Manky Monkey Motors

Well, looks like I've now begun the joys/torture of building my own trike. So far I have a Harley Sportster tank which I bought from fleabay for £52, 15" BMW wheels from TerrorTubby for £40 and also from TT the engine, gearbox, radiator, rear axle and a few bruises thrown in for £200.  ;D
I will be doing most of the work myself and it will be done on a very tight budget. So far £292 not including fuel.
Thanks for putting up with Manky and myself TT and thanks for the sarnies and cake.
The weather held off for our dismantling session. There was only 1 hard downpour. We started with a complete running car and removed all the bits I need for my project. Manky undid all the bolts from above and guess who got to grovel around in the mud -yup, yours truly. With a lot of straining and not much body work cut up we actually lifted the car over the engine, then turned it round and tipped it on it's side to grind off the brackets holding the rear axle on.
The car was a 15 year old Reliant Rialto, (the later pre-engaged starter model), with under 45,000 miles on the clock.
I don't know what was covered in the most oil and dirt by the end of the day, me or the engine  ;D (think it was me)
Manky you'd best hide your spares  ;D

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The stuff in my shed.  ;D

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And the build begins.

I even sorted out some tubs ready for all the odds and ends to go in.

So then Are you gonna get it finished before Manky's?  ;D ;D


Good luck with it!  ;D

I doubt it  ;D
He's not allowed to help until his is done.
But thanks -I think I'll need all the luck I can get.  ;D

The very best of luck Tazet.


Andy makes the finest Reliant trike frames this side of Saturn, so your on to a winner from the off ;)......... 8) 8) 8)

Thanks Ziggy.  ;D I know I haven't built the thing yet but I'm already wondering what colour to have it powdercoated. Any suggestions that don't contain the word pink would be good.
Lifted the axle onto my bench yesterday and started cleaning it up but need to chop off bits not needed and remove drums before I can do much else on it.

Manky says Uranus  ;D

There will be world peace before Manky's is finished.  ;D

Sheesh! Don't rush me! I'm getting there, honest.
No money, no time & no help, plus working on a million other people's projects has slowed things up a little, but I'm picking up the yokes & bars from the powder-coaters this morning so the front end can go back on. Then it'll officially be a trike. ;D
One of the cyclinder head studs has stripped though so looks like the head'll have to come back off, or at worst, the motor back out of the frame.
One step forward & several back.  >:(

Well so far I've removed the drum brakes but not the back plates yet as I need help. Went shopping at the Uxbridge show today and bought flap-wheels for the angle grinder, a couple of cutting discs and some wire brushes for the drill. Let the clean up commence  ;D God I'm sad. Getting excited over wire brushes!
This is what I've managed to do so far with a garden trowel and some sand paper and a very cheap wire brush.

That wire brush wasn't cheap -it cost me a quid for 3 of 'em.  >:(

Oh yes a whole pound  ;D

Well I'm well chuffed with my brass wire brushes I bought for cleaning my alloy. My Diff is almost blingy  ;D
I'm also now the proud owner of a hacksaw and a work mate from B & Q. (how sad I can hear you all say  ;D )

Right. Today I chopped off half the brackets not needed on the axle and managed to get one driveshaft out using the back edge of a splitting axe! and a lump of wood but the other side won't budge  >:(

why didnt you call and see me you past me going to tt's house i've still got some usefull bits

Now you tell us!
Whatcha got then mate?

Magenta?  ;D

My God, this had gone back to page 9! Anyway as some of you know the axle is being a git & not letting go of the drive shaft, so on Tuesday we're taking it to Manky's local Tech College and his mate who's a lecturer in the motors department there will hopefully press it out with a hydraulic press or use a slide hammer on it.
Today we've been to Brock's workshop on the outskirts of Marlborough, Wilts & pinched 2 wheels off the Moggy Minor he's using as a basis for his new drag car.
They're 14 inch diameter with 145 tyres & are the same 4 x 4 PCD as the Reliant axle so will bolt straight on. Next job is to shop around for the widest 14 inch tyres we can find, then get the rims banded to fit. Flap's orange trike has 265 x 14 tyres.

While we were at Brock's we also nicked an old Yamaha motocrosser front end. No idea what model it's from, but it's got 37mm diameter fork tubes, the same as the XS750 Yam front end I've got sat in my garden. The XS fork tubes are knackered -heavily rusted, so we'll strip both sets down & see if we can marry the 'crosser tubes up to the XS fork bottoms, (the 'crosser front's got no mudguard or disc brake caliper mounts so we'd rather use the XS bits).
Using the off road fork tubes will also give us a 6 inch longer front end -& what man wouldn't want that!  ;D

Does anyone want a drum braked, spoked front wheel?

Brock emailed me details of tyres last night. Not sure, but I think they're from North Hants Tyres in ..err, Northants.
They do a BF.Goodrich 245/50/R14 for £135 +VAT each,
a 235/60/R14 Goodrich for £90 + VAT
or a 235/60/R14 UniRoyal Tiger Paw for £68 + VAT.

Next job will be to find the wheel banding guy's number & see if they can do the deed to that size.

North Hants Tyres are a company I used to deliver to, when they were in Fleet, , now they have moved to Aldershot!  Is that the same company?

Manky just can't tell the difference between North Hants and Northants!

I'm a Postie Bobbi, what do you expect!

    -I was joking!

Yes, Janie, same company -& why aren't you in Brighton?

yeah yeah

You calling me chavvy  ???  I'm hurt  :'(

The colour has been decided, hasn't it Manky! It's going to be Gloss Grey, as in the old Tractor Grey.

Anyone got a solid front wheel they don't want?  ;D

yer hoping aint u :) cheapest ive seen is £65 for a vrod one was on ebay it lasted about 20mins :)

no,just havin a laff,be easy to find in a car park tho'
anyway that would be chavette,wouldnt it ?lol,i think if you do it grey,it'll look like primer,how bout metallic grey ?

tartan
?????????????????

horse colour

come to think of it Tazet's seat should be a saddle not a tractor seat :)

i have a nice crop she can have

Could always go for cow colour...like Dave

you cant copy the fur trike every bugger copied my virago
but what about horse hair

aahh but don't forget...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

What about bare metal with a clear lacquer?

Thought about the bare metal, lacquer thing on my own trike, but we're definitely going with the tractor theme -so there!
Found some for sale on Ebay! £12.67 per litre.  ;D

"Genuine Massey Ferguson Vintage Ferguson Grey paint suitable for Ferguson TE20.
1 Litre tin covers 8 -10 square metres, can be brushed, rolled , or sprayed. Can be thinned with universal thinners. Other Massey Ferguson colours available."


Gloss grey, not matt like primer & a bit darker than this photo shows.

Got my own Bull whip thank you and numerous other kinds of whips.  :P

nudge nudge wink wink say no more :)

 ;D

Clear coated bare metal wont last more than 6 mounths in this country before it rusts. Been tried loads of times. Just leave it to the Californians! Manky trikes dont need no flashy paint jobs to stand out!! ;D

well said that man :)

They're built to ride all year round, though most seem to come off the road for the Winter for new ideas to be tried out! So industrial strength powder-coating's the way to go for us.
It's cheap too!

Here is a link to the definitive banded wheel thread. The guys are not using boston engineering anymore, as they have had problems with them, not the wheels, just the way they do 'business'. Anyway, check it out for your banded steel queries!!
http://retrorides.proboards86.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1188945133

Hmm, 40 quid a wheel, but not guaranteed airtight.
Can you still get 14 inch tubes to fit a 235 tyre?

No idea! Some of the guys on the thread have them done and have sealed the wheels either with powder coat, araldite or some such coating. They use them on 2 litre super stock car racing, so Im not worried about the strength! Be a bugger to find tubes to go on the 17" pop wheels though! :D Or would motorbike tubes work?
Also Dad has tubes in his tyres for the pontiac. They are over 235 width.

Have you sorted a set of Pop wheels for the Volksrod yet?
I'm putting black taxi cab rims on my Pop so mine'll be going spare.
Taz's wheels would be powder-coated, then could run a film of Araldite over the inside afterwards.

Not all of them, got 2 coming from Mr Panther sometime, so I wouldnt mind yours too.  ;D Widen the back ones to 5.5" wide and do something to them to make them look a little different too. I would imagine the powdercoat and araldite/ something sticky round the welds would suffice, but pretty sure you could get tubes to fit too.

slightly off topic... tazet was asking about solid front wheels.. i started thinking about those moggy wheels u got Manky then another thought came into my pea brain!! wot about having 2 moggy wheels cutting them through to then rejoin to make 1 solid front wheel would look very different dunno how much work would be involved ? ar prolly wouldnt work best i shut up :)

Brock & I spoke the other day about using a Moggy wheel on the front, but then you'd need a hub of some sort with bearing carriers & a mounting for the brake disc etc. Suddenly gets very complicated, expensive & not particularly pretty when it's done. Putting 2 outside faces of a Moggy wheel back to back would be clever, but again, very expensive to do & would make the front end look very heavy.
The whole point of our trikes is that they're small & lightweight & simple, so a solid bike front wheel, or at least something that'll look right with the steel rear ones, is what we're after.

yeah far comment was only one of my dreamy moments :)

What about a more pretty version of the rat look favourite, putting 2 cut up bin lids over the spokes.

rofl...hmm now then wot about using a scrap gas tank butane type bigish one obviously :) would be cheaper to buy a billet wheel im guessing but or just a round lump of mild sheet welded to the outer rim? that would prolly distort the rim to hell and back ar well im talking rubbish again so nout new there :)

Just been reading the banded wheel thread from retro rides again. www.wide-wheels.co.uk are more expensive but come powder coated and are seeking kite mark and tuv approval. Cant argue with the legality of that! 8)
Back to the front wheel, I was thinking like 2 moon disc type arrangements held on with some hidden or small fasteners. Wouldnt fancy seam welding a sheet of steel on it, for the very reason you said VB! Bottom of a large gas bottle might look pretty kool! 8)

here's my steels for the back of my trike :)
(http://www.ratrods.co.uk/trikeproject/wheelsteel.jpg)

Show off! ;D Are you using the escort axle or a reliant?

dunno know atm if i use reliant ill ave to get a plate made up as the pcd is different just gonna see wot looks right when i get to mock it up...sorry for the hijack Tazet :)

here's a rear one that could be made to work on the front?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HARLEY-DAVIDSON-SOFTAIL-REAR-WHEEL_W0QQitemZ140163521794QQihZ004QQcategoryZ10458QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HARLEY-DAVIDSON-CHROME-SLOTTED-REAR-WHEEL_W0QQitemZ120169165065QQihZ002QQcategoryZ10458QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Yeah thats kinda what we are looking for but would be better if they were fronts. The diameter of those rear ones are too small. Bigger is better :)

The slotted one looks good at that price! mind you it's whats on the front of my trike so i would think that.
Just a bit of info for ya, I had the peeling chrome stripped off and the whole wheel smoothed and polished for £45 which I thought was a bit of a bargain. Only prob is that the company that did it is in Thetford.

Whatever we get will more than likely be powder coated.

How about a 15 inch 2CV wheel on the front?

Like this. Ural pie tin hub.

that is a cool idea ;D

Can you explain that a bit more? Does a Ural hub fit a 2CV rim?
We really don't anything big & heavy. Our trikes are very small & lightweight cos that's the way we like 'em, so I don't really want a huge chunky car wheel up front. Preferably an 18 or 19 inch solid or solid/slotted bike rim like the one shown, which'll match the Moggy rears.
We may be going for a tractor theme but not too agricultural!

I was just about to when you posted.
The Ural hub is spaced out by about 10mm with washers or proper spacers.
The wheel spindle is 20mm dia and if you want hydraulic brakes an 8 inch Mk 1 Escort, Morris Minor, or any other old british front brake, back plate will fit.
The 2CV tyre is pretty narrow with a 125 or 135 fitting.

The other side.

That is so cool mate, Manky keep the moggie wheels thin and buck the fat trend ;D ;D ;D ;)

......fact ;D ;D

'That is so cool mate, Manky keep the moggie wheels thin and buck the fat trend.'


 Like this?   

yup ;)

I could be tempted on a very small single seater but Tazzie's spoken
- so PHAT it is.

 ;D :-*

my mates got a narrowish set of compomotive rims in durham left over from his trike youd need to get a new centre made but with your contacts id say thats no trouble at all

guys mankindfmb on 100%

pm him for further info

That's interesting. ;)

Ah so  8)

Well today PD very kindly had a bash at my axle with his slide hammer and eventually after a lot of whacking the shaft came out. Yey. Thank you PD, you're forgiven for my garden fork which you broke  ;D.
Later Manky and I drove to Brock's workshop in Wiltshire and he stuck the shafts in the 12 ton hydraulic press but the little buggers still wouldn't shift. He even used the oxy-acetaline torch but they wouldn't come apart. Unfortunately the drum brake back plates I was trying to save for Dave Satan are well and truly buggered and one of the bearings shattered in the press.
-Oh well, we'll take them to the Tech College on Wednesday as they have a press thats a little bigger.

Tazzie & I have been carting those damned driveshafts around in the boot of her car for a couple of weeks now, calling in at every workshop we can think of in the hope that someone will eventually manage to pull the hubs & bearings off.
Still no luck. They're a taper fit on the end of the shaft but shouldn't be that hard to shift.
Today's attempt was at a Basingstoke garage. They put 'em on a 15 ton hyrdaulic press & still couldn't move 'em. Bugger. Running out of ideas now.
I've got a spare pair of shafts but need the hubs. Beginning to wonder if it'd be worth cutting them off & having the remains of the shafts drilled out.

hmm burn um off and fck it :) or maybe if u now a gas fitter try there freezing process?

Bring them on sunday. We can put the oxy acetalene on them and batter them for a bit and see if that works!

Tried a torch on 'em at Brock's place, but yeah, why not. Have you got a grinder with cutting discs? If we can't get them apart we may as well cut the shafts off below the hubs.
Sunday looks like being O.K weather-wise Loony, so nice & early at your place to start Pop dismembering.

cant understand why the bbq didnt work ;) :D ;D ;D ;D 8) ::)

Not enough relish on it I think.

i dont belive that :) there was enough food there to feed a thousand :)

More like 5000 I think!

Got grinders, discs, hammers etc! Ill be there all weekend, apart from sleeping, trying to finish the green bus. Dad said he would be about to pick up the axles too. Dont forget the bacon sarnies on sunday then! ;D

We'll see what we can do. Dave's picking up the skimmed head for his Consul this week so I'm hoping they'll come over in that on Sunday so we can get some idea of what needs doing to fit the Consul motor in the Pop chassis.
Can Loony Senior pick up the axles on Saturday afternoon? Trailer at SaddleBags' house, axles in my garage, going to your workshop.

I expect that can be arranged!

bad news, i have to go back on weds to see if my heads done, engineers been ill. we can get there as early as you want. 4.30am ok. ;D ;D ;D

Dad is available sat afternoon with the tow car, so will be in touch sometime around lunch manky, or give me a call. And we can start any time after 9 on sunday, I try not to upset the neighbours too much with early starts! ;) So if you start at half four dave, try to keep the noise down! ;D

We can be there for about 9.30am ish - look forward to seeing you all.

O.K, I'll text you Saturday lunchtime Loony about the trailer, then see you all at Mr Loony's secret country lair 9.30 Sunday morning to dismantle the Pop.
Not ready to do any chassis building yet -it's more of a fact finding foray. Take the body off, see what state the frame's in, try & work out a way of attaching the axles etc. Should be interesting! :)

To get back on track with this thread, Tazet's made a start on stripping her engine.
It's supposed to only have 40,000 miles on the clock & so far everything's come apart with no problems -except the clutch. Looks like someone's replaced the original thrust bearing with something from another car. We usually pull the clutch arm out of the gearbox & swap it over from the right side to the left to hook up to the clutch pedal on our frames. The thrust bearing housing's normally held to the arm with 2 roll pins. This one's been welded.
Any ideas what it's from? Mini maybe?

.

still going with the "bent bar" gear lever I see

A curly monkey tail gearlever  ;D
I was hoping for a constructive answer about the thrust bearing! The curly bit above the gearbox is a candle holder on the bench behind it. Taz's ex used to make them as a hobby.

glad to see you are using the slab molds for a decent purpose ;D

 ;D Yeah, they make great drip trays! We've got 4 or 5 of 'em.

i found a couple of stainless trays at local tip they are about 24"long x 15"wide x 3"deep and are good for wash trays etc.  in workshop...didnt want to waste them for garden use  ;D ;D ;D ;D

I've been playing in the shed today and finnished stripping down the engine, (I think) and started the clean up job using some multi purpose de greaser, a paint brush and lots of paper towel. All the engine bits are in trays with all the correct bolts next to each bit but I'm sure that won't last long. I'm hoping that I can get the bits I'm having powder coated in black clean and ready for when Manky takes his mudguards in.
Anyway here are some pictures I took on my phone.

Top one is before and the bottom one is nearly done.  ;D

Other side nearly done. Forgot to take a before picture.

Well done Hon.
I've never seen rockers that clean before!

 ;D

Engine almost done now. Just got to wait till Manky comes over to take off the Sump and prop the engine on blocks. Bagged up and labled most of the parts so all the nuts and bolts are with the correct parts as it makes life easier when buying new bits later on. Spoke to Matt the guy who does the mechanics at the yard and on my car and as I have the V5 then I can just give him the reg number and he can order me all the correct parts for my trike including any bearings etc and I will only get charged trade prices too so thats a bonus. Been having a go at the Rocker cover today too.

all done with a nailfile and emery board too,impressive  ;D,only joking,coz im quite fond of my teeth,you're doing a great job,keep it up,

Far too organised Taz but if you need any nut's and bolts I've got a box full.

 ;D
I always replace nuts & bolts on new builds, just as a matter of course, especially if Taz is gonna be riding the finished product, but there's always some weird sized bolt you just can't buy. That'll be the one we lose!
Taz's ex left behind a big bucket of worn out old bolts when he left. We've just scattered them in the new shed foundations for added hardcore.  :)

Couple of years ago at the NABD rally in Cheshire I found I'd lost a n ut off one of the bolts holding the two parts of my drive shaft together - I spent a whole afternoon going round the site asking if anyone had a nut, quite surprising how many folks had nuts but there was only one on the whole site that fit!

Flap lost an exhaust bolt on the MonkeyWorld run back in April. Ended up using one from Ernie's luggage rack as I remember.

Shafts are done mate!!!

You are jokin. You managed to do it. Yey thats great you are a star. How much pressure did it take on your press?

i done it wiv me teef!!!
20 ton on 1 and the 1 that got heated was 25!

Blimey. Tough little buggers then  ;D Thank you so very much. Is it ok to get them off you either tomorrow evening or Friday?

with or without teeth ? ;D

He probably tried both knowing him.  ;D

fcking hell PD :) thats a hell of a pull needed just makes me laugh at when we was trying to hammer them off lol..still was enteraining at the time :)

That's definitely worth a Jaffa Cake or two! Thanks Pete. ;D
Just hope all that pressure & heat hasn't bent or weakened the drive shafts.

stretched even :D

Im sure they will be fine, and u can pick em up wen ya like, jus giv me txt 2 let me know when!

Okey doke. Thanks matey.

Not a problem!!

i ve heard it takes that amount of pressure to get a cake out of mankys hand! hee hee, ;D

 ;D

What?! Have you seen the amount PD scoffs?! :P

yeah :) we nearly lost him to the oven once rofl :)

it was close with the oven!!!
shame i missed everythin else that was in there!

i seem to recall that a certain bird was trying to follow us into the living room :)

Next time you lot come to stay you can sleep in the shed with Doc!  :P

No he bloody can't!!!!

