new member from Ohio

[Deleted]

Greetings. My name is Jim Bailey, from Medina Ohio (near Akron/Cleveland).

I have been wanting to build a reverse/tadpole trike for some time now. My end goal is to build a licenseable trike that gets at least 60 MPG, preferably 80 and is capable of speeds of at least 55 mph preferably 65, from a small motorcycle (400cc or less) or scooter, with a lightweight enclosed body so it can be ridden year round.

Rather than trying to achieve the above goals on a first attempt, I want to build a smaller scale trike first (much cheaper, hopefully less than $1,000) to gain some knowledge, bicycle based, wheels anyway, and a small Harbor Freight 6.5 HP engine with a salisbury clutch drive. My goals on this first project is less than 200 lbs, 80-120 mpg and 45 mph.

I am a CAD-machine tooling designer by trade and have started designing/drawing the frame, suspension, engine/clutch, wheels etc.. For this first bicycle trike project I plan on using 1" round x 1/8 or 3/32 wall thickness tubing for the main frame and 1" square tubing for the rear suspension/swing arm. Anyone care to give advise if the 1/8 or 3/32 wall thickness is better, save on weight with 3/32 or go for strength with 1/8? I am hoping to be done with design by the end of the year and start fabricating the frame late winter/early spring, and hopefully be done by late spring/early summer.

Any comments would be appreciated.

thanks,
Jim

[1983JZR3W]

Welcome from Florida!! Keep us posted with your build.

[Giovanni LiCalsi]

An idea that never comes up here for an enclosed reverse trike could be a salvaged wrecked fiberglass glider fuselage. Most of the time, these are free for hauling away. They usually cant be used again for flying. These are super aerodynamic and light. You could add some light-weight aluminum extrusions for the suspension mountings. You could mate a used chainsaw engine on a small Honda motorcycle frame for the rear drive. This would get about 80mph.