Manky Monkey Motors

evening peeps,ive been collecting parts and asking questions for a good few weeks now .
i think its time i started a write up of my own trike build.
ive got my engine ,box,prop and two axels,(more to pick up).ive got loads of pipe a bender and loads of time as i cant work due to health reasons.
ive got a garage ,a bench and loads of rags to clean stuff.
a stick welder ,five front ends and loads of wheels,
time to build .
photos will be put on later when i suss it out.
tony b.

That's great. Looking forward to seeing the collection of bits  ;D

good luck and happy building tony!!!!
nice to have someone else at this end of the country on with a trike build!!

we are close enough to help each other out with our builds,and perhaps swap ideas .

Good luck to both of you! We'll be watching over your shoulders!  ;D

all the best with the builds Gents ;D

Good luck! can't wait to follow what your doing!

at the moment im freezin me tits off ,ill have to put a door on me garage.lol

made me engine mounts today,and started another set of axel mounts coz i didnt like the first set,ive got a 2 meter length of 2"internal bore tube thats got 4mm wall,ima makin em out of that,they will be done in the morning.
ive bent my frame rails and set it out in my garage ,ive got rover 15"wheels on the back and there is loads of room to get the callipers in,just waiting for my calliper brackets ,a mate is making me two sets ,coz i lended him me trailer to pick up a laithe,.he doesnt know how busy hes going to be,lol.
ill try and put some pics on later as im off to cook tea for my family now.
it will be something to do with a ding.lol.

Ding! It's ready!
Check out Ska Man's trike

Blue Job (http://mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/Trikespageimages/bluejob/trike.htm)

I think he's got 15" Rover rims on the back of that.
Sounds like you're up & away then Tony. You'll be on the road in no time!  :)

just need a decent front end,i mite get some stronger springs for me upside down forks ,they are longer and look the dogs,either that or ill try and get some yolks made,its hard to get them done up here on my money.

 i set my frame rails up today and tack welded them to the engine mounts all true and square.
looks the part .then i realised that i hadnt cut them down ,ill grind the weld off in the morning and start again,(doh).
im trying to win them cream cakes,
one step forward two steps back.

Don't rush it. You WILL make errors along the way. Manky and I tried to rush my trike frame for the Basingstoke show and it all went wrong and we had to re-do it. Take your time and think each bit through thoroughly. Read the build articles again and have another think. How does the saying go - measure twice , cut once. If you find you are getting tired or frustrated with it then walk away and sleep on it.

Wise words  ;)
Also, don't forget you're doing this for fun!

i tryed sleeping on it last night ,but the oil filler cap was hurting me back and the gear stick kept stickin in me arse,shabba.

 ;D muppet  ;D

har har har de har

went to the scrap yard today.got meself a pair of vw golf callipers and carriers,and also 8 studs and nuts for my diffs.for the total sum of ...........£10,took his arm off at the hip.
cleaned up the carriers and striped the callipers to give them a good clean.
question.
how the heck do i get the piston back in?.

10 quid?! That's a bargain mate. If he's got any more, might be worth grabbing them while you can.
Don't try & push the piston straight in Tone -it's on a screw thread. Turn it clockwise as you push it in. The pistons are operated by hydraulic pressure for normal braking, being pushed out by the fluid, but sit against a plate that's screwed out when you haul the handbrake on. That satisfies the requirement that the handbrake be mechanically operated & not part of the hydraulic system.
Here's a useful step by step guide to overhauling them:

Caliper overhaul (http://www.vaglinks.com/Docs/VW/MKIII/VW_MKIII_Jetta_Golf_RearBrakeDIY.pdf)

i need to get 2 new gaitors for the calliper piston.im having problems gettin me pics on.

when i try to put pics on it says my file is too large,HELP.

resize them,

Can do it with any image program.. even "paint" that comes with any windows PC..

Open in paint, then click "image" then resize. Try 50%, then save.

Then upload them here..