We're building a second, semi detached shed for guests!

has it got an oven ...aint doing it unless it has...

Manky and I have been busy in the shed today.
Mr Mank cut the Headstock off an old XS750 Yam' frame that was kicking about in the shed. Then he cleaned it up with a large handfile, ready for welding to my trike frame when we start it. The hole was the mounting for a steering lock, which we won't be re-using, so he'll fill it with weld.

While he was busy with that, I cleaned up the rocker cover with a Dremill drill & sandpaper.

I've also stripped the original paint off the front & back engine mounting plates.
While Manky was enjoying his weekend lie-in, I hacksawed off the captive nuts from the front engine mounts. Manky uses 12mm bolts instead that screw into captive nuts on the frame.

On the rear mounting plate, I've trimmed off the 2 lugs that weren't needed. They were guides for the clutch cable.
The rocker cover & engine plates are now ready for a coat of gloss black powder-coat when Manky takes the last of his parts in to be done.

its looking good tazet
the rocker cover must have been a bitch for ya to do
the only way my m8 could get the paint off was to sand blast it  :o

nice productive day then at the Tazzy Mank love nest :)... only thing im wondering on is why work so hard on the rocker cover if yer aving it powder coated as i thought they would blast it before painting? or does that cost extra again ? and the reason yer doing the polishing?

Nothing's been polished VB, just very well cleaned  :D
A little drop of Nitromors paint stripper to get into the awkward corners & the rest was done with sand paper & Dremill. Yup, it's all being powder-coated, but the finish is only as good as the preparation underneath, plus the industrial coater I use is a bit heavy handed with the shot-blasting. I've had a sump done in the past that looked great, but turned out he'd blown a hole through one corner & when I fitted it, the oil came pouring back out. If we clean bits first, it just saves time, work & the chance of anything being damaged.
Plus it gave Taz a chance to play with her Dremill!
The bits are now safely stored in a dry box in the house so they don't surface-rust before coating.

Bought this at the Swapmeet today for my trike. A Stainless steel tubular numberplate light that's 8 1/4" long.

ooh i like that a lot

18 quid from "Duksville Speed Shop".
www.duksville.com
01613-436015 or 07967-077160.
Part number NPL1.
Duksville sell all sorts of Stateside hotrod parts.

We thought you could use a similar idea to house rear running lights & indicators.

Got any pics?
Should've spoken up sooner -we could do with some expert knowledge for our pick up project!

hahahahahahahah i wouldnt call myself a exspert mr monkey
but if theres owt i can help ya with i will and if i dont know i know a man that will hes my m8 crusty he builds rods for a job
i have some pics knocking around i will dig um out and send um to ya.

Many thanks matey.  ;)

Been in the shed a bit this morning. I managed to remove what was left of the bearings on the drive shafts, so they are done now. I also had a go at the axle with removing and grinding down un-wanted bits on it but in the process I think I've killed the disc cutter as it died on me. Oooopsie.

taz, ive got a spare grinder if you need one, just shout. ;D

Cool. Might just take you up on that and collect it when I drop off Janie's sweatshirt to you.

hey tazet are you by any chance related to my missus because electrical equipment dont like her either and just dies ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :-*

Normally I'm fine. Just a bad day for electrics for me  ;D

Right back on track now. Manky bought me a grinder while I was away, so today I got rid of all the un-wanted brackets on the axle.

Here is a before and after shot.

.

We also stopped by at North Hants Tyres and spoke to someone about Steel Smoothies. To get them in deep dish they have to be reversed, so the cost of buying the rims, reversing them and fitting tyres wouldn't leave me much change from £500. Think we can forget that idea then. So we are not sure what to do now. We have the BMW wheels, (or 8 spoke Wellas), for the back and various front wheels. When we get them all together in one place we will post a picture with all the wheels and see what you lot think about what matches what best.

hey tazet
your good with that grinder all i end up with is big gouges lol how do you fancy doing my axle for me  ;D

 ;D I'm not going to take pictures of the gouged bits am I  ;D

I have a good instructor. He, (Manky), started me off with part worn flap wheels as they are not as viscious and do less damage. I can now use a brand new grinding disc all by myself.  8)

;D ;D ;D ;D

Tazet,

Nothing wrong with flap wheels, 'softly softly catchee monkey' as they say!

To your wheel dilemma, just decided that I would sell the wheels you see in the pic of my build if you're interested?
You see I bought four and was gonna keep them ones for my next project which means they will sit around getting in the way for ever and end up not being used, so selling to a fellow trike rider would make more sense.
You'd have to have adapters made but, as you can see, that's not difficult.
The tyres are no good either, £65 each new.

We need something that's going to be roughly 24 inches overall diameter to keep the gearing about right. Can you post another pic of one of the wheels so we can see the actual pattern please.

These are the two for mine, the others are the same except they are silver painted and not polished.

Yes would prefer silver rather than polished. Will speak to the mighty Manky one. How much are you wanting for em?

you've been pm'd

So have you  ;D

We're still quietly collecting parts for Tazet's trike project.
Latest addition is a pair of ally footboards, bought from a small ad in Back Street Heroes. Cost a tenner & arrived this morning. We've got no idea what they're from, but they've got "ETA.MFG.CO, made in USA" stamped on 'em. They measure 8 inches by 4 inches, so probably pillion boards from something. Not quite big enough for Taz's gurt big hooves but she can rest her heels on them with a pedal above. We'll powder coat them gloss grey to match the frame & add a rubber chequer plate insert.

tidy they look similar to the flip down foot stands u may have seen on some lorries/large vans type thing probably nothing to do with that :)

I took one of the Moggy Minor wheels Brock gave me over to Loony's workshop today. They're the same bolt pattern as the Reliant axle & we're going to have them "banded", (widened), to go on her trike.
First I had to check they'd sit flat against the face of the disc set up we use, so I tried them on Loony/PD's trike.
They were fine, but fitting the caliper's gonna be very tight. As Loony pointed out though, if it's a problem we can fit spacers to stand the wheel away from the disc further. I rang the banding guy this afternoon. He's based near Heathrow & can take delivery of the wheels anytime so I'll trundle up there one day next week. 40 quid per wheel, banded to any width my little heart desires.     

so does he band them, and you find a tyre to fit, or are there set widths?

He does any size you like. He's just banded some 14" diameter rims out to 15" wide. We will be taking the tyres along with the rims and basically he will make the rims fit the tyres. My tyres are 265/50/14s and the Moggy rims are 4" so he will need to take them out to 8".

Thanks.
I have a pair here which I was going to use to use on the Ural, then I said about swapping my reliant axle with you, and would have to find some new wheels to fit. Dunno what to do now.  :-\

Don't worry about it but the Suki one is here so if you want to swap let me know. We have more front ends for my trike than you can shake a fork tube at  ;D

Wheels went off today. Manky took em to the garage, had the tyres removed then took the rims to the banding place. They didn't need the tyres so that was less for him to lug. They are being delivered next week ish when they are done along with my new Manky monkey off roader  ;D God I must learn to stop buying vehicles  ::) Pictures and stuff on the new Manky playmobile when it gets here. Until then I'm not telling you what it is  :-X  ;D

Thanks. I do have a Daihatsu hijet axle going spare here, but it has a funny PCD of 110mm, and I think the diff ratio is 2.25:1.

Means nowt to me,  ;D Manky just tells me what bits to chop off or what to bolt on to where. I've not got a clue about bugger all else but I'm learning.  ;D

I don't know nuffink either. I just make it up as I go along.  :P

Best way mate.

Picked up Taz's banded trike wheels this evening. They're hooge! A better photo tomorrow, but maybe these before & after snaps, taken in the boot of my car, will show the difference. They've been widened by 4 inches to take a 265 tyre. Cost us 40 quid per wheel, (the wheels were free from Brock). Can't fault the workmanship. Now we've got to get them blasted & coated & bung the tyres on so we can set them up on her Reliant axle.

cracking :)

I hope not.  ;D
Look fine. James, the guy we dealt with, passes them to his mate to actually cut & weld. A tidy job. They do a lot for stock car racers, so if they can take the pounding they get, they should be fine for a Reliant. He says he's checked with his local Police & DVLA & neither have a problem with banded wheels, but obviously, you should inform your insurance company about any non standard parts fitted. ;)

hehe dont think there's many standard parts in my entire body leave alone the trike, mere technicalities though :)

lol  ;D

Thats some offset, look like washing machine drums now  :)

 :P Git  :P

Had a thought. Can all rim's take tubeless tyres?

Dunno. Think so

good question...alot depends on wether the manufacturer states the banded rim will take tubeless, id  rather run tubes in them just in case :)

Bet you cant get tubes that wide.

my tyres are 275/60s/15 with tubes fitted

They reckon they'll be O.K tubeless. You can buy a sealant to paint over the inside but James said he had his own mark 2 Escort rims banded 11 months ago & just had them blasted & powder-coated & they've been fine. I'd fit tubes as a back up though if we can get them.

Tubeless rims have a deeper dish in order for the tyre to be fitted,this is so the tyre beed has a harder job to jump up to the edge of the rim,  caravaners have problems with the tyre's running the rims when they use at a low pressure, and often the wheels are of the small dish type.

We run our rear tyres at around 15 psi. Any more & the back end gets too skittery.

        Bet you cant get tubes that wide.

 i've got tubes in mine, 432 / 60 / 15 's     ;D

nice one Brock :)

I think comercial tubes would do, transit etc

Yeah, I've just come back from "Speed Shack" in West Drayton, Londonshire. They specialise in wheels, wheel bolts, spacers n stuff, (they're in the Links for Commercial Purposes bit of the forum). They don't keep anything like that in stock but reckoned something like dumper truck or cherry picker tubes would do. I'd imagine you'd need a much bigger valve hole in the rim for those?

Do'h  ;D

   actually ours are agricultral trailer tubes, about a tenth the cost of true Goodyear race items, the local shop cut out the old valve, welded in patch, and bonded in a new smaller metal valve to correspond with the original hole in the wheel, tested them, mounted them and the race slicks (fun to watch) all for £25 a side including supply,  Kennet Tyres, got to love them. 

Think we'll need tubes in our banded wheels?

too be safe :) yeah :)

try low pressure atv/rough terrain vehicle tubes  they will take all the hammer you can chuck at them

But when a tube goes, the tyre deflates instantly, but a tubeless will tend to go down gradually. so ive been told. Id take some time to read some of the banded wheel threads on http://retrorides.proboards86.com/. They have sealed the welds before putting tyres on and they have been fine.

That's what the guy said who did it, (sorry I'm bad with names). He had some banded wheels on his car without a tube and they have not gone down. He had his blasted then powder coated.

aint had mine blasted or powder coated yet but either way suppose its down to choice as well :)

We or should I say Manky has decided to possibly get the rims powder coated the same colour as what the frame will be. Just got to decide on the colour.

We, or should I say Manky, has already decided the colour -grey.  :)

 :P :-*

Should be dropping the wheels off at the coaters tomorrow, so will choose the particular shade of grey then.

Wheels dropped off & colour chosen. We took Taz's wheels to ProCoat in Newbury, Berks this afternoon. The proprieter is a Mr Aston Martin -yes, honestly. You couldn't hope to find a more helpful or enthusiastic guy. Shotblasting & powder-coating will be 30 quid per wheel. Oh & for those that like to know these things, the colour's number 7045, a gloss grey, slightly darker than primer grey.
We also stopped in at the local tyre depot. The biggest inner tube they stock is a 200/60/14 -too tall & too narrow. Their considered opinion though, was that tubeless would be safer. If a tubed tyre gets punctured it goes flat instantly, without warning. A tubeless goes down slowly, giving you time to wobble to safety. So tubeless it is.
Last stop was A & C Shotblasting, also in Newbury. We use them for all the smaller, plain colour parts. The finish is a little more industrial but it's cheap & quick. A 2 foot square box of assorted trike parts, both Taz's & mine, shotblasted & coated in gloss black, 20 quid. Bargain. Check the Links for Commercial Purposes section of the forum for phone numbers & tell 'em we sent you.  ;)

andy if your worried about sealing your rims have you thought of using ultraseal  its a permanent pucture repair additive it will seal holes up to 5mm its the only stuff on the market that does what it says on the tin! it aint cheap but it,ll do the job and give you piece of mind.

Not so much worried Toady, as checking to see what the accepted method is.
Someone told me they painted the inside of the rims with a sealant before putting the tyre on, but the guy we took the wheels to for banding told us he's just powder-coated his own wheels & that was enough to seal any pin holes in the weld. As they're for the missus' trike though, I think I'll err on the side of caution & use a sealant of some description.

women :) cost ..cost..cost lol

Aye, & do they appreciate it -course not. Bless 'em. :)

Er excuse me. I do appreciate it. I even offered to pay  :P

Nothing's too good for you Hon.  ;D

Bless  :-*

good grief you pair of soppy gits :D

.

for the colour you said grey   like an old tractor  i.e fergi   ??? which grey    .. to t20 ferguson grey / mid grey /aircraft grey    or  the later m.f 35x stoneliegh grey ???????

This grey only had a number. Aircraft grey was on the list. There was about 20 different shades of grey to choose from.

We looked at various Fergies at agricultural shows last year & there weren't two in the same shade. Obviously everyone just paints 'em whatever grey they fancy, which is what we're doing. Just yer average run o' the mill mid grey, a bit darker than primer & in gloss so it doesn't look like a half finished paint job. :)

Your trike is going to look puka Tazet 8) 8).

Hello Nige! Nice to see you back Sir.  ;) How's the Blue Job rebuild going? Is Simon's back on the road yet? Cos I'd like to take some photos of it -his hasn't been featured here yet.
As far as Taz's goes, we're going for the agricultural theme but trying to keep it as lightweight as all the others. I don't want it to look too masculine, but Taz definitely ain't a "girly" girl, so pink's definitely out! It's got to hold it's own when lined up next to all the blokes' ones.
I'm talking to FLC at the moment about making a set of short girder forks for it, plus Madron about a chunky VMax wheel for the front, (a near perfect match for the Moggy rears). I'll run the speedo off the gearbox, so no cables at the front, & we'll use copper pipe for all the brake lines. Everything will be grey, black or polished ally.   

Thanks Nige. I hope so  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

The usual one step forward, 6 steps back today.
Ran around my Postal delivery like some demented, running Postie bloke, then jumped in my car & dashed to Newbury to collect Taz's trike rims from the powder-coaters cos they shut at 2 on Fridays.
Just made it in time. A nice tidy job. 30 quid per wheel for shotblasting & powder-coating. Not quite as dark a grey as I'd hoped, more like gloss primer grey, but it's fine.
Back in the car & across town in the afternoon rush hour traffic to get the tyres fitted. The fitters were a bit unsure about the banded rims but bunged the tyres on anyway. "Pssst". No, not me. Bugger, they wouldn't hold pressure. Off with the tyres again & check the rims. The shotblasting's opened up pinholes in the welds. They're perfectly strong, but not airtight. Bugger. I was hoping the powder-coat would seal them, but obviously not.
I tried North Hants Tyres, the custom wheel specialists in Aldershot, on my way home, but they don't stock inner tubes to suit, so it's Plan B now. Bought a large tube of Araldite & a tin of car seam sealant. We'll key the surface of the coating inside the rim & run a generous band of Araldite glue all the way round the welds. Then we'll coat it with seam sealant, (a thick paste used for jointing car body panels). That'll fix it. I hope.
Just to mess up my day even more I discovered when I got home that the tyre fitters had taken several chunks out of the coating on the rim edges with their tyre irons. Bugger. Now I've got to get some paint matched to touch them back in. Ho hum. :(

paint= ferguson t20  aircraft grey possibly   ????????

Just standard powder-coat number 7045. It looked the nearest to the colour we had in mind on the coater's colour chart.

Oi loike them wheels. I would go a bit narrower if I did that to mine.

They look a bit lighter in colour in the photos than in reality. I like this grey. I wanted Phat and that's what I got. Shame it means a bit more work now though.

That's the cost of being different and not paying too much Moola.

Just been offered a pair of wide BMW wheels that my be of some use, not seen them yet tho'

We've got a pair of series 3 multi spokes we bought from TerrorTubby that are surplus to requirements now.

I wanted deep wheels and we did look first but you just cant get em any more, so we made our own. It's just another hickup to add to the list.

Evidently these use Metric Tyres and have been warned that they could cost up to £250 each?

 Can you get remoulds this size?

breath in and count to 10 m8 it always works for hickups for me  ;D

loverly looking wheels Tazzy bet yer chuffed to bits with um :) im sure the Araldite /car seam sealant will do the job, is the whole trike gonna be grey?

Yup, yuppitty yup.
Grey frame, grey wheels, grey tank, grey bars & grey girder forks. Lots of gloss black detailing though to break it up, as well as polished ally casings & copper brake pipes.
Try these guys for remoulds Doc. They supplied the 225/50/15s on Rainbow's trike.
tyresdirectuk.co.uk (http://www.tyresdirectuk.co.uk/)

This evening we slapped on a thick coat of Araldite to hopefully seal the air leaks in the welds. We followed that up with an even thicker coat of seam sealant. This stuff's gloopy enough to seal up the Titanic so with luck it'll hold when we have the tyres refitted tomorrow.

those are classy wheels mate ;D

I like them, nice and wide....lovely. A nice colour too!

Taz & I are on holiday this week, so we did a bit of errand running today.
Drove 40 miles to Basingstoke, picked up Loony & drove another 17 to Newbury. Ordered a new chassis for the Pop from Valley Gas Speed Shop & enjoyed a coffee & a chat with owner Jimmy & his right hand lady, the lovely Ellie. Then another 17 miles back to Basingstoke to drop Loony off before going on to Tadley, 8 miles away to have Taz's trike tyres fitted to the rims. Then 25 miles back to Newbury cos we forgot to get some touch-up paint mixed up to match the wheels. Then 17 miles back to my garage in Basingstoke to spend a while working on my trike.
Then eventually the 40 miles back home. Phew!
Right, as I said, we had the tyres put back on the rims today. No problems. They sealed fine. 30 pounds of pressure at the moment to make sure they hold, but we'll drop that down to 15 before they're used in anger, (any more than that & the back end of the trike skitters all over the place). The tyres are 265/50/14s.   

Taz's macho big n beefy tyres & deep dished rims, compared to my wussy, wimpy little flat fronted ones.
Mine are 225/50/15s. Despite being an inch bigger diameter the difference in width means they end up exactly the same height -24 inches.

.

We tried one of Taz's rims on my trike.
Still within the 1700mm width limit for motorcycle derived trikes, ("motorcycle" refers to the bike type front end set-up. Over 1700 mill & you get into the next category of regulations -twin headlights & stuff).
We reckon the axle will still need narrowing on hers though -looks too wide & spindly.

Twinkle toes.

Big boots.

I think the big wheel is out of proportion with your trike Manky, looks better with its own.

Main reason for bunging Taz's rim on my trike was to check whether the disc & caliper set-up would fit inside the back of the wheel rim. I've fitted 1 1/4 inch spacers between the discs & wheels to sort the tyre/mudguard strut problem I had. Taz is gonna need the same but even then, it's a tight fit.

My rim.

Taz's rim.
Must clean those grubby fingerprints off it!

Bobbi. Taz's trike's gonna be chunkier than mine. 1 inch dia girder forks, a tractor seat etc. We're beginning to wonder about the tank though. Taz picked up a standard Sportster tank for 50 quid on Ebay, same as mine. Maybe it needs something bigger. I really like the Sportster shape so could go with a King Sportster, (same shape but wider), or try something different?

Love those wheels!
You're right the axle definately needs to be chopped down to make them look right.
When you changing your axle then Manky?

