Is it bad to spin an electric motor without it being on?
I'm looking at building an electric-assisted bike. I plan on running a chain directly from the motor to the rear hub, and I will be keeping the crank also attached to the rear hub.
Now say the batteries go dead or something and I have to pedal home. This will spin the motor at a decent RPM without it ever actually being on. Will this ruin the motor? Nub question I know, but I don't want to fry it the first time the batteries go dead. If spinning it will fry the motor, I guess I could just keep a master link in the chain, and if the batteries die I just pop the chain off and continue on.
I realize there are much better ways out there of making an e-bike, but currently I have $30 invested and all I need to get still is a new sprocket for the motor that matches bicycle tooth spacing(~$15). If there's another way of making an e-bike for less than $50 let me know. I'm using 2 12v motorcycle batteries for power. Everything else is off of various electric scooters that I got on freecycle. It is NOT a brushless motor.
Thanks