My Project

[Graham1728]

First, thanks to everone for all the great information. I have learned a lot here and have a lot more to go. I am building a three wheeler with one wheel in the back. I started with a 65 bug that I put drop spindles and adjusters on the front. I bought some low profile wheels and put them on.

Now that the front end is set I am begining the subframe for the 1000cc motorcycle engine and rear wheel. I slo hope to chop the roof.

I attached some photos in my photos bucket linked below.

Thanks for all the help so far!!!!

[VORD]

That is insane man, I love it. Keep on posting updates.

[HeidelbergJohn4.0]

Cool project. Gravguy and I alre also big fans of reverse trikes. He's actually on his way to Texas to pick up another FireAero this weekend. Nick used to have a bug trike but he only had about half of the bug body attached to an old bike as I remember. Im sure you've probably seen the BugWing trike. Keep the pics coming.

[Cutman]

I love the project/concept. In my simple mind I see the whole body narrowed(maybe taperred stock width in back and skinner in front) and really low in front with a nice short chop top. I don't have photoshop or skill on the 'puter. Would be cool to see it in a picture of anyone can help. Looking often to follow your project. Sweeeeet.
Rob

[HeidelbergJohn4.0]

This guy paid for some hella nice work, but I would have done a few things differently with as much chopping as he did. With all the custom frame work they did I would have definitely ditched the stock bike frame and went with a full custom frame for the whole thing. Definitely chopped the top a few inches and do something different with the fenders so they look like they actually have something to do with the wheels. I would have tried to taper the body with the front wider to cover the wheels with the stock fenders and the body tapering back into a narrow single rear fender that actually covers the rear wheel but lets you see the wheel from both sides. I'd also run a fat ass single rear wheel, at least a 275.

[trikertroy]

I did a goldwing with a VW front beam...No body and very low seating... The first thing I learned was the tie rods were where my feet should be...A rack and pinion cured thats..I did a simple lower ladder frame with the tubes extendeding UNDER the front beam...(this was actually an unused Bettertrike lower frame) I use a tube-in-a -tube for my pedals and foot pegs,,, With out the pedals in the center, I just used a blank tube with two brackets coming up to bolt in the stock beam holes...This allowed the whole beam to pivot and let me set the rake/caster angle to wherever I wanted...With the footpegs already in place, I knew the beam to frame alignment was right on... A pretty "easy" way to do it.... TROY in Tampa Bay .................Ill be putting some of the pics on my photobucket soon... and stay tuned for my future volksrod trike.... http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ROY/?start=all

[carcentric]

State laws seem to favor 1F2R over tadpole (2F1R) designs. Here in WA, for instance, this is the definition of a motorcycle (important because if it's not a motorcycle, it must meet all car equipment regs):

RCW 46.04.330
Motorcycle.

"Motorcycle" means a motor vehicle designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, on which the driver rides astride the motor unit or power train and is designed to be steered with a handle bar, but excluding a farm tractor, a power wheelchair, an electric personal assistive mobility device, and a moped.

The Washington state patrol may approve of and define as a "motorcycle" a motor vehicle that fails to meet these specific criteria, but that is essentially similar in performance and application to motor vehicles that do meet these specific criteria.

The way I read it, if you build a trike with a steering wheel and side-by-side seating, the guy who decides what it'll be Titled as has a lot of personal discretion . . . . I'd be a lot more comfortable if the MAY was a SHALL! On the other hand, I haven't heard of any Morgan trikes being refused motorcycle status.

If I ever build a 2F1R trike, it'll have pillion seating . . . and I'm hoping Crack Monkey's VW quad works out how to combine a handlebar with a VW front beam - without either overly difficult low-speed steering or overly twitchy straightline performance - so I can copy what he does.

[Graham1728]

I got to spend the whole weekend in the garage (not always easy w/ 5 kids). Got the sub frame cut and mostly tacked into place. I then began tying in the motor and rear wheel.
Rather then flush mounting the round stock to the rectangle stock I used a hole saw and ran the round stock all the way through then will beld the top and bottom.

Still a lot of supports and tubing to add but its starting to look like something.

I updated some photos to my bucket linked below.

Oh yhea, got my placard from Steve today Looks cool.

