RT(3 wheels) vs 2 wheels vs 4 wheels

[Deleted]

I'll say that i am intrigued with RT's.... i saw the "Spyder" on the highway,& that was my first time seeing one. I registered on this site, and have reviewed a lot of the information here...I wanted to open a discussion...

What's the advantage of a RT, when compared to a vehicle with 2 wheels (typical motorcycle), or 4 wheels (car)

Outside the "Cool" factor, are they less safe?

I know they were once popular 50 - 70 years ago, What happened? Any Comments?

[1983JZR3W]

I have a JZR reverse trike from England. It is a 2F1R setup and seats two side by side. It is powered by a Honda CX650 motorcycle engine with 65 horsepower. It is right hand drive and looks very much like an early 30's Morgan Super Sport. It handles quite well and gets lots of attention. It looks so much like the Morgan, many enthusiasts think it is the real thing. It is much more reliable than an original and costs a bit less to maintain. Good luck with your search and enjoy your new three wheeler.

By the way, to see some pics of my JZR, go to the thread Favorite reverse trikes and there are some photos there.

[Deleted]

The main advantage is the simplified drivetrain. HFS Morgan first came out with his reverse trike because the 4-wheel cars of his day were too expensive for the average person to afford. The rear differential and axle added cost to production, so Morgan came out with his cycle-car, using chain drive to the rear wheel. He could sell them cheaper than the 4-wheelers, so he brought transportation to the masses.

Reverse trikes also handle better then delta trikes. When cornering, CG shifts towards the outside of the turn, but also slightly forward, so having two wheels at the front gives better stability.

In the case of the Spyder - it gives the riding sensation of a motorcycle, while providing more stability, and allowing people to not have to counter-steer to turn.

[joeld0803]

Ok so I have been contemplating on the RT idea and even started a project of my own but my concern is length and since I am building a 2 seater side by side something comes to mind.

What keeps ones body weight from tipping one side of it slightly due to weight if there is no one riding with you.

I would imagine putting a large back tire would help solve this but then you increase rolling weight of a big tire and decrease performance of the engine.

Is the key in the width of the rear swing arm pivot point. I am to a point on my bandit build where such things are concerning me and I don't want to waste a ton of materials and time if anyone has any suggestions.

My front wheel stance will be outside of tire to tire around 6-61/2 feet which will help as well I assume. The widest part of the rear of the body is 5 feet and that is where my weight will be riding it.

Any comments will be appreciated.

[Liteway]

As subie said the simple drivetrain, but also the legal hurdles for street registation, in most states, are less than for a four wheeler. Add in the ready availability of donor motorcycles and you have a natural fit for home builders. Bike motors are usually a lot more powerful pound for pound than most car motors and deletion of one wheel/ tire assembly. brake , rear axle and differential saves a lot of weight.

The downside is a relative lack of stability. All other things being equal, 4 wheels corner better. Consider what it would be like to drive a 3 wheeled Ford Explorer. Ugg. This why you see the almost comically wide tracks at the front of some 3 wheelers, and why it is so important to keep the center of gravity low. These measures are necessary to get back some stability lost with the absence of that 4th wheel.

Another problem is which end do you concentrate the weight at, especially with a high powered rear drive trike?
Put it up front, and traction is compromised. Put it in back, and handling suffers. You have to design around your own personal priorities and make your compromises accordingly.
Happily, this is where you can express your own ideas, and let your creativity flow. Whatever anybody else says or thinks, you only need to satisfy yourself and who is say you are wrong?

As for sag on the heavy side, I remember seeing this phenom while driving behind MG Midgets back in the old days, so it is not exclusive to 3 wheelers, but more to all lightweight side by siders. If you have motorcyle type coillovers you can boost the pre-load on the low side or use some kind a spacer between a couple of the coils if you don"t.

[joeld0803]

Thanks for the response. My bandit project may be a bit on the heavier side than most trikes due to the heavy duty material I used in the backbone of it. More weight will be in the rear for traction due to the engine and a slightly rearward seating position but the heavier tubing up front in the backbone will add weight to the front and I was planning on using mustang II front suspension and rack and pinion which will also add weight as well as coilovers. I was concerned about the 1200cc being enough power and the fact that it only has 5 speeds has me thinking I might need more power. I can upgrade the engine to an extent with either oversized pistons later or even flat tops which bump the HP up by about 25 HP and with rejetting the carbs and putting K&N air cleaners on them it should wake it up even more so I probably shouldn't worry too much. The egine stock has about 100 HP alone at 6500-7500 rpm which is way more than my harley 96 CID engine.