RE: Interest in FWD Enclosed Reverse Trike Build?

[HydroJim]

Spartan Trike Project | Reverse Trike

Texas Raptor | Extreme Reverse Trike

[ecoboy]

Originally Posted by Grant-53

Build time depends on the method of construction, operators experience, and tooling. I don't suppose you happen to have a CNC milling machine or a robotic welder handy? Me either. I do know the professor at the local community college who teaches auto body courses and there is a CNC machinist program there as well. Fiber glass is time consuming for one unit projects due to the time building the mold. A square tube space frame with a skin of 0.060" ABS might be the easy way. A composite cut and fold tub would be lighter. Depends on your skill sets and tools.

Read all the NYS laws on motorcycles first. You will need a motorcycle license to operate a trike. It will be inspected and registered as a Class A homebuilt vehicle.

Thanks Grant,

I am not too concerned with the shell as I do have some exposure to basic fabrication. My main concern is how long it would take to get a rolling chassis going. Shells can be made fairly quickly with a mold, and frames can be skinned much easier by elimination of compound curves.

How long would it take to get this far do you think?

XR3 Plug-in Hybrid no shell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRLsuJM4aZk

Also, I have my MC license that that is not a concern. I feel this will eventually take off, but you know the saying, "Pioneers get the arrows, settlers get the land" In others words it could be another 10 to 15 years before the need for 125 mpg becomes great enough for this to go into production.

[Grant-53]

Hard to say time wise. To get an estimate try finding a shop rate manual for Geo Metro or Subaru engine and transmission rebuild. Any project I have worked on seems to require 210% the effort one would imagine going in. Any project needs to be broken down into several phases: Planning, Funding, Procurement, Parts Fabrication, Assembly, Troubleshooting, Testing, Refinement, and Documentation. You might do it in 600 man hours where it might take me 1000 man hours. There are race car fabrication shops in the yellow pages. They would have experience building specialty vehicles.

A Honda Prelude is a FWD wishbone system where most other cars use McPherson suspensions. Engine vendors such a Kubota will have spec sheets for clutch dimensions so you might be able to avoid machining an adapter plate.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

An enclosed reverse-trike would serve me right, but I would be concerned about its weight bias. Find some way to set the engine a little back from the front axle and it would be perfect.

[ecoboy]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

An enclosed reverse-trike would serve me right, but I would be concerned about its weight bias. Find some way to set the engine a little back from the front axle and it would be perfect.

Thanks. How far back should it be from the front axle?

[HydroJim]

Originally Posted by ecoboy

Thanks. How far back should it be from the front axle?

If the trike is FWD, this doesn't matter.

Ideally, a trike would be front engine and FWD. A second best option is mid engine with RWD. The second option would not be ideal for low traction conditions but it generally makes for an easier single seater design.

Regardless of anyone's feelings on the company, I think the elio is one of the best implementations of what a consumer reverse trike should look like. They could have done better with the aerodynamics, but mechanically they chose a sound layout.

I also liked the CRX reverse trike that was built here on ecomodder. It wasn't the most elegant but that guy had the right idea for the most part.

If you're serious about this undertaking, make sure to spend a good 6 months on research.

I have mental plans laying around for a few reverse trikes and other vehicles but I have no real need to spend that kind of money at my current point in life.

[ecoboy]

Thanks for the suggestions and you are right alot of research has to be done before something like this is attempted. I too liked the CRX build and love the commercial prototypes like Ellio, I think they got it right for the most part.

I do like side by side as it is much more fun and women frown on sitting in the back seat like in India ha,ha,ha. Your a student you know what I am talking about.

If you have any spare time I'd love it if you could jot down a basic chassis designs considering the T and H so far.

[Grant-53]

I married a biker's daughter so it is either arms around the waist or side by side seating.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by Grant-53

Hard to say time wise. To get an estimate try finding a shop rate manual for Geo Metro or Subaru engine and transmission rebuild. Any project I have worked on seems to require 210% the effort one would imagine going in.

People told me that it took a week or two to replace a Subaru headgasket yourself, while the shop manual rates 8-10 hours (and the dealership estimated $3,500).

I had the Haynes manual and watched the video that everyone told me to around twenty times. I went through everything that I found on-line and wrote out step-by-step directions, so I would not be rifling through the manual looking for this section or that chapter.

It took me months, because many steps lacked details. The video mechanic put a breaker bar on the crankshaft, hit it with a sledge hammer, and it came off. That must have had a manual transmission, which you can leave in fifth gear, but most Subarus are automatics, and those require different techniques, which were not even mentioned in the video.

Plus, I found several plastic pieces that had broken, which they did not have in stock, so I ordered them, and waited.

I guess that the effort factor depends on expertise. I kind of want to replace another Subaru head gasket so that I can see how much faster I can do it.

[HydroJim]

Originally Posted by ecoboy

Thanks for the suggestions and you are right alot of research has to be done before something like this is attempted. I too liked the CRX build and love the commercial prototypes like Ellio, I think they got it right for the most part.

I do like side by side as it is much more fun and women frown on sitting in the back seat like in India ha,ha,ha. Your a student you know what I am talking about.

If you have any spare time I'd love it if you could jot down a basic chassis designs considering the T and H so far.

Check out some of my old threads. Keep in mind these are 3 years old and from my high school days. I was full of hopes and dreams back then. I think a lot of it is still good information though.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...age-24039.html

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ike-25266.html

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ike-23955.html

Not Yet Named Reverse Trike | Reverse Trike

I'm hoping to revive this project for my senior design project in a few years. Hopefully you can use what I've learned so far and put it to good use. In my opinion, I think the most cost effective option is to buy a cheap geo metro, chop everything off behind the B pillar, weld up a custom tubular steel frame, attach a rear wheel and suspension, drop in a gas tank, and start driving. You have to be super cognizant of your center of gravity and weight distribution but it can be done.