Changing my axle? I'm not! Mine's staying just as it is thank you.
It'll be Taz's that'll be chopped down. She's got exactly the same size wheels & tyres as Flap's got on the orange "Flapster". I remember we cut his axle by 4 inches, but I can't remember if that was 4 inches either side or in total! I'll get him to have a measure up. Only forseeable problem then will be squeezing mudguard mounts onto the axle too.

.

Flap hasn't touched his trike since he put it away in the garage at the end of last Autumn. He checked it was still there a week or so ago & says the chrome needs a good clean up & the aluminium's gone furry, but otherwise it's fine, so he'll be re MOT'ing it soon ready for the Spring.

is that an oil pressure gauge above the coil?

On Flap's trike? No it's water temperature. There's an oil pressure warning light but no gauge.
Taz & I are using Moon Eyes water temp' gauges that screw directly into the thermostat housing with the aid of a short adaptor machined by SaddleBags.

   I think that you will find that that adaptor is available off of the shelf in a good plumbers merchant. Why not mount the mudguard stays to the rear of the axle clamp ? 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who put it away and forgot about it!  Until last Saturday, my last ride was end of October when I went to the Hex Rated near Oxford.

We'll try the plumbers' merchant thing when you bring Taz's gauge back from the States in a couple of weeks Brock.  ;D
Flap's planning on mounting mudguards from the axle clamps, but they're an afterthought, not part of the original design. Hoping to come up with something a little more purpose-made for Taz's.

To go back to the widened moggy wheels, is it £40 each no matter what width they are?

I think so.

Yup, 'tis.

Hi folks, have been making a set of girders for this trike, here's a few pics so far.
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/gareth002-1.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/mankyyoke001.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky003.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky002.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky001.jpg)

nice work id love a set but mines a low/no budget build just now

do you have a set of drawings for your girders or are you doing them ad hoc ?

ive got some scribly drawrings i made of the yokes and neck stem, the rest is made to suit the wheel and length etc.

 ;D It's coming along nicely, thank oodles flc  ;D

We're on a tupp'ney hap'ney budget too mate. Most expensive item so far was the rear tyres, which were my Christmas pressie to Taz.
Looking good FLC!  ;D

I like the strategically placed hammer next to the nice delicate  gauge :)

A Birmingham screw driver.  ;D

 :) ;D genious is never tidy ;D bit more of an update.
progress has been painfully slow this week due to, a few machine problems my miller broke and needed a few jobs doing so has wasted a day or so, heres a few more pics
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky003-1.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky002-1.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky001-1.jpg)

Don't you just hate talented people! Lookin' good Mick. A pink tape measure?! Don't tell Taz -she hates pink!
We're wondering about shock absorber spring rates. Mick's going for an XS1100 Yam rear shock at the moment, but we're not really sure how much travel that'll have when the forks are mounted at 45 degrees in taz's frame.
Anyone got any info on springs? Can you recommend a better shocker for the job?

Yeah we've got one of those too - it was free on the front of a magazine.  If it's free the pink doesn't count!

those girders being powder coated Pink then  ? 

er NO

Dangerous ground VB!

I know there's a lot of distance between you and Tazet but - she can drive, you know!

:D Taz knows im joking im sure :) i fcking hope so anyway

this is not a lesson in how to suck eggs thing.
but i have seen girders at this stage before, look great btw. but then the end result has being spoilt by the front tube of the legs not been parallel to the steering stem. which causes all types of funny handling probs.
in the past this has been overcome by having the lower link arms pivot point nearer to the steering stem. or in the case of ours by putting a bend in the front tube just before the upper link fixing point.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m185/dracken1/girders/gird3.jpg)
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m185/dracken1/girders/gird5.jpg)
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m185/dracken1/girders/gird6.jpg)

I think I understand that Dracken. Hopefully FLC does.  :)

Hi folks, yes i understand, i know girders can be funny to set up correctly, nice solution BTW, a few questions if i may.
what length shocks are you using,
what length neck stem,
 and what trail/rake set up are you going for?
been my rotor-ed weekend to work but managed to finish turn neck stem , will post a pic later, off out now its my daughter's birthday so were having a party :)

Don't overdo the jelly & ice cream.  ;)

Managed to recover from jelly overload :), freeze fitted finished turned stem all looks good, just a bit of shaping to make it look better,
left to do is make up lugs for forks and fit all spindles. then i can make up legs... then have a look at wheel..
not much if you say it fast ;D ;D
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/mankys001-2.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/mankys003-2.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/mankys002-1.jpg)

i like it alot , even if i didnt know what it was i would like it 

Try this site for everything you need to know about girders

http://www.chopperhandbook.com/neatstuff/index.html

It has articles on many other bike related stuff that you may find useful plus free plans for springers and girders.

All that work then he's going to entrust it to us! :P
Pass me that big 'ammer!  ;D

I think i can see a light at the end of the tunnel :), finnished up all pivot pins, made up all bosses for legs, just need to make/modify a jig for legs, phew, 8)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky005.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky004-1.jpg)

the hardest part of making these forks has been having to walk past this everyday :(
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky007.jpg) :)

also need to sort out bush for needle roller wheel bearing, thought i'd found one at work but was a mill too small, will be on to bearing brokers today to try and buy (i hate that word) one, more later.

Nice to see your workshop is as tidy as mine, nice work by the way.

:) loverly bit of craftmanship both yer girders and yer ride :)

Thats a seroius bit of engineering, well done, WAY beyond me ::)

And me. Can't wait to see it finished and on my project  ;D

We bought a Harley Sportster petrol tank from Ebay a few months ago for Taz's trike, but the more we think about the build, the more we realise the Sporty tank'll just be too small, too skinny for the agricultural look. Big fat rear wheels, fat front wheel, girders, tractor seat -it needed a bigger tank.
No problem, hit the keyboard & contact Wynne at JW Motorcycles, (Dracken1 on this 'ere forum).
We'd already picked up a very flashy pop-up filler cap, (same design I've got on my own trike), & a gorgeous high flow fuel tap, so wanted to re-use them on whatever tank we bought.
Again, not a problem. Dracken delved into his stock of shiny things & came up with a 4 1/2 gallon "QuickBob" tank with screw-in filler necks. Perfect.
We ordered it yesterday afternoon. Taz got to work at 8.0.clock this morning & there it was, sitting there waiting for her. Mr Dracken, you're a real star. Brilliant service & a good price. I try not to push businesses too much on the forum -it's not a commercial website, but Mr D deserves a bit of a plug. Forum members also get a MMMotors discount, so if you're looking for parts for your build, give him a call eh. ;)   

Push down the centre of the cap & it pops up, then turn to unscrew. Cool.

thanks you two.
WHO BENT THE LEVER ON THE FUEL TAP THEN?
not tazet i'll wager. she handles that pop up cap with such dexterity.

which leaves??? ??? :D

Very nice! where did you get that tap and how much was it? I rather like the look of that.

 ;D Thanks. I didn' notice it was bent, I'm sure it was straight when I tested out the movement between on/off and reserve  ;D maybe it's just the angle the picture was taken.

Ask Manky he got the bits for it.

The tap was from our very own resident Dracken  ;D

I will look at the tap again in the morning  ???

my missus just told me off for my last post.
saying perhaps mr monkey did it but told you thats how it's supposed to be.
and now i've dropped him in it :o :o

Bugger. >:(

 ;D

i thought she was showing us the size of..i'll get my coat :)

 ;D I was just demonstrating the easy use with 2 fingers to twist it  ;D

yeah yeah :)

Stop it you lot!  :P
Seriously, not having seen the tap for my trike for a while, we assumed it was meant to be angled. I'll check mine tomorrow. Hopefully we can gently tweak it back into shape.

take it easy. as you can tell by the weight of them they are made from brass then chromed. if the lever is the same material it's like cast ali... it will easily bend once. but twice is another thing

Had a look at the petrol tap this morning and it looks like it should have a curve in it. There are little notches that it sits in on each of the 3 settings and the curve is just on the edge. Manky is going to look at his one. The tap is stiff in the movement but if it bent through that then it would be bent sideways but it's bent down. That's the only time it's been out the box so I'm sure it's ment to be like it.

No it's not, it's meant to be straight I may have a spare in my scrap brass box, will have a look for you

Oh  :(

as twisted has stated it should be straight.
i have 4 brand new ones here.
if it breaks send it back and i'll get another off to you.
it would bend if it was dropped
and yes a are a little stiff but do wear in.

but any doubts and i will replace it  "foc" ;)

cant argue with that :)

AHH IT'S NOT QUITE AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS.

it left here well packed and straight.

so to get a replacement, one of them will have to publically proclaim to be ham fisted and have 10 thumbs ;D ;D ;D

pmsl

Don't worry about it, it feels strong and I'm fine with it as it is and it still works as it should.  ;D

oooh no ones owning up then :)

I can't own up to something that I have no clue about how it happened. Just one of them things.

defensive.... now now pmsl :)

 :P

I bet it was them posties!

 :)

A bit more done, ive used drackens idea (thanks mate) for the legs, got one nearly done, other to do tommorrow.
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky005-1.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky004-2.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky003-3.jpg)

WOW thats looking well smart :)

It is isn't it  8) ;D

And it's OURS!
...well. once we've paid for it anyway.
Bugger, now we've got to build the rest of the trike as good as the forks.  :(

 a bit more done today, hoping to have them done... err will have them done for next weekend :) a few loose ends to tie up and wheel to space then off to their new home 8). look how the caliper is level with the neck set at 45 deg. somethings just build them selves :)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky001-3.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky003-4.jpg)

looking good would it be poosible to put some  sizes to these  and things like what shocks used etc  ive tried the trial and error rout but they never seem to look quite right cant wait to see this trike finished  it has some verry cool features so for  keep it up wll cool

god those are nice, I do love a good pair of girders ;D

I'm sure you do Shauny  ;D Thay look the dogs nuts FLC thank you.  ;D

We're due to nip oop North to collect 'em next Sunday -anyone else in the area we can drop in on for a cuppa while we're there? (York).
Never ridden a trike -or anything else, with girders before, so should be an interesting experience! Next job will be to narrow the rear axle to accomodate the big fat rear wheels then we'll be ready to start on the frame. ;D
The shock's an old XS1100 Yam one, just to set the forks up with. We'll either buy a new pair of the same or go to someone like Hagon for a one-off one with the right spring rate. It's 12 inches between the mounting eyes. The wheel's a 15 inch Yam VMax rear one, (we'll fit a new 140/90R15 front tyre on it). The fork legs are 1 inch diameter & spaced 9 1/2 inches apart. Hopefully Mick will be able to radius all the sharp corners on the square linking rods. If not it'll be another job for Taz & I & the trusty hand file. 
That's as much as I know at the moment! I've got a spare side-mount 5 1/2 inch Bates headlight sat on the shelf in the shed so we'll use that, but mount it from the bottom yoke on a U shaped round bar bracket, tucked in as tight to the spring as we can. Haven't thought about a mudguard yet, but when we do it'll be minimal & black. The fork assembly & light will all be gloss grey. As we're going for a heavy duty agricultural sort of look, blingy chrome would look out of place, so everything will be powder-coated gloss grey or black or left in plain aluminum or stainless where appropriate.

And you think Tazzie is gonna let you drive it !!!! lol

Thanks folks :), i could start a girder thread? and put up my sketches and tools used etc.
im in rotherham not far from meadowhall j34 M1

I don't like taking other people's rides for a spin -been offered plenty of times but always decline the offer cos I'm scared of stuffing them into a tree or something. Taz will have a go on anything though, (!), & in the year or so we've been together has jumped behind the wheel of all sorts of vehicles. I really hope she enjoys the trike, (lots of horse related injuries mean she gets joint pain from time to time), & I'm looking forward to being able to hit the open road together. No she probably won't let me ride it VB!
Meadowhall -that's the huge shopping centre near Sheffield isn't it? Been there a couple of times.
Anyone else within cuppa drinking distance of there?
If you're happy to share your building secrets with us Mick, you could send us the info on a disc & we'll post it in the Motors, 3 wheels, trike tech section of the main site. We could do with more techy stuff. No reason why you can't post it on the forum as well of course, as not everyone reads both bits of the site.

Of course Manky will get to ride it. He'll be taking it on it's first test run. I'm not doing it. It's better he does it as he knows trikes and I'll probably crash it on it's first outing.
I'll probably be the one driving the pop towing my trike while Manky rides his one.

Personally Mick I for one am more than happy to pay for you to make them :) as from what ive seen you aint gonna get better value for money :) imo.

Thanks vb :) ive had an hour in me shed, done spacing for wheel, these are looking proper chunky 8)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky007-1.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky006-1.jpg)
also sat a mudgard on
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky005-2.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/manky004-3.jpg)

Damn, them's big! Will a single shock handle the leverage on either side of it O.K Mick? Twin shocks would've looked good but, as you said, would be far too stiff, especially sat at 45 degrees. We get barely an inch of travel on our tele forks at that angle.
Looking very, very nice. ;D 

Yes they will be fine, the yokes are 5" wide and the rest of the distance is taken up using spacers outboard of the links(does that make sense), once the spacers are turned up that go next to the shock it wont look as weedy, i also tried a std Z1000 headlight for a look(no pics as i cant hold and take pic :)) fills the area nicely ill try to get a pic on monday. :)

I think it would be great if you started a thread about girders - not just about how you make them but the whys and wherefores and the handling etc.

I think they're so sexy, I'm drooling here, I can see my new trike having to have another rebuild when I've got some cash from the sale of Gertie!

only 20 mins from meadowhall and kettles always on

PM us your address Madron and your number for when we get lost  ;D

Also FLC can you PM us your address too please.

a bit more done just waiting on left side bearing to finish
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/mank042.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/mank045.jpg)
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/FLC_photo/mank043.jpg)

 ;D ;D ;D Cool. Looks great. Manky tells me that you have been using your wife's shocker off her bike. We will return it safe and sound, (probably hand delivered).  ;D

I picked up a Metro handbrake lever for Taz's trike from the NSRA swapmeet last weekend. Gradually pulling together all the parts we need. Next job is to find discs & calipers for the back axle & another pair of the spacers I've fitted on my own trike, (to space the wheel away from the brakes for extra clearance). Then we can narrow the axle & we're ready to start mucking up, mocking up the frame.

that last pic above is how you want the links orientated at 45 degrees .
you cannot compare teles to girders. yes at 45 degrees teles do very little. a girder can do a lot more depending on the spring rate.

i was getting a little concerned as i was scrolling down through the pics as there was no sign of a brace between the front a rear tube. and was poised to mention it. when wallah, it appeared ;D

We had a very good 24 hour road trip this weekend and only just got back. We went up to Rotherham last night & stopped over in a Premier Inn, just to get that journey out the way so we had all today just to visit and travel back. First stop today was to see Mick, (aka FLC and a very nice chap he is too), to have a natter, a coffee and pick up my forks, (pictures to follow shortly). We also came to the conclusion that the small Bates headlight we already had was a bit pathetic between the girders, but FLC had a bigger one on the shelf and it looked much better. So we did a swap as he needed to replace the one on his chop and the small one was perfect for that. FLC, thank you very much -we are very, very pleased with the forks. Next stop was to drive a little further up to Doncaster to see Ron, (aka Madron) and his lovely wife, who kept me filled with coffee  ;D. Well where do I start with Ron. He's a very nice chappy and oh my god what a lot of stuff he has. Every nook and cranny of the garden and sheds were filled with everything to do with bikes, cars, and trikes. I've never seen so many fiberglass mudguards before. Fantastic place to get lost in  ;D. Anyway we ended up leaving his place with 2 fiberglass seat bases, (one for me and the other for Dave-postie), a small bike radiator fan for my trike and a fiberglass mudguard for Dave-postie.
It took forever to get back as the M1 was c**p and we took a slight detour to go to Dave and Janie's to drop Dave's bits off and have more coffee.
Thanks all very much and it was great meeting  FLC, Ron and his Mrs. Right a little catching up on here then I'm off to sleep.

Yup, a productive weekend.
Always good to put a face to a forum name. We've been very lucky so far that everyone we've met up with from the site's turned out to be a top chap & FLC & Madron were no exception. Mick, (FLC), & I have been chatting about Taz's girders on the phone for a couple of weeks, but it was nice to finally shake his hand. That's a great shed you've got there Mick -even with it's wonky wooden floor. ;D I won't say what he charged us for the forks, but it was a lot less than we were expecting & definitely not enough to cover the amount or time & effort he put into them. As Taz said, we're very, very pleased with them. Ska Man & I made a trike frame for Critch a year or so ago, but decided the effort & stress involved just weren't worth it for the price we felt we could charge. Mick's the same. I'm sure he'd make more if the price was right, but he definitely won't be flooding the market with them. Which is good for us cos we'd hate to get Taz's on the road & find every other trike's running FLC forks!
We took a 5 1/2 Bates headlight shell with us to try in place against the forks. Far too small. It looked lost & out of proportion among the linkages of the girders. So we've swapped it with an old Suzuki one that Mick had in his spares stash. Eventually both the girders & the light shell will be powder-coated, probably both gloss grey. High or low light? I reckon low, centrally in the square formed by the girder legs & top & bottom yokes. The shock's an old SR125 unit, nicked from his wife's bike, (we've got to return it when we've bought a new replacement). No idea how that's going to perform but it's a starting point. I'm dreading taking the forks apart to powder-coat them & trying to reassemble them afterwards! 

Next stop was Madron's place in Doncaster.
Again, nice people. Not sure about his collection of snakes & reptiles myself but Taz loved 'em -yet she's terrified of spiders. Odd.
We didn't need to check the house number when we arrived; it was fairly obvious -the one with the half built trike buried in the nettles in the front garden!
A super-low Reliant, with stretched tank & the same 5 spoke alloys I've got on mine. Some complicated framework at the back, but I think this could be a lovely looking thing when it's done.

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A much sought after Regal axle!.

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Wandering through the workshop & out into the back garden was a revelation. The place is literally stuffed to the rafters with engines, frames, wheels, piles of shocks, clocks, forks -you name it & Ron's probably got 6 of 'em.
A couple of nice little hardtails.

Here's an unexpected blast from the past- anyone remember "Jam Roller"? One of the top show cars from the 70s. A Standard 10 I think. I remember seeing this in magazines & at indoor custom shows when I was first getting into the vehicle scene as a tender 15 or 16 year old school boy.
Ron's just bought it & plans to restore it to it's former glory. There's a big trend at the moment for resurrecting old race & custom cars, so it'd be great to see this rolling again.

In it's heyday
-& it's sadly neglected current state.

Next to the sedan was a T bucket body, Ron's own version of a model A pick up cab, "Roller's chassis, a T chassis, a V12 motor, a V6 trike, a Reliant motor, tot rods, go carts. It was like wandering around ScrapHeap Challenge. In all he thinks he's got 28 different projects on the go!

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What was this from Ron? You told me but I forgot. A diff unit from an old 3 wheeler, bought for a tenner. A chain driven diff. Very tidy & worth a fortune.

