Rainbow's new trike project.

[Manky Monkey]

Had a lousy day in the garage today. Those new 10 quid angle grinders we picked up at the NEC -took one to the garage & burnt it out in 10 minutes! Cutting the headstock off Rainbow's trike frame. Really wasn't working it hard, not leaning heavily on it, just supporting it's weight really, but soon had smoke coming out of it & a horrible clattering noise. Guess you get what you pay for!
Then I broke my last hacksaw blade & whacked my knuckles in the process. Been surveying the heap of assorted trike bits & thinking I've taken on too much. It's starting to feel like a second job when it should be a fun hobby. So I trudged home in a crap mood this evening. Thanks for cheering me up people. I feel much better now. I'll be back in the garage with renewed vigour -& a fresh blade, tomorrow.
Goodnight all. 

[Manky Monkey]

Haven't posted any piccies of Rainbow's frame for a while so here's one from last week. Seat height is still 20" -which is pretty low! -but have pulled the axle clamps in a few inches either side to narrow the seat & shortened the whole back end cos we've decided to make it a single seater. Headstock is lower, more raked & further back towards the rider than the original frame so much easier for her to reach the bars. Got the bottom hardtail tubes to add, then we need to drop the engine in & make up the rear motor mounts. I've put her forks & wheel in to check the ground clearance. Will definitely need to make up a high level exhaust system. Oh yeah -I forgot to flip the axle over too, so got to do that to check the diff housing still clears the frame. The Suzuki prop shaft turns the opposite direction to the Reliant axle so if we don't fit it upside down we'd end up with 5 reverse gears!

[Manky Monkey]

Axle flipped over. Still fits -phew! Only half an inch of clearance betwen the diff housing & rear frame loop to keep the seat height as low as possible. Bottom hardtail legs are bent, trimmed & tacked in place. They're pushed onto 4 inch long steel slugs welded into the original bottom frame rails. We've drilled & button welded through the old & new tubes into the slug then the joint in the tubes will be fully seam welded.
I was a bit concerned the seat was too far forward but Rainbow gave it a trial sit last night & pronounced it O.K -I forget I'm much longer in the leg than her. If I built it to fit me she wouldn't be able to ride it! Next job is to cut & weld some triangular strengthening gussets, fully weld everything, then drop the engine in & make up the mounts.

[Manky Monkey]

Getting there -slowly. A quick tidy up of the welds & some strengthening gussets in front of the axle clamps & at the base of the curved uprights & it's ready for engine mounts, footrests, pedal mounts, battery box mounts, tank mounts, exhaust mounts, hand brake mounts -& a million other little bits & pieces. What's the chances of forgetting one till after it's powder-coated?!

[Manky Monkey]

Haven't touched this one for months now. Been too busy with other projects, but we'll be taking Sara's along to the Shepton Mallet show with us as one of our collection of unfinished projects so it needs a bit of a spruce up.
Today Nige & I nipped over to Newbury, Berks & collected the wheels from the powder coaters & had the new 225/50/15 tyres fitted. The wheels are a spare pair -Nige bought a set of 4 from an autojumble for 25 quid. The tyres were from TyresDirectUK
http://www.tyresdirectuk.co.uk/
& cost 30 quid each. The nice sparkly silver coating cost 25 quid per wheel.

[Manky Monkey]

Still looks the same as it did 2 months ago, but I've spent the afternoon filing welds down -swore I'd never do that again. Cut the seat mount off, rewelded it further back, decided it looked better where it was & cut it off again. Ho hum.

[Manky Monkey]

Well, sadly Rainbow & I are no longer an item. We went our seperate ways a month or so ago. Still good mates & her trike will be finished & MSVA'd if she still wants it, but put to one side temporarily.
Ah well, guess I'm doomed to ride solo through this life. 

[ByzMax]

That's a shame Manky.    Sorry to hear that news!

[Manky Monkey]

Yeah, so was I!
She's a lovely lady but just not ready to settle down yet. She's fairly new to biking & enjoying the freedom of it all after having children at a very young age & spending all her adult life being a Mum. Now she wants to catch up on everything she's missed out on & I don't blame her for that. She's out & about on her beloved 600 Yam' Fazer at every chance she gets & I genuinely wish her well.
Next!   

[ByzMax]

That's a nice approach. Same way as I look at stuff like that. 

[Manky Monkey]

Also means I still get to borrow her car occasionally! 
G'night mate.

[ByzMax]

Night Manky