The “Trike”

[Son of Kradus]

Found this at the dump shop today, was intrigued by a few things,
Ive never owned or worked on a tricycle sow, even though small, I have a couple ideas in mind but there’s a few firsts for me on this build so I’ll rattle them off
1, left hand drive, thats a new one,

While looking rusty, the baskets getting biffed and I’ll probably make another timber tray,

Drum brake rear, im keen to free this up and get it cranking

It has a jack shaft assembly that I quite like the look of, and this swivel point fir turning at speed, looks to have a couple springs missing off those adjusters at the back

It’s got this pivoting frame that I cant wait to look into

 

[Kevin B]

I am also wondering about the pivot feature. The Schwinn Meridian I owned seem weird to operate. If you leaned it lifted a rear wheel in the turns. It seemed very unstable. I think the pivot point is to counter that.

 

[Wildcat]

I found some info. One part says the tilting feature can be locked out.

http://modularbikes.blogspot.com/2017/11/maruishi-leaning-trike.html

 

[Son of Kradus]

This one was aussie made...Hmmmm did they actually make it here or did they get box's delivered and they whack them together, therefore saying manufactured here!...I have my doubts but Archerfield here in brisbane is a very old industrial estate area, been around for yonks and theres massive factories making just about anything so it is possible they got the plans and actually made them here!....who knows!
But it does have this Kangaroo emblazoned on the head tube.

And again on the Flaps....Gotta love flaps!
one things for sure is theres not many around, they were made by a few different companies and went under different names!

 

[Son of Kradus]

So I mucked around yesterday and did a Saturday arvie mockup,
I started by removing the forks, I didnt like the original forks n front end, I wanted to beef this up and bring it forward into more modern times. Also make look like an adults bike and NOT a small child etc,
To my surprise the top bearing was quite well, I used it again when reassembled.

The bottom however was another story, I’ll replace this one,

The fork tube wasnt long enough for anything I had, to make the cheapie MTB forks fit I had to chop the tubes off both and reweld them together, I found an old pipe that magically fit for a sleeve,

So here it is sleeved and pressed together,
Note the deep V groove to get the weld deep into the sleeve beneath.

And finished, its important to get the weld deep because the fitment through the head tube has very minimal clearance, most of the weld gets ground away but its on the inside where the action has happened

I then grabbed this kids bike I dumpster robbed, pulled the 20’s off it and ill use them,

So heres the Saturday mock up, I still have to lower the drop outs to fit these wheels, im dumping the drum bake 18” and will shelve that set , I might utilise the coaster brake and the rear cog lines up perfectly,
The 24” front and bmx stem n bars really have given this a “ Hey thats cool “ look,
In regards to that swivel joint, I really like it and what it does so I plan to “stiffen and dampen “ the assembly, maybe with a modified mtb spring setup, anything really just to stiffen the swivel. Its way too floppy at the mo.

 

[Wildcat]

It looks a lot better with the large front end. Good choice of the coaster brake. Those band brakes have no stopping power rolling backwards.

 

[curtisfox]

When you do a fork like that the strongest thing you can do is drill a couple holes above and below the seam, and do a couple rosiest welds...........Curt

 

[Son of Kradus]

When you do a fork like that the strongest thing you can do is drill a couple holes above and below the seam, and do a couple rosiest welds...........Curt

Ok yep, I see, then grind it back and the welds good coz it’s actually lower than the outer tube, I do remember that youve mentioned this somewhere else and ive read it but forgot ,
Thanks again though for sharing, I’ll do this when it gets stripped down

 

[Son of Kradus]

Ok so some more changes, ive decided I didn’t like the smaller rear set up so I’ll go with this, ;26” mtb wheels off dept store bikes, they’ll do,
These ones are only mock wheels,
This gives the trike a huge on road presence,

T

Theres gonna be heaps of room for a big old style timber tray,
I’m thinking real old rat style with long timber slates for the sides, the rear wheel base will be slightly narrower than this, probably an inch or two each side, as it sits its too wide,

I dont really like the front end of this thing, and for a whopping $8. I dont mind chopping away ,
Princess Harry will be the donor front end, his wheel set has a single sprocket coaster braked rear and both already have “white walls “
The BMX Single piece crank will stay and be morphed onto the existing frame and strengthened.

Because im widening the rear assembly I’ll have to widen the jack shaft too.
I plan on cutting it right down the middle and lengthening the inner shaft and the outer caseing.

 

[Son of Kradus]

Found this kiddies runner at the thrift shop, I liked the frame and thought it’d go great for the rear assembly,
At just $4 and a whopping $1 for those bmx bars and head stock I couldn’t leave them behind,
Once the daughter and I pulled the thing apart I began to notice the welds, it wad really light and it all of a sudden it dawned on me this frame was aluminium grrrrrrrr, Any thoughts of using this frame went out the window real quick,
Ahhh well back to the drawing board

 

[68z27]

As soon as I saw the pivot action my mind went straight to bicycle sidecar racing!