Try these guys for rebuild kits

Bigg Red calipers (http://www.biggred.co.uk/)

kgfi

ha sussed it ,dont know what i did but i did it ,

Comfy looking ride!  ;D

been working on setting out my frame today,got it all square and set up,deciding which front to put on .
welded the engine mounts on and braced the frame at the headstock and behind the box.
ill be putting the back end on in the morning,found some pipe on a frame for holding wire which fit inside my frame tubes and also have the exact bend i need for using when i put the pipe from my axel to the frame ,,,,,,,,,,,result,these frames are thrown away on an almost daily basis.they chuck them into me dads scrap skip.
will put some pics on tonight.
tony.

ok time to put pics on aff the parts i have so far.
the build begins

cleaned my engine and box

got some callipers,they need a good clean yet.

me axels done ,fitted with disk brakes ,at the moment the calliper plates are made of MDF just as a mock up,as im still waiting for the steel ones to arrive.

doh wrong pic

 ;D Post the right pic & we'll delete the wrong one.

picture on the way oh manky one.

Your gearbox bolts are in the post -did you get the gearstick clip?

axel pic

Looking goood Tony. Remind us what your wheels look like from the front. The calipers fit nicely in the back of 'em. You'll soon be as far on as we are with Taz's!

the wheels are from a rover,15",very deep dish,they belong to my uncle,he wants them back but told me he has some other 15s from a rover that need tyres.
not a problem as my pappy owns a scrap yard and breakers yard/
got tons of old stuff nockin about.
he has a ford zodiac he will probably sell for the right money.
ill get some pics of it
he also has a totaly one off car that was built in the late 70s by an engineer friend of his ,it was built round an 1800 maxi type thing .it looks like a model T,ish,but its been stood for almost 30 years now and needs a full restoration job doing.it is unique.
again ill get some pics asap.

post some pics of the breakers yard plz ;D

Auto porn!
Would love a vehicle write-up on the T thing, even if it's derelict. Always looking for unusual & interesting machinery.

ill try and get some pics of it soon its burried under all kinds of kak at the mo.

lets see if i can remember how i put the other pics on

thats me that is (dreaming of next summer).
there you go a picture of me.shabba.

ill have to clean me garage out as im strugling for space.

and another one

another one of me

Why do we always attract the nutters here?!
Nice to see you Tony  ;)
I haven't got a copy of that issue of BSH. Maybe I should pick up a back issue.

great write up about the flapster,ill ask my mate if he has a back issue as he usually chucks them.hes got a few trikes ,ill take some pics .

Thanks.

managed to get my gearbox mounts built a nd fitted today,so engine and box are now in situ.done one side of rear frame rail to axel,will do other side in morning,i now need a tank so i can line top tube up ,and ive decided to use the gpz 600r headstock.ill have to sort a mounting out for my bars yet and then its down to fitting all the brackets and lights.with any luck it should be up and running by x mas.

I said that about mine -2 years ago.  :(
Well done Tony. Sounds like there's no stopping you now! I presume the gearbox bolts arrived O.K then?

erm,yes they did ,i thought i pm,d you to say thanks and to tell you that im trying to get a skip full of donuts your way,lol.

 ;D

ok ive not posted any thing for a few days now as ive been busy with my trike.
ive only got to put the tube on the frame to mount my seat on and im done with the main build,then its down to putting the variuos bracketry on and making an electrics box and finding a suitable speedo,(any sugestions peeps)will i run it from the front wheel or the box,will wheel size alter the speedo reading as i suspect it will,ill try and get some pics on tonight if it ever stops raining.

You git! You've finished already?! Sheesh!
Speedo -yup, if you hook it up to the Reliant gearbox with oversize rear wheels, it'll read slower. You can fit a re-calibration unit from someone like Speedy Cables, (check the Links for Commercial Purposes bit of the forum). It's a small box with a couple of cogs inside, mounted inline on the cable to slow it down or speed it up as required. Much easier though to go with a bike speedo off the front wheel, as most bikes are. Assuming you're using the standard sized front wheel & tyre it should read correctly.

guess what ,the axel moved when i welded the frame up,only noticed when i put the prop on and it didnt line up when i squared it up my axel clamps were at different distances from the center of the prop.
instead of just sorting one side out i lost my rag and chopped the whole frame up.
back to the drawing board for bennett trike mk 2,.
i managed to get my frame rails done again and the engine and box is once again in situ.the headstock is on and square and the new rear frame rails are bent and ready to go on,ive left the prop on this time ,i think ill weld some flat bar from the axel to the gear box mount to keep it all square this time.it should all be done again.by the weekend,
QUESTION.
how can i block the speedo drive on the gear box,is there a screw on cap i can get from somewhere.
thats all for now folks,be back soon.
shabba.
tony b.
PS any one heard from mark(triker 9999)

