My idea of transport

[Alaskavan]

I thought I'd tell you about what I'm working on. It should tell you something about what I'm looking for in motored bikes, and maybe tell you something about me.

I'm sure that some purists will not care for the bike I'm working on. So be it.

I want to get 100+ mpg. No auto company will provide me with a product which will do that. So to heck with them, I'll build it myself.
My idea is that on some days, I will not want to make my approx. 30 mile commute home on 2 wheels, so I'm opting for 3.
I don't want the commute to take hours, so I want to be able to do it non-stop at 30+ mph, even if I'm pulling a trailer with groceries, so to heck with the 50cc limit.
I don't want to be broken down in the middle of the commute, so to heck with 2 cycles.
So to start with, I've purchased:

A 3 wheeler. Terratrike Zoomer


This to go behind the seat. I'll need to stretch the frame about a foot. Lifan 90cc with internal CVT.


And this to get the power to the rear wheel.


These pieces are the basis.
I will hide the engine (tail fairing), so the police should believe that this is just another contraption like my friction drive.
I intend to put a WindWrap GX fairing on the front. Mostly for comfort, but also to give the police an excuse to think that I can pedal so fast because of aerodynamics. It's my opinion that this will be a practical commuting vehicle. Some people say that these trikes are dangerous because cars won't see them. That may be true in cities full of SUV's, but I doubt it's true on the highway.

I also have places I like to go that are not reachable on a trike due to road surface conditions, etc., so I will still be exploring other motored bike options.

 

[iRide Customs]

Very cool! I almost started this motored thing with an engine very similar to that.

I was curious about the law enforcement up there. Are the asses? Is it like a good ol' boy deal? How urban is the area where you live and work?

Dan

 

[Alaskavan]

How urban is it this place? I's so rural that I'm legally allowed to throw a net in the river so I can fill freezers with salmon. I'm allowed to put out set lines for Halibut. I'm allowed to kill 6 deer a year, to make sure I've got food. There's about 1,000 people who live here year round (about 30 people per square mile, but 90% in the town site) It's pretty much wilderness about 1 mile out of town in any direction. Skagway is the closest US town. It's about 20 miles away by boat or airplane. It's about 500 miles away by road (through Canada). Haines Junction Canada is about 150 miles away. Tok Alaska is about 450 miles away, again through Canada. The biggest nearby city is Juneau. It's about 80 miles away by boat or airplane. There is no road to Juneau.
The police: The police chief tried to screw with me a couple of times right after I moved here. Tried to bust me for a certain agricultural situation. Both times he got me into court I manuvered him into a situation where he had a choice between dropping charges or admitting that he'd violated my civil rights (Alaska has a good constitution for civil rights). He doesn't bother me any more, he smiles and waves. The young cops are known locally to be hard asses, but they seem to follow the chief's lead in dealinig with me.

 

[iRide Customs]

Nice about how rural it is but bummer about the fuzz. I was asking because I was just curious if you could make any kind of motorized vehicle you want or were there rules and regs. that kept you from doing what you want.

Dan

P.S.

I am envious of your environment!

 

[Alaskavan]

There are rules and regs. But I get the impression that I'm the only one around who knows them. As long as I don't become a nuisance, or have citizens complain about my speed, I think the cops will ignore me. I don't plan on riding the trike in the town proper very much. I work right on the outskirts of town (it's kind of funny using that phrase here), so I won't have to deal with city traffic on the trike. I can switch to my Trek, or the Subaru or the Mercedes for "in town driving".

 

[Zomby Builder]

rules & regs

I hear that A. I get the feeling that I'm the only one around here that knows the rules too. The cops have seen me all over & none have bothered me once, at least about the bikes. I registered all, but only display a plate on one. I think they don't really pay attention. I do have a MC endorsement on my DL. but have not had to share it with them yet. (knocking on my wooden Head)
That's a very unique lifan you have there. I've not seen that internal CVT model before. I have the 125 manual clutch version on a trail bike that I bought & modified & it has a huge space between 1st & 2nd. I wished I'd seen that version you have before I got it. I'll be paying attention to how you mount it. If you want some pics of my 125 mounts just ask. They are the same size as yours & would be interchangeable.

 

[Alaskavan]

I would very much like to see your mounts. I'm getting close to that point in this project. I'm waiting on some 6061 tubing for the frame stretch right now.

 

[uncle_punk13]

I'm diggin this build... I live in a fairly major area, but I'm the only one who knows the laws, I've been bothered very little by the man. As long as I'm riding responsibly and obeyin gthe traffic laws... I to have an endorsement (class 3 M/C), just as insurance (or assurance), but have never had a problem...

 

[Alaskavan]

My rear wheel should be here tomorrow. It spent some time with Homeland Security yesterday and today (per UPS tracking). I appreciate their efforts. If the wheel was likely to explode, I probably wouldn't want to put it on my trike anyway. They are keeping me safe (and I doubt the x-rays will do the wheel any harm). So, Zomby, I am getting closer to installation and would like to see the mounts you made for your 125. I'm thinking I'll have a flat plate welded into the frame that the mounts will bolt to. Part of my reasoning here is: I think I'll mount up the 50cc Honda that came my way the other day, and ride it around town like that for a bit. Then I'll take it back into the shop and slap the Lifan and a rear faring onto it. It won't be my fault if observers assume that the 50cc is still in there under the faring.

 

[Zomby Builder]

Mounting the Lifan

Here are a couple of close ups of the mounts on mine.

Only 2 long bolts hold the motor to the frame. They pass through the top block holes & through the mounting bracket on both sides.

This one shows the side of the mounting bracket. This U shaped mount bolts to the frame with 4 bolts.

This shows the 4 bolt holes on the bottom of the block, The footpeg & kickstand are supported by these.





This is pretty standard mount for all Honda trail 90 & other makes of this block.