suspended leaning trike

[mickal1025]

Don't be thinking that no body's following this thread, just because we don't constantly jump in. You're working in uncharted territory (for me at least) and I don't want to clutter the thread with suggestions which are not based on any personal experience. You PM'd me asking a bit about the engine, that's something I know a little about: I would change the oil after the first ride, again after a few rides, and then I would taper off the frequency of changes. Look at the old oil when you change it. Once there are no flecks of metal in it, I think you can relax a bit. But do remember that these things don't have a filter.

very good info Van, thanks, i'll do the oil just that way. info does not have to be of personal exsperiance (when given to me) if you know its hard fact. i knew the thread was getting looked at, just didn't know what everyone was thinking.

 

[mickal1025]

went for the first real street ride today and was pleasently surprised. on normal streets it rode and handled very well. my wife followed me and told me i reached 35 mph, oops. it also maitained 25 mph up some longer hills. at first impression it seems to be to high geared (steepest hill on my route, slow take off from a dead stop) but i wont be changing the gearing till i have rode it more. there was a brisk side wind that had very little affect on handling. so next ride i think i'll take it out of town and try some panic stops to see how quickly i can get it off the road. oh and the peddle chain came off again.

and to AussieJester, i'll get a video done in the near future. what is the best way to post a video? UTube and link to it?

 

[AussieJester]

and to AussieJester, i'll get a video done in the near future. what is the best way to post a video? UTube and link to it?

Tiz the way most do it yes, i also do it this way works fine ....look forward to it

 

[mickal1025]

first video

please ignore the commentary. i dont believe my wife and daughter appreaciate motored bikes like we do. i need to learn to edit video to get rid of things like long traffic lights and distracting banter. the ride was recorded without the front section of chain on the bike, so no peddling. i've been toying with the idea of having 2 small electric motors, one in front to use as a generator and one at the back wheel as a drive motor(to rid myself of all but a few feet of peddle chain). i know its inefficiant but so is 21ft of chain and all those idlers. that and then it would be a hybrid gas-electric of sorts. still thinking about a crank and chain setup to gain a mechanical advantage with the leansteer, a small cargo area and a hinged windshield.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mImF5CVaB9E

 

[AussieJester]

Excellent video mate, had to laugh at the missus and your daughters 'commentary' hehe...are you going to name it 'The Spider" now? Looks fantastic bud, cheers for taking the time to make the video it gives everyone a much better look at the handling and overahaul size wih a rider on it i believe. I thought it looked ALOT bigger in the stills i was pleasantly surprised it wasn't when i saw you riding it in the video. It gets alone well too doesn't it! lil 'sluggish' on take off but thats all gearing so no biggy...TOP JOB anywayz mate...Whats next? ripping it all apart for prep and paint or will you be riding it around for a few weeks to 'iron out' any bugs that might pop up before makin her all 'pruuuurty like'? Have you decided on a colour or is it too early in the piece?

KiM

p.s WEAR YOUR HELMET too tsk tsk tsk

 

[mickal1025]

Excellent video mate, had to laugh at the missus and your daughters 'commentary' hehe...are you going to name it 'The Spider" now? Looks fantastic bud, cheers for taking the time to make the video it gives everyone a much better look at the handling and overahaul size wih a rider on it i believe. I thought it looked ALOT bigger in the stills i was pleasantly surprised it wasn't when i saw you riding it in the video. It gets alone well too doesn't it! lil 'sluggish' on take off but thats all gearing so no biggy...TOP JOB anywayz mate...Whats next? ripping it all apart for prep and paint or will you be riding it around for a few weeks to 'iron out' any bugs that might pop up before makin her all 'pruuuurty like'? Have you decided on a colour or is it too early in the piece?

KiM

p.s WEAR YOUR HELMET too tsk tsk tsk

thanks Aussie
i've been giving it many colorful names all along(every time it disapointed me) but none of them can be spelled out here. the speed you saw in the video is likely half what its capable of. i'll change the gearing later. for now i want to keep the revs down because of a very long recomended break in period. i still need to build a storage area, windshield and possibly a redo of the steering. the leansteering is very usable now but i think i can improve it greatly. so no paint for now but i would very much like to hear suggestions for colors. if left to me it will end up brush painted with rustolium paint in a rust color.

 

[Alaskavan]

Looks like it handles pretty well. That style of paving can be pretty rough. Does your suspension smooth it out enough? I'd like to see detail of the chain run for the pedal side, perhaps I could offer suggestions there. You may have already shown that, but I don't have time right now to go back through the thread.
Good work.

 

[mickal1025]

Looks like it handles pretty well. That style of paving can be pretty rough. Does your suspension smooth it out enough? I'd like to see detail of the chain run for the pedal side, perhaps I could offer suggestions there. You may have already shown that, but I don't have time right now to go back through the thread.
Good work.

ya that road is bad, but the trike has the ride of a small car, rough, but not to rough. from the way the camera was bouncing in that video you would guess that the trike had a better ride then the wife's CRV, but i know better. as for the chain here's 5 pics of the front half of the chain. i have'nt had a problem with the back half yet. the idlers were ment to be self centering. there is not a derailer for shifting anywhere(just one on the back half for tension).
my pics are not showing up. i'll bounce out, back in and post them in the next reply

 

[mickal1025]

pics of front half chain line. finaly

 

[Alaskavan]

WOW! That's an awfully busy chain. What I would recommend:
The return side of the chain (feeding from the bottom of the front sprocket); There should be little tension on that side. I'd replace a couple of idlers with that Teflon tubing used on many recumbents. The Hostel Shop carries it at a reasonable price: http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=1019853379
I'd buy the spring clips for it. They make it easy to keep the ends of the guard in the right general area, while allowing any movement necessary for shifting: http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=1159554927

I would try to avoid the acute angle you have running on the power side of the chain. I'd put that first idler as far back as possible. If you're worried about chain grease on your clothes, you can use some Teflon tubing on that run also. I would try to avoid having the tubing take any serious bends on the power side, but after a little more than a year, the tubing seems to be fine where my chain takes a gentle bend to get past my motor.
It's possible that one length of tubing (and 2 sets of springs) might cover both sides of the run. I'm not good with those silly logical measurement units that the rest of the world uses, and I don't remember how much I cut off to handle the run on my trike.

You might think about one of those chain tensioners made for single speed BMX bikes somewhere on the return run, just to make sure that the chain isn't getting too slack.