why do you need to block it

Mark was online earlier this evening.
The speedo cable's driven from a fitting on the righthand side of the gearbox. If you're not using it, oil will seep out when the gears inside are turning. Good job you mentioned it Tony cos I've forgotten to blank off my one. Last time I used the ally screw fitting from an old Reliant speedo cable, with a rubber blanking grommet taking the place of the cable itself. I've also used the rubber feet from walking sticks or chair legs, which are sold in a variety of sizes in hardware stores.
Chopping the frame up was a bit drastic mate! I know the beauty of building your own is that you can do that as many times as you like, but maybe shutting the door & walking away from it till you've calmed down might save you a lot of work!  :)

i know your right andy but i lost it ,ive set it all up again so im well on my way to making my second trike,ive never done owt like this before so it is a learning curve,i wont do it again mate(cock up i mean)i will make another one .
ive got ideas already for a different type.of rear end with suspention,its still a hard tail but ill fit springs from a superdream under the seat .
also im going to make my top and bottom rear frame rails the same angles,it will make it thinner at the back and look longer ,ill post pics so you know what i mean.

set up frame rails measure double measure then tack then measure set engine mounts  then measure then double measure then tack then measure set headstock then measure then double measure then tack then measure set axle then measure then double measure then tack then measure gettin the idea yet lol

ron ya forgot m8 after ya done all that measure the bugger again  ;D

please help me before i give up and flog all my parts.
ive squared up the frame rails ,mounted the headstock,nice and square,mounted the gearbox mounts all square.
the prop is on and square to the gearbox mounts,so you would think it was all ok to add the rear frame rails from gear box mounts to the axel clamps.
both rear rails bent the same but when i try to put them on ,one of them is further out from the center of the axel than the other,how can this be ,has any one got any close up pics of the rear part of there frame please,i can not work out what is wrong.

post pics of yours.. maybe we can spot the problem?

try tackin the correct side up them pullin the other side in or out till correct then tack that not forgettin to measure twice lol

As long as your axle ends up at 90 degrees to the front wheel & your headstock's sitting straight, so that all 3 wheels are running true, the rest is cosmetic really mate. If you have to tweak a tube here & there to get them where you want them it doesn't really matter. Obviously ideally everything would be millimetre perfect, but you just need the finished chassis rolling straight, so it doesn't crab off to one side when you ride it.
I think you're stressing too much about minute details. Take a deep breath & get stuck in again!

sussed it,the bloody headstock was out by about 5mm at the top so when i measured from it ,it put the axel out by about a quater of an inch,which put the frame rails out by just under half an inch and so on,two years ,im not bloody surprized,.

am i rite in thinking that the center of the head stock should be the same distance from the axel clamps on both sides.
my frame is square and the rear end is exactly square ,the front down tubes are the same and they are at the same angle from the ground as in angled in from the frame rails,yet when i measure from the headstock to the center of the axel clamps there is a difference of just under half an inch,
how can this be ,whats wrong now.

Yup, if you take a line from the headstock back to the axle, then from the same point on the headstock to the same poin ton the other side of the axle, they should measure the same.
Can you post a piccie of your frame? Can't think what could be throwing things out. You haven't used the rocker cover on the engine as a guide to centre your headstock have you? The rocker cover's offset to one side -it doesn't run centrally down the engine. If you drop a plumbline from the headstock, between the front down tubes, it should pass through the centreline of the crankshaft pulley.   

beat me to it andy. ;D another way to check. might be too obvious to notice was the axle dead central in its mountings before you took the measurments??? easy mistake to make if your not using a jig! ;)

center of me axel is center of the gear box mounting,when i run a string line down the length of the trike the string goes down one side of the rocker cover .ill get some pics in the morning chaps.

manky you is right,i did have it set up using the rocker as a guide,(menkul or wot)its sorted now though ill get some pics in the morning as it was pitch black when id finnished today.

 ;D Another mystery solved. Well done Tony. Try not to cut it up again eh.  ;)

i cant ive got no pipe left

frames finnished,just got to get a seat and radiator nowthen i can fit me lights and make some forwards,then wire and sva it.

Bloody 'ell!

ive worked out,including cutting up the frame twice,that its took me about three and a half weeks not including the time it took to collect the parts,to build this trike frame.
it just needs all the welds smoothing out and work out where to put the foot pegs,but all in all its done.
this was done in a shed that is only 8 foot by 6 foot (i like it cozy),working about 5 hours a day.
so dont be put off ,you can do it .
get building.
tony b,shabba.