Ron's trade is fibreglassing. He's been in the business since he was 15 & seems able to create just about anything in 'glass. One outhouse was stuffed full of trike mudguards in every style you could think of. Bike mudguards, totrod bodies, T bucket bodies, some cool pointy headlight shells, (any use for the 2CV thingy Shaun? Or Lunatic's Volksrod?), race-car seats, fairings -anything you could take a mould from he can make. He even knocked up a sled for his kids when it snowed recently.
We didn't turn up intending to go shopping but couldn't resist picking up one of these while we were there. A fibreglass Harley 45 style seat base. We'd planned to use the tractor seat donated by Twisted Patience on Taz's trike, but it'd need cutting about to work really. Ron sold us one of these for a tenner. Bargain. I'd run it just as it is, but we might have it upholstered for Taz's benefit with a very thin layer of foam & a black vinyl cover.
We also picked one up for Postie Dave, for his Honda Shadow bobber project, as well as a bobber rear mudguard for 15 quid. We also nabbed a small bike radiator of unknown origins so we can use the electric fan on Taz's trike. If you need anything in fibreglass, give Ron a PM & tell him we recommended him.  ;)
So we had a very pleasant weekend break, staying overnight in a Travel Inn near Sheffield, & came home with the car loaded up with goodies. Many thanks for the cuppas & parts Mick & Ron. You're both true gents. ;D

hi great to meet you and taz and thanks for intro   jam roller will be a couple of years with all projects i have    the chain drive diff is off a berkley car and herald drive shafts bolts straight on which will be the rear for my tdm 850 trike this year hopefully lol

hell of place u got there Madron :) can i move in :)

of course you can move in as long as you can  weld, fibreglass, paint, wire and lift heavy things lol

done !! lol .....you didnt say i had to be good at them things did you :)

Yes its good to put names to faces, glad you enjoyed your visit, i knew you would like going to rons its like aladins cave over there :), your welcome anytime.

Same goes to you. If ever you are down South the door is always open when we are home so just pop in. If you need a room for the night give us aome warning so we can find the spare bed  ;D

I've got one of those, going on my Panther trike and I think I've just inherited a spitfire rolling chassis, front hubs for the Pop and rear shafts, hubs etc for the trike ;D ;D ;D oh happy day's

We hate you  :P

The lower light definitely looks better.

That's that then. Low it is.
FLC, we might have to get you to piece the girders back together for us after they've been powder-coated! You're a clever guy & I'm deeply jealous. Oh, have a good time on your hols by the way -don't forget to send us a piccie of a MMMotors sticker in foreign climes.  ;D
Ron, got any more of those old rod pics? We could add a few to the Old Biker Photos section of the main site, (think it's about time we re-named it).

hi emailed you pics of cars i have built let me know if you want pics of chops & trikes i have built

Manky says yes please. We think rather that doing a bit on each of your vehicles we are just going to give you your own section and call it Madrons cars etc.  ;D PS he got your emails.

hi ok will post all pics i have and can remember lol thanks

Just for fun, we mocked up Taz's trike this evening.
That front end's truly humungus! Looks good though. Taz had to prop up the back of the tank with her knees & guess the handlebar position. Seat height here is about 18 inches.

Tank'll have to go a lot lower I think.

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you do look rather silly sitting there taz  ;D ;D pmsl
the trikes looking good though i like the springers

Girders, not springers -& Taz is not amused.
-be afraid mate. Be very afraid.  :o

lookin very good an wide taz how much were girders ??? ;)

They were a one-off from FLC & not charged at a commercial rate -we covered the material costs & a bit for his time but not nearly enough to make it worth building more at that cost. He's on holiday at the moment, but PM him in a couple of weeks if you're serious & see if you can persuade him to build more.  ;)

Just cose you're jealous Mousy boy  :P

Very hard to fully gage the actual size of the thing but all will be clearer when we have the tubing for the frame also the axle has to be shrunk.  ;D

Gonna be a good looking trike! fat front, fat rear and fatbob's, way to go I reckon.

I will have to wear a few layers then it can have a fat rider to go with it.  ;D

that is looking well tazet i love the glass handlebars can you get me some a bit fatter

heheheheheheheh
 ;D ;D

im frit now pmsl i think im gonna go into hiding for a while  ;D
i knew what they are i watched um being built  ;D andy i was winding you up as well as taz pmsl

 ;D  :P :P :P :P :P :P ;D

hey thats how i gauge the shape/size of my bars. i assume the position and chrissie takes the measurements from hand to hand and from hand to yoke...sorted  ;D

Works for me!

Been tinkering in the shed when I got home from work as Manky was out and pulled my axle apart to get it ready to be shortened. Not sure what to do next so awaiting instructions.

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who's been a busy bee then taz  ;D

 ;D Got bored when I got home and Manky did tell me the other day that the axle had to be split so I thought I would give it a bash. Literally  ;D

sound mechanical advise ;D

Good what you can do with a mallet  ;D

you would have laughed  ;D the other day i use a rubber mallet
i smacked the axle to looses the bolts the ruber end flew off the mallet and smacked me on the head  ;D ;D
its funny now but at the time all i wanted to do was beat the c**p out of the mallet  ;D ;D

Ooooops hehehehehe sorry shouldn't laugh but got a funny image in my mind of it happening. Like in a cartoon.
Well Manky came home and I got my next list of instructions. It involves cutting with a sharp object.
He pulled all the insides out of the casing.

do we need the paramedics on standby lol  ;D

;D

We're professionals us.

............I'll give 'em a ring anyway.

 ;D Probably a good Idea. My Boss's eldest daughter is a fully qualified Dr and it's very handy when she comes home for a visit. It has been known for me to call her though to get advice so will have her in speed dial.
Didn't get to have a play today though as we went to Alton for tea and to see what things showed up.

"Alton for tea " we are posh where you live ain't we lol i usually go to the greasy spoon for my tea  ;D

I am sorry  :P It is a cafe by the railway and we had a fry up  ;D

got any pics ;D

Of what? the fry up. Sorry we ate that.  ;D

pmsl  ;D ;D

Right cut the rivets off the diff that hold the tube on. Hopefully Manky can take it in to the tech tomorrow to have the tubes pressed out so we can shorten them. That's what the arrow is for so we know where it was  ;D I also removed the rest of the innards in the dif.

I was working with Ron some years ago and fell over in his back yard I got lost for a week then I bumped into three japs who were still figting the second world war they showed me the way out  ;D 

 ;D ;D

 ;D Hiya Tex.

I called in on Saddlebags this afternoon. Haven't seen him for ages. He's recently passed his bike test & bought a ...GPZ I think. Says his Vauxhall Chevette trike isn't likely to see the roads this Summer so he wanted some wheels for the shows.
Anyway, he's gonna call at my lock up next week & measure up for a stainless exhaust mainfold flange for my trike. Main reason for calling in though was to drop off Taz's trike axle. SaddleBags & his boss, Doug, (a member of The Guzzlers car club), are gonna press the axle tubes out of the diff housing, shorten them & press them back in for us. Top chaps.  :) 

hiya manky what is that u have used to mark the end off the axle with ?do u weld brakets both sides off the axle to stop it turning or is one side enough 

its a case of thank god for sat-nav when you go to our rons lol

Yey one I can answer.
We used a Tippex pen to mark it  ;D and once it has been cut down to size it will be re-slotted into the diff and bolted in place. Then once we have decided on the frame, we weld sticky out tab thingies on to the axle and the frame and bolt both together to stop the axle turning.

You are right Shabby. Good advice  ;D

When we start on Taz's trike frame, I might try tying the axle by bolting the diff to a locating tab on the frame.

  what we racer types call an anti rotation device as specified in SFI regs, you been looking at my chassis ?

No, but I will.  ;)

i think tab thigies sounds more technical anyways

 ;D

I got another part today for my trike. A pair of Callipers from fleabay. Very kindly spotted by Mousy Boy, (thank you again Mouse, I've applauded you accordingly  ;)). 30 quid a pair. Anyway they need a bit of a clean but look rust free. We were a bit greedy and actually got 2 sets as Manky might change his.

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I've still got the remains of the caliper repair kit I bought for my own brakes so we can check Taz's new ones over & rebuild them if necessary, but they look pretty good.
Meanwhile, I've taken the back axle along to SaddleBags workshop & his boss, Doug, has pressed the axle tubes out of the ally diff housing for us. Next step is to cut the tubes down by 4 inches, turn the ends again & press them back in. Should be sorted by tomorrow. We've learnt by our mistakes- when Flap & I narrowed his axle, we just hacksawed the end off the tube & had it pressed back in -then watched in horror as it split the aluminium casing. What we didn't realise was the end of the axle tube is machined very slightly to ensure a good fit, so is a marginally smaller diameter than the rest of the tube.

Hey Taz, if you send your calipers to BIGG RED for refurbishment ask for the 10% discount available to MMM members. I did and got it :)

If you do change them can I buy the old ones off you? pretty please!

Will ask the Manky one but I'm sure that will be ok Doc.

Not actually planning on changing my calipers Doc. The bleed nipple threads are both buggered on mine but I've used Goodrich stainless steel banjo bolts that have bleed nipples built into them & sealed the old holes with blanking bolts.
We bought 2 pairs from a guy on Ebay simply cos they were cheap at 30 quid a pair & worth buying as spares or for future use. 

We bought a shiny thing today at the Harley swap meet.

prey tell where r u gonna shuff that ;D

 ;D We are hoping it will cover up the drive on the wheel we are using for my trike. If it doesn't work then we will use it as a strainer or a bird bath.

good idea :) but then if the latter happens you've got another hole to fill ;D

 ;D We'll just use a plug. I'm sure the birds won't mind.  ;D

Hey Taz you ever thought of using a saucepan lid to cover the drive on your wheels they come in all sizes and colours us Yorkies use them all the time and when you give the wife a the new pan she gives me much loving for the gift and you get fed when she tries out her new pan so we win all round who said us yorkies are dafft  8) well it might be because we are tight  ::)

All our lids are glass so think that's not an option but a good idea though.

We bought 60 feet of 1" bore heavyweight ERW yesterday, plus 10 feet of 1 1/2" bore, to create Taz's new trike frame from. 200 quid.
We're waiting for Doug the engineer to press the axle tubes back into the diff housing before we start mocking things up, but bent the first 2 tubes yesterday. These will form the front down tubes, running back under the engine.

We also cut the axle drive shafts, taking 4" out of them. The cut ends will be sleeved, pinned & welded back together.

this is were the fun starts lol  ;D

chuffed to bits for yuhs Tazzie ;D

 ;D So exciting but that's all we can do till we get my shortened axle back so we've ground to a hault.  :(

;D yeah now that feeling im waiting to buy a bender :(

Brighton. Oops sorry did I type that out loud  ;D

pmsl  :o ;D

;D tart ;D

 :P

Anyway. Can't do frame yet so been cleaning up the gearbox that we removed from Moo. All the seals are fully in tact so no leaks. Been easy to clean as it's just dry caked on mud. Pickies when I go down to the shed with the camera.

yer trike aving 2 axles now then heh ;D

No but we are keeping the Moo one just in case something goes wrong with shortening my original one.

naa ya need to clear space i,ll take it away for you   lol

This looks like allot of fun, I have sat here and perused your project and feel that I must build myself a trike someday, have to wait till i get a bigger house first tho lol. It's looking good so far Taz, well done and keep up the good work ;D ;D ;D

Hey ZipW - most peeps build their trikes in the garage not in the house, I can see you need eddicating!   ;)

Ahh so thats where I have been going wrong!

Thanks Zippy, I think a garage would be best too  ;D

Ok been in the shed as said in an earlier post, cleaning my gearbox up. Here are some pickies

I've now got to remove the clutch operating arm, which holds the thrust bearing and swap it from the right hand side of the gear box to the left. I had the joy of doing Manky's one so now I've got to do my own. We do this so that the clutch is operated by the left foot. The right foot is for the brake.

1st pic is the Moo gearbox, 2nd pic is the one I was going to use but you might be able to see that the bearing is different and it has been welded in, so removal would be a tad difficult.

you painting the casing or leaving it as is?

I'll leave it as it is, just got to put a bit of polish on and it's done. It will look similar to Manky's one.

I called in at SaddleBags workshop yesterday to collect the axle casings. He & Doug had pressed out the tubes, cut them down by the required 4 inches & machined the cut ends to ensure they were round & true before they were pressed back in.
-which is where the problem began.
I think Reliant must've made their axle tubes from some crappy old length of scaffold tube they found round the back of their factory. Really poor quality tube, coupled with 30 years of rust. When they put them in the lathe to turn down they found they were oval -high spots & low spots. Bugger. So they had to guess at the correct size. They waited for me to arrive before trying to press them back in. Go for it I said, what's the worst that can happen.
Presssss....crack.
Bugger.
Split the aluminium diff casing right down the side. The split followed the casting joint, which was obviously the weak point. Exactly the same problem we had with Flap's axle. So they machined the other tube down a tad further & it went back in with no problem at all.
O.K, time to sort out the busted one.
I took it straight to Keith at BKI Welding in Newbury. This guy welded up the engine casings for the multi cylindered Kawasaki that did the rounds of the shows a year or so ago, so I trusted him with our plasticine quality Reliant ally. No problem. One day later & I was back to collect it. 20 quid. Sorted.
So the axle casings are now 8 inches narrower than standard. Now we need our mate Reg to come up with the steel sleeves for the driveshafts so we can put the whole lot back together again. 
 

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Nice one ;D bet yer starting to chomp at the bit Taz ;D

just my bleedy luck is that andy  :o

Ahh well, sorted now, so no longer a problem. Another small step on the path to that first ride on a new machine. :)

Yes VB I am but still can't put it all together yet. I've still got the gearbox to finnish and I can clean up the axle so Marcus can spray it for me.

no sorry but youve got it all wrong you need to put the front wheel into the forks and put them in front of the back wheels and put the axel between the back wheels what you have set up  is a really wide unicycle . or is it abstract art morphing into machine .  :P

Now you tell us. We knew we were doing something wrong but just couldn't put our fingers on what it was.  :P

Taz what is the total length of yer axle now plz

Er not sure all I know is it's 8" shorter than it was  ;D

Right, I picked up Taz's driveshafts from Reg, my mate with a lathe in his shed who turns up most of the small odds & ends we need. Useful chap.
We cut the shafts in the middle so as not to mess up the tapered & splined ends. 4 inches was removed & the ends butted together again. Then a tight fitting steel sleeve, machined by Reg, was slid over the joint before the whole thing was drilled & pinned with 6mm engineers dowels. 6 inch long sleeves mean the shafts are held straight & true. I'll weld around each end of the sleeve & each end of the pins. That should do it. 

Driveshafts have now been welded together.

While Manky had welder in hand he also welded the engine mounts for my frame which consist of 12mm nuts and washers welded onto the top of a tube to form a captive nut. Later we'll cut them down to length.

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Jeez, that welding looks 'orrible! They'll be fine once we've run a sanding disc over 'em, honest.
Note the obligatory burnt tartan fleece! Standard welder's issue.

madron got one just like that  lol ;D ;D ;D

Another small disaster today.
Took the shortened & welded up driveshafts to SaddleBags' works to get the new bearings pressed on & found we've shortened the wrong shafts.
Bugger, bugger, bugger. >:(
When we took the axle apart the shafts were chucked on a shelf with another spare pair. Just assumed they were the same size. They weren't. One pair are metric, the other imperial. We've shortened the wrong ones. I'm now stuck with imperial driveshafts & metric axle casings. I've got the right size bearings to fit the axle tubes, but the ID is too small to fit the shafts.
I know I've got a spare pair of axle tubes sat in my garage in Basingstoke, so will see what size they are tomorrow. If we're very lucky, they'll be imperial & I can get the shortened tubes pressed back out of the diff housing & replace them.
If not, I need to find someone who can put the lumpy, welded up driveshafts in a lathe & turn the bearing surface down from 1 inch, (25.4mm), to 25mm. Need to do it very soon though cos I need to get the basic frame built for the Basingstoke transport festival next weekend & need the axle on it's wheels to do it.
I also need someone to turn the raised centre of the Reliant hubs down to fit the Vauxhall Nova discs. Can anyone help? Willing to travel to get these jobs done in the next couple of days.

really sorry to hear that manky :(  i aint got a lathe or id help you out sorry :(

Any other weekend than this one or the next two I would have been happy to help chap, could have popped in to work and used the lathes in our work shop.  :( Hope you find someone to help you out real soon so you can go to the festival, Good luck.

Another small disaster today.
Took the shortened & welded up driveshafts to SaddleBags' works to get the new bearings pressed on & found we've shortened the wrong shafts.
Bugger, bugger, bugger. >:(
When we took the axle apart the shafts were chucked on a shelf with another spare pair. Just assumed they were the same size.


Sorry to hear that Manky I am surprised you had any spare shafts after Ron n Shabby visited they must have been well hid hope you get sorted m8

Ta daa!  ;D
Sorted.
Thanks for the concern guys. Had a very long day yesterday, running about trying to sort things out, & was feeling very p*ssed off by the time I posted.
A fresh day & everything seems slightly less disasterous.
Paid SaddleBags another visit after work this afternoon. I've seriously outstayed my welcome there! Used up every possible favour & SB's a very busy guy. So I put on my best puppy dog expression & pleaded -We broked it. Make it mended -pleeeease.  :'(
The man's a true star. Had a phone call at 9.0.clock this evening to say he's machined down the Imperial driveshafts to take the Metric bearings & pressed them on. Plus he's machined the hub centres to accept the Vauxhall discs. Payment? A couple of MMMotors mugs for the workshop. SaddleBags, I think I love you.  :-* A thousand thanks for rescuing us from the doo doo yet again.
Next job is to find some half inch wheel studs & press them into the hubs. Standard Reliant studs are 3/8" , (the vans might be 1/2"), but as we've got such wide wheels on Taz's trike I thought we ought to beef them up a bit. Onwards. ;D

Glad you got it sorted, Saddlebags, the hero once again lol.

dear mr manky with regards to the wheel studs  i could not find any to suit my reliant disc conversion anywhere  by chance iwas at our local trailer dealer (indespension) and they have all sizes in bags of four or five  and alot cheaper than what i had  seen elsewhere hope this helps  cheers and good luck andy

i use metro wheel studs for alloy wheels fatter and longer than reliant

Studs bought & fitted now.
I use "Speedshack" in West Drayton, London. A proper old fashioned car spares place. A tiny little unit hidden away in a corner of the High Street, but stuffed to the rafters with all manner of wheel & tuning related stuff. Can't remember the owner's name but he used to drag race a Rover V8 powered mark 2 Escort. They know their stuff. Find 'em in the Links for Commercial Purposes bit of the forum. They do mail order but I'm in a hurry to get Taz's axle back together so we can start on her frame, so I drove up there after work this afternoon.
Bought 8 12.5mm wheels studs, plus a pair of 1 1/4 inch wheels spacers, the same as I fitted on my own trike, plus 8 chrome wheel nuts. Came to about 40 quid. The spacers are necessary to space the wheels away from the brake discs so we can squeeze the calipers into Taz's super deep dished steel wheels. I called at Loony's workshop on the way home & drilled out the Reliant hubs to 13mm then whacked the studs in. They have a 13.5mm splined end which would normally be enough to hold 'em, but we have to grind the corners off the hubs to fit inside the Nova discs. Because they're bigger studs, that didn't leave a lot of metal around the outside edge of the studs, so we put a spot of MIG weld on them just to make sure.

Grinding the corners off the square Reliant hubs lets them drop neatly into the recessed back of the Vauxhall discs. The raised centre of the hub locates the disc centrally so it spins true -it doesn't locate on the studs. The hole in the centre of the disc is smaller than the raised centre boss of the hub, so SaddleBags spun it down to size on the lathe -much easier to do before you put the studs back in.

Wow that is tight are yers as tight as that ?

Yup. Been running 'em for years with no problems.

Nice job!

