Hercules Tricycle

Nice! Is it a quiet electric or a loud whiner? Just curious. Was thinking of using electric on my next project but after hearing some on you tube I think they would be more annoying than my frame mount. Having said that, I did hear a couple that were really quiet. I'll have to do some searching.
Thanks
Doc
 
Nice! Is it a quiet electric or a loud whiner? Just curious. Was thinking of using electric on my next project but after hearing some on you tube I think they would be more annoying than my frame mount. Having said that, I did hear a couple that were really quiet. I'll have to do some searching.
Thanks
Doc

My trike runs really quietly Doc, - no noise from the motor hub at all. I've been running this hub for almost two years and it's been nothing else except totally reliable.
 
I'm a kiwi too.
Is it registered and if so did you put everything on it ie horn, lights, plate.
It's great to see New Zealanders on here because I've never seen one on the streets.

Awesome looking trike by the way looks great for getting around.
 
I'm a kiwi too.
Is it registered and if so did you put everything on it ie horn, lights, plate.
It's great to see New Zealanders on here because I've never seen one on the streets.

Awesome looking trike by the way looks great for getting around.

I use my trike most days noob and it's great fun to ride. No it's not registered because as far as the law is concerned it's still a bicycle and since the hub motor is under 600watts it's not considered to be a moped either. :D
I have a bulb horn though as well as a bell because it's amazing how pedestrians tend to wander in front of me while crossing the road because they don't hear me coming. The lights are run by an 6volt English Miller dynamo and the headlamp is a pre-war Bosch. The tail-lamp is something modernish chosen purely for its size, but I would prefer to have something more classic instead. My trike does have a numberplate by the way; - a Chinese bicycle numberplate! :D:cool:
A big plus for me is that I don't have to pay a registration fee for my trike since I have a limited income due to being on an invalid pension. Electric bikes are cheap to run and totally practical for everyday around town use, which is why I'm considering building a not so practical vintage board racer replica for those days when I don't want to be so ladylike.
I don't know if you ever saw this lovely replica when it came up for sale here in NZ, but I was completely inspired by it and want to build one of my own.
The engine is a 63cc Villiers. (apologies for poor quality of side-on photo)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/1822/flyingmerkelreplicaof1.jpg

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/3589/flyingmerkelreplica3rx8.png
 
Sianelle,
I love that color also. Curious, what kind of distance do you get on a full charge and are you using Led Acid batteries?
Did it take you awhile to get used to the trike vs. the bike?
Doc
 
Sianelle,
I love that color also. Curious, what kind of distance do you get on a full charge and are you using Led Acid batteries?
Did it take you awhile to get used to the trike vs. the bike?
Doc

I'm using SLA batteries which might be a wee bit heavy, but are completely trouble free in use. From memory they are 12volt 22Ahr batteries and there are two of them (I'll check that AmpHr rating when I get a free moment).
I think I'm getting around 20kms with the present setup, but I do have the controller set to 200watts as a rule and I help things along with pedalling most of the time as my doctors says the exercise is good for me.
I like green on old bikes, - it's my favourite colour :D

I guess it took me a day or two to get the hang of riding a trike and having to be more conscious of actually steering the thing where I wanted to go, but overall I didn't have any real problems.
 
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