Following “the gutting,” the first real modification task involved cutting the underside of the gas tank. The tank will be refitted to the bike and will make a nice spot to nest either the controller or battery charger. If I happen to find a place for both of those items elsewhere, it creates room for…more batteries!

Cutting the tank requires some care. After emptying the tank of gas, I washed it out with water several times. I let it vent for a while before I started cutting. I used a Dremel with the 1.5″ quick release cutting wheels. This gave me precise control over my cuts. After a while, when I was pretty certain it wouldn’t blow up, I felt comfortable letting my son Carl take a turn. Cutting? Yeah, that’s a fun thing.

At this step, it’s a good idea to wear protective goggles. The Dremel disks distintegrate as they cut, throwing metal filings all over the place. There’s a lot of metallic dust in the air, so if you’re sensitive to that, a breathing mask is a good idea, too.