Ok well today we've been trying to do more stuff on my trike. I've got hold of some ply to make a level floor with to build the frame on, (shed leans a bit). Then after work I put together my axle. The first 2 photos are the shortened axle tubes pressed back into the casing. The original rivets were replaced with 6mm bolts. We had to shorten the bolts to allow room for the driveshafts.

ain't them bolts the fiddliest(sp) of things to get in  ;D i kept dropping mine lol

Yes Mousy they are and my language was not great doing the flippin things. I kept dropping the allen key too and that just made matters worse, but I sussed that if you rolled the axle round so that you pushed the bolt upwards then the spring washer on the inside stays in place, then you use 2 fingers and hold the nut in roughly the right place and turn the bolt from the outside. It soon finds the correct thread and tightens. On the nut I also used a ratcheted spanner and it made things a little easier.

Manky's tip - Use a ring spanner with masking tape on one side. Drop the nut into the ring and off you go.

NB He's only just told me this.

The next step was to fit the drive shaft then the aluminium caliper mounting plates and the hubs. The plates were CNC machined by Saddlebags and they retain the bearings in the ends of the axle tubes.

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The next few photos are of the brake discs being held in place by the extended wheel studs used for the spacer. We had to use spacers to give enough clearance for the caliper inside the wheel.

Then the spacer just slots over the studs.

We fitted the wheels in place, widened Morris Minor steel wheels with chrome wheel nuts.

Overall width of the axle inc tyres is 58", (148cm)
Ground clearance under the sump should be about 6", (15cm)

wow thats looking good i love them wheels
I'm glad its all starting to come together for ya.
And my language was choice when i tried to fit them nuts and bolts the air round here was very blue pmsl  my cats sat watching me with the paws in there ears  ;D ;D

looking good Taz :)

cant argue with mouse about that wheels, they look the part and a half.

if the rear axles anything to go by the trike will look stunning great work Taz keep it up  8)

Thanks guys but the credit must go to Manky. He tells me what to do and I do it. Learning as I go.

While I was at work Manky mocked the trike up. The engine is at the correct height to the axle and the gearbox is 8" away, (that's the shortest we can have the prop shaft). The sump is 7" off ground level so should have no problems with speed humps. The forks are propped up to a 45 degree angle.

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I like the chandelier  headlight  ;D ;D gonna be a bitch to wire up though pmsl  ;D

i hate to ask but what are you sitting on or are do you have tha ability to levitate at strange angles ?  ;D

gearlever ? lol

Taz has many strange abilities, most of which baffle me.  :P
She's sat on an upturned storage box, same as the ones on the shelves behind her. Seat height will be somewhere around 20 inches. We've got a tractor seat, donated by Twisted Patience, which will need a little work to be useable, or the fibreglass seat pan we picked up from Ron. Not decided which to go with yet.

We're running seriously short of time with this one now! Supposed to be showing a rolling chassis at the Basingstoke show on Sunday & we haven't cut or tacked a single tube yet! Argh! I hate deadlines.
A late night at the Ace Cafe last night, sorting out the resultant photos & getting them posted on the site put paid to most of this morning, then we had to nip out to B & Q, so it was mid afternoon before anything got done. Then we had to stop at tea time to turn some of the ponies out into the field, so bugger all achieved again. We've really got to hit this hard tomorrow, or we're going to end up showing it as a trike frame in kit form -actually, not such a bad idea!
Finished off the front engine mounts & made a start on the axle clamps. 

yikes  :o me and dead lines don't get on either Andy
good luck with it

what no gloves Andy ;D

No safety net either.
Don't try this at home kids. I'm a trained, professional monkey.

what you using for a headlight ? i've got a tractor lamp,(no glass),excellent condition,looks remarkably similar to a sportster headlight,ftgh-postage. :)

Looking good

Thanks Doc, but FLC gave us a big old Suzuki headlight which suits the width of the forks nicely.
Right, this may take a while as Manky and I haven't really stopped today, trying to get my frame up to at least a basic form for the Basingstoke show. I'm gonna sleep for a week once its finished. Not sure where to start with explaining everything. First off Manky cut and made up my axle clamps while I tried to scallop the top of the front down tubes to take the headstock. Once that was done we cut a tube to act as a gearbox cross member. We made up a brace to go between the front down tubes too and also the engine mounts were lined up and welded on to the frame. I took so many photos I think they can almost explain what we did better than I can.
We haven't welded the headstock yet but will hopefully do that in the morning.
So here they are:
 

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The pipes going to the axle clamps I did all by myself  ;D and the inserts to hold the 2 bits together  ;D

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The hee-uge girder forks were one-offs, specially built for Taz by Mr FLC. They're mated to the rear wheel from a V Max, with the shaft drive hub covered by a chrome "hubcap" from a Harley. The wheel will be powder-coated grey to match the rears, as will the fork legs. Not sure about the chrome cap, maybe black, maybe grey, but chrome's too blingy for the look we're after.
No jigs used for the frame but lots & lots & lots of measuring & extensive use of a spirit level & plumbline. I'd normally tack the headstock in without the forks, but it took me an hour & a half to strip the girders down to slip the headstock tube onto the steering stem & I'm not pulling it all apart again now! I know the forks aren't level in those last shots -we were just trying them in place. They sit at bang on 45 degrees. The kick-ups to the axle clamps were bent seperately & joined to the bottom rails with 4 inch slugs, (sections of tube sliced down their length & squeezed in the vice until they fitted snugly inside the frame tube). We then drilled through the frame & plug-welded the slugs in place, leaving a gap in the joint to run a bead of weld around. The shed floor's a bit wibbly wobbly so we borrowed some sheets of chipboard from Taz's work & shimmed them up until we had a level surface to work on. The trike's wheelbase fits snugly on a standard 8 by 4 foot sheet.
Taz has cut & bent all the tubing herself & will no doubt be trying her hand at MIG welding at some stage.
It doesn't get any more simple & basic than this.

ya goin at a crackin pace now be finished for next weekend at this speed

bleedy hell guys your smokin  ;D its looking good real good

I wish it was next weekend but it's tomorrow that it's got to be ready for.

well,get off here and get it done then  ;D ;D

Well today has been a nightmare. Been trying to get the trike done but I don't think it's gonna happen. We were at Marcus's today getting the Pop sorted so been in the shed since we got back and cose we are rushing, everything is going wrong  :'( I just wish I knew what I was doing more so I could do more but poor Andy is having to tutor me through most things. The Axle, 3 wheels and some kind of tubing will be at the show but probably not all able to be attached.

Things have just been absolutely manic here recently, so Taz's trike project literally hasn't been touched since we showed it at the Basingstoke show as a half built frame on it's 2 back wheels.
I've been to the Uxbridge auto show today though & bought her a pressie while I was perusing the trade stalls. It's a stainless steel pistol grip handbrake lever. Why? Cos it was shiney & just a bit different, that's all. 30 quid.

niiiicccce. y dont noone evr buy me prezzies like that?  ???

 ;D 

Cos Taz would get jealous if I bought you pressies &, trust me, you wouldn't like her when she's angry.
Same price as a decent bouquet of flowers & slightly more useful.

i wasnt hinting, honest, And i certainly dont wanna get on the wrong side of Taz or any other female for that matter  ;D.
Maybe next time you could buy a little man to fit the lever?

Or maybe I could build the frame to fit it to?

Ain't they lovely?  I was going to get one of those when I was thinking about getting a trike built - just get the build done to suit the handbrake!

Nice..I've also looked at them,that was a good price i think they're alot more on the website...Willy

It was a toss up between buying it for Taz for her trike or for me for my Pop! Either way it was gonna get bought.

too right at that price

This evening I returned to Taz's trike frame. Took the wonky headstock back off & re-set it, then cut off the gearbox mounts & put them back on centrally, where they should have been to start with. We threw the frame together for the Basingstoke Transport Festival & under pressure at 2 in the morning before the show, started making all sorts of mistakes. Haven't had time to re-work it since. 

Hmm, not sure if I've made progress or not in the shed this evening.
Taz has been away for a week or so at one of her horse events, so I thought I'd try & get her basic frame together before she got back. Of course, I've put it off all week so ended up out in the shed till gone 11pm this evening, (she's just arrived home with a lorry full of ponies at gone midnight).
So- I bent & trimmed the top tube & tacked it in place on the headstock. The headstock's quite low on this one so the top tube has to run horizontally to give us enough clearance to get the rocker cover on & off when required.
Then I cut & tacked the two uprights either side of the gearbox. The top tube is much longer than my own trike to accomodate the dirty great 5 gallon "QuickBob" tank Taz chose, so the uprights are further back than mine, which should avoid the problems I had with the gearstick fouling the frame.
Next I added the top tubes of the hardtail. Overall, the frame's the same length as mine, but because the top tube's longer, the tail end's much shorter & dumpier.

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Next I tried the h-u-g-e girder forks in place. Specially made for us by Mr FLC in Rotherham, to take a Yamaha V Max rear wheel.

Looking good so far, although there's a huge amount of space around the back of the engine due to the long top tube.

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Then things went a bit pear shaped.
I balanced the QuickBob tank in place, plus the tractor seat we obtained from Mr Twisted Patience.
Yuck. Suddenly it all looks very, very wrong. All out of proportion. I'd planned to site the seat tight up against the end of the top tube, but that made sitting in it quite tight. It needed to move back a couple of inches. But that made reaching for the bars a real stretch -& Taz is shorter in the arm than me.
The tank just looks -wrong. It's just perched up on top of the frame tube. Even if I cut a big section out of the back & re-welded it to drop the back lower, I think it'd still look wrong.

I tried the 883 Harley Sportster tank we originally bought for Taz from Ebay & the fibreglass seat pan we bought from Madron.
Better but still wrong.

I think it's that extra long top tube that's buggering it all up.
I'll let Taz have a look tomorrow, but personally I think we need to start again. Keep the bottom run of the frame, but cut off the whole top section & re-do it. Go back to the dimensions of my frame. A shorter top tube with as much angle on it as we can get away with, & longer top hardtail tubes. Then flog both the tanks we've got, (both brand new, never used), & buy a King Sportster. That'd give us a bit more width so it wouldn't look out of proportion with the wide forks, but would be considerably shorter than the QuickBob, so Taz could sit closer to the bars. Then fit the same large solo seat I've used on mine.
So basically we'd end up with the same proportions & style as mine, but with big fat rear tyres & a matching wide front end.

leave frame,get king sportster tank,and elongate it ?

Still leaves us with the problem of too much distance between seat & bars. Taz likes her big QuickBob tank, but it just doesn't look right. Think I need to take another look at Flap's orange one. If I remember right we cut a large chunk out of the back of the tank & rewelded it. He had a lot of problems getting it petrol proof again afterwards though. His top tube is also shorter, with the bend at the back beginning further forward, so the tube drops away level with the back of the tank.

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i change the top bar like you say and altar the tank...only my opinion :)

what he said ^

Can you not angle the top tube slightly downward to allow the tank to slope more?

or god no ;D

use proper 2 piece fatbobs and widen the gap between them ?

Tis the top tube that needs changing! ;)

smited ? ::)

Must 'av upset someone.

I thought the same as doc, ie fat bobs,but what the hell do I know ??? ??? ???

Don't know who's been smiting or smitten -not me, honest.
Yup. Had a quick consultation with Taz today -then we looked at the trike. That top tube's way too long. Needs to be shortened by a good 4 inches at least. A long time since we built Flap's, but I vaguely remember having a similar problem & cutting the top tube, shortening it to suit, then slugging it & welding it back together. Probably easier just to cut it off & start again though & try to incorporate a little slope in it. The current one's exactly horizontal.
FatBobs, slung level with the top tube would be good, but would require the underside being cut away to clear the engine. I really don't want to have to cut up the shiny new QuickBob tank if I can avoid it. Anyone got a very cheap set of FatBobs for sale?
I'll start chopping off the iffy bits tomorrow.

We've been out in the shed looking at my frame and decided that the 2 tanks we have arn't right for it so will possibly go for a King sportster tank instead as it is short but wide. Think I will have to have a browse on Dracken's site and see what's there. We are also hoping to go to the Popham autojumble on Sunday so we might see something there to suit. Manky is at present removing the top tube and various other ones to shorten and angle the top tube slightly at the back and hopefully in doing so will sit me slightly more forward.

You never know what might turn up at the swapmeet. Might find an old brit tank that suits it?
You could print out a life size photo of your trike, then we could try the tanks at the autojumble on it to see how it will look! Or shall I shut up now!! ;D

We had a look on Drackens site and I quite like the look of the Mustang tank rather than the tall Sportster. The Mustang is as wide as the forks but slightly more slimlined than the Quickbob.

As you said Marcus we might find a nice Brit one, (Manky thought the same), but as far as the full sized photo, well I shan't tell you on a public forum what you can do with that idea  ;D

If you got a life size cardboard cutout of yourself, in a sitting pose, and held it against the lifesize pic of the frame------no, perhaps not. ::)

might as well rent another van at this rate ;D and take the lot with you ;D

 ::)

helo again guys just got my movin list done for the day (thank god!!!) thought id sit down with an ice cold beer and try n learn something .finally got through all this thread realy good and cheers for takin the time to put this all on here its been realy helpfull just wonderin if you have any pics of tazets trike finished??? anyways im outa here my eyes are about to pop out of my skull ....till next time (which will be v soon me thinks)  :) ;D

"Finished"? -Harr, ha, ha!!
What you see hereabouts is as far as it's got. So much to do on so many projects.  :(

spose thats wat happens wen your good at building no rest for the wicked eh?? :) im sure red bull n pro plus will become my optimum choice of fuel over the next year ...or so lol

Diet Coke & cake works for me. I reckon the Diet stuff cancels out the cake calories -doesn't it?

i reckon so just asked the missus and she said its free for points on that weight watchers thingy so i think your onto a winner there mm ;D ;D

Yeah Joyce keeps talking about "free food" but asda keeps chargin us for it

yeah we had that problem but paint the trolley camo in the car park and they dont see ya leave with it hahahahahah i make myself laugh sad aint it  :)

We picked up a seat for Taz's trike at the Popham autojumble in Hampshire yesterday. We usually go for large universal solo pads from Zodiac/Drag Specialities/Hi Level etc. They cost something like 70 to 80 quid each. So a new unused Corbin saddle, possibly for a DynaGlide, for 45 quid seemed worth going for. Similar mounts to the ones we normally use & about the same width, but slightly longer.
So we'll give it a go & build the back end of the frame around it. 

that looks comfortable and a new seat by corbin for half the price of the usual youd use cant go wrong realy taz/mm!! :)

When we bought it we told the guy it was for a trike and he started harping on about engine mounts etc that he had for sale that would fit a Harley engine. I just looked at him and said it was for a Reliant engine and he instantly said "I'll find a bag for that seat" and dissapeared. Don't think he was too impressed but it gave Dave, Manky and myself something to chuckle about.

Oh no you must have met a "hoggie",can't get away with them and I ride a Harley :D :D :D

spose some people dont know bout the magical reliant power held in one of those beutys  ;D each to there own tho cant wait to get mine going hows yours going taz made any progress or you n mm still boged down with all ya other projects?

Not done anything else on it yet. Still got to get a tank sorted so we can re-do the top tube. I did do a bit of weld filing on Manky's mudguards for his trike while he was out playing with the pop. Also most of the evenings are either spent chasing charger parts or on here oh and cooking dinner too.  ;D

yeh the charger forgot bout that is it difficult gettin hold of bits over here? i got 4 days and im movin 250 miles away so once im done ill be chasing parts to i will hopefully find a nice cheap(running) reliant that  i can get my grinder and saw on !!! then i spose ill leave the shell on the drive let the kids play in it for a bit then sell it in bits and hopefuly make a bit of money back...probably end up sleeping for two weeks instead tho lol had loads to do coz the missus is pregnant. im debating on building the kids a couple of mini trikes with moped engines so the projects are starting to stack up!!! has any one on here built anything like that ?? :)

My new tank. Third time lucky. First a normal Sportster tank and that was too tiny, then a QuickBob and that was too big, so hopefully the King Sportster will do the job. Thanks again to Dracken1 for this. As usual it arrived when he said it would and not a mark on it. Also thanks for the work he did to the filler cap. It's brilliant. Here are the many photos from every angle.

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The filler cap we already have fits like a glove  ;D

The fuel tap and photos of the tank roughly in place. Note the top tube is not welded in place. It is only balanced in place.

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That shows how much longer the QuickBob tank is than the Sportster. Obviously we'll shorten that top tube so the bend at the back begins at the bottom of the tank.

lookin good

i like the way it looks the same length as the rocker cover

It won't be quite as low as it is in the photos as like I said it's proped in place but it's not far off it and the top tube at the back will be higher. At least we can now carry on with it.

any chance of taken a photo of both normal and king sporster side by side ? and then of course posting it to see

looks like its going to be a nice looking trike hope i get to build one sometime soon

Will try to Bummer and I hope so Kustom and so do we eventually  ;) ;D

Here you go Bummer.

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Obviously that's the King Sportster on the left in bare metal & the standard 883 Sportster in shiny black.
You can see that the standard Sporty has a high tunnel, so it'll sit low over the frame tube.
The new King Sporty has a low tunnel, so it'll sit high on top of the frame tube. They're available in either version. It also has an extra strengthening gusset at the front.

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thanks for that Taz , im thinking how to hide a battery and electrics for my next project and you may have shown me the light.

Looking good taz, was thinking about one for my next project.

What the King or the standard one flc?

If anyone wants the standard tank you can have it for £50 as that's what I paid for it. Not a scratch or dent on it and has been boxed since I got it. You can see in the photos that it's mint. Buyer collects as I'd hate for it to get damaged in a delivery van. Screw in petrol cap, (not supplied as already allocated for the new tank). Possibly a fuel tap but not sure if it fits it yet as not tried.

Looking much better Taz  :D :D :D

 ;D Thank you.

We should give Dracken another plug -
if you need a new tank, or just about anything else custom bike related, give Wynne a try first. He runs JW Motorcycles, (follow the link on the Links page of the main site  Links (http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/links.htm)). The fastest mail order business in the West, (Wales that is). Very helpful & knowledgable chap who's built one or two projects in his time too. Tell him we sent you as he gives a discount to MMMotors forum members.

The king sportster or maybe a quick bob, due to my love of big cc jap stuff i find 30 ish mpg and 2 1/2 gallon tanks means i end up pushing them too much :) :)
how much fuel does the king hold?

We can flog you an unused, boxed QuickBob if you fancy one Mick. Standard Sportster tank now sold to Mr Lunatic.
The King Sportster holds 3 1/2 gallons, according to Dracken's own website.

Tanks (http://www.jwmotorcycles.com/customparts/tanks.html)

I always go to Wynne first, as you say fast and very helpful but also very competitive (cheap) price wise  ;)

helllo all havent been here for a while still trying to get my broadband in "country" hope yall all ok trikes looking good now tazet defo better with that bend in it..im rebuilding a kwaka 400 engine for a race day for a mate so ill try and get some pics on soon


laters ;D ;D

Hiya Matty.  ;)
I fully intended to get the rest of Taz's trike frame tacked together today, but as usual, it didn't quite happen. Working early shifts all the time, trudging the streets delivering mail for a living & doing an 80 mile a day commute means by the end of the week I'm absolutely pooped. On Saturdays we start earlier than the rest of the week so I'm up at 3.30am. Got home at lunchtime today, closed my eyes for 5 minutes -& woke up at 8.0.clock this evening. D'oh! Another day gone.
So all I've managed to achieve while Taz is away for the weekend at one of her horse events, is to re-work the top tube to take the King Sportster tank. Just had to shorten it down by about 4 inches & alter the angle slightly. Now squared up & tacked in place. I'm biased cos I just happen to like the shape of Sporty tanks, but I think it suits the trike much more than the QuickBob did. With the front mount tucked up under the top yoke, the front face of the tank sits level with the front of the engine rocker cover. The curving front brace helps to fill the void between headstock & tank. I've ground off the rear mounting tab & will make up a new one, maybe with a lug welded to the frame tube to help fill the slight difference in angles where the back of the tank joins the tube. Getting the rocker cover on & off to set the tappets is tight but manageable.
 