Piccies!! Show us your efforts Tony.  ;)

who's this "Shabba" bloke then ?  :)

...  Hagar


Edit ....

just "Googled"  it and "shabba"  means "elephant's cock"  apparently  ?   http://drownedinsound.com/news/3154705     

Hagar   ;D

dont know who he is ,its a word i use at home ,when the kids ask me for money i usually say nay(no) or yeh(yes) now if they can have the money ill shout,shabba,they then know that i mean yes.
frames done,shabba.
yes its done,get the drift.

andy ill get some pics of the frame when ive cleaned it up and got the surface rust off it ,mine is built using scrap tube from an engineering factory ,which there are about 15 in a 5mile radius from my house,if not more,
once triker 9999 bought some pipe from me for his build ,the frame now only owes me £9,.
all other bits ive got from my dads breakers yard from the scrap skip.

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i think because of the very low cost of the parts ,and in honour of the trike i first saw in the BSH maggazine,the FLAPSTER,im going to call mine the SCRAPSTER,
any one like to remark on this ,please do.

Perfect! I look forward to it's magazine debut.  ;D

9 quid?!!

The Scrapster. I like it very much  ;D

what colour should i do it ,or should i let it rust then laquer over it .

Rust then laquer!

another name ,because its got 3 wheels and 1 head light,
how about triclops,what paint sceme could i use.

Green scales?

i thought of that but scales are more lizzard like.

Scrapster is a wonderful name!

scrapster definightly

ok peeps its now officially the scrapster god knows how ill paint it,i might just chuck different paint at it and put odd wheels on it,different footpegs and grips and bar ends,even different rear lights,and 4 different indicators,
how would it stand to go through an sva test with odd parts on it.

I think the lights would have to be in symetrical pairs, but otherwise O.K

Just cause your using scrap, doesn't mean it has to LOOK like scrap...hehe

That's what I was thinking -cooler for it to look good, then watch people's reactions when you tell them what it's cost you to build.
Tony, the fuel tap's in the post to you by the way  ;)

andy ive sent you a parcel today ,by the way,i insist you do a full write up including pics of the item ive sent you lol,har har har de har har.

Watch out he's sent you a  ....  "Shabba"    ....  ;D


..  Hagar  ..   ;D

 ;D I'd rather have a Jaffa.

SHABBA ha ha har,its a swamp monster that lives in the dam near me.

be alot easier to dunk in your tea   .....   ;D

..  Hagar  ..  ;D

you dont dunk cakes in your tea

Dunk Jaffa cakes in tequila - you'll never go back to tea!

 ;D

`frames done

(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr244/tonybennett68/044.jpg)

different views
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr244/tonybennett68/041-1.jpg)

lots of hours needed now to file it down ,then ill fit foot pegs and radiator brackets,and rear bumper bar

There ya go -easy ain't it  ;D
Congratulations Tony. Looks fine to me.
Let's compare -Muffin's frame, as featured in this month's Back Street Heroes.
Hey! Matching tarpaulins!  ;D

I'm liking lot's, now where can I fit a reliant build into my shed/schedule  ;D ;D ;D ::) :P

thats a WIDE seat area

Maybe he's got a wide bottom Ron. I haven't met Mr B yet so can't comment on his posterior pertness.
Shaun, that's about as likely as me fitting a Pop, a Charger & 2 trikes into my schedule.  :P

only 4 projects Manky ::) ::) 7 and counting here :-[ :-[ :-[ just got hold of a Howard rotovator fitted with a 667cc JAP engine ;D ;D ;D big sidevalve bobber here I come ;D ;D ;D

projects phaaa 29 i tink at last count  lets see bandit needs clutch fittin triumph chop needs new frame cb650 chop up for sale as no money or time to finish z440 bobber to do gs850 trike to wire z1000 trike engine to fit v6 trike needs forks makin guzzi trike to do tdm850 trike to do gl1100 trike to do xj650 trike to do totrod to do for grandson the other grankids will want summat buildin  v12 T bucket to do  29 pickup to do and jam roller (36 austin 10 hotrod) to do thats just off top of my head darent goin sheds/garages lol

Ask Santa for a sat nav. You'll need it and so will anyone else who visits you as it's the only way you'll find your way around  ;D

huh

ye tazet i know what ya mean coz just picked up a jago jeep body for £20  off evilbay lol

sorry ive not posted on this for a while ,been busy fileing the frame ,nearly there.ive finnished the calliper mounts and drilled the stub axel and fitted new bolts from a citroen,
im going to fit the handbrake today and start to build the mounts forthe rear lights.ill post pics of all of this as soon as i can.
chow for now,shabba.

