UpDown 2

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Still undecided about wheelie bars.
Don't really want to use them, but the 1/4 backflip sucks.
 
Kent, when I look at your build.I imagine things like this.one I found.on the 'net.
slingshot-recumbent-quad-1.jpg


Both are edgy and I imagine take a lot of trial and error. Your's is more of a slingshot than this because your rider is behind the rear axle. I wonder if it might balance out if you have the passenger get on first.
 
That is cool by me, but not fast enough.
Here are a couple of my "daydream doodles" from the late 90's.
A lot easier with paper and pen.

The inspiration for the slingshot came from the friction toy cars I had as a kid. Zoom,Zoom,
wind up then there she flies. Wind up the flywheel, drop down on the go-cart slicks and
burn rubber.
slingshot re.JPG
pedal panel re.JPG


The inspiration for the pedal panel was from the sketches I made of that, but with a motor,
just substitute pedals.
 
I remember those flywheel assisted toys. Some were made by Kenner. I believe they were called SSTs.
There were some toys that threw sparks when you pushed them forward. Pretty neat.

I love that dragster bike!
 
The UpDown trikes were never meant to be fast. Just kinda comfortable and fun.

I really did mean to leave it alone for a while.
But that did not happen.
kept looking, and thinking, "just cut it apart and stretch it".

Now there is 11 " of space to fill in, and replace the "works" to fit.
updown stretch re.JPG
updown stretch 2 re.JPG
 
This build will end up with something that is close to 'wheelie bars", and I have small wheels to use.
As per Ulu's suggestion.
They just won't stick out very far behind the rear wheels.

i have made them before, for the what is now the "frakentrike" when it was an upright trike
and popped wheelies.

When I converted that to a bent trike, I left the outside stubs, and use them to stand the now
bent trike up against a wall to store.

What ever ends up on UpDown 2 could be used for storage as well.
And stop any possible wheelie.
frakentrike leftovers re.JPG
 
Brings the wheelbase to 73 ".
Still a bit less than the 76" I first planed on.
Too long to make a u-turn without planning.
Long enough to stop the 1/4 backflip ?
Should be, the rear seat will stay about where it was.
Moving the rear BB back also, should leave a bit more room for the front seat.
 
Took about two hours to through the parts back on, at least enough to test ride again.

First test with the 11 " longer wheelbase went fine. Made sure I was on SOFT grass.
No hint of a wheelie.
Test two was on the gravel. And around the block.

The gearing was too high. Spent 5 hours juggling the parts on hand to make things work.
no backflip re.JPG
 
The 4th, 5th, and 6th test rides went great.
Considering that almost everything on this build is recycled, and that the "engineering" is
and has been " guess engineering" from the start, it's a small miracle that it works at all.

I am liking the results. UpDown 2 is worth finishing.
Next part to add is a strong backrest.

It also looks like the 'Up" is not going to be as "Up" as I drew it, and the "Down" is going to
be higher than I wanted.
But that's OK, and the lower rear seat means that feet on the ground can be used for reverse.
Also, very stable with 20" wheels and lower seat.

This build looks much bigger in pics without any riders.
To put the size into perspective , I will post one of me.
me re.JPG
 
I wasn't really seeing it until the picture with rider. Now it makes sense, really unusual concept. Might be interesting to put a rack or shelf in the front, make it a cargo trike
 
Oh nuts !
Doesn't that idea open up a can of worms.

If the front seat is "change-able", Then nearly anything could be made to mount there for a while.
 
Oh nuts !
Doesn't that idea open up a can of worms.
RatRod worms are good and helpful worms!
Believe me, I have been there and also watched it happen many times here! 😉👍
 

Latest posts

Back
Top