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Had a bit of a play with the Corbin saddle we picked up at the Popham autojumble. Should work O.K
I'll work the uprights either side of the gearbox around the nose of the saddle so they blend in together, then run a curving tube around the back of the saddle with a small integral rack over the diff. The seat's blocked up to 20 inches off the deck, which seems to be the average on our trikes.

The front end's back on, just to check there's enough clearance to turn the bars. I may have to shift their mounting point on the top yoke a little further forward than planned to make sure, but shouldn't be a problem. The Sporty tank's as wide as the top of the big girder forks so looks in proportion &, being shorter than the QuickBob, means Taz won't have to stretch to reach the bars on full lock. No point building something she can't ride.

These big trailer light units have been hanging about since we sold Rainbow's unfinished GS850 trike project.

Rainbow's trike (http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/Trikespageimages/rainbows/trike.html)

Not going to do anything too fancy with them, just mount them on the rear mudguards. They should look in proportion with the big rear wheels & will certainly make sure Taz stays safe out on the roads.

lookin really good

Getting there Andy,getting there  ::)

lovin those girder forks its got some realy chunky lines lovin it lovin it . well the kwaka is on the track today at cadwell and its runnin (all good news) we had some real problems with the adjustiable cams we were going to use so ended up running standard ones in the end saves alot of hassle (and time) im still trying to source a runnin reliant found one up here but the gent wants 750 for it and me thinks thats exspensive considering im only gunna chop it up ???am i wrong iv also aquired a honda nsr 125 (in bits) so gunna have some fun with that while i source some reilant stuff .still havnt got broadband sorted so ill check back as soon as i can .

laters all  ;D

Thanks Matty. I've never been one for small and dainty so this is just what I'm after
£750 is a bit steep. Keep looking. Fleabay is a good place to look.

yeah i scrubbed over that idea was very high in price .iv got a kawasaki gt550 project on the go at the mo it will keep me going till i find a reliant (for a good price lol) iv got a fewpics of the kwaka race bike and the trike project but still not got an internet connection so ill putthem on as soon as i do i promise!!!! im looking at gettin some mobile phone internet but were  im write out in the sticks i cant find a decent signal to make it worth my while.and a lot of providers dont go to were i live so wish me luck woop woop hope yall are doin well

laters ;D ;D

You'll get there. Good luck  ;D

Got back to playing with Taz's trike frame this evening -life's been kinda busy lately & just haven't had the time to get out in the shed.
Using 2 offcuts of tube from ...God knows what, that happened to have a suitable bend in them, I spliced a short length of new tube onto the bottom of each to make them the right length & created the uprights either side of the gearbox. As we're using a Corbin solo saddle intended for a Harley Sportster, rather than the large triangular solo pads we usually go with, I need to alter the frame lay-out a little to incorporate it, so that it looks part of the design, rather than just dumped on top of the tubes.
The top rails of the hardtail are also in place. They meet the uprights lower than normal to follow the bottom line of the saddle. The nose of the seat sits on a short length of the 1 1/2" bore top tube ERW, welded to the back of the top tube.

The end of the top tube will be trimmed off later to follow the lines of the seat rails, (where I've marked it with white Tippex ink). The gearstick will come out from under the seat in front of the gearbox uprights & end between the tank & Taz's knee, similar to Flap's orange trike.
Next job will be the horizontal tubes that run back to form the luggage platform. Again they'll be a little lower than normal to follow the saddle.

With the axle tied in to the frame with the hardtail tubes, the trike could safely be moved now -if we had the room to manoeuvre it in the shed!

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Looking tidy Mr M.  Methinks Tazet's could be finished before yours. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

i likes the headlamp

We want to just get it finished enough to pass the MSVA. The powder-coating can be done after it's passed so that will save a bit of time. Once I know where everything is to go then I should be able to put the thing back together, (I hope).

wow....that took a while  :o Ive just bin trying to catch-up, and read the whole thread. Its lookin superb !!! Everything looks in perfect place and proportion. You guys have so much patience. That king sportster is the bizz. Its gonna be a looker  ;)

 ;D Thank you. We've decided to hold back on building this for me as Manky is getting very worried about getting everything done before the regs change. So we're going to wait till the new regs are out and put it through the test then. That way we'll know what's involved and can then pass it on to you lot.

 ??? New regs???? bugger, when they due out? and can we find out anything about them?

I was under the impression it was just the SVA due to change and no plans were afoot to alter the MSVA. But then again, i`m usually wrong.

I think they're changing across the board. That's why we'll be using my trike as the tester. We don't know what the new regs will be yet. If they're all changing at the same time it will be at the end of March as that's when the SVA changes.

Hiya,
As Taz says, we don't know just what's involved yet. The Car version of the test, currently SVA, (Single Vehicle Approval), is changing to BIVA, (Basic Individual Vehicle Approval), at the end of March. As far as we know the Trike test changes at the same time, but won't be substantially different, so don't get too stressed.

......I've just Googled BIVA & got some very odd websites that definitely have nothing to do with vehicles.  :o  Came across the KitCar magazine one though, which shows the June back issue has a feature on the new test. They state, the test is changing but only very slightly. I've just ordered the relevant issue so will have a browse & get back to you.

Kit Car magazine (http://www.kit-cars.com/Kitcarhtml/lawbook.html)

We're not an absolute authority on anything here -in fact quite often you guys know more than we do, but we do try to keep the info accurate. As soon as we know, you'll know.

Don't panic

The IVA scheme is coming in to replace car SVA, it's part of a rolling programme being introduced between 2009 and 2014 that will see all passenger (category M)and goods (category N) vehicles with 4 or more wheels and trailers (category O) come under EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval.

Category L vehicles; mopeds, bikes, trikes and quads will continue to be approved under existing requirements so MSVA will stay as a UK (VOSA in GB and DVTA in NI) alternative to EC approval.

What it does mean for trikes is that they will have to fit the current MSVA requirements which means a max unladen weight of 1000kg, max length of 4 metres, max width of 2 metres and max height of 2.5 metres. Unladen weight means the vehicle ready to go with all necessary equipment, but not including fuel, rider or passengers.

Cheers

Chris


Taken from 100percent biker forum
with full credit to them.

There ya go.  ;D
Chris is an MSVA inspector by the way.

I`m sorry you had to find out like this, but yes, i visited another forum. I`m sorry, it was only once and meant nothing, just meaningless chat. ;D
Chris`s reply was posted a couple of weeks ago and not yet updated, so assume it still stands.

We are very hurt and only a Yorkie bar will fix that.  ;D

only a yorkie bar what about the jaffa cakes  for the manky one lol

Yeah I'm sure he won't complain  ;D

If its gonna be the same then, does that mean you can plough on........?  ;)

I suppose it does. I still want the others to be done first though especially the Pop as that one is changing.

As it's Taz's Birthday today I thought I ought to give the ol' shed a bit of a sweep up & take another look at her somewhat neglected trike.
I'll try & get the seat framework & the loop over the axle sorted out in the next few days. We originally set the frame up on a couple of sheets of chipboard, wedged in various places until they sat level & true. Don't really need those now, so we got them out of the way & had a good clean up. We've actually got room to move now & can stand back & take a better look at the lines of the thing. 

For those that haven't been keeping up -or can't be arsed to read the whole thread, Taz's trike was originally going to have a steel tractor seat. We thought that a tractor themed trike would be kind of appropriate, given Taz's job as stable manager on a country estate.
In the end we dropped the seat idea as it didn't fit the frame shape, but we're still going with the tractor theme.
I actually like vintage trac'ors, my favourite being the classic Massey Ferguson TE20 -"the Little Grey". So the frame, tank, guards, forks, wheels & those bloomin' huge girder forks will all be powder-coated in Massey Ferguson gloss grey. We'll detail the engine in gloss black. The brake pipes will be run on the outside of the frame rails, rather than hidden inside like mine, & will be in polished copper for a more vintage look.
If you're interested, the front wheel's actually the rear wheel from a Yamaha V Max with a Harley domed cover hiding the shaft drive unit. The rear wheels are old Morris Minor ones, donated by Brock & "banded" -an old hotrodding trick to widen them to take 265/50/15 tyres.
The forks are extra wide girders, made specially for us by forum member FLC. The tank's a "King Sportster", (an aftermarket, widened version of the standard Harley Sportster item). The seat's also an aftermarket Sportster accessory made by Corbin. Front light's an old Suzuki one & the rears will be large trailer jobbies.
I plan to have "TE 20" written in black on each side of the tank -it'll confuse the hell out of everyone -except tractor fans, who'll hopefully see the connection.  ;D

looking good though....is it gonna be grey ???

Yup, grey. Taz's Dodge Charger's going to be the same colour. Might even put a detachable tow hitch on the Dodge & tow the trike to shows!

Tow Hitch on a Charger???!?  :o

You might want to check your laws over there.. I'm pretty sure its Illegal to put a tow hitch on a charger...

 ;D I know what you are saying but we would fit one of those hidden ones that dismantle. That way it's only visable when we put it together to tow something.

Don't worry Shriva -we're not quite that soulless!
Mind you, I've seen a General Lee replica on a motorway over here towing an airstream caravan.
As Taz says, if we did, it'd be one of those that clips into a socket hidden under the bumper & would only be used so we could transport both her vehicles to shows, (they'll have matching grey paintjobs). Might do something similar with my pick-up truck so I can tow my trike too. Between us we'll have enough vehicles for our own little show!

give the trike a good few coats of looking at  it makes every thing look better(cant beat a good coat of looking at)

Ok, as long as its hidden, i'll let it slide just this once.  :P

 ;D
I don't even want an interior in it, let alone towing accessories -just a roll cage & two 60s bucket seats if I had my way.
Loony & his parents came over to take a look at the trike & Charger this morning. They hadn't seen either before so gave them both quite a few coats of lookin' at. Loony's Dad, Dave, who owns Physcho Triko, the VW trike in the Motors section of the main site, reckoned it wasn't as bad as we'd made out -he also owns a Firebird that's awaiting restoration. Loony thought the prices we've been quoted for straightening the twisted chassis aren't that bad given the amount of work involved. I think they all liked Taz's trike so far. Hope so anyway.
Loony's borrowed my welder for a few days, (got some welding to do at a friend's house & mine's more portable than his), so I'll potter about bending a few bits of tube for Taz's, then get stuck into hand-filing the mudguard struts for my own trike.

Taz has been in charge of the catering for a shooting party here on the estate today, so I've been left to my own devices for the afternoon. Without the welder all I could do was hacksawing & filing, so I made a start on the loop around the back of the saddle. I've run out of tube & need to buy another length, so used up a couple of offcuts. Couldn't quite get a smooth bend over the saddle, so will butt weld the tubes together, then shave the pointy top off & blend it in. I'll fill the gaps under the sides of the seat with another couple of fillets of tube. Running the loop that high around the back of the seat also hides the "Corbin" manufacturer's label stitched into the side -I hate labels on things. The idea was to try & incorporate the seat into the frame so it looks a part of the overall design & not just something we picked up cheap at an autojumble.

Doesn't show here but I've cut a scallop out of the left tube so it fits tighter to the seat. I'll do the same to the right hand toob. Maybe it needs a second bend in either side to completely follow the line of the seat, but I kinda like it as it is.

A very nicely propotioned trike. 8)

I agree, i like it too. As you say, with another tube angled down the sides of the seat, it will have a built in look to it.

   Put it in the boot.

 ;D That's weird! exactly what Manky suggested! If the Charger's boot was 2 feet longer and the trike 2 feet shorter then maybe.  ;D

i think i might change my seating arrangement now ,this looks the dogs dangleys,niiiiice.maybe ill incorporate a small backrest into it aswell.

 ;D I need to check I can still actually fit the seat once the tubes are welded in place. It has a hook under the front which just pushes into the open end of a tube at the moment, (I'll do something tidier with that once I'm happy with it all). One small chrome mounting tab on the back, directly under the point those two tube offcuts meet. That's only screwed to the underside of the seat so I can take it off & make a new one to suit. So the seat needs to go in nose first, pushing the hook thingy into place, then dropping the back down. Got to make sure I don't make it so snug that it won't fit back in. 

Just faffing about in the shed, waiting for Taz to get home from work. I've scalloped out the inside faces of the 2 tubes to follow the curve of the seat. Still needs a bit more taken out yet though.
I'll butt-weld the tubes together, but will still add a slug of offcut tube between them just to keep them square to each other. Once they're welded together I'll slice off the pointy top & blend it into something resembling a curve.

Once that's welded in place I'll fill in the sides with a short section of straight tube. Maybe they need to run uphill towards the back to follow the line of the bottom hardtail tubes.

All of which creates a new problem- I was going to add the same small built-in luggage platform as our previous trikes. Can't though cos it'd end up way too high if it butts into the back of the seat frame & too wide if it comes off the hardtail either side. I want to tie the 2 axle clamps together with a loop of some sort as I normally do, but need to have a play with it to see what will work.
The number plate will bolt to the back of the diff, same as mine. We've got a tubular number plate light which needs to mount above it somehow. A few more coats of looking at I think.  :) 

looking great andy.may i make a sugestion.
if you make the two rails about 4"longer then you could leave out the small piece of tube and then bend the longer piece to the same shape as the seat.also would it not be an idea to lift the seat up a bit because a few years riding and the seat will become soft and tazzes bum cheeks will be rubbing on the side rails,
i dont mean to upset you in any way but its just an idea mate,
tony b
shabba.

another idea if your going with the option shown is where you are putting the small piece in.
if you cut a length of tube ,say 4-5"in half,then put it over a normal piece of tube then bend it ,you can blend it in more with the file,its hard to explain but easy if you can imagine it in place mate .

Yeah, it'll be blended in. I was recycling old offcuts, which is why it's the length it is. I've run out of tube now so haven't got any to bend till I can blag some more. At the moment the tubes around the back of the seat are resting on the chrome mounting tab fitted to the seat. It'll be a bit lower when it's done.  :)

does she really need a luggage rack ? i think it looks a pretty bloody beefy as it is . but if you have to could you not replicate the loop for the seat and attach it were your 2 off cut are and attch the seat loop to it , probably a stupid idea but it would keep the lines your making . you could even make it detatchable by slugging uot from the 2 offcuts and using a pin and R clip set up

Mr M, I too share your enthusiasm for the smallest of the Ferguson tractors, and not a mile from where I am sitting is a "Fergie Bach", rep lendant in its original colours, as purchased by the now, and recently,sadly deceased owner, Russell Burgess, and purchased new by him in 1949!He used to run it up and down the lane near his home every Summer" just to keep it ticking over you see boy!" as he used to insist. So there you go, in the interest of "entente cordial", between you Saesneg and us Cymro, you should call Taz' machine a Fergie Bach, so there, look you........

I don't need the luggage rack but it may come in handy and as I think Manky said somewhere earlier that we are going to put the light for the number plate on the back tube of the said rack.

I was thinking along the same lines but couldn't work out how to say it!

O.K, I'm not getting that. Can you post a diagram? Just a photo of a scribbled drawing on a piece of paper will do if you haven't got Photoshop.
I like the way the seat sits up off the hardtail -kinda reminds me of the way some tractor seats are mounted on a sprung steel strap. I still want to add a brace between the hardtail top tubes somewhere though to tie the 2 sides together. I could add a straight tube across under the seat, where the little tube fillets will go along the sides, but I'm not sure that's far enough down the hardtail to have any effect in triangulating the design & bracing it all up. I'm open to suggestions.
Planning on mounting the number plate off a bracket bolted to the diff, same as my own trike, but as Taz said, we've got a number plate light that consists of a 1/2 inch diameter, 6 inch long stainless tube with a "window" in it & a small bulb inside, (standard aftermarket custom thing). It's designed to mount above or below the plate so I was going to attach it to the back of the luggage rack. I guess it would work bolted to the plate bracket on the diff casing though.

You should get a big chrome spring to put under the seat, just for the look..lol

 ;D Nowhere to mount it -it's a Corbin seat, designed to fit a Harley Sportster, so the underside is plastic & shaped to sit on a curved rear mudguard. I like that look of empty space under the back of it, which is why I think grafting a luggage rack to it might spoil the lines.

ok MM, now forgive the art work but it should give you the general idea ish, tazet you need a luggage rack as it may be handy ! - how old are you ( yes ive seen the earlier happy birthday thread ) my dad says things like it may be handy and thats why he has bits of helicopters , lancaster bombers and hovers and stuff filing a double garage that he cant use cause it " may be usefull "
of course im joking allys trike has a little rack that a gerry can fits on which is perfect as i only have short range tank so it trully is handy 
   

Ahh, now I see. We normally run a tube along the top of the axle from one side of the hardtail to the other. That's mainly to tie the 2 legs of the tail, (?), together for more rigidity. I think I'll have to stick with that, then maybe form a luggage platform off that, but low enough to keep the seat-in-the-air look. Still thinking about it.

-A Lancaster bomber? Now I'm curious! What bomber parts have you got & where did they come from? We bought Brock a Haynes manual for a Lancaster for Christmas, (yes, really).  :) 

i did say it was probably a crappy idea . my dad was in the RAF and worked on various machines i think he trained on meteors , lightnings and vulcans but as he was based all over the place and worked on anything , i think he had heaps of cockpit stuff like switches and dials , i know he has the levers to open the bomb bay doors and brass ( emergency ) lamp that was fitted near a a gunners pod , i really dont know what other stuff he has stached away he once got offere the cockpit from a phantom   

Cool!
The idea's fine. Still thinking about various options. I've run out of tube, so need to get more before I can sort it anyway.

Best of luck with the end result. Building mine in the conservatory!

Thanks PH. Is the mrs ok with that? Don't forget you have to be able to get the thing out when it's done. My trike won't actually fit through the shed doors so we're going to have to pull it apart when it's done.

The trike, not the shed. Actually, more likely to be the shed.
Planning a new improved super dooper shed/trike barn once all the projects are sorted -so should be just in time for my retirement.
As you probably know, Taz & I live in a cottage on the country estate of Lord Onslow in Surrey. Lordy doesn't own the big house here any more, it was handed over to the National Trust in lieu of death duties when his father died. It's now open to the public, along with a nice little garden centre & pet shop.
We were in the garden centre last night & came across this mock Victorian boot scraper thingy. 13 quid. Taz has wanted a scraper for a while cos she works with horses all day & the kitchen's always awash with mud -at least I hope it's mud. We use snooker/pool balls for the hand gearchanges on our trikes, cos they're a good size for handling with gloved hands & come in a variety of colours. Obviously haven't been able to find a grey one to go with the planned paintjob on her trike though. So she got the scraper & I got the grey marbled gear knob.  :)

the marble gear nob is worth £13 alone.

My thoughts exactly. Shame the rod wasn't a bigger diameter -it'd be too bendy for a gearchange. Twisted's going to machine us a collar to screw the knob onto, that will then get welded to the gearstick when it's done. We'll use 1/2" round bar.
The rod was about 2 feet long, but the box the whole thing came in was only a foot tall. Baffled me till we got it home. The rod's actually in 2 halves which screw together. Seems a lot of machining work to save a bit on a bigger box.

i have been useing transit gearlevers for ages tried 1/2"round bar but it bounced allover the taper on the transit stops that i just cut and bend to suit and weld to bottom of reliant gearstick works a treat and it might have the right thread for your marbled gear knob

What does a Tranny gearstick look like Ron? Ours have an S bend in them to clear the frame, so half inch round works quite well.