Damn, you'll be MOTing it next week at this rate!  ;D

i only get about 3 hours a day to work on it.i have 4 kids to see over,and it goes dark early ,im working outside and its cold enough to freeze the b***s off a brass monkey never mind a manky one.
if i had my own way id bring it in the house but i dont think my better half would see the funny side mate.

Now I feel guilty for not having mine finished yet!

christ ,how long does it take to file a frame,file weld low spots ,file weld ,file ,weld,youget the gist,ive not put the hand brake brackets on yet.
i gopt tw0 metro hand brakes yesterday,have a guess how much,yes andy i had to pay for them.lol.how much would you lot have to pay for them.?

I thought I was the only one daft enough to smooth off my welds!
Going rate for Metro handbrake levers down Sarf seems to be 5 to 10 quid. Or 40 quid for Taz's ultra posh lever action stainless one.
If you say you got 'em for nothing I'm gonna come up there & slap you.  >:(

ha ha har de har,it broke my heart to have to pay for them.33bloody the pair.andy if you ever need any postable size parts mate give us a bell first before you go out and source them,ill have a look up here for you first.
i get megga low prices for most things scrapyard as my dad has been in the trade for 42 years and all other yards know us,we buy from them all the time.
im going to look around our yard to see what i caN USE ON EITHER THIS BUILD OR MY NEXT ONE.IM LOOKING AT USING A 2.1 PINTO ENGINE AND BOX ON THE NEXT ONE MATE,I JUST NEED A VERY BIG FRONT END FROM A LARGE ENGINED BIKE.
WHATS HAPPENED TO THE TYPESET SIZE .OOPS IVE PUSHED SOMETHING I SHOULDNT HAVE.

How much?
You pushed "Caps Lock", ya muppet!

sorry mAtE, they cost me £1.50each £3 the pair.is this cheap?

£3 a pair :o :o i get mine fer nowt hahaha  8)

i can get mine for nowt as we own a scrap yard but we diddnt open till 5th and i needed it ,did your frame cost you £9 i think not axle free,complete front end free.callipers and carriers £10,shall i go on.

 >:( You can go right off some people cant you! ;)

and you never even met me .im dead funny you know,.lol.sorry mate to have upset you.xxx

Is that funny HA HA, or funny GA GA. ;D ;D

dont worry it takes alot to offend me (I'm thick just like me skin ::) )

heres another pic.me and that bloke off corry street
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr244/tonybennett68/005-1.jpg)

Yeah, right, why am I not surprised?

about what

ok peeps ive not posted anything on here for a good while,im at that stage of the build when you only have brackets and things to fit to the frame ,and other little things,and i can be in the garage all day and nothing seems to get done ,im going to make the seat as i want it long enough to carry a passenger(the wife said she would come out on it ,i might get her on the back of me bike aswell in summer)
so untill ive made the seat i cant put the forwards on ,ive got the metal to build a battery box and all the flat bar to put brackets on ,so ill stop moaning now and get some work done on it,
sorry ive not put pics on but im having great trouble getting them to upload,chow for now ,
shabba

Piccies, piccies, piccies!!
Email them to us if you're having problems Tony & we'll do it for you.

im having problems with the emails aswell andy,i cant email ,put pics on or even answer some emails ,i dont know whats wrong,my brother in law is comming to re boot the computer at the week end .

The problem's with your mouse -the one who runs round in the wheel to power your computer. He's died. Time to upgrade to a guinea pig.  ;)

can i use a rod to work the clutch arm or will i have to use a cylinder affair.

So I had a look and I didn't find any mice in my computer, just loads of black 'biscuity' looking fings, which I chucked out to make more room for the mice, should they come back, and now my PC don't work, so......... what do you suggest I do next Mr. M?, do you think it's worth getting the wfe to plug it back in to see if it come back to life, bit like a film I saw with this bloke Frank Enstine in it, I'm not chancing it meself you understand, mind you I don't suppose she will as she's been wary of electrical fings since I bought her that chair with a lead and plug on it for Mothers Day, never satisfied that one.............bugger it I'll go and buy some note paper, yeah, that's what I'll do, Matron open this door......

