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Originally Posted by Cd
Lol, this just keeps getting better and better.
So I'd absolutely love to ride one of these things around, but I don't like the idea of being crushed to death.
How do you ride this on a public road without worry ?
It just seems so incredibly dangerous.
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It's much akin to driving a classic British sportscar from the 1950s or 1960s. If you wreck, you're ****ed.
I used to ride a normal upright bicycle on these roadways, so from a safety perspective, this trike is a significant step up. I am aware of the risks, so it isn't entirely without worry per se. The vehicle itself isn't inherently dangerous, it's all of the large vehicles on the roads operated by inattentive drivers that make it dangerous to operate.
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Originally Posted by Grant-53
This may well be state of the art.
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The state of the art may be designed by an aerodynamacist and typically uses a carbon fiber composite epoxy-bonded construction monocoque.
Mine is plastic on a steel frame, which is rather amateur by comparison. My financial resources are limited, so this has dictated my material choices.
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Depending on state DMV regs it would be considered a motorcycle.
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In my state, it fits neither the definition of a "motorcycle", "moped", "autocycle", or "motor-assisted bicycle". It's had no actual throttle, and like an unmotorized bicycle, its top speed is "as fast as you can pedal it". It's just that in my case, I have it set up to where I can reach the limits of my motor at my current battery voltage. A random out-of-shape person given the chance to ride it might have difficulty exceeding 30 mph on flat ground. I am going to put a throttle with a 20 mph limit on it as backup though, in order to mitigate the risk of being stranded just in case something in the pedal drivetrain fails.
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Items to consider might be a wind screen, lap belt, lighting package, and a dynamic braking circuit. For those more concerned about crash testing use aluminum honeycomb instead of plastic skin
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The next one I do is going to have all that plus a roll cage, hydraulic brakes, DOT wheels/tires, thicker axles/hubs with cotter pins, and hopefully improved aerodynamics. I'm going to set it up to do 100+ mph top speed, but still be perfectly pedalable with everything disabled. It will basically be a miniature Electrathon car with a pedal drivetrain, and the goal is to keep the finished vehicle ready to ride under 100 lbs. I want it to be capable of dynamically stable/mechanically reliable freeway cruising at 70 mph with the motor turned on, and with the motor turned off capable of sub 4-hour century rides and sprints to 40+ mph by a fit rider.
The idea is to build a 5,000+ MPGe "car" that is so efficient you can turn everything off and pedal it, but while operating with the motor on, for human pedal input to add a significant amount of motive force at all operating points. If it is sufficiently aerodynamic, 100 mph may be possible on only 5 horsepower, and a powerful rider could easily accommodate 20% of that requirement for a few seconds or even minutes at a time! And to make it better appeal to the general public, it needs some ass-hauling capability. If it can actually accelerate like a car, the size of its potential niche could increase.
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People are far too frightened by thoughts of riding on public roads. Learn the traffic rules and maintain a 3 sec. spacing. Pick a route and be polite. It's kept me alive for 60 years.
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It's the ones who do not pay attention or are even malicious while behind the wheel of a multi-ton missile that can ruin one's fun in an instant. There is nothing one an do to mitigate that risk. But what you listed is generally good advice and I've been following it well.