Deliverance

[morrag]

Dave, that trike of yours is a classic example of less being more! , absolutely ace, really, and the others I would couple with it in that bracket would be any or Mr. M's past trikes,....just sayin'....

[JayJay]

JJ you have got a trike that is reliable, that is until you let the water run low in the rad

Umm let me see. My trike kept breaking down, something to do with electrics. Then the brakes failed on the way back from Basingstoke after the bumpy ride broke the copper pipe allowing the brake fluid to run out (I changed it to braided hose after that). You remember me overtaking you at that junction because I couldn't stop on a blind bend!   

Even though I carried bottles of water with me and had an overflow receptacle attached, the radiator always overheated. I have a very nice fan sitting in a box to be added to the trike (not something I can do) and a nicely reengineered head in my garage that I could put back on but I'm just physically unable to.

So no, I don't think I ever had a reliable trike in the way Olds has. So there.    

I would love to have my trike back on the road because even with the above problems, I enjoyed riding it even if the first time I drove it up my drive, I took out my dustbin because I forgot I was on 3 wheels and not 2! 

[Olds]

Thank you Morrag. Kind words indeed.  
I never wanted it to be an obvious custom and it doesn't grab attention from Joe public like those covered in flash paint / chrome or even those dubious, angle iron and checker plate things, but I'm happy with that.  

As to reliable. It's not been faultless. In the first year I had... engine problems (someone had thrown it together), a set of points that wore out after only 100 miles, a broken gear linkage (rode home in second) and a broken mudguard stay, disintegrating switch gear, plus a few little teething problems.
 All of which I can only blame myself for as I'm the only person that has ever worked on it. 

[terry t]

JJ you have got a trike that is reliable, that is until you let the water run low in the rad

Umm let me see. My trike kept breaking down, something to do with electrics. Then the brakes failed on the way back from Basingstoke after the bumpy ride broke the copper pipe allowing the brake fluid to run out (I changed it to braided hose after that). You remember me overtaking you at that junction because I couldn't stop on a blind bend!   

Even though I carried bottles of water with me and had an overflow receptacle attached, the radiator always overheated. I have a very nice fan sitting in a box to be added to the trike (not something I can do) and a nicely reengineered head in my garage that I could put back on but I'm just physically unable to.

So no, I don't think I ever had a reliable trike in the way Olds has. So there.    

I would love to have my trike back on the road because even with the above problems, I enjoyed riding it even if the first time I drove it up my drive, I took out my dustbin because I forgot I was on 3 wheels and not 2! 

Just a few little teething problems as Dave would say JJ xx

[stinkey]

Well Dave I think you underestimate your Trike..it certainly does stand out and in fact I know a few people who wish to build similar ? JJ I envy you and others because as yet I've never ridden a trike enough to find out it's problems? But working on mine with that Aim..

[Olds]

Thanks stinkey.

Seeing the heat shield Andy is making, reminded me that i have burnt two pairs of shoes (well actually one pair, cos they're both left foot) on the trike.
Unfortunately where I need a shield is right on the bend. So, lots of hammering of sheet stainless steel ensued. Damn I hate working stainless. Not totally ripple free but good enough. Hidden tabs on the back take jubilee clips. Need to buy a pair of nice stainless ones, but for the pic it's held on by some really nasty Halfrauds ones that I wouldn't dare use on a hose.
Sorry stinkey. No holes or slots.  

[Manky Monkey]

What size is the pipe Dave? I've just taken 2, 1 5/8" stainless ones off.

[Olds]

1 3/8" but thanks.

[Olds]

Trike is starting to show it's age with chips in the paint, etc. It's used and abused, cleaned once a year and to be honest that's fine with me, but the seat definitely needed some TLC. While I quite liked the tan colour it always seemed somewhat at odds with the colour scheme. So after re staining/polish, the leather is more of a worn black/brown colour and I love it.
Only one problem, now I have to do something about the rear tank straps. Will check if I have any of the harness leather left over from bonnet straps I made. If not, the ones fitted will get the same treatment as the seat.

[paulywombats]

Hi Dave

Seat looks fantastic. For me personally I like it in black against the colour scheme.

[Manky Monkey]

Never been a brown saddle guy myself. What stain did you use Dave?

[paulywombats]

Think it was a black one Andy.

I'll get me coat.

[Olds]

Think it was a black one Andy.

My own mix. Roughly 70% black 15% dark brown, shoe polish, 10% raw linseed oil 5% dubbin. Boiled up then several coats, applied warm and soaked into the leather using a propane torch.
You can buy leather stains but they tend to give a very uniform solid colour, which isn't what I was after.

[stinkey]

Oh s**t..you shouldn't have mentioned the propane torch..Andy may get ideas, and ya know what's likely to happen ?

[Olds]

 
Got around to dying the tank straps to match the new seat colour and made a couple of polished stainless thumb nuts, for the electrics box cover, to replace wing nuts.