Why do we attract all the nutters to this site?  :P
Yes, Tony, you can use a rod.
Morrag, you worry me mate.  ;D

Not half as much as he worries his nurse :o :o

tonyb  i would only use a rod if the engine is solid mounted if rubber mounted as you depress the pedal it will pull the engine forward so the fan goes into the rad if this is on a reliant as i found out the hard way

Ouch!

yes madron it is a reliant that is solid mounted,like andys

I've alwys used rod linkages on the pedals on solid mounted Reliants with no problems. On my current build I'm using a slave cylinder to push the clutch arm, rather than a rod pulling it, just to be a little different.

hi everyone,ive not posted for a while as i have two family members dying in hospital and i cant think straight at the moment
my wife nan has only days at best to live and my step mum is also dying in another hospital on the other side of merseyside so im up and down all day between the two,this i have to do aswell as the school runs,its taking its toll
my step mum has a very rare strain of CJD which itself is rare and we will today have an idea of how long she has,probably 2=4 weeks at best
on top of all this my eldest has walked out and im in a bit of a hole at the moment,as we had planned to celebrate her 18th on monday
now im not religious in any way but if any of you are i would be gratefull for any ptayers you can give
thanks for reading this and all the best to you all,
tony b

Our thoughts are with you mate at this difficult time.

Do know how you feel mate. Thinking of you & your family.
The projects will still be there when you're ready to go back to them, but some things are more important.

sorry to hear mate take care of family first as you only get one we can wait

I'm not religious either but our prayers are with you and your family. We know how you feel mate and know it's not easy.

Spend what preciouse time you have with your family marra, other things are less important.

i dont see many of my family and you lot have brought a tear to my eyes ,ive never met any of you but i feel like i know you all ,to my new and ever growing family THANK YOU


the bennetts,

 :-*

Sorry to hear your sad news, our thoughts are with you too.

My thoughts are with you and yours.
Family allways comes first, spend as much time as you can with them, good friends will allways be there when needed at any time.

I've been there mate, with the wifes family. Thoughts are with you.

Good thing about metal is you can leave it alone (well pretty much) and it will still be there next year unlike family.

I'm a great believer in the power of prayer - or thoughts, or whatever you want to call it.

And mine are with you too.

ok peeps not wrote anything since my bad news ,well both family members are still with us but unfortunately my step mum has been confirmed with having CJD they have told us that it wont be months but more like weeks,my wife nan has been sent home to convaless,
and ive started to build my second frame just so i can get my mind off all the other problems,the first frame has been cut up as it was twisted from front to back by 5mm and it has to be right,good job i got all that pipe for nowt,i have to pick some more up next week ,the problem is im running out of room to store it,never mind ill have to build another shed with the metal covered insulation boards that my brother in law gets from work,he works for a company that makes fridges that go on the back of wagons,thay are having a clear out and are chuckin away loads of 8x6 sheets ,insulated shed here we come,also while im braggin,he can also get me any size chequer plate that i need cut to size as they have piles of it out side thats dirty and no use to them,mad or what,any way im of to cut something else up now with me big circular metal cutter that me uncle just gave me,shabba.

ok peeps,still not got the hang off putting pics on,im now 2/3 the way through building my 3rd trike frame as the first on was cut up a few times and must have twisted during all the rewelding,bugger,anyway this ones spot on,and im going to build a back rest onto it as part of the frame,hope to get that done today once ive built a new garden wall,ive got 4 different head lights and cant decide which to use ,ill try again 2nite to put pics on but dont hold ya breath.

Go for it Tony! If you're still having problems, email them to us & we'll post them for you. Our email addresses are in the Contacts page on the main site.

not been around much these last few months. just caught this thread.
tony, you got my number, so shout if anything i can do

will do mark,im not doing anything this week as ive got the funeral of my step mum next tuesday,and my wife has moved in with her nan as she now needs full time care so im playing mum for a while,the kids keep telling me im embarasing them coz ive got me wifes frock on,ah well,each to his own,lol,
shabba.

Hang in there Tony.

rite then im going to have to alter the way my carb fits as ive just got a twin set of harley tanks for nowt,they must be around 2.5 feet wide and look the dogs danglys,,does it matter how far out i put the carbs as they need moving quite a way off the engine,will they still work as i have to build an extention for them to sit on.

tony turn inlet top part around (the part with the water pipes on) so carb is on outside and use a spacer block to space as far as you need

Take a look at Flap's orange trike in the Motors, 3 wheels bit of the main site

The Flapster (http://mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/Trikespageimages/flapster/trike.html)

We had a similar problem, though not quite that pronounced, when we had to fit the SU carb under a QuickBob tank, (QuickBobs are an aftermarket copy of Harley FatBob tanks, but one piece, instead of the 2 piece Harley jobbies). We made an extended manifold from a length of ERW tube. Flap says it works fine but in the Winter he wraps the tube in exhaust bandage. He reckons the fuel starts to ice because of the length of the tube, leading to spluttering & mis-firing. The bandage cured that.

