Attempted Trike Buyer Beware

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Hi fellow bike fans,
Uncle Milt dropped off a "new" trike to be fixed or maybe set up with gears. Only name on the frame is "Vevor". Never heard of it.
"It's brand new" he says. I will say the paint is very blue and shiny. But that's it. No other good points.
He rode is across the street, and the chain broke. Pretty sure the rear end slipped on the loose main bolts, and the chain jumped
over a tooth and came apart.
Well he wanted to try it out. Might I fix it good enough for that?

So I did the few things needed to be able just to ride it 100' or so.
Changed out the drive sprocket for a 28 tooth, cut apart and rewelded the stem to raise up the handle bars and bring them in closer, and
installed a decent pair of brake levers, (it came with plastic ones that flexex).
Then tightened a few things up, and installed the "other' seat that came with it, the one with a small back rest.
Of yes, as the back rest comes, it is right up against the seat, too close.
i also cut the backrest off and re welded it back 2" farther. I guess that's 4 things.

Well a lot of good it did.
Yes, I rode it around our block, (gravel roads) and did come back alive.
But it is a Dangerous ride !!!!!!!!!
Thin metal-flexes, has a "folding frame"-flexes, very unstable !! And I have short legs, with the seat lowered.
If you ever missed and road one wheel off of a curb, it would dump you. Hit a pot hole with a rear wheel, it would dump you, turn too fast, dump you.
It nearly dumped me in the shop when I ran one wheel over a 2x4 on the floor.
Clamp on the front brake and rock back and forth, the front fork flexes like it's made of rubber.
Bad news trike, (attempted trike)

Sure has pretty blue sparkle paint.
 
Oh, I forgot to post a pick of the pretty paint.
first tube 17 re.JPG
 
Sorry, this was supposed to go in "Bike Talk"
Don't know how it ended up here.
Moderator, please move thread if willing.
 
That looks an awful lot like the Miami Sun trike my niece brought over with three flat tires.

Only the right rear wheel is driven by the live axle, and the left rear wheel is dead. I can’t imagine how much fun that would be.

I didn’t bother trying to ride it. At least it was easy to fix.
 
A lot of the trikes are one wheel drive, in fact maybe most.
That works ok at the slow speeds folks who ride trikes go.
I just built two recumbent trikes using the back frame, one while drive and all,
And they are both fun to ride.
Just not fast or on the side of a hill.
But both the ones I built feel solid, and have lots of gears.

This one I fixed , the one that said 'Vevor" on it for a name is made so cheaply and
with such soft metal that is NOT any fun.

In contrast, the rear frame I used for my builds came from a Schwinn Miridan, also
a very common trike.
I rode one of them before parting out, and there is a world of difference.

The Schwinn felt solid and somewhat safe.

This other thing is so weak I would not even want to use any of the parts on something else.

The paint is nice. That's it.
 
The Worksman trike is one wheel drive, and I'm NOT a fan. When I stand to pedal, or the drive wheel is unweighted a little bit in a corner, the drive wheel slips on the polished warehouse floor. I've asked maintenance about installing a limited slip differential, but they seem indifferent
 
I have a Worksman trike older one, and have a lot of fun riding on two wheels, LOL But the true answer is a tad wider rear and a differential. Now older lawn tractors and mowers had them and they where 3/4 axles, witch are hard to find now. They are simple, and let it turn through corners but also both wheels turn and pull for constant contact. You can still by them through stationinc. The trouble with lawn tractor is you need two as one axle is short or off set or you have to lengthen the short one. ........Curt
https://www.staton-inc.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=179
 
Utah Trikes came up with, and produced a good posi rear by using two single speed freewheels
in an aluminum housing, (they make).They fit a 15 mm axle. Use keyway and key to transmit
power. They sell their trikes and quads with this part.
Also sell it alone.
But.
To make it work takes two of the drive axles they sell, cut in two,
that have the keyway on the end for the
3 tab adapter that engages the three holed hub they also sell.

So, If you have a trike with a 15 mm shaft, one wheel drive, and want to convert,
You need the posi hub, About $240, two rear axles, (only one more if you have a trike)
Around $ 50, and the hubs need to be the ones like on Sun trikes, with 3 holes.
Then of course, need to consider the brake. They do sell an adapter to fit a freewheel on the
15 mm axle, then adapt a disk to the adapter, and bracket for the caliper,but you still only get one wheel brake, as the braking action on the axle will not transfer through the "posi hub"

All those trikes that have a "intermediate drive" and the brake on that, also only have one wheel
brake, but also that works through the short chain.

The best way for brakes is to use disk hubs on both wheels in back.

Bottom line is, one wheel drive and one wheel brake work ok for slow speeds and careful use.
That's all I have, and the "frakentrike" works out in the yard, rough dirt, and gravel while pulling
a small yard trailer. Just lean into the drive wheel when it slips. It is recumbent, though, and leaning
will not dump the rider.

The other bottom line is that the "good stuff" for trikes costs LOTS. Big bucks.

There is an online add for a trike back end to "make any bike into a trike' , from Brazil or somewhere, that has a diff, multi gearing, and twin disk brakes, ready to go.
Around $2,000 plus shipping.
What a thought, you could take a $20 bike and convert it into a nice trike for only $2,000 more.

Since most of my bikes and trikes are made from recycled parts and junk, I am gladly willing
to accept the limitations involved.
 
The Worksman trike is one wheel drive, and I'm NOT a fan. When I stand to pedal, or the drive wheel is unweighted a little bit in a corner, the drive wheel slips on the polished warehouse floor. I've asked maintenance about installing a limited slip differential, but they seem indifferent

I think you should lock that dead wheel to the live axle. Then you’ll be able to ride on which ever two wheels you choose.
 
I have a Worksman trike older one, and have a lot of fun riding on two wheels, LOL But the true answer is a tad wider rear and a differential. Now older lawn tractors and mowers had them and they where 3/4 axles, witch are hard to find now. They are simple, and let it turn through corners but also both wheels turn and pull for constant contact. You can still by them through stationinc. The trouble with lawn tractor is you need two as one axle is short or off set or you have to lengthen the short one. ........Curt
https://www.staton-inc.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=179
I have a transaxle from a 16 horse craftsman, but I sure wouldn’t wanna pedal that gearbox around. I have some little 24vdc electric motors and I’m thinking about a plug-in runabout when the gas runs out.

I saw fuel at $7.09.9/usg yesterday :O
 

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