You could mail the existing throttle to us and we could include it with the kit so a new throttle does need to be purchased. We could include a handlebar mount thumb switch for reverse such as our item # SWT-23. Another option would be to include a thumb throttle with built-in reverse switch such as THR-132 with the kit.

Here is a photo of SWT-23.

image


Here is a photo of THR-132.

image


Pricing for the kit would be around $260.00 without a new throttle and with the reverse switch, or $270.00 with the new throttle that has a built-in reverse switch.

Login or Signup to post a comment
More topics in Razor Electric Scooter, Bike, and Go Kart Modification Forum
See all 230 topics