Ok this took a bit to find but Tony has asked me to put some photos for him on here as he's having problems. All from his facebook thingy

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Looks good Tony! Clutch linkage looks like it will flex a lot?

first of all,thank you taz for doing this for me ,and yes the clutch does flex,i need to sort this out,,hope ya all like it ive bled makin this ,

You need to smooth out the bends for a start mate . Lose the 90 degree ones ,and substitute ,say ,45 degrees.

i like it tony :)

thanx big uli,what 90 degree bends, rod.

In your clutch rod Tone.

Just weld a triangulating gusset in the 90 degree bend furtherest from the clutch arm, the other will be fine "as is", Morrag

'tis true,but thought it would look a bit more 'flowing' with lesser bends.

your rite ,rod,i have to ajust a few things once its painted up,the clutch rod being one of those things ,this can be done off the trike so im in no hurry as yet to do this,it does work as is but the pedal is going rite over forward of where i want it to be ,i also need to re do the pedal end on both clutch and brake.

Just my 2p.......Looks like you've shortened the g/box drop arm. The best thing to do is to make all the linkages adjustable,ie drill extra holes in the g/box arm,and extra holes in the pedal end. (first make them longer)Then you can move the linkage rod up and down to the various holes until you get the pedal travel correct,then chop off the excess when youre happy. I did this,and I managed to get a really easy to operate pedal.

are you gonna add another set of tubes to that frame??? :o

why do i need to add another set of tubes to the frame ,have i done summat wrong.

yep look fer the big gaps if you cant see it you should,nt build it ;D

Toad are you talking about where the backbone meets the seat rails ???
I was wondering if the support tubes were too far back but having not even started my build yet (it will happen honest ;D) I wasn't sure if it would work like Tonys build.

Tony, I like the general lines you've come up with, it just looks to me that it's quite a gap with alot of stresses with little support. But as I said at least you've started (and nearly fineshed) yours. ;)

Hiya chaps,
we're all here to learn, (me especially), so lets help Tony out here.
Tone, I'm no engineer, but I'm assuming Mr Toad's referring to the point where your top tube meets the uprights either side of the gearbox. Imagine someone pushing down on the top of your frame at that point. You've got a big area there that's unsupported. I know Flap's orange trike is stepped in a similar way, but for a much shorter distance & very heavily braced. I'd suggest either cuttng those uprights out & moving them further forward, to meet as closely as you can with the back end of the top tube, or adding a bracing tube in either side, running from the end of the top tube down onto the uprights, meeting them as low as you can feasibly get them. You could maybe brace it instead, with a heavy duty gusset either side made of flat plate, but tube's probably stronger & would look tidier in my opinion.
Obviously, shifting the uprights forward might create problems with your gearstick routing, but that can be altered. Building a strong, safe frame's more important. 

sorry for the curt posting my heads going again. what i meant was maybe the toptube needs more support it looks a bit too unsupported to me ;)

Sumink like any of these...?
PRESENT SET-UP...
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa114/changeling3/tonyb.jpg)

POSSIBLE ADDITIONS...
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa114/changeling3/tonybA.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa114/changeling3/tonybC.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa114/changeling3/tonybB.jpg)

Bazza  :)

thats spot on baz. that,ll do the job ;D

I seem to like the first option, keeps the thing symetrical ;)

i was going to give you a mouthfull then toad,but as we are all here to help each other ,and now those pics have been played with ,i can see exactly what you mean ,and can only say thanx ,its only when other people see the thing that they start to notice things,i didnt realise this until i saw the pics ,it will be rectified as soon as i can,

I'd go with number one or two, cutting out the existing tubes & replacing them as shown, then add a triangular gusset at the top of each extending back towards the seat.
We get lots of feedback through various means here & one of the things we get told a lot is that the MMMotors forum is genuinely helpful & constructive. Some others it seems, just like to criticise & belittle people's builds without saying why or how to rectify them. Criticism's fine as long as it's coupled with an equal measure of advice & help.
Other than those 2 tubes Tony, it's lookin' fine to me. Make sure your welds are good & strong & you're well on your way to a nice looking machine. I'm not a big fan of back rests myself, but I like the way yours flows into the luggage rack. You planning a removable pillion seat? Headlight looks quite funky too.  :)

Tony...Sorta adding to Mankeys last post...Youve done a good job and come a long way mate so please take all comments/critiscism as constructive  ;). Better to be safe than sorry when its in use.Im always ready to be corrected on my trike build!

