Ok this might be a bit more on the mechanical side but, I want to do regenerative breaking with a go-cart. I have two gear-wheels with a belt drive. The smaller wheel is driven by the motor which effectively rotate a bigger gear-wheel through a belt which in turn rotate the wheels of the go-cart. Now iv read somewhere which iv referenced that you cant do regenerative braking due to some tension problems(look at reference under “toothed belts”. They only mention toothed belts however, but does that apply to chain belts (The ones used in bicycles for example) as well. Reading the theory about it, makes me think that it does, but just want to check
If you can drive your GoCart in reverse then you should be able to do regenerative braking as far as the belts are concerned. As long as you don't have an idler wheel (labeled as C) as depicted in the 2nd diagram, you should be fine. The idler wheel issue would apply to chains also. So, for example, a 10 speed bicycle drivetrain would not work.
Just take the alternator off of a car, and then run it into the battery. Hook it up to a clutch, then it could be your breaks(make sure you have real breaks too!)
An idler is supposed to be placed on the "slack" side of a pulley system. If the belt drive can go into reverse, that idler is suddenly going to be subjected to a whole lot of force that it probably wasn't designed to deal with - plus now there's going to be slack on the other side.
I've never really heard about this slipping issue though. Forces are forces, and I don't especially see why there would be anything special about backdriving a motor.
I prefer something lightweight and more sporty, I wouldn't swap my Honda CB500 for a Harley (apart from to flog on ebay, then buy a new CB500 with cash to spare).
The HOGs (Harley Owner's Group) will beat the living snot out of you if they ever read this thread. They are HUGE group of fanatical bikers who love their machines more then life itself. Ther are thousands of them where I live and IMHO, most of them can go pound salt. The goodl motorcycles carry the names: Big Dog, Ducati, BMW, American Ironhorse and the old Indians. The good American bikes use S&S motors and Baker transmissions. Oh and one of my favs were Triumphs ... would be nice to own one in clean condition.
I remember seeing Rob Halford ride out on stage during a Priest concert on a Harley. Must've been a locally borrowed one 'cause it shure didn't look like the one in the photo below. Then again, homo Rob and his stage attire fit perfectly into the Village People genre!!
More and more states in the US are adopting no helmet laws to the disdain and frustrations of the medical professionals. I say let them ride without helmets; it's beneficial to purification of the human gene pool. When they crash and burn, that's one less opportunity for ignorant offspring brought into this world. Darwin's theory at work there!