My 4 wheel build how did you power your trike?

[the13bats]

I dig building stuff, Customs, vettes, kit cars, choppers, I have been building recumbents well over 30 years and always slapping an engine on this or that,

I started to like the 4 wheelers and bought one just like this minus a few accessories dirt cheap the other day,
I realize this is the trike section please ignore one of my front wheels, I have interest in all the ways home builders have come up with engine driving trikes ( delta style ) 2 wheels in the rear,

Anyone have a clue what this one is called hours on Google failed me.

It has 3 speeds on each side, the gear stack is on an axle with the set screw type freewheel gear mount,
The axle drives the left wheel.

At first I wanted to do something like this,

I dig the old antique steam punk look and have noticed many of the bikes on here lean to an old time look, ( very cool )
At first I though a "trailer" or extra wheel would be a good way to do it, I planned to use a nice multi pivot as to get better steering etc.

Now after surfing and more thinking perhaps KISS is better and I do have room to frame mount an engine on the rear,

You might note the silly PO welded that rusty seat mount on the frame placing the tacky seat he had way too high, that has already been removed, I believe my fiberglass race car bucket seats will fit really well....

So,
One option is to add another freewheel gear on the axle and apply the power to the axle,
Option 2 is to drive the right wheel that is a free wheel not on the axle,
I am sure there are pros and cons to both.

Next I was very interested in the 99 CC predator engine,
I would assume it puts out enough power to move even this 4 wheeler along at a good rate, ( I dont want a speedster )
I read somewhere the 99 had issues with the output shaft being true to size, any word on that?

Last I see lots of factory made gear reduction units, is there a big plus to running them over making your own or making more of an old school jack shaft set up?

I would love to hear some views and opinions from people who have gotten their hands dirty and tried stuff out,

Many thanks,
Cheers,
P.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Can't tellyou who manufactured that thing, but I like it. Were it mine, I'd be doingsome significant alterations. I really don't like single rear wheel drive on Delta trikes or 4 wheelers, and have developed a pretty straight-forward way to address getting power to both rear wheels differentially as needed without spending $600 for a "bike differential". More like less than $50, and being able to bring both pedaled and engine powered drive trains together into a final drive with multiple gears.

I'm late for an appointment right now, but I'll be back with more info if you'd like.

 

[the13bats]

Simon please do share that with me
I have many mods planned and that sounds like a must.
Cheers.
P

 

[SimpleSimon]

Just guesstimating here, it looks like it has 20" wheels all around, which makes frame height about 12". For me, that is always a concern, because that means that the primary weight in use (your body) is ABOVE the CoG. Can't tell from the pictures, but is the steering set up built to Ackermann geometry? If it is not, there are likely to be some serious issues with steering at any significant speed. Most delta trikes experience similar problems - they are seroisly in danger of tipping over in cornering.

As regards your particular vehicle, the bringing together of the pedal and power drive loops is complicated by the fact that it is set up for two person operation. By no means a big problem, but one that does complicate issues. As I envisage it, both pedal loops and the primary power loop should come to a common jackshat, from which a drive loop goes to a multiply geared internal shifting hub (such as Sturmey-Archer or Shimano makes, or NuVinci), from which identical sprockets fixed to the spoke flanges drive a free wheel capable sprocket on the inside ends of two half axles to the rear wheels.

I'll do a 3D model of what I'm describing later today and post it. Basically, the two half-axles spin independently of each other, with the free wheel sprockets allowing them to rotate differentially as you corner. If the driven sprockets on the jackshaft from each pedal loop are also free wheel capable, they allow for diferential pedaling inputs abross a full range of pedal cadences, or one person operation with no pedal movement on the passenger side.

* As an aside, that Smith Wheel car design is one I've been looking at for a long time. I'd love to build a modern variant using Staton's axle mount drive system on the power wheel, and sculpt the seats from solid log sections with a chainsaw and chisels. It would be a great parade car, and if I built an alternative 5th wheel powered by, say, a 750 watt hub motor, I could almost certainly get it past the cops as a "handicapped assistance vehicle".

I've even got a 6 spoke wooden wheel design, with a roller bearing hub and a modern double wall bicycle rim design I've come up with. Can you see a single seat version of that with 26" wheels, a forward drop axle, and a deck height of 8 inches, seat height of 13"? Wooden spoked wheels, modern bearings, Ackermann geometry steering, and electric drive similar to the Monocule Pusher

 

[Racie35]

look for an old used "Sears Ted Williams trike.....it has a differential that could be adapted to your bike...a few other trikes do too...the one on the schwin town and country is smaller

 

[BchCruizer]

I dig building stuff, Customs, vettes, kit cars, choppers, I have been building recumbents well over 30 years and always slapping an engine on this or that,

I started to like the 4 wheelers and bought one just like this minus a few accessories dirt cheap the other day,
I realize this is the trike section please ignore one of my front wheels, I have interest in all the ways home builders have come up with engine driving trikes ( delta style ) 2 wheels in the rear,

Anyone have a clue what this one is called hours on Google failed me.

It has 3 speeds on each side, the gear stack is on an axle with the set screw type freewheel gear mount,
The axle drives the left wheel.

At first I wanted to do something like this,

I dig the old antique steam punk look and have noticed many of the bikes on here lean to an old time look, ( very cool )
At first I though a "trailer" or extra wheel would be a good way to do it, I planned to use a nice multi pivot as to get better steering etc.

Now after surfing and more thinking perhaps KISS is better and I do have room to frame mount an engine on the rear,

You might note the silly PO welded that rusty seat mount on the frame placing the tacky seat he had way too high, that has already been removed, I believe my fiberglass race car bucket seats will fit really well....

So,
One option is to add another freewheel gear on the axle and apply the power to the axle,
Option 2 is to drive the right wheel that is a free wheel not on the axle,
I am sure there are pros and cons to both.

Next I was very interested in the 99 CC predator engine,
I would assume it puts out enough power to move even this 4 wheeler along at a good rate, ( I dont want a speedster )
I read somewhere the 99 had issues with the output shaft being true to size, any word on that?

Last I see lots of factory made gear reduction units, is there a big plus to running them over making your own or making more of an old school jack shaft set up?

I would love to hear some views and opinions from people who have gotten their hands dirty and tried stuff out,

Many thanks,
Cheers,
P.

I dunno the maker but those are sweet looking bikes!

 

[Racie35]

.......I'll trade you! for the top 4 wheeler!

 

[slickdude]

Can't ride powered four wheeler legally in California as the DMV here considers them an automobile even if they have bike pedals. A ****ed shame really.