More to come

[gravguy]

somehow i missed this the first time around.
yeah ive got several 2 front wheel trikes. 2 of them are fireaeros (kits from the 80s). im currently working on an electric vortex (customer)2 front wheel 1 rear wheel trike and at the shop right now i also am restoring a 1f2r vw trike (traditional) (customer) and ive built several raticlal trikesPm if you havent worked out some pproblem maybe i can help
pic of fireaero frame

[gravguy]

even vw built one although this was a rabit front end and jetta rear susp


http://homepage.mac.com/akirem/fireaero/Personal28.html


these are RQRILEY designs

[carcentric]

Originally Posted by gravguy

. . . im currently working on an electric vortex (customer)2 front wheel 1 rear wheel trike . . .

The electric car conversions I've seen use 12 12v batteries - does a trike need that many?

And is the 2F1R electric a FWD or RWD?

[gravguy]

one of my electric cars is a vanguard and it uses a 48 volt system stock although im running it as a 132 volt (11 bateries) i like to take it out to beat up on V8 cars. like in anything range and speed are better with more fuel and storage of that fuel. if you run like i do with that one its only 1/4 mile blasts in the 12s

2 of the 2f1rs are gas one is electric

[carcentric]

Originally Posted by carcentric

. . . is the 2F1R electric a FWD or RWD?

Originally Posted by gravguy

. . . 2 of the 2f1rs are gas one is electric

My question was about the location of the electric motor(s) in the electric 2F1R trike - are the front two wheels driven (FWD), or is the single rear wheel driven (RWD)?

[gravguy]

if you look at this design you will see that the diesel engine is bolted to a vw irs trans i changed out the trans for an 9 inch advance dc motor and a zilla controller. the trans it a 71-72 irs that has dual side plates IE reversable r&p. then connected to jetta/golf axles to jetta hubs and rotors. the upper and lower arms are custom as is the upper ball link mount the view you see in the above pic is from the drivers view. the shifter will be a solid link just very short .this is the front suspension. the rear is a jetta rear spindle custom trailing arm and 2 ball links and i actualy use the stock coil over shock with the lower pivotleaned at a 45 deg angle . and a custom tube upper mount---
kind of like the blackjack see below exept no vw motor

[carcentric]

So it's FWD. The front suspension/steering layout sound like a rig I saw on the net (but can't find now) that had a T1 VW engine and trans with Rabbit axles, steering, etc.

Thanks.

[gravguy]

http://reversetrike.com/

it will be on this site

[VWFREAK]

Madness, great to see. Keep us posted.

[Graham1728]

Well I got the rear cage/frame almost done. This is going to hold the engine and the rear motor cycle swing arm. Should be a rolling chassis by next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Check out my photo bucket linked below to see the most recent work

[mkparker]

I'm gonna post one of your pics for anyone too lazy to check out this cool project!!

[Graham1728]

Thanks MKPARKER. I couldnt figure out how to do that. I know there is a thread here about it, I ll get to it someday,,,,,thanks again

[mkparker]

With photobucket it's a little tricky. Most places you just right click the pic and save the location. In photobucket, there are some "links" that go with each picture. One is called
IMG Code Forums and Bulletin Boards
If you copy and past that line of code in your reply it'll look like this when you paste it, except the first and last red brackets will be black. When you "preview" your reply you'll see the picture.

[IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee85/Graham1728/DSCN1128.jpg[/IMG]

[Ray-Dean]

With the way photobucket is set up now, all you have to do is click the "labled" area of the link... (i.e.) the bold red below,

101_0504.jpg
Email & IM
Direct Link
IMG Code


and it will automatically copy it for you. Then just paste it into the box that apperas when you hit this "" above and it will add it.

For me, I use the "direct link" function in photobucket, but I'm kind of funny that way.

[Graham1728]

HOLY CRAP I DID IT!!!!!!! OK MORE PHOTOS TO COME SOON! THANKS GUYS

[Graham1728]

I mounted the motor and rear wheel this weekend. It is finally a rolling chassis!!!!!!!!

[trevorbrady]

looks like a great project :)
have you considered using a "car" tyre on the rear as opposed to a bike tyre? You'll have a lot more rubber in contact with the ground due to the square profile and since the trike won't lean like a bike then the round profile of the rear tyre is unnecessary.

here's a 1F2R trike with bike tyres on the rear, look at how narrow the strip of dust on the tyres is, that's how wide the contact patch is. He might as well have bicycle tyres on the rear.



http://www.cctrikes.com/VW-Trike.html