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Old 11-27-2011, 10:51 PM   #21 (permalink)
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I agree completely about the front end, but I was suffering from project fatigue at the end, and I just wanted to get the engine and radiator covered up. Surprising I did that, because I have always criticized the Bugatti Atlantic for being such a nice design with a grille that looks like something ten years older. Obviously if I had some curvature in the grille and sloped it back, that would make all the difference. I thought about building a new hood and grille, but the hood was by far the most difficult part of the body, and I just am not in the mood.

Regarding the "New Morgan", the Liberty Motors Ace cycle car, as it is called, was built by Pete Hansen here in Seattle for a several years, and then Morgan decided to buy his design and produce it at Malvern. They apparently could not come to terms with Harley, so changed to the S&S engine, redid the front end so the steering is behind the engine, and few other detail changes. It is a nice machine, no doubt lots of fun, but for the money I would buy a Malone. It has a modern, high performance engine, modern rising rate suspension, paddle shifter, probably as close as you will ever come to driving a formula car on the street.
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Old 11-27-2011, 11:05 PM   #22 (permalink)
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"Three wheelers will always be motorcycles when it comes to winter driving. It's just too hard to drive in snow and slush with that extra track where no other wheels have been."

It is not just snow and ice - I studiously avoid driving the Stiletto on wet pavement, as there is just too much power and not enough weight on the single rear wheel. That, and the wire wheels would be no fun to clean. Strictly a fair weather toy.
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Old 11-27-2011, 11:49 PM   #23 (permalink)
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My rear wheel should be arriving at the Machine Shop Monday. It's 17 inches in diameter and a solid disc type rear wheel for a Harley.

HARLEY BOBBER REAR WHEEL SOLID 17" 200 tire | eBay

This wheel is perfect to become the outer drum housing for my functional 3 wheeled tadpole trike, that will use my patented drive in a usable road vehicle. The bearings are NSK and have an inner race diameter of 120 MM so there is room for the offset adjustable journal to allow for variable reversible displacement changes based on my Patent US# 7677208. Two bearings will support the axle on the hub, each is rated for 6000 pounds capacity. A single seal will be placed between the hub and axle stub.

Radial rotary engine with energy storage - Greenwell, Gary A.

The plan right now is to build a tubular exoskeleton, probably with aluminum sheet shaped and bonded to the tubing with the same adhesive that is currently used to glue windshields in cars, which is a structural adhesive. I have not decided on the final configuration of the front suspension but I am leaning towards the old VW tubular torsion bar setup, with side by side two seating capacity. I am leaning towards the same shape of fuselage as the German ME 262 of WW2, a triangular design that would keep frontal area as low as possible. Both front wheels would be fully enclosed in the bodywork.

For the engine my plan is to use either a motorcycle engine or a commercial pressure washer engine, possibly diesel for better efficiency, but the engine will only need to be about 20 HP for my purposes, possible less if Diesel. Engine changes would be fairly simple since they only need hydraulic lines to connect to the accumulator and tabs or a frame welded to the tubular exoskeleton.

Since the accumulator will provide the primary energy source for acceleration with the engine as the source of accumulator pressure regeneration, both would be available for acceleration, which would be prodigious, but only for one cycle as that is all that is really necessary. Accumulator size will be sufficient for a single 70-0 stop recharge regardless of the charge capacity existing at the time when the 70-0 stop cycle begins. That may require tow accumulators of possibly 20 gallons total capacity.

Low pressure storage of fluid after it moves through the drive will be in the tubular frame to save weight and make use of otherwise wasted capacity for storage. The reserve fluid will be stored in a central tube located where the transmission tunnel would be in a normal car. Low pressure circuit would be around 60 PSI MAX. Depending on the availability of salvage or used accumulators the max operating pressure would be between 3-5000 PSI. with the higher pressure desirable for lower overall weight.

High pressure fluid would be capable of providing the sole means of propulsion for about 1-1.5 miles. With the infinitely variable capacity of the Patented drive wheel, pulse and glide strategies will be possible with the engine cycling on and off at most constant speeds, while the variable displacement feature would allow consistant application of power to the wheel, even as the reserve of pressure drops in the accumulators, due to the variable displacement feature of the drive.

This means you can go at a constant speed, say 45 MPH while the combination of components allows the engine to only run at maximum efficiency or be stopped, even though the vehicle continues on at the same speed regardless of engine cycle. The engine is a slave to the accumulator providing pressure regeneration, while the infinitely variable feature of the drive provides constant power even as the pressure is dropping in the accumulator while the engine is off. Eventually that feature will be automated.

Eventually it should become a practical vehicle for use in most normal conditions. I don't think I will try it in ice or snow as it will be much to valuable to risk destruction.

Maybe in a few months things will gel into something that I can show here on this site.

regards
Mech
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Old 11-28-2011, 07:05 PM   #24 (permalink)
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If the front wheels of a reverse trike tilt and yaw (a la TreMoto Monstrosity) you mitigate the tendency to ground loop and get another tool for fighting crosswinds.
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Old 11-28-2011, 08:02 PM   #25 (permalink)
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I would have just gone with skinny classic VW car tires in the front, and a wider one in the back. Motorcycle tires have higher rolling resistance than car tires, and in the trike application don't lean anymore but leaning is what they're made for. Motorcycle wheels aren't made to sustain the level of side loading car wheels are either.
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Old 11-28-2011, 10:42 PM   #26 (permalink)
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Frank (assuming you are talking about my vehicle), I don't plan on using motorcycle tires, especially on the front. The solid disc wheel is perfect for building the prototype since it can be the major part of the outer containment vessel which will be a part of the low pressure circuit. It's 5 inches wide and the whole vehicle will probably weigh about 1000 pounds maybe less. The question is can I find a narrow 17 inch tire to fit the wheel. Using the wheel as is saves me a ton of money machining something out of a huge block of aluminum. If a motorcycle tire is my ONLY option then so be it.

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Mech
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Old 11-28-2011, 11:00 PM   #27 (permalink)
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No, I was talking about the homebuilt in the pics... but I'd apply my theory to all non-leaners unless we are getting into the super-lightweights.
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Old 12-03-2011, 09:45 AM   #28 (permalink)
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The Peugeot 20Cup

About as sexy a three-wheeler as you're gonna' find...







As to easy access, protection from the weather, and four-season
practicality, what's thems got to do with being hot, Hot HOT?

20 Cup Three-Wheeled Racer | Popular Science


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