# Pimp My Bike - Honda Hobbit to Traffic Transformer Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0sANPHdvJo Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/F0sANPHdvJo Generated: 2026-01-04T16:49:07.915+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Ryan F9 transforms a legally surrendered Honda Hobbit motorcycle into a high-speed, highway-legal commuter that can mimic a bicycle by removing its gas engine and installing a powerful electric hub motor system with 72-volt batteries, achieving speeds of 100 km/h and a 100 km range while retaining the ability to legally operate at 32 km/h as an e-bike. **Key Points:** - The project aims to create a vehicle that can legally thread traffic jams at 80 km/h on the freeway, circumventing the 32 kph limit for electric bicycles in Canada by utilizing a motorcycle platform. - The base vehicle is a Honda Hobbit, a 49cc two-stroke motorcycle from 1973, which originally had a top speed of 30 kph and could also be pedaled like a bicycle. - The build replaces the gas engine with a powerful QS 205 hub drive motor rated at 3000 watts, though the team notes it can comfortably run at 10-12 kW bursts, significantly more powerful than average ebikes. - Electric Bike Laboratory's Miles provided custom fabrication, including a new swing arm designed to fit the oversized QS 205 motor, as the original Hobbit swing arm was too narrow. - Power comes from dual 72-volt batteries, capable of producing up to 15 kW (around 20 horsepower) through the controller, providing the bike with a 100 km range at high speed. - The final product features a regenerative thumb throttle for braking, which converts kinetic energy back into the battery, and the entire setup is deliberately disguised with soft bags and small boxes to look harmless and bicycle-like. - The resulting vehicle is highway legal as a motorcycle and can achieve 100 km/h, but pushing a limiter button restricts it to 32 kph, allowing it to resemble and function as a legal bicycle for lane filtering. **Context:** The video documents the modification of a Honda Hobbit, a low-powered motorcycle originally designed in response to the 1973 oil crisis that featured both a small engine and bicycle pedals, into a high-performance commuter vehicle. The creator, Ryan F9, argues that lane filtering should be legal in Canada but seeks a solution that legally allows high-speed movement through traffic jams while maintaining the ability to blend in as a bicycle when necessary, leading to this radical 'pimping' project. ## Detailed Analysis Ryan F9 initiates the project after realizing that while lane filtering is beneficial for motorcyclists, it is illegal in Canada, and high-powered ebikes are too slow and often disrespected in lanes. The chosen platform is the Honda Hobbit, which is legally a motorcycle but is thin and possesses pedals. The core modification involves removing the original 49cc gas engine and installing a robust electric drivetrain supplied by Electric Bike Laboratory. This includes a QS 205 hub motor, rated at 3000W but capable of bursts up to 12 kW, and dual 72-volt batteries designed for a 100 km range. A significant fabrication challenge involved fitting the wide QS 205 motor, which required Miles from Electric Bike Lab to custom-weld a new swing arm, adapted from a stealth bomber kit, to the Hobbit frame. The electrical system is managed by a controller capable of handling the high power draw. To maintain the deception, the large battery boxes and the controller are concealed within soft bags and custom housings, and the bike features a regenerative thumb throttle for slowing down without friction brakes. The final outcome is a dual-purpose vehicle capable of 100 km/h on the highway as a motorcycle, yet instantly switchable via a button to a 32 kph bicycle mode, making it a potentially industry-shattering solution for urban commuting. ### Project Goal and Legal Context - Addressing the illegality of lane filtering in Canada - Seeking a vehicle that can legally do 80 km/h in traffic and 100 km/h on the freeway - Utilizing the Honda Hobbit's dual motorcycle/bicycle classification. ### Mechanical Transformation - Removing the 49cc two-stroke engine - Installing a QS 205 3000W hub motor requiring custom swing arm fabrication from Electric Bike Laboratory - Motor installation complexity due to the motor's width relative to the original frame. ### Electrical System Specs - Utilizing 72-volt batteries providing 60 to 84 volts operating range - Controller capable of handling up to 15 kW output - Implementation of a regenerative thumb throttle for energy-recovering deceleration. ### Aesthetic Deception - Hiding the dual 25 lb batteries in soft bags to appear 'chill and bicycleish' - Concealing the controller under a small box - Wiring routed behind a flower basket to maintain a harmless appearance for parking in public areas. ### Final Performance Metrics - Achieving a highway-legal top speed of 100 km/h - Claimed range of 100 km on a charge - Functionality to limit speed to 32 kph to fully resemble and operate as a bicycle in cycle lanes. ### Sponsor Integration (Insta360) - Detailing automotive paint process using sponsor's camera gear - Mentioning the Insta360 Ace Pro settings for manual control in 8K footage - Highlighting the replaceable lenses and improved low-light performance of the Insta360 X5 camera.