New member saying 'Hello'

[woodsmith]

Hi,

I have just joined after finding a link here posted by Sunworksco on the DIY Electric Car forum.

I am planning an electric reverse trike that I will be building mostly from scratch.

The plan is developing around MGB front wishbones and kingpins with 14" wire wheels at the front and a Honda VFR750 swing arm at the rear. I will be bolting on a splined hub to fit a 15" MGA wire wheel.
I also have the earlier option of a BMW K100 transmission and swingarm which I may go back to depending on how the drive motor pans out.

I originally had a 12" diameter ex Morrisons Milk Float motor with a nice looking Art Deco aluminium DE cap. Unfortunately that was spoilt by someone offering to carry out the machining for me and getting it more wrong then can be imagined!
I now have an 11" motor from a Still R60/30 forklift.

I am working on having a fairly light trike but allowing for the extra weight of the big motor and the wire wheels.
I could use a much smaller motor but then so could most vehicles! ;D

My requirements for it are to use it as a work commuter which needs to do a 70 mile round trip at 70mph 4 days a week. The rest of the week it will only do local urban runs. I only need to cary myself and a squashy bag though many have said that I need a 'honey seat'. Not convinced on that one yet.

Anyway, this is sort of how things are in my workshop at the moment.

I won't be using the MR2 seats as they are too heavy and I am thinking of an Art Deco 1930's style wooden body as I am a cabinet maker.

I am hoping to learn a lot here that will help me make this happen.

Thank you.

[Giovanni LiCalsi]

Hello Woodie!
Welcome aboard.
We need more members here.
Thank you for joining.
I am very well versed in MGBs since I have owned a 1979 & and a 1969 B roadsters.
My first cars were a 1961 Morris Minor sedan and a 1959 Morris Minor Traveler.
I now own a 1975 XJC-6 Jaguar with a 4-speed overdrive.
I did the automatic transmission to 4-speed OD myself.
I will convert to EV sometime in the future.
You may want to look at the F800 BMW single-sided swing-arm. It is belt-drive and will take away less HP from the motor. These are very affordable from the breakers salvage. I bought mine on Ebay.
Take a look at this custom MGB front-end suspension, but I would stay away from kingpins and go with a wish-bone suspension from a VW Golf and weld together your own sub-frame. Matter of fact, you can use the front-wheel drive and mount the motor upfront. This is the best weight distribution and use the swing-arm as a trailing arm suspension. The B sub-frame is a porker with 1930's design.
Regards,
John

[Giovanni LiCalsi]

Here is a UK trike kit that you might want to take a look at.
It uses VW Golf front-drive suspension.
I tried to get a partial kit from this guy but he is very skiddish about foreign exports. I just wanted the kit without the ICE parts.
you can probably buy one from him or at the very least go take a lookie lou.
I consider the BlackJack Zero to be the best trike kit for the money spent.
You can mount the LiFe battery pack in the passenger area and obtain a perfect weight distribution. You would have lots of storage to boot!
Regards,
John

[woodsmith]

Thanks for the welcome.

I will be stripping that MGB suspension down to its most minimal parts to save weight. I'll keep the kingpins just for simplicity though, saves me sorting out any other method of having brakes, claipers and wire wheels all in one easy lump!

I have two swing arms already, not sure if I should buy any more, at least until I know I have to. I will persevere with the Honda one for the moment but the ease of the K100 set up, with gears, is tempting. It would add length, not a bad thing except that it won't fit in the workshop. ;D

I'll pass on the kit car. There is a certain pleasure in devising ones own solutions. Besides, I no longer have that lovely art deco 12" motor to hang out there at the front. ;D

[Deleted]

Hey all,
I just wanted to let myself be known. I found this sight out of luck. I have been wanting to build a RT for years. I just so happens I got a 2006 GSXR 750 engine. All wires and computer last week. I have an idea in my head but as you must all know that getting things out of your head and on paper are not that easy. Well its not for me.
A little about my back ground. I am a SSgt in the Marine Corps. I was an 0351 (Grunt) from 1989 to 1993. I took 2 years off and went back in as a CH 46 Crew chief. I was flying from 1995 to 2005 when i was hurt in Iraq. I was taken off flight orders and given a desk job (Not much fun). Early this year the extent of my injuries came to light and i was transfered to the WWBE (Wounded Warier Battalion East). I am still with the WWBE to this day. Starting my medical board so I can get out. After over 20 years, I think its about time. But with my medical board starting in a few months and each board taking 1 to 2 years to be completed, I think i'm going to be here for some time to come.
So as i sit and wait for my board to go through I got this GSXR 750 engine as well as 4 other wounded marines at the WWB to help me with this RT. Its good to have something to do with your time rather than thinking about your past if you know what I mean. Well for us at the WWB it is.
So, like i said I have this idea in my head on building this RT. After looking at all the work on this sight all my plans look like crap! I am just blown away (again lol, little Iraq humor. I got a TBI from 2 121mm rockets) by the great work you all are doing on your builds.
If anyone has any ideas on how I should start, I would be very grateful. I do have a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) but I am still able to do a lot of things. Walking and chewing gum is one i'm still working on....
I have a great deal of questions on this that I don't want to spill out all over this post. But some are, How do I register my RT if i can build it, How do I by pass the security on the 750's ignition (I don't have the key)? Is there any one on here that has machined parts for there build that would allow myself and the other Marines to buy some work?
Again, any help would be great and please keep posting pictures of your builds for inspiration. It would also be great if some of you could email me some pictures. I would be very honed it anyone is willing to email me any pictures of your amazing builds. My Home email is [e-mail] and my work is [e-mail]
Thank you to anyone that takes there time to read this.
Simper Fi

[Giovanni LiCalsi]

You may want to take the complete parts and receipt to a dealer parts counter and ask them the same question about the security switch. Just make sure that you can prove that it belongs to you and no doubts of theft. They should have an answer for you.
Regards,
Giovanni