Recumbent or Trike?

[Big Red]

This is my first three wheeler. I call her TRI BABY. I'm old and lazy so I took the easy way out. I married an old gocart frame to a goped platform. Installed ped's to make it a legal motorized bicycle and have been riding all over town for almost two years. The cops think I'm crazy but they wont give me a ticket. My question is, Recumbent or Trike? (or both?)
Thanks,
Big Red.

[popeye]

i like that it! looks ghetto/rat style i suppose its a recumbent tadpole trike, is it not? just out of interest; what'll she do mister? and ahem, what do you weigh? [sorry a bit personal i know just trying to get an idea of engine performance]
popeye

[Big Red]

[QUOTE=popeye;321026]i like that it! looks ghetto/rat style i suppose its a recumbent tadpole trike, is it not? just out of interest; what'll she do mister? and ahem, what do you weigh? [sorry a bit personal i know just trying to get an idea of engine performance]
popeye[/QUOTE
Hey popeye,
It will do about 22-24mph with a 33cc 2-stroke. Of course I'm a big guy, My sign in name IS Big Red.(about 230lbs.) I have a 49cc to stick on it when I get a chance so mph should come up. Or at least I'll get off the line faster. I'm not sure I REALLY want to though, couse it already wants to tip on corners. Doing a roll-over at 30mph is NOT my idea of a good time.
Thanks for looking,
Big Red.

[SimpleSimon]

Recumbent tadpole trike, definitely. I like it, but in the interests of stability in cornering, it needs some work. In the absence of independent suspension on the front end, it IS going to want to roll. There are some things you can do with fixed suspension, geometry-wise, to improve handling a bit, however.

I'd love to see more pics, from various angles, especially of the front end.

[Big Red]

Hey S.S.
Yer right about some things I could do, but it's not really a big problem. When I FINALLY get a welder I might widen' out the front end, but for now I just take it easy on the turns. I just wanted a ride that didn't look like every other one in town. AND I just kinda "fell" into the parts I needed for it. I like knowing that it's a "one of a kind" bike and when asked WHERE DID YOU BUY IT? I just chuckle and say, BUY IT, you can't buy a bike like this boy, Ya gotta get me to build one for ya. I REALLY DO have a good time with my bikes.
Anyway, heres some more pic's,And Thanks for looking.
Big Red.

[nwohater]

Yep that's original.


Wider front end won't help, all your weight is too far back. If the seat was more forward of the rear and the front tires were where your body mass sits and your feet stuck out the front, then you could whip around corners much better but that would be a totally different design.

I'm talking like a typical tadpole trike. They are made that way because it puts the center of mass closer to being over the two front tires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvM7cSPZhec



Yours isn't a tadpole trike because you have no pedals, it's a reverse trike. I'm amazed the law leaves you alone, because most places without pedals you are no longer on a bicycle, and subject to... Trouble. I guess you get away with it because of the goped part since they never had pedals.

Here is a very appropriate and slightly funny video for you though, the closest thing I've seen to what you have. But to show that even if your weight were over the front tires more, you can still go over on it at speed if you go too fast or turn too sharp, but it's a little more stable than you have there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpR0jNbqH94

The more your weight is over the front tires the better it will corner.

[SimpleSimon]

Look again, nwo, at the first pic in that last post by BR. It is in fact a recumbent tadpole trike, with pedals and chain ring/chain clearly visible. In the third pic you can see his chain run coming out from under the seat to a truly amazingly small drive sprocket. I'd hat to pedal that thing anywhere.

BR, when I said the front end geometry needed improvement, I meant implementing Ackerman steering principles to reduce wheel scrub and get your front wheels onto the proper angle of pivot - which is different for each wheel, depending on the turn. Widening it might help a tiny bit, but as nothing compared to using correct geometry.

[nwohater]

Oh yea the pic was zoomed out when I opened it by default, I didn't see that.
Well that makes it a motor assisted recumbent bicycle then.

[Big Red]

Yeah nwo, I know making it wider would'nt help a lot, but it would a little. I don't really WANT to corner at 40mph. I'm OLD and slow.
Thats also why I've been putting off slapping on the 49cc, Faster means faster in the turns also. You know I'll push it to the max just like anyone would.
And as far as the small peddle sprocket goes, WHO PEDDLES? The only time I use them is to get off when starting uphill. (I am 230lbs.)
The NomadOmatic is very freaking cool. It's just not old school looking and I'm the OLD SCHOOL dude. I'd just rather have a set of bars in front of me. But it also took me a long time to get a computer and cell phone so perhaps one day I'll come around.
Thanks,
Big Red.

[nwohater]

I get it.

But yours I would call more modern mad max end of the world looking, this I would call old school mad max...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CmPovPH4UI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTYyybDAwNU

Delta trikes seem true old school to me. It's the go ped part that really kills any old school claim flat out. I'm over 40 so go peds seem modern.
I still don't have a cell phone, though I did for a little while several years ago. Dont need the bill or the brain radiated. I swear I could just feel the heat coming off them like microwaving my noggin. Maybe it's just a bit of paranoia, I'm kind of a tie dye shirt wearing personality though I've never worn a shirt like that, if you know what I'm getting at...