Pusher trailers?

[loquin]

Wouldn't having the pusher to the side of a two wheel bike make leaning in a turn more difficult? I would think in that case, having the pusher in line would make it more stable.

In the case of a tadpole, it may not matter at all, since it looks like the rear wheel always sits at right angles to the road.

 

[Motormaker]

It pivots up and down when you lean right or left. If it didn't float it would cause problems. It leans like a normal bike.

 

[Dragon]

How to make it universal?

In the case of a tadpole, it may not matter at all, since it looks like the rear wheel always sits at right angles to the road.

I am depending on that fact, but I have both a tadpole and a traditional Dakota delta and want to be able to use it on either or neither. I have seen a burly trailer hitch that just clamps on anywhere and has a large heavy spring to take up what ever odd angle it is attached to, the trick is to manage that with one wheel and am thinking some sort of outrigger attaching someplace else though I would like to avoid that. An alternative would be a ball and socket joint that could be tightened.

In any case the height needs to stay below 10 inches to stay below other necessary parts. The wheel will also need to align to the rear Tire(s) of have enough play as it will swing more than the tire. The throttle will also need attention as the distance will be short in one case but very long in the other. However the tongue is the first order of business. I expect to try thinking several times to only build it once (or at least fewer times)

 

[Ron Hevron]

Found them, the last pic is the "hitch", allowing the unit to swing up and down with the road conditions.(It is left a little loose)

Your bike/ motor pusher is much like the one my dad gave me in 1952 that he had in the thirties

The only difference is he had a full pivoting platform and bracket that was the mounting onto the frame of the bike.
I rode for a while and found out if I drill a hole in the head and put a gas clock in to relieve the compression it would start ease.
Ron Hevron

 

[Frankenstein]

Holy dead thread Batman, at least it's relavent. I was thinking about using a push trailer as opposed to actually motoring the bike, it seems like a somewhat funky twist and a somewhat better way to add some power being that it's basically a trailer and can be separated from the actual bike easier than a weighty and well bolted engine. I'm still not even sure if it's legally still a bicycle with a gas motor propelling a trailer wheel. What's really nice is a power source placed so far back and with a pivot in the middle it really encourages you not to use it at high speed, things like that get kinda hairy when moving quickly enough.

Kind of imagine driving in reverse as fast as your car would let you, but worse, at least in terms of handling.

I'm wondering if it's better to use a universal type joint or use a true pivot like a tow ball, my concern is that leaning may not cause a trailer to lean since I would like to use a single wheel trailer if I decide on this route, a true pivot let's the pusher lean out of the same angle that the frame is holding, meanwhile the universal type joint attempts to preserve the angle that the bike frame holds but allows the 2 angles needed for bumps, verticals, and turns which are the horizontal motions. If you use a 2 wheeled trailer you are basically obligated to use that true ball pivot or spring type alternative joint to allow a standard 2 wheel bike to lean left or right.

I've also contemplated a side trailer with a motor but that is a bit more complicated and better reserved for a literal doggy bag to house a friendly companion, better yet a push trailer puts the noise even farther away if a side cart came to be.

I saw some pull behinds for bicycles, you have a child ride it, I would think that removing the seat and handlebars would be a decent first step in attaching a motor to it, then it's just a tank and some extra long cables but otherwise a half decent bike could be attached without fear of really wrecking the thing. I've seen a couple schwinn spoilers for sale, those are just gorgeous bikes, I would imagine a tasteful trailer would be a fair addition to a bike like that without really disrupting the bike itself (which is really nice looking, expensive, and rare.)

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

Holy dead thread Batman, at least it's relavent. I was thinking about using a push trailer as opposed to actually motoring the bike, it seems like a somewhat funky twist and a somewhat better way to add some power being that it's basically a trailer and can be separated from the actual bike easier than a weighty and well bolted engine. I'm still not even sure if it's legally still a bicycle with a gas motor propelling a trailer wheel. What's really nice is a power source placed so far back and with a pivot in the middle it really encourages you not to use it at high speed, things like that get kinda hairy when moving quickly enough.

Kind of imagine driving in reverse as fast as your car would let you, but worse, at least in terms of handling.

I'm wondering if it's better to use a universal type joint or use a true pivot like a tow ball, my concern is that leaning may not cause a trailer to lean since I would like to use a single wheel trailer if I decide on this route, a true pivot let's the pusher lean out of the same angle that the frame is holding, meanwhile the universal type joint attempts to preserve the angle that the bike frame holds but allows the 2 angles needed for bumps, verticals, and turns which are the horizontal motions. If you use a 2 wheeled trailer you are basically obligated to use that true ball pivot or spring type alternative joint to allow a standard 2 wheel bike to lean left or right.

I've also contemplated a side trailer with a motor but that is a bit more complicated and better reserved for a literal doggy bag to house a friendly companion, better yet a push trailer puts the noise even farther away if a side cart came to be.