 :-X

 ;D

I had a trannie on my bus today, didn't ask if his/her name was gearstick though ;D

Lord Manky asked me to make an adaptor for Taz's gear knob, so here it is for approval before I send it back.

Is this ok Andy?

Looks good to me Doc. Thank you  :-*

mk 1,2&3 transit pinto engined gear levers are 28"long 5/8" at bottom and 1/2"a top with a 3/8"thread dont know ptch off hand but i find em ideal as the taper stops any bounce like i had with round bar i just use from the top down to where i need it bend to suit then weld to original gearlever stub (previuosly cut down) and bobs ya mother

Worth noting Ron.
Oh, I suppose that'll do Doc -yeah, bloomin' marvelous. Thank you. Payment & the next job on it's way to you in the next few days.  ;)

Kool!

I picked up an aluminium luggage rack for a fiver at the Kempton Park autojumble on Saturday. The guy who made it intended it for a Kawasaki Eliminator, but it should look O.K tacked on the back of a Reliant.

well worth a fiver!  looks to me like you could mount it onto some tube and the tube can follow the bottom line of the seat from back to front, like the `filler` tubes in an earlier pic

Yup, summat like that TB.  ;)
I also bought a 6" long polished bellmouth from a nice Harley spares chap. If I can persuade Doc to machine us an adaptor, we'll bolt it to the standard Reliant 1 1/4" SU carb. I'll cut up the foam air filter from my own trike & add a disc of foam into the bottom of the bellmouth, then buy myself a new one.
Over the top maybe, but I like the cartoonish quality of it. It'll need to point forward, same as mine. Pointing outwards, it would protrude, (good word), beyond the frame line & cause problems with the sharp, sticky out objects part of the MSVA test. So we'll need to turn the carb through 90 degrees by re-drilling the mounting holes in the manifold, (750 Reliants used Zenith carbs & their manifolds will turn the SU through 90 degrees, which is handy).

I found a headlight stone guard for a couple of quid. No mountings on it so I'd have to weld some tabs to the headlight rim, so just as well we plan to strip the chrome off & powder-coat it grey. I thought it might suit the agricultural/industrial look we're going for. Now I can't decide though.
What d'ya think?

.

Looking good, is the mesh to chop the flys up so that they make 4 times as much mess?

That's a point. Would make it a bugger to clean and I don't do cleaning   ;D

Taz says she can use the stone guard as a sieve if we don't put it on the trike.

Taz.. To drift off theme a bit... posts 674/675
The trike.
In answer to getting IT out of the conservatory.
It is a softail, so the back axle/swingarms will split from the front end.
It will be "fun" putting this into practise.

I actually read your reply. But the brain was on 21 hours at work a day, setting.
This is a fairly, low ebb, setting...Much like a jelly fishes.
It is on Postie setting now.
....Higher,  before you ask!

go for the grill, looks more purposeful to me and jet washers will knock the flys off  ;D ;D BTW was it cold in the shed :-\ :-\

 ;D Yes it was Shaun. How did you guess?  ;D

+what i want to know is how you keep that shed so tidy ,

Very clever Photo-shopping  ;) You can see snow on the floor of the shed in some of those pics.

No letter trays (ehem!) from work lurking, full of nuts and bolts, Manky?
You'd have to do a good bit of Photoshopping at my gaff!

Looking nice, you two.

Got a deadline, that you are thinking of Tazzer?

Thanks and no deadline set. We are just doing what we can when we can. We'll be putting it through the new test when it changes so as other people building know what to look out for.

Just caught up with this,but going back to the aircraft bits,I remember seeing a bike with a little brass oil cooler that had originally come from some old plane

Yeah, I love seeing vehicles that have re-used old parts like that. Proper re-cycling.

me too, you can buy anything off the shelf now but to re-use stuff, especially if it isn't designed for a bike/trike/hotrod is blooming cool in my eye's ;D ;D

Circle of life & all that. A nice little link with our motoring past.

To quote(ish) from the Sinners movie " its all about the soul, people using stuff and having a good time" so I guess I shouldn't use anything from a hearse or a war machine ;D ;D ::)

You should be on pretty safe ground with a Reliant then. To the best of my knowledge they never produced 3 wheeled tanks.

I thought they were all regarded as Tanks?? or did I hear it wrong  :o :o ;)

 ;D You've driven one then.

Oh yes, and been in the passenger seat of a Reliant Regal saloon fitted with a tuned (as in race :o) 1275GT mini lump 8) 8) 8) 8) pretty scary at 115mph :-X :-X :-\

The standard cars are pretty scary at any speed.

wuss

 ;D I've never denied it.

you only got to look at his wheels on the back of the trike :)

Sorry Shaun but I think said oilcooler was off a spitfire. A mate of mine used to go and dig them up,all legal,Anyone on the Isle of Man know Andy Lowerson tell him Fred says hello

I was joking Fred, I would use anything off of anything if it fit's and looks cool and more importantly works. Would love to fit parts from a Spitfire on one of my builds, mainly the engine  ;D ;D ;D ::)

Back to my thread now.

Had a prezzie from gazzagood today in the form of 4 mounting brackets for brake and clutch master cylinders for my Trike. They arn't fitted yet as there is still work to be done first. Will save a huge amount of time filing and hacksawing. Thanks oodles Gazza  :-*

Got anymore of those? will save me waiting till i buy a cylinder, or if you can upload a drawing and i can make my own.  ;D

Gazza very kindly sent us 4, but we only actually need 2. So if GazzaGood doesn't mind, we can send you a pair with your next shipment of Reliant engine parts.  ;)

If its ok, yes please, but only 1. I`m undecided on my clutch actuation at the moment, but if i go hydraulic, i can use the first as a template.

tb if you want some just say please  ;) and ill send you some  ;D ;D ;D have you got your calliper plts yet ::)

please  ;D. i`d be happy enough if you can just post a pic showing the hole sizes and positions though, as mentioned on my build, i need to get a cylinder before i can sort it`s bracket so this will save me some time. Yeah already been there n done it with the caliper plates  ;)

no prob.tazet has 2 sets so if they wish to send you some i dont mind..savve me going to the post office ;D ;D ;D us builders have got to stick together :-*

No problem. Do you want a chain tensioner for the Reliant too TB? Haven't checked the shed for one yet.

If one turns up before you seal the envelope then yes please  ;)

I'll go look in the shed later.

Looked, & found one. Got the usual chain grooves in the rubber, but not across the sprung steel bit like yours. In the post to you tomorrow Sir.  ;)

gazzagood, would it be rude of me to ask you for a pair of those cylinder plate jobbies too. typical of me, always on the scrounge.

xj no prob but lost your address  can you send it again

got um fitted yet Taz? be nice to see them in place so to speak

Still building the frame Gareth!

oh ok

One for Taz.

.

Oooh! Nice fog horn Doc!
That's brilliant, thank you. In case you're wondering, Doc's crafted us an adaptor to fit a 6" long chrome Harley bellmouth to Taz's standard Reliant SU carburettor. Looks rather spiffing. I'm going to cut up the filter on my own trike to make a foam disc to clamp between the adaptor & intake to act as a basic filter, then buy myself a new filter for my own trike. Did you manage to position the bellmouth to incorporate the choke intake as well Doc?
We'll see you late Saturday afternoon as arranged to collect the goodies. Let us know how much we owe you please.  ;)

Take a look for yourself. ;D

;D nice work TP

Thanx VB

That looks great. Thank you Doc  :-*

best lookin door knocker ive seen in ages

 ;D

I thought a pair of lamps

Paid a visit to my big brother Brock in deepest Wiltshire the other day & he TIG welded a few bits & bobs for me. Among them was a modified rocker cover for Madame Taz's tricycle.
Her frame top tube's about the same height as mine, but the tank's wider, (aftermarket "King Sportster" compared to my standard genuine Sportster one). That meant it'd be a little fiddly to pull the rocker cover oil filler bung out. So we've cut the neck off & relocated it to the front corner of the cover at roughly 45 degrees. Brock then welded a covering plate over the old hole. With a little tidying up & some gloss black powder-coat it'll look good I think.

Thanks Brock  :-*

   No problem, company's always welcome out in the wilds.

i want one like that,how much to do it please brock

   no idea mate, probably an hour or so arseing about to get a decent fit and weld it, right now I'm trying to push on with the race car, when that's done I might have a look at some odds and ends like that, remind me then if you're still intrested.

will do

Spent a couple of hours in the shed today, arseing about with Taz's trike. We're due to take it to the Basingstoke festival of transport in a couple of days time, (Sunday -come along & say Hi. We'll be the scruffy bunch in the club field). It'd be nice if it looked a little more like a trike by then. Had a look at the curved rail that runs around the back of the saddle. Been several months since I last worked on this, so almost forgotten what I had planned. The inside face of the curve needed a lot of cutting back to follow the curve of the seat & once that was done, with the entire shed ankle deep in grinding dust, I set about bending a strip of 3mm strap in the vice to follow the curve & welded it in place.
Doesn't look like an afternoon's work does it. O.K, I'm a slow, methodical worker. I plod along at my own little pace, but it's nearly done now & ready to tack in place on the frame. A little concerned that once tacked, I won't be able to slot the front of the seat in. One way to find out I guess.

.

......And we're back.
If you've been paying attention to the forum you'll know Taz's trike build has been side-lined recently to try & make headway on other projects. I got bored hacksawing & filing brake plates for my car in the shed today so took another look. We threw the rolling chassis together for our pitch at the Basingstoke Transport Festival back in May, then pulled it apart again when we got home. So I pieced it back together again.
Doc, ("Twisted Patience"), made us a mount for the carb bellmouth, designed for a Harley, but I want the finished carb to point forward, rather than over the rocker cover like the original car. No problem. Reliant fitted their early 750cc engines with a down draught Zenith carb. When they upgraded to the 850 motor, they went for 1 1/4" SU carbs. The mounting holes are exactly the same but 90 degrees out. So the boffins at Reliant simply modified the same inlet manifold molds.

So there's space on an 850 manifold to redrill the holes in the 750 positions, which will turn the carb around to the desired angle. New holes drilled & tapped to 8mm. The hole spacing's just wide enough to clear the manifold without cutting ino the casting walls & creating air leaks.

Ta daa! Job done. Must stop using the auto focus camera setting. Fuzzy photo but you get the idea.
Next job will be to remove the pre-heat casting & it's hose spigots from the back of the carb mount. I'll probably also file off the original unwanted bolt holes -can you file off a hole? 

Carb & manifold bolted on the dummy engine we used to build the frame, (a set of empty casings bolted together). As I suspected, I need to raise the King Sportster tank half an inch or so to clear the carb float bowl. No problem. I temporarily tack-welded it to the top frame tube for the Basingstoke show -no tank mounts made yet so I'll sort it out then. I'll also add a foam filter to the bottom of the bellmouth to filter out bugs, birds & passing small children.

I'm pleased with the way the bellmouth now follows the line of the tank, same as the foam filter does on my own trike. The new 4 into 1 exhaust is mild steel & courtesy of Tim Holt, who was selling them on Ebay. It'll be chrome plated eventually.

Spent a long time sat in the shed, looking at the lines of this thing. We originally set out to build something inspired by vintage Massey Ferguson tractors. We tried a steel tractor seat but it just didn't fit the lines of the frame. So we picked up a Corbin solo seat intended for a Harley Sportster at an autojumble. That needs a loop of frame tube around it to support it. I can't help thinking it looks wrong. Doesn't flow properly & sits the back end of the trike too high. I'm also thinking maybe I should make a one off seat base, triangular to follow the frame, with a flip up at the back, meeting a lower frame loop. Then I could use a standard Reliant gear lever, coming up through the nose of the saddle as my last trike one did. That'd give a nice short, positive gear selection -one of the problems with my own trike is the sloppy side mount stick. Opinions?
 

Easier to have an opinion if there was a phot with the seat in place?

My 2p..........Wont the gearlever idea bring the seat back a lot further ,therefore having to use longer bars? This is prob I had with mine.Andy ,youre tall(er) than me (everyone seems to be ;D) Im a short arse,but will Taz's arms reach without the bars looking too OTT? Havent studied her body (oo er missus! ;D)
  As for the existing seat,I think it looks ok! There again ,Im not a biker type!
                       

 ;D My legs are as long as Andy's but body and arms are shorter. He's 6ft and I'm 5'6" I'll have a sit on it later and see just how far back I'll end up.

O.K, I admit it doesn't look too bad once the seat's in place. I like the way the top line of the tank curves down & then flows into the upward swoop of the seat, but still not 100% convinced. Leaning against the shelves behind the trike is a small aluminium rack I intend to fit behind the seat.
I'd forgotten, (yes, my memory really is that bad), that I swept the uprights either side of the gearbox back further than normal so I could bring the gearstick out to the side, in front of them, in the same way that Flap's trike is done. That means it can be shorter & therefore more positive feeling -the longer the stick & more bends it has in it, the vaguer gear selection will feel.
I'll get Taz to have another sit on it later & see what she thinks & how it looks with her aboard.

I'd leave well alone myself, side on that is the nicest trike I've seen you build so far mate, with the girders on there and the king sporty it has an almost "Zero-esque" look about it 8) 8) 8) 8) which is cooler than a cool thing in my book  ;)

I think it looks really good with the seat!  The whole thing I would say is a bit different without being odd.

Not odd? I'm obviously not trying hard enough!
Thank you Shaun -Zeros being a well known Japanese builder of old style bobbers & chops. Praise indeed.
It's starting to move away from the original tractor-trike concept & head more towards an oversize, cartoonish look I think, which I quite like, (a look I'd originally planned for Flap's orange trike). It'll definitely make my own trike look lightweight & girly in comparison, but then Taz does also own a ruddy great American muscle car, compared to my little Ford Pop hotrod.
Fair enough, looks like the people have spoken then. The seat stays.

May not be what you want to hear, but, i like it too, then again the most important opinion has to be that of the person who you are doing it for.

It has?
Oh yeah, it has.  :P

Hey Manky, if you have to explain the Zero bit they don't need to know  ;) ;) I would say it is heading towards a Lakester look now  8) 8) 8) 8)

I have to explain stuff for all the kiddies & old ladies that read this forum -they're not all cool hotrodding dudes you know. Some of those ol' ladies have hardly ever driven a hotrod.  8)

If no-one explained things no-one would ever learn!  Spread the Word, Brother Manky - spread the Word!

Ahh hear you sister!

 :P :P :P :P :-*

My opinion is I like it just the way it is. It's comfey to sit on and it just feels right.  ;D

you tell em tanya ,it dont matter what anyone else thinks its your trike ,you will be riding it and it was built for you my your man,

With his ideas. I've not put a huge amount of input into it I've just done what I'm told  ;D

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!  :P

With the Basingstoke transport festival coming up again in about 6 week's time & Taz's trike literally not having been touched since last year's show, I'd like to dust it off & do a bit more to it before then.
I originally envisaged this as a tractor themed trike. We live in the Surrey countryside & I happen to love the classic grey TE-20 Massey Fergusons -the "little grey" as they were known.
So we've gone with big fat rear tyres & a set of vintage stye girder forks, plus Fergie grey paint. We tried a big tractor seat on the frame, but it just looked all wrong. My ideas have changed a little since we started it though, (that's what happens when our builds take so bloomin' long!), so although it'll keep the grey paint, with the Fergie TE-20 model number stencilled on the tank, it's now heading more hotrodwards rather than tractorish. More along the lines of the Japanese "Zero" bobbers.
So I'm ditching the heavy duty tractor rear lights & bought a pair of these. 5 inch diameter, paintable metal bodies, with combined indicator & stop/tail lenses. They have to be within 400mm of the outside edge of the trike to comply with the MSVA regulations, which is easy enough -that's roughly where the axle clamps are. Rear stop/tail lights have to be a minimum of 250mm off the ground but rear indicators have to be 350mm minimum -so I might fit them off the rear mudguard struts. Maybe.       

Look at the state of those brake discs! They were brand new when I fitted them. Fortunately they're only about 12 quid a pair so I might just replace 'em. If possible, I might take this lot over to Loony's workshop a week or so before the Basingstoke show & spend some time working on it.

In Wales they were, and still are!, known as the 'Fergie Bach' Mr. M, now there's an unusual name for Taz' trike! and there's two just down the road from where I live, circa late 1940's and still resplendent in that characteristic grey.....Morrag

No idea why, but I just like vintage tractors & the greys are my favourites. You can buy a decent condition one for about 2 grand. Great fun around the lanes where we live, but can't see me commuting to work down the M3 on one somehow.

looking good Andy, going to be cool along side the Pop and Charger  8) 8) 8)

And my trike?

never be finished  ;D ;D ;D :-*

Bleaurgh!  :P

 :-* :-* :-* :-*

Don't know why, but I just can't get motivated to get anything done on our various projects at the moment, which is annoying cos there's so much to do. I've had most of the weekend to myself so should've ploughed on with the 2 trikes, but failed miserably.
It's been pouring down here all day -finally got into the shed & spent an hour or so being dripped on from the leaky roof while I cleaned up the heated manifold for Taz's trike. I've hacksawed, (hacksawn?), the inlet & outlet pipes off the back of it, then filed the remainder off before cleaning it up with some wet n dry. So now it's a nice slimline S bend sort of shape.   

Very shiny! Will you be taking that wet n dry to the manifold too?

But of course -eventually.

i know what u mean cant seem to get motivated at the moment ,i stood looking the other day and decided that the rack at the back was not square so it will have to be cut off and re done but better now than later also busy with work  if it would stop raining could maybe get something done 

Well the rain's finally stopped so that's that excuse gone. Still not getting anywhere with either Taz's or my trikes though. Neither has really moved on much in the last year. We just seem to be so busy all the time, that when we finally get some free time, I'm too knackered to think about getting in the shed.
Taz & I were at the Dorking Harley swapmeet in Surrey on Sunday morning. I wasn't really looking for anything, but still picked up another carb bellmouth. The previous one's chromed pressed tin. This one's huge & much beefier, in thick, cast aluminium. A bargain for 10 quid. Obviously it's intended for a Harley & sweeps round through 90 degrees.
I half thought of fitting it on my own trike, but it suits Taz's more heavy duty machine much better. So I'll use her previous bellmouth on my trike & fit this one to hers. I'll need to make an adaptor plate to convert from the 3 bolt bellmouth fitting to the 2 bolt SU carb though.

you ain't the only one mate  ;D ;D ;D still my ever decreasing project collection should make it easier for me  :-\ :-\ ::)

ooh thats nice! Cant get any enthusiasm for my heap either at the moment, been a month since i last looked at her, hopefully the better spring weather will give me the kick up the arse i need!

This evein' oi 'ave mostly bin...
making the adaptor plate to fit Taz's new bellmouth to her SU carb.
Started with an offcut of 6mm steel plate, blagged from Lunatic -who blagged it from Doug.
I used a large hole saw in a hand drill to cut the centre hole out. The slot is to feed air to the choke jet. Then I drilled & tapped 2 M8 mounting holes & cut down a couple of M8 bolts to create short studs, screwed them in, so the ends were below the surface of the plate, then filled the holes with weld & flushed them off with a soft pad on the angle grinder.
That gave me a pair of M8 studs on one side of the plate. I drilled the Imperial mounting holes on the carb out to 8mm so the studs would pass through, & secured them with a couple of dome nuts & spring washers.

With the plate secured to the carb, I just needed to fix the bellmouth to the plate.
That's why I used 6mm steel. I drilled the 3 bellmouth mounting holes & tapped them to M6. Some short M6 allen bolts & the whatsit's fitted to the thingumy.

