Electric Reverse Trike

[woodsmith]

I have been slowly scratch building my electric reverse trike, mainly from scrap. I have managed to source some parts and bits and pieces to get a layout that I am happy with.

I started with this sort of layout.


Then someone suggested I should have a 'honey seat' and so it started to look a little like this.


I am still in two minds as to 1+1 seating or side by side seating.


I picked up an MGB wire wheel front axle and that set the wire wheel theme.


And I was playing about with a BMW K100 gearbox and swing arm with an MGA wire wheel and motor bike tyre.


But it wouldn't be stong enough nor give the right ratios with the 12" motor that I had.


So then decided to try a Honda VFR750 single sided swing arm as I could use a duplex chain.


But the guys machining the shaft of the motor messed it up. It was a favour but a costly one that left the motor as good as scrap.
I then found an 11" motor but it came with 300kg of forklift truck axle.


They soon parted company but it meant the motor didn't have a DE (drive end) cap.


I made an MDF one to test the motor with.


The swing arm was also too long and mounted in the wrong place for the motor so I removed it with a view to making a new one. I also got a bigger wire wheel, 15x6" instead of the 15x41/2".


I had some bits made up that I then modified with a wood router.





It runs well so I took some video.


I picked up a used tyre for the bigger wire wheel, 225 60 15.


The wheel and motor can now sit like this with 600mm centres.


A very nice chap in the USA sent me a pair of 72V Curtis controllers to use. He had finished with them and didn't need them any more.


I wil use one to get the trike running and legal with six lead acid batteries before investing in 144v of LiFeP04 and a bigger controller.

The other controller will go as an upgrade in my scratch built electric tractor that was my 'learning curve'. I can post pictures of this build if anyone is interested.
More video.


I now need to build a chassis but first I need to decide on the seating layout.
99% of the time I will commuting to work solo so the 1+1 layout would be best as it keeps the (my) weight central but make the chassis longer. Side by side keeps SWMBO happier and the chassis shorter but means a lot of weight is on one side 99% of the time.


Anyway, that is where I am up to.
I'd like to make the track wider then the standard MGB but can't find a wider steering rack.
I also want a windscreen but don't know the best way to get one that fits and would be legal.
I am also working to a zero budget using gifts, scrap and whatever I can find, beg or borrow.
Maybe I will have a rolling chassis by the end of summer. Then I can move it out of the basement and assemble it outside on the drive, or leave it inside until next summer.