Anybody Built a trike

[blumoon]

Been a wile, I have been wondering the big void of the internet searching for plans or sites where people build and ride trikes. I am planning on building a trike with a 2.8 capri v6, was wondering if anybody here has ever built one..Love bikes but wife healthhas limited her to riding a trike, and I'm not getting any younger...

[Hotfoot]

Hey, Blu, these aren't mine, but some pics I saved.

This has a four cylinder car motor...




Another's rear end...



...and then there is...(I used to see anumber of these...never understood why...

[toolaholic]

I'll Come Up With The Front 1/2 :d

[blumoon]

thanks hotfoot, the first pic is pretty close to what i'm going to build. Mine will have 2 seats one for me and one for the "boss". trailer hitch and trailer that im designing, will be a camper style with generator and cooler storage.. the motor will be a v6 2.8 ford {german built}. headers and the works. When i start ill take blow by blow pics....should start about late november after hunting season is over...

[mudbug]

I've got some general design plans somewhere for a V-8 trike that's somewhat larger than that 4 cylinder setup. If it sounds interesting..keep on my butt about them(PM me) & I'll try to locate them & get you a copy. I've got a bunch of information on trikes that might help.I've got some good plans for a leading link frontend also.

I intended to build one,but then I needed to weld,machine stuff,find room for it to be built(and set while being built) so I backed up to re-group til I get better organized. I actually bought plans for a "Swedish style trike" with a VW motor mounted in the front like a standard MC. It's very cool,but I'm leaning more toward something called a "reverse trike" with two front wheels that is hydrostatically driven by the single rear wheel.

Dave

[Hotfoot]

Hey, Mudbug: Can you post a picture of that "Swedish Style" trike? I used to ride with a guy that had an old /2 BMW with a VW motor, which was afairly common swap back when. Actually looked "factory".

[mudbug]

Sure..Will this work? http://badasstrikecompany.webs.com/ I just looked at his site again(it's been a while) and the photo gallery is nice as are the new pics of customers bikes.

A few years ago he only had the yellow bike as a proto-type, which was when I first found him(Mark)while researching that style trike. He's made some real progress since then... I even got him a spread in a biker mag in the UK thru a bike site I checked out a lot back then. I'm really glad things have worked out so well for him.

In my research into the so called "Swedish Style" trike I found out they were really styled after the California style trikes from the 60's that used the Corvair engines(Sweden is closer to Germany & VW's). The Swedish bikers copied the 60's trikes from California and now we're copying them.

I even found manuals on the old California style Corvair trikes just for kicks to see how close the designs were(pretty close).

I may still build one since I bought the plans and have a dual carb 914 Porsche engine I saved from when I had a few of them around. This project was what made me see I needed to learn more about welding so I could build it like I wanted. I've spent enough money on a metal lathe,welders,metal working tools & bits & pieces that I could have bought a running trike---but it wouldn't be the same as building it myself--which was the original intention--Right!

I really changed direction on this when I found a hydrostatically driven reverse trike project(like an old Morgan) that has a small diesel engine-- I wanted to go green with Bio-diesel to save some bucks on fuel,but you never know,I may build the VW trike instead--- It's really a nice design.

The biggest snag is the DMV and registration--The VW trike is OK ---but the hydrostatic reverse trike with a tractor diesel blows their collective minds at the DMV...They can't quite wrap their minds around the concept,even after I found the exact homebuilt type vehicle description in their own regulations...(They were miffed when I printed it out from their website and presented it to them) They didn't even know this regulation description existed & listed from the 80's and told me it related to a production vehicle. What!! I don't recall a production reverse trike back in 1984--Anybody?

It's become a pet project at this point to hold their feet to the fire..... Don't list a regulation then tell me I can't use it because you never heard of it or don't know what it means--- It's spelled out pretty well in the regulation---If it looks like a duck & walks like a duck---then it's a pretty good bet it's a duck.(or in this case a reverse trike)

[Hotfoot]

MB: My friend's VW powered BMW had the tins/fan removed, which makes for a much better looking motor in a bike...BUT...you better not get stuck in traffic on a summer day, or its Bye-Bye motor!

I knew another guy who tried a street rail dune buggy without tins, and cooked his motor (much more weight, plus City Driving)

I keep thinking a Honda Valkyrike (Sp!) motor (out of a wreck) would look pretty cool...Honda was using a system on earlier Gold Wings where the Starter Motor was run in reverse (switch polarity) as a reverse...don't know if they still do...but I sure learned my lesson on a BMW sidecar rig I had that I had to muscle out of a downhill, head-in parking space...thank goodness it was such a cool looking bike that volunteers came out of the woodwork as soon as I stated shoving it! Learned to ALWAYS "hook" such spaces, and coast back into them. (Which, when done with great aplomb while wearing the requisite vintage aviator goggles and vintage helmet ALWAYS Looked Cool...and, as Fonzie knew, is what its all about!) With not much practice, you can modify this manuver into a "Slide the Rig Around" approach, then coast backwards, which is the Biker Bar version...must arrive cool, y'know!!

[mudbug]

Overheating is surely a big concern...especially down south. Probably isn't in Sweden or up north (like Michigan) as much.I noticed the engine on the yellow bike has been converted to the Porsche type cooling fan...I'm thinking summer cooling is the reason(although the stripped VW engine looks more MC like) I've got a Subaru 'Brat' that I considered too as an engine option.

The Older Valkyres? did have the reverse option,but only 2-3 years...It's a sought after setup for that reason.

Blumoon.. I think collectively we can walk you thru(or at least into) your project this fall. I'll start looking for some frame options you might like. Information was easier to locate a few years ago,but now everything is pay me sites.

Maybe I'm not as senile as I think... I opened up right to this one in my folders... I copied this 2 years ago(just in case) I never figured out how to print it out correctly(one image at a time) because when you click on it, it gets very big in it's original blueprint size. Maybe someone here or a print shop could copy it correctly.

http://img249.imageshack.us/my.php?image=trikeprints5sd.jpg

If that doesn't suit you I'll look for something else... I can use this computer just well enough to get into trouble mostly..

[blumoon]

trike

Hey thanks Mudbug, thats pretty close to what i had in mind. think I'm going to use a subaru rear diff out of a early 80's or late 70's 4wd wagon or brat.....going to use swingarm coil shocks on rear .. Would like to see the plans for the leading front end design, as I want to use that style opposed to a regular bike front fork...there is a wealth of knowledge and {bs} on here....love it.......

[mildew]

hear's another idea............

[mudbug]

LOL-- Hey that guys following way too close!!!!

Try this BM-- http://www.angelfire.com/crazy/trikerbob/ Hopefully that will get you to Triker Bob's site wander around it,you might get some ideas...Go to his "First Site"(listed) for direction on the leading link frontend.

If you hit any snags.. give a shout...There's no telling what sort of info I might have stashed on trikes especially....

[Hotfoot]

I guess when embarking on any design study, a review of the classics is in order. Not trikes, but they were heading in that direction.

Russia's entry..


Wild Bill's Roaddog (he was killed in a hail of bullets during a gunfight with police)

[Archaic]

This has always been one of my favorite Rat Trikes. While I have built a number of trikes, this is not one of my builds. Comes from some inspired guys in England. Pretty neat Rat Trike.

[mudbug]

Looks like a type 3 VW engine-- Trikes are interesting for sure.

I think the "Roaddog/hog" bike was purchased by "Walnecks" years ago and nobody could ever balance the dang thing to ride it. I'm sure it was a handfull...just look at the size of the thing.