I'll cut a rubber gasket to go either side of the plate, then shape it to the shape of the bellmouth base. Once it's powder coated, either black or metallic silver, it'll hopefully look alright.

I'll eventually find some fine wire or nylon mesh or some filter foam & clamp it between the mating surfaces. Anyone got any?
I like this, just cos it looks so stupidly over the top & cartoonish.  :P

.

it's hideous
i love it

 ;D Perfect -just the look I was going for.

We had some VERY fine stainless mesh we used for a filter in a water treatment plant we were working on. Will have a butchers at work on Monday. Off work today as going to a rally.
Text me on monday to remind me. My memory is fading fast....................what were we talking about?????

Would appreciate it Sir. Can you PM me your number cos I forgot to save it last time.

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D that is mad  ;D ;D ;D glad your putting the mesh between the bellmouth thingy and the carb and not into the end like I saw on a Hardly the other day  :-X :-X :-X

B&Q do sheets of stainless mesh pretty cheap....they are about 1' x 1' but I think they also do a small strip of the stuff...Voodoo...

My number is 07786 067558 but my phone is playing up again. Texts work though........I think

Regards

ive got some s/s fine mesh here if you want it andy youll get two out of it one for taz and one for mankey just say the word and ill post it tomoz. :-*

Thanks Gaz. I texted Mr Haggis today but no reply, so yes please mate.
Thanks for the offer Haggis.  ;)
Collected the top yoke from my mate Doug the engineer today. When FLC made the forks, he drilled the yoke for handlebar risers, but the holes were too far back & the risers would've fouled on the tank. So Doug's drilled them again, further forward, then counter bored them to recess the M12 allen bolt heads underneath, then bored the top face to locate the risers into the yoke by a couple of mill.
I made the risers in my usual fashion, by welding washers & captive nuts into the bottom of lengths of 1" bore ERW tube, (the same stuff the main frame's made from). They're deliberately far too tall, so I can experiment with handlebar positions to find what's comfy for Taz. I'd like to keep the bars level with the top of the tank.

.

.

Managed to crush my fingers, taking the front end apart on my own -there's a lot of moving parts there. So I enlisted Taz's help to put it all back together again.

Although I want to keep the bars low, they also need to clear the carb on full lock.
I have to raise the tank by about half an inch to clear the carb float bowl, (it's still tack welded to the frame just for the duration of last year's Basingstoke transport show!). I might do that by slicing a length of the 1 1/2" bore ERW I used for the top tube down it's length & welding it in along the top of the existing toob, to create an oval top tube.

After much faffing about with the saddle last year, trying to make it slot onto the end of the top tube using the mounting tab that came on the saddle, I've decided to start again. Hopefully I can fix some new mounting studs to the underside, though that might mean removing the cover then getting it re-fitted.

.

I reckon this is going to be your best yet mate, love the look .

on its way posted today  ;D

gaz

Thank you Mr G.
Thanks Shauny.  :)

Hya folks. Re mesh...found some with a 3mm square holes but still trying to locate the smaller stuff.

Weyhey found some 1mm squaer mesh today, How much ya want?

Looks like Mr Gazz has beaten you to it Haggis. Appreciate you searching though. Thank you.  ;)

Mr Haggis sir  :-* :-* I could do with some please old chap  :-* :-*

Mr Gazz's contribution arrived in the post this morning Thanks mate. Also got a bag of stainless exhaust springs for my trike pipe. I had some already but they got used on other stuff, so I had to replace them.

Spent the evening in the shed messing about with Taz's trike. I've hardly touched it since last year's Basingstoke transport show, when we ended up working on it till 2 in the morning the night before the show. Lots of stuff left half done or temporarily tacked together. I've got 5 days to get as much done as I can on my Pop, my trike & Taz's trike -more late nights in the shed I think.
I want to make up the handlebars but can't yet cos the tank needs to be raised, cos the carb fouls on it.

There's a lesson here kids- plan ahead! I should've made the top tube a little taller, so the float bowl would tuck under the edge of the tank.
 

So now it needs to be raised by about half an inch.
Yeah, I know the welds are messy. I'll sort them.

A couple of alternatives-
notch the side of the tank to clear the carb. I've done that before & it's a bugger to get fuel tight welds on such paper thin steel. I've tried tank sealant & had mixed results.
Lower the engine mounts. That'd mean the motor would sit nose down in the frame, unless I also lowered the gearbox tabs -which would mean the prop would run downhill.
Raise the tank. Easiest to do but still a pain. So I went with that. I filled the shed with grinding dust by slicing a short piece of 1 1/2" bore ERW down it's length to produce a wedge. 

Once I've welded it in place it'll produce an oval shaped top tube, lifting the tank clear of the carb. I might weld captive tank mount nuts under the wedge before I fit it.

This odd shaped plate is the carb/bellmouth adaptor. Bolts to the mouth of the SU so I can fit the 3 bolt funnel to the 2 bolt carb.

A piece of the fine mesh Mr Gazzagood so kindly donated. Should keep the bugs out of the carb mouth. I'll simply sandwich it between the carb & bellmouth. As well as a rubber gasket, I may squirt on a little mastic to help seal the mating surfaces.

Hello... hello... echo... echo... echo

"Bring on the trumpets".

There are no problems when your Manky Monkey, i just love the whole "thats not working so I`ll do this instead" approach, simple, effective and inspiring.

I'm certainly simple.  :P
If I'd worked out in advance what I was going to do, there wouldn't have been a problem to start with. That's because this frame was thrown together very quickly in the early hours of the morning before last year's show. If I could just work on this for the week, (I'm on holiday this week), I could get a fair bit done, but got 2 other projects to work on too. My own trike's still got the front end in bits at the moment. Reckon I'll just be tacking this one together then seam welding everything later.
Sorry we didn't get a chance for much of a chat on the MonkeyWorld run -again, TB. Would be good to compare trike building notes next time.

You got a really interesting style going on with this build....its kinda retro but in a quirky way...i like it a lot.My own build is going the same way hopefully.Ive used a nice slim tank,but ive had to cut the back end out of it to miss the air filters on the divvy engine.Like you said earlier,its a pain in the arse trying to weld paper thin steel,but its slowly getting there.
The exhaust is another problem with the whole of the bike being really low.Ive had some neat exhaust clamps laser cut and im,e going to make my own full system.I will try and make a 4 into 2 that wraps around the sides of the head,then bring it into a 2 into 1.I will try and post some pics as soon as i start to make some progress,but at the moment,other things are more important.
Bathroom needs tiling,fences need erecting and to top it all,a huge patio needs to be put down....all within the space of about 6 weeks.Oh well,thats life. ;D ;D   

 :) Know just how you feel mate.
I'd like to see some pics of that -sounds interesting.

We started out aiming for a vintage tractor kinda vibe, but it's gradually leaning more towards the Japanese "Zero Customs" bobber style -I think.
I've started suffering migraines & had another this morning, which killed any chance of achieving anything until it'd worn off after lunch. Anyone who has them will know the only thing you can do is lie down in a dark room till they pass.
So it was back in the shed this afternoon.
I drilled the front tank mount then used the hole to mark the wedge underneath before drilling it & welding an M8 nut underneath. Then I tack welded the wedge in place on top of the frame. 

That meant I could bolt the tank in place to work out the height of the handlebar risers. I didn't want the bars any taller than the tank, cos I like that slightly hunched back look -the trike, not me.

With them cut down to length & scalloped to accept the bars, you can see the M12 nuts I welded in the bottoms & the bolts that hold them to the top yoke. The extra pair of holes in the yoke are the riser mounts FLC drilled when he made the forks. I couldn't use them cos they're too close to the tank, so will blank them off later.
No, that's not a smiley face on the yoke.   :)

A quick check to make sure I'd cut them equally so the bars will sit flat & level, (yeah, I know it doesn't look it in the photo, but they are, honest), then I grabbed a length of 1" bore ERW tube, (same size the main frame's made from), & started bending. As a rough guide, I find the straight centre section of the bars needs to be about the width of the front of the tank or wider. Any narrower & you severely limit the amount of steering lock as the bars will hit the tank very quickly.
Taz is an inch or so shorter in the arms than me & prefers to sit fairly upright, whereas I like to lean forward slightly when riding, so without her there to test them, I had to guess the bar length. A bit of a compromise between making them narrow enough to be comfortable & for her to reach them on full lock, & wide enough to clear the tank & carb to give as much steering lock as possible.

They look huge don't they. Taz tried them for size though & pronounced them fine. I'll trim the ends off to length where she's holding them, then replace the last 6 inches with some offcuts of old 7/8" handlebar I've saved for the purpose, to step the tube size down to accept standard bike switchgear & grips.
Ideally I'd have liked the bars a little lower to follow the angle of the top of the tank, but Taz has to ride this & there's no point building something she won't be comfortable on.

Now we've checked they're O.K, I can unbolt them & fully weld the risers to the bars.
Always wear protective headgear when riding your air trike.

looks good.

its still quite tractorish to my eye
must say, i hate the bars. not my taste at all but to each their own

looks fine to me, and Taz will need big bars for leverage coz she's only an ickle girlie  :P

 ;D Variety's the spice of life n all that Chewie.
I think it'd look better with shorter, straighter bars, but we're limited by the rest of the trike that they have to clear. Plus Taz has to be able to reach them, so short bars are out really. That's quite a chunky front end & although it doesn't really matter once you're rolling, the extra leverage will be a big help when Taz is paddling it around carparks.
Steve, I dare you to call her that to her face! -I wouldn't.  :P

cissy  ;D

I wouldn't call her that either.

Cissy and ickle. Ha lets see you guys try and do some of the stuff I have to do at work then we'll see who the cissy's are.  :P :P :P :P :P

I was talking to you  ;D ;D ;D

Oh yeah, you say that now.  :P
Handlebar risers welded & smoothed out by hand -yeah, it takes forever. No, I haven't got a super dooper machine to do it with.
No, I don't actually use my hands. I use a file.

.

i'd like em alot taller then a shorter bar above the tank, if you follow

I know it`s not but that front wheel looks off centre, or are my eyes really that skew whiff? :) :) :)

I think the bars will look very different when they have grips on, they're just a bit nekkid at present!

I think it's just the angle of the photo also the other side has the brakes etc so looks a bit more filled in if you get my drift.

I tried angling the handlebars higher but it was just not comfortable also this thing is quite big and to be able to reach I had to have them bent like that. If it was someone taller then yes you probably would get away with higher straighter bars on it. You'll see it at Basing so all will become clearer as it's hard to show everything in photos.

I did see it and it looks gorgeous!  Love it in bare metal, be a shame to paint it!

you could always bring them back a bit, i can turn mine easily one-handed..

Don't know if anyone tried turning the forks at the Basingstoke show, but they move quite easily with them thar wide bars -no bearings in them at present.
Bobbi, the whole trike -frame, tank, bars, forks etc, will be pale grey, the colour of the rear wheels, when it's finished, so won't look too much different really. Wouldn't expect it to be your taste somehow, so appreciate the compliment!

them bars are little ones wait till ya see mine ,lol

andy that has turned out realy nice im getting more more drawn to one of the reliant trikes especially one clean as that
al

Looking good mate....I have the joys of making a set of bars for the wife's trike in the very near future...plus got to remodel the forwards as they are just too far forward for her to ride it comfortably.....but to me its set up perfect shame as once altered it wont be too comfy for me to highjack when she is not useing it lol....Voodoo.....

We may be selling this at the end of the month.
Just got too many projects on the go I'm afraid. Taz's trike's sat in a barn, competely untouched, since that photo was taken at the Basingstoke transport festival last May. My own trike's sat in the same barn, alongside Taz's Dodge Charger project. I've also got an XS650 Yam bobber project in my shed. We just don't have the time to work on them all & have decided at least one has to go. My trike's nearer to completion & Taz will be able to ride that once it's done, whereas hers is really just a rolling chassis.
Got a buyer lined up & the cash will partly go on a new computer to get the main website up & running again, so everyone will benefit from it.
I hate selling unfinished projects, cos in my head it's already built, down to the smallest of details, & I know it'll be done completely differently by the new owner, but he intends to have Loony do some of the work on it, so at least I'll still see it come together.  I'll keep you posted.

A shame Andy ,but I know where youre coming from!
           
              Rod

Hiya.
Reckon I've spent half of the last 35 years sat in sheds & lock-up garages, building stuff. I've definitely spent more time staring at the insides of sheds than putting miles on the vehicles I've built. I enjoy being creative, but would rather be out, cruising around, enjoying the fruits of my labours. I'm 50 next year & aim to have everything at least drivable by then. Being completely honest with myself, it'd probably be 2 years before I could spend the time & money getting this trike sorted.
Taz runs a stable yard, which is a very physical job, not much different from being a building site labourer, except she spends most of her day ankle deep in horse poo too. Loves the job but it's taking it's toll on her, with constant shoulder & back pain. She wonders whether she'd actually be able to handle this trike by the time it's roadworthy. My own trike's a lot lighter in comparison & her Dodge has power steering. If we're going to thin out our stable of projects, this one's the logical choice really.

Andy.
 I am also fifty this year, and have no bike or trike on the road. I have built ten trike frames and not had one on the road.
 I do have a load of cx bits which I hope to trike this year, and after that I want to do the piggy-bike I have been on about for years.
What I am saying is that you just have to go with the flow, and do the best you can.

Kids, no stamina  :o

Yeah,youngsters of today ...tsk..I dunno!  ;D

Trike sale's fallen through after the potential buyer suddenly found himself single again.
We're kinda tempted to keep it & build it the way we'd planned, but the money would've come in handy.
Some heavy surface rust to scrub off then we'll have another look -unless anyone wants to make us a serious offer?

im sure if you put it on ebay you would get it sold no problem ......

selling a mankey frame that was build by  Mankey monkey hm self shouldnt be hard  ;D

Kinda in 2 minds about selling it. It's been sat under a sheet in a barn for a year, but the sheet got damp so now it's covered in a layer of surface rust. Nothing that wouldn't come off with a wire brush on a drill, but makes it look naff. Taz saw it for the first time for months the other evening & said it'd be a shame to see it built in a different style cos all the parts on it were done for her -it's her "baby". The frame was still a work in progress.
The plan was to have it all powder-coated in gloss grey with "TE 20" stencilled on the tank in black, (the model number for the classic "Little Grey" Massey Ferguson tractors). Wouldn't mean anything to most bikers, but the country types would nod knowingly at it. Lots of polished copper brake pipes too for a vintage look. I think it'd look great when it's finished. The guy who was going to buy it was going to have some of the work done at Loony's workshop in Basingstoke, Hants, which would've meant I'd at least still get to see it come together & maybe have a hand in how it was finished.

Got frame, specially built girder forks, (made by Mr FLC from this 'ere forum), headstock bearings, handlebars, V Max rear wheel in the front on a one-off spindle, 2 front brake calipers, choice of 2 second hand headlights, brand new tank, (now covered in surface rust), with pop-up cap, fuel tap, large solo Harley saddle, one-off aluminium luggage rack, engine & gearbox, (in need of a strip down & check over but came out of a running car), prop shaft, narrowed rear axle, widened rear wheels, brand new rear tyres, disc brake conversion, rear lights.
I'd love to still build it for Taz, but she's so busy in her job as manager of a stable yard, that realistically, she'd probably only get to ride it a couple of times a year, plus she's suffered a lot of pulled muscles in her shoulders & back & seriously wonders if she could ride it anyway. The money would come in handy to buy a new computer to rebuild the website among other things, but I'd hate to see it go to someone who's going to cover it in matt black paint & chequer plate.
1 1/2 grand in cash & we'd let it go.
   

i personally think you have enough projects to work that you wouldnt notice loosing one , i know that its more tazets than yours but ive been waiting to see your one finished since i joined the forum but youve started the pop the xs and the charger , i know its easy for me to say but i would concentrate on the pop since you have a dealine and forget the rest till its done , i know you had a scheme for it (and i think you would be surprised who would get the little grey influence) but if the chances are that it wouldnt really be used let it go and dont worry what happens to it remember you probably wont see it again if it turns into a shed but if they make an award winner then youll see it in the mags and at shows. and remember you designed the frame originally so theres no reason why after all you other projects are finished you cant build another one. 
this is only my opinion and on the other hand its not costing you anything to sit there get out the vasaline and protect it .   eye the trike that is before you think im being pervy  :P   

Hiya. Don't get the chance to call in here much at the moment -half past 10 in the evening here & I've not long got in from work.
The trike's sat in a barn that my boss lets me use, around the corner from my stable yard. Manky's trike & my Dodge are in there too. It's dry & reasonably secure, but my trike was in bare metal & has suffered -looked very sad all rusty when I saw it.
Andy's working on his Pop in Marcus's workshop, 40 miles away, almost every afternoon after work. That's definitely taking priority.
Some of the guys from the Surrey Street Rodders are due to pay a visit there in a couple of weeks time. Andy wants to take the trike frame, tank & forks over there to clean the rust off before it gets any worse, so they've decided to bolt it back together, (takes about 10 minutes to put the forks & axle into the frame), so they've got another custom project in the workshop to show the SSR guys when they come.
To be honest, neither of us really wants to sell this. Manky started building a Suzuki engined trike for a previous girlfriend & had to sell it when they split up & hated letting it go.
So, sorry chaps, we're going to clean it up & take another look at it. We've got most of the bits we need for it so could actually throw it together quite quickly -if we ever get the time.
Pop, then both trikes, then Charger.

Good!

If only I had the energy to do all that nowadays! ;D

Plus my XS650 bobber.

if you can put the pops momentum into the other projects then you'll smash it

Ha! yeah, easy as that!

Been hunting for this thread & finally found it on page 20 of the Trike Tech forum -shows how long it is since we looked at Taz's project.
This one's gone into storage in the shed at the end of the garden until we get the time to do something with it. Unfortuantely the shed leaks like an indoor Niagra Falls, so the bright steel of the frame & brand new fuel tank's now heavily scarred with rust. Nothing that can't be shot blasted off, but still demoralising to see.
Why have I dug up the thread? I picked up a pair of classic tractor footplates from Ebay a few weeks ago for a bargain price of £1.04. The seller didn't want to post them cos they were quite heavy, so we arranged for him to meet up with PantherShaun at this weekend's HotRod Hayride. That fell through & I got a text from him this evening saying I called at Clandon Park, (the National Trust estate we live on), but couldn't find your cottage -so I've left them under a conifer tree, next to a horse paddock, just past the garden centre.
So I've just been out on a treasure hunt. Found 'em.  :D
I was looking for some Harley style footboards, but Taz's trike is going to be kinda tractor themed, so these will do the job nicely.

who stole that leg off heartbeat :P :D :D

Go on Andy, clean em with that reverse electroplating technique and show us the results :)

 :) Good ol' fashioned paint stripper/wire brush/flap wheel for me.

you could use the left as a clutch pedle all in one too...

Did actually think about that Luke!

glad they turned up mate...

Yeah, thanks for offering to collect them Shaun.  ;)

Can I request some pics of the girder forks Andy :)

Certainly.
They're now covered in a layer of rust from sitting in the shed at the end of the garden.
Hang on. I'll nip out & photograph 'em now...

...here ya go.
Built for us by forum member FLC, (Mick), from Doncaster a couple of years ago.
They're deliberately chunky cos that's the look we're going for with the trike. The wheel's the rear wheel from a Yamaha V Max. Shock absorber's a second hand Honda CB125 rear shock if I remember right.
They sit at a bit more of an angle in the frame, 45 degrees. The garden fork isn't part of the design by the way.

I've got the bearings somewhere, but while we've been setting the frame up, we've just used a couple of off-cuts of tubing to pack the headstock out, (the red oxide coloured bits on the steering stem).