I like the way the first option carries on the line of the top tube - but doesn't it put a lot of strain on that long bottom rail?

Please note I am NOT a builder!  Just something that occurred to me.

If the existing tube were to be removed and placed more forwards, then would another tube be a good idea, back to where the carrier begins...?
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa114/changeling3/tonyb4.jpg)
Bazza  :)

mmmmmmmmmmmmm,yer all gone and got me thinkin now,it mat be time to cut up number three,he he ,weres me gas axe.

dont cut it up just add to it then remove other bits if it does,nt look right. that way you,ll keep the frame straight ;)

woooo, dont cut it up, just modify it. you cant have too many gussets ;) :)
you should have a nice little trike when its done :)

I have got to say, I have looked and looked and can't see any problem with the frame as it is, the two down tubes are less than 6 inchs behind the main tube and give just as much support than if it was closer, maybe a couple of small gussets at the top will help a little and I mean a little. Look at the head stock, its not going anywhere and given the weight of the engine and box, I would be happy to leave it as it is and not even worry about it.

Tony

i also thought that the suport tubes are close enough to stop any bending of the frame ,i think ill add a couple of nice thick gussets to them to give it a bit more strength,if it goes tits up ,then ill do it the other way on my next build,

after all its your ass

yes it is my ass,and ill keep it to myself thanks,,,,,,,,,,shabba

aint even opened me garage door for two weeks ,too bloody cold ,so done nowt else to me trike ,ill let ya know when i have .

any body any idea what my trike is worth as it is now.

just reading these threads is so helpful even though i havent started building mine yet and wot a great idea, puttin your ideas and remedies over with photos that youve altered just brilliant!! a great way of helping out peoples problems well done very interesting.

Mr B, I hope you're not thinking of selling after you've got this far?!
It's easy to assume everyone knows everything, but if you've never built anything before, it's tough to know where to start, or who to ask for help. We don't pretend to be experts, but there's a lot of info available here. All ya gotta do is ask.  ;)

Gorra agree with Andy here m8, i know naff all at best i know bits and pieces but ive got to understand more by all the peeps input on these forums and pd some to do work i cant do, so maybe my build is taking longer? but its a dream that id like to see finished before medical s**t is gonna take over :) so plz dont give up  :-*

Hi tony....you know me off facebook yeah.Ive just read this thread from start to finish and i cant believe your thinking of chucking in the towell mate.Its looking good and as it should be.My own projects a real long termer,and i have,nt done hardly anything to mine all this year,yet you have made your first one,cut it up,and made a second one.Dont give up mate....try n set targets and deadlines and maybe this will spur you on a bit. 

its just that ive reached a point were im strugling to do any more on it,i need help with the lectrics coz me mate is busy doin another one ,all i have to do to get it to MSVA standard is
front brakes
side marker lights
rear brake switch
change foot control rods
and i need to find a speedo for it,all in all about a weeks worth of work,i sometimes get bored with stuff coz ive done the hard part,ive enough parts to start to build another to the point where im at now ,ive got ideas for different back end ,so want to start that build also but dont have the space for two,i also want to get me kwak 900r on the road and dont have the money for both.i also want to strip my gpz 550 h1 down and redo that ,to many jobs and not enough time

Worth spending out if you have to, to get the bits done that you're struggling with, as it'll sell for a lot more as a finished article with MSVA!

the speedo one is easy and cheap a pedal bike 1 from our friends at Halfords hard wire to front wheel read instruction on radius of wheel enter into speedo job done very accurate if programed right hope this helps

just had some good news ,another mate of mine said he can help me finnish me trike .ill be takin it round his in the next few days ,he can only do an hour or two per day but its more than i can do at the moment as its bloody freezin in me garage.

That's good news Tony. Sometimes it needs a kickstart like that to get a project moving again. Would be a real shame to give up on it when you've so much work in. Hope you'll post some update photos for us soon.  ;)