e-bike
Julie Hambleton
Julie Hambleton
December 27, 2023 ·  3 min read

Guy Builds E-Bike Out of Washing Machine Parts That Can Hit 68 Mph

E-bikes are becoming massively popular around the globe as a transportation alternative. Unfortunately, they can be rather expensive. This man built his own home-made e-bike using an old washing machine, and it is fast. (1) This is how he did it. 

Man Builds E-Bike Using An Old Washing Machine

With the coronavirus pandemic, e-bikes are experiencing a resurgence as more people living in cities turn to more socially-distant transportation methods. Not everyone can afford one, however, as they start at $400 and can cost up to $2000. (2)

Image Credit: Jimminecraftguy / Reddit

Reddit user Jimminecraftguy thought that perhaps he could jimmy one up himself for hardly any money at all. The soon-to-be electrician took the motor of an old, unused washing machine and attached it to his 20-year-old bicycle. Not only does it work, but the bike is speedy. (1)

Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

Okay, not quite, but it is capable of speeds much higher than your average e-bike. The bikes you buy in the store can typically reach speeds of 20-32 miles per hour. (3) Jimminecraftguy’s mike, however, can go up to 68 miles per hour. (1)

How It’s Made

He first removed the brushless DC motor from his old washing machine. The motor runs on 1,100 volts, however, he knew that that power was completely unnecessary for an e-bike. He tweaked the motor so that it runs on just 48 volts. (1)

“It’s a washing Machine bldc Motor (1100w motor made to run on 48v but I’m not really running it full power because I don’t want a top speed of 150km/h, don’t want to die anytime soon).” He wrote on Reddit. (1)

He put the motor in the center of his bike’s frame. He then connected the motor’s drive-gear to one of the front chainrings, allowing him to direct the power to the back wheel. This allows for a much smoother ride than if it were directed upfront. (1)

Everything on the bike except for the motor he custom fabricated himself. (1)

What About the Tires?

Of course, typical pedal bike tires aren’t designed to go quite that fast. Jimminecraftguy assures his followers that though the tires do tend to wear out much faster, they are perfectly fine. (1)

“[The tires] tend to lose air because of the high usage.” he says. (1)

He says that he is still looking to make some improvements to the bike, such as better batteries, but otherwise, the bike runs very well. (1)

Jimminecraftguy lives in Greece where he wrote on Reddit that he has already been stopped once. He is not breaking any laws, however, so there really isn’t anything wrong. (1)

“The thing falls between a low hp motorized vehicle and an e-bike so they can do nothing other than tell me to slow down if I’m going fast.” he wrote. (1)

If you plan on attempting to build your own e-bike like this, you better check up on your local laws before doing so. They aren’t legal in every city, and if they are there are regulations on speeds and where they can go. (3)

Keep Reading: You Can Pedal Through The Redwood Forest On Rail Bikes In California – and it’s Gorgeous

  1. ‘Finishing up the electronics and cover and I’ll have a bridge picture in 1 month ;)’ Reddit u/jimminecraftguy. Published July 1, 2020.
  2. ‘Guy Builds E-Bike Out of Washing Machine Parts That Can Hit 68 MPH’ Interesting Engineering Derya Ozdemir. Published July 13, 2020
  3. ‘How Fast Can E-bikes Go? Are E-bikes Fast?’ Easy Biking Igor Karni