I saw some pull behinds for bicycles, you have a child ride it, I would think that removing the seat and handlebars would be a decent first step in attaching a motor to it, then it's just a tank and some extra long cables but otherwise a half decent bike could be attached without fear of really wrecking the thing. I've seen a couple schwinn spoilers for sale, those are just gorgeous bikes, I would imagine a tasteful trailer would be a fair addition to a bike like that without really disrupting the bike itself (which is really nice looking, expensive, and rare.)

I have found when I pull a heavily loaded single wheel trailer, that coming down a steep hill and turning, the trailer tries to push my rear wheel out to the side. This would be my first concern with a pusher trailer as any time the trailer is pushing will feel similar to descending with a heavily loaded trailer. The effect in tight turns is unnerving to say the least.
My second concern would be the lack of traction, as the driven wheel has only the weight of the engine and trailer (and cargo), not the majority of rider weight on it to hold it down and get traction.

I would suggest checking out the Xtrabike for an alternative idea. I'm not sure I spelled that correctly.

 

[Frankenstein]

I have found when I pull a heavily loaded single wheel trailer, that coming down a steep hill and turning, the trailer tries to push my rear wheel out to the side. This would be my first concern with a pusher trailer as any time the trailer is pushing will feel similar to descending with a heavily loaded trailer. The effect in tight turns is unnerving to say the least.
My second concern would be the lack of traction, as the driven wheel has only the weight of the engine and trailer (and cargo), not the majority of rider weight on it to hold it down and get traction.

I would suggest checking out the Xtrabike for an alternative idea. I'm not sure I spelled that correctly.

Well I'm fairly bent on using a fat tire rear wheel, that will provide decent traction against such events, then the pusher is kind of the harder part to figure, if I build a frame then a wide tire is easier to implement as a drive wheel, and helps a bit with the extra traction.

Could put a heavy gas tank on it too lol, the extra chore is probably to add a brake for the extra weight and maybe slightly better control of it while on descents.

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

Well I'm fairly bent on using a fat tire rear wheel, that will provide decent traction against such events, then the pusher is kind of the harder part to figure, if I build a frame then a wide tire is easier to implement as a drive wheel, and helps a bit with the extra traction.

Could put a heavy gas tank on it too lol, the extra chore is probably to add a brake for the extra weight and maybe slightly better control of it while on descents.

Yeah definitely wants a brake. I need a brake for descents too. Four levers on my bars will look cool lol!

 

[Zekenoscooter]

Holy dead thread Batman, at least it's relavent. I was thinking about using a push trailer as opposed to actually motoring the bike, it seems like a somewhat funky twist and a somewhat better way to add some power being that it's basically a trailer and can be separated from the actual bike easier than a weighty and well bolted engine. I'm still not even sure if it's legally still a bicycle with a gas motor propelling a trailer wheel. What's really nice is a power source placed so far back and with a pivot in the middle it really encourages you not to use it at high speed, things like that get kinda hairy when moving quickly enough.

Kind of imagine driving in reverse as fast as your car would let you, but worse, at least in terms of handling.

I'm wondering if it's better to use a universal type joint or use a true pivot like a tow ball, my concern is that leaning may not cause a trailer to lean since I would like to use a single wheel trailer if I decide on this route, a true pivot let's the pusher lean out of the same angle that the frame is holding, meanwhile the universal type joint attempts to preserve the angle that the bike frame holds but allows the 2 angles needed for bumps, verticals, and turns which are the horizontal motions. If you use a 2 wheeled trailer you are basically obligated to use that true ball pivot or spring type alternative joint to allow a standard 2 wheel bike to lean left or right.

I've also contemplated a side trailer with a motor but that is a bit more complicated and better reserved for a literal doggy bag to house a friendly companion, better yet a push trailer puts the noise even farther away if a side cart came to be.

I saw some pull behinds for bicycles, you have a child ride it, I would think that removing the seat and handlebars would be a decent first step in attaching a motor to it, then it's just a tank and some extra long cables but otherwise a half decent bike could be attached without fear of really wrecking the thing. I've seen a couple schwinn spoilers for sale, those are just gorgeous bikes, I would imagine a tasteful trailer would be a fair addition to a bike like that without really disrupting the bike itself (which is really nice looking, expensive, and rare.)

I'm late to your party, but I built conventional pull trailer on wheelchair wheels and side rails attached to a 4'x3' aluminum frame (1" sq tubing). Really light, fast and it was a beast,I once had 4 TVs on it btwn 27 and 32 inch old Tube TV's.vwell over a 100 lbs. I live in the desert so all very flat, put the old motiv mtn in low range and gutted it out. Secret to that rig was the tongue. I had a section of 1" sq tubing that was prebfoed in a half circle about 4' across. . Cut that in half, twist and made a beautiful "S" that came off the trailer then swooped up over the back tire about 4" off all the way over and attached to the seat post with a U joint from a car steering column. Looked like a 5th wheel.
With that attachment point, the only time I even knew it was back there was forward resistance when it was really heavy. I used it to deliver small firewood orders for 2 winter's.
For that heavy down hill pushing around your back end, this completely, I mean completely , eliminated it.
And a thought on these 1 wheel outrigger designs, and their traction issues...
how about a spring design. Add weight w/out adding weight.