Built from scratch FE vehicles...

[JQmile]

Let's start a thread on them. Pics, details, 3 wheels or 4, small time or big budget, etc. Not just modded current rides, but clean-sheet stuff. I'll start....

The California Commuter - World Record Holding 155 MPG Freeway Legal Car!

[brucey]

the Commuter II on that page is a brilliant piece of engineering. I like the 3 seats too.

[Christ]

HyperRocet, posted elsewhere on this site... Ford Engineer built a 3 wheeler that gets insane mileage and is pretty quick, too.

[Davej98092]

Old Thread dug up.

I am in the planning stages of building a version of the orginal 'California Commuter'. The plans are still available and I got a set.
They got much better than the 155 MPG. The best was 186 MPG and worst was 146 MPG

They used a modified Honda 90cc with a big bore 130cc kit. 10 HP. I helped build one back in 1986 using a Honda XL250 cc twin 4 valve with 24 HP at like 6500 RPM and we got 90 MPG going from Seattle to San Diego CA and back. That engine was not an ECO designed so the MPG was not maxed.

My plans are to run a Suzuki Burgman 200. The 18 Hp engine can be modified a little. The CVT can be modified with 20 gr sliders and a better lighter clutch. Fuelly has it avaraging 70.8 MPG but I know a few riders that get 82 MPG with heaver slider mods.

[freebeard]

This California Commuter?

smallcarsclub.com/catalog/aerovisions/aerovisions-california-commuter/

Did you compare with Robt. Q. Riley's X3? rqriley.hostcentric.com/plans.html It seems like a lot of effort for a single-passenger vehicle with race car ingress/egress, a rough underbody and questionable headlight placing. ....and a single drive wheel.

I have been interested in something similar for some time. Here's a thread from 2013: ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/messerschmitt At permalink #7 is shown an electric drivetrain in the factor of a 901 transaxle, the only thing I saw available at the time. I've since acquired a Lexus drivetrain (95lb 68hp), but now I have a registration number for the Arcimoto FUV.

After seeing their twin motor, torque vectoring drivetrain the Lexus' open diff doesn't interest me.

[Davej98092]

Robert Q Riley passed away last year and the web page has been pulled down. All you get is "Server Not Found".

All I will ever need is a single seater as the wife will never go riding and I don't need a girlfriend to ride with me.

As far as placing that headlight up on the "TAIL", Uh NO! I'd french in some scooter's headlights into the front nose.

The underside has two wheel farings that are wide and a huge air scoop for the air cooled 90cc Honda engine. I will not do the two wheel fairings and the air scoop will be MUCH smaller as the Burgman 200 is water cooled and electric fan. Put MOON disc's on the wheels. This will clean up the underside a lot.

As far as 1 wheel drive, the trike will weigh about 500 pounds wet and WITH my 205 pounds in it. Why would it need 2 wheel drive and the associated friction losses in the Diff?

[freebeard]

I almost forgetted... welcome to Ecomodder.

I was just acknowledging the post, You might hope to attract the attention of toecutter or other's that play in that space. Review his post at ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/my-electric-velomobile-39095.html#post643137

Were I to design such a thing, I'd eschew welded tubing and splash-molded fiberglass. That's a lot of fabrication and skilled labor. A cut, braked and riveted monocoque seems easier.

A fiberglass shell around an ICE is going to be filled with NVH. And a human/ hybrid would be a problem.

Why not three wheel drive?

edit: That headlight was placed for a California legal requirement (24" to center of reflector). And the scoop could be anywhere else, it disrespects breakover angle.

Don't get me wrong, have fun doing it.

[Davej98092]

Thanks for the welcome. I have been a lurker on here for years but joined in Oct last year.

When I get closer I will share the build.

I thought about EV but if I can get 90 to 100 MPG with a 8 gallon tank all I have to stop for is to go pee. The batteries to go 800 miles at 70 MPH would be like adding more batteries to carry the weight of the batteries. Or less batteries and a 2 hour stop every so often. And with Covid, batteries did not get cheaper.

When we did this trike back in 1986 and drove it to San Diego and back it had a dual sport twin 250 and that was real smooth. With a 17T front and a 36T rear sprocket the engine was doing 3,200 RPM at 60 MPH. No vibration or noise in the cockpit. The simple straight axle front end fooled a lot of people when it almost pulled 0.8g in a skid pad test.

[freebeard]

ICE vs electric have no clear winner.

Have you considered a Tilting Motorworks kit?

I think the aeroform they chose is sub-optimal. It's got plan taper, but I'd prefer a triangular profile with a low stagnation line and a peaked crest to kill crosswind lift.

[Davej98092]

Originally Posted by freebeard

ICE vs electric have no clear winner.

Have you considered a Tilting Motorworks kit?

I think the aeroform they chose is sub-optimal. It's got plan taper, but I'd prefer a triangular profile with a low stagnation line and a peaked crest to kill crosswind lift.

I agree with the shape. It looks like a 1980's comprise of form over fitness.
4 foot wide with a 3 foot wheel track. I plan on widening the track and have open sides for the wheel/tires. We will make Carbon-Fiber copies of "Moon" disc's for all three wheels.

When we did the San Diego run we tested the high speed stability and below 90 MPH it very stable and neutral considering the 'Joy Stick' steering. At 75 MPH we could take our hands off the sticks and the trike would go for miles and not need much corrections. Above 100 MPH it got washie and did a swaying pattern, enough that you had to hold the sticks with both hands. I fought it out on 1 run to 105 MPH and when it look like it was maxed out I backed down.

Tilting Motor Works was a NW shop in Snohomish WA but they sold out to Arcimoto in Eugene Oregon around 2018. Bob Mighell and I talked many times and he will not sell a kit out the door... They require an accepted shop to procure the kit from them and install it. If you do not have a Honda Goldwing, Harley or Indian, you don't get a kit. I had 3 Suzuki Burgman 650 owners wanting a kit but we got declined.
They are now TRIO