R-Walker Selfsustaining Free Energy bike from Mexico

[MarkE]

The solar cells shown in the video are quite small and may come as part of the head light assemblies.
In the video, they are mounted right above the small head lights, so they do seem to be associated with the head lights.

Yes, but TK's question still applies.  We are presented with a device that supposedly self-generates propulsive power of well over 100W.  Why does it need solar panels to recharge the batteries for a couple of Watts to headlights?  Why not just take a couple of Watts from the 100W+ propulsion power source?

[NickZ]

  There must be a good reason. Like, to avoid draining the main battery's charge, while driving at night, with the lights on.
  We'll know if this is a hoax, or not, soon enough.
  But, I have a feeling that it's no hoax, and I do understand what is being said in the video. 
  Although this is just their first prototype, and probably is not a finished product, as yet.

[MarkE]

  There must be a good reason. Like, to avoid draining the main battery's charge, while driving at night, with the lights on.
  We'll know if this is a hoax, or not, soon enough.
  But, I have a feeling that it's no hoax, and I do understand what is being said in the video. 
  Although this is just their first prototype, and probably is not a finished product, as yet.

The pieces that they have are suitable to a regenerative braking system.  The pictures do not show anything that I can see as a control electronics box.  So what it may be is that they have something as simple as the motor connected to the battery in parallel with the super capacitors.  In such a case they do not have any kind of power converter.  If the design is that dirt simple, then it would make sense that they would just go buy some headlights that they can bolt to the handle bars.  Also in such a case the 2000 rpm comments would make sense:  When the motor generator voltage is greater than the battery voltage the motor drives the battery braking the scooter.  At lower rpms the motor draws current from the battery, but generating less and less torque as the generator voltage rises towards the battery voltage.

[Void]

Yes, but TK's question still applies.  We are presented with a device that supposedly self-generates propulsive power of well over 100W.  Why does it need solar panels to recharge the batteries for a couple of Watts to headlights?  Why not just take a couple of Watts from the 100W+ propulsion power source?

We so far have very few technical details about how this bike is supposed to function
as a 'self sustaining' bike. For all we really know at this point the students could be recharging
the battery using portable solar panels or whatever when the bike is parked. The news stories posted so
far may have been misleading to some extent or other. Regarding the head lights and small solar panels, since this was a
green project by the students, they may just have wanted to show that parts of the bike can be independently powered by
solar power to reduce main battery load, or whatever.

[Void]

We'll know if this is a hoax, or not, soon enough.

Hi NickZ. Nothing anywhere has suggested this is a 'hoax'. The students actually recently won first place in a
robotics competition in Spain with their R-Walker bike. What is still uncertain is what exactly the
students meant by the bike being 'self sustaining'. That could possibly mean anything from regenerative braking
and possibly the use of portable solar panels, to who knows what else.