love for 3 wheelers

[ettorebugatti]

Morgan is nice, I like this one too

The Piaggio Ape

[TerraRoot]

Feb 18, 2011 4:48:58 GMT ditchdigger said:

Trikes with one wheel out front are almost always a fail in my book but one out back can be awesome.

it's a lot more complicated then that. trikes with there main weight (eg the engine) not over the twin wheel (front or back) invariably just fall over.
trikes with a single rear wheel have no camber control on it, so if you have a wide rear (as in anything more then morgan width) the tyre will roll off it's contact and you will need new pants.
trike with a single front wheel at least have some caster to try and keep the contact patch on the road.

vw trikes are actually quite fast, styling hasn't moved since the 70's sadly.

[Dom]

Feb 17, 2011 22:56:05 GMT @automatic said:

Morgan are bringing out there own replica powered by a 100bhp v twin. I heard it may come from a hyabusa but I'm not sure on that.
more info here
www.morgan3wheeler.co.uk/genevalaunch.html

I've got a French mag that says Harley Davidson V-twin, rebored to 1.8l, 101hp, 185km/h, 0-60 in 4'5.

[automatic]

My knowledge of bikes is non existant and I was just going on what I had been told by my workshop landlord. That is a big cc increase the original matchless motor was 900cc

[Dom]

Aye, same here.
Just quoting a recent article.
Whatever the origin, 900 to 1800 is pretty good.

[DarrenW]

One of my faves:


P8160388 by retromotoring, on Flickr

[DarrenW]

Reliant Regal advert by retromotoring, on Flickr

;D

[chevazon]

Bit of an obscure one -

Castle 3 of which only 350 were ever made and only 2 survive. A guy round my way had a body for one but wouldn`t sell it as he was going to do it up one day. He has since sold the body on. Would have made an interesting rod body -

[qwerty]

Feb 18, 2011 16:04:19 GMT TerraRoot said:

it's a lot more complicated then that. trikes with there main weight (eg the engine) not over the twin wheel (front or back) invariably just fall over.
trikes with a single rear wheel have no camber control on it, so if you have a wide rear (as in anything more then morgan width) the tyre will roll off it's contact and you will need new pants.
trike with a single front wheel at least have some caster to try and keep the contact patch on the road.

So would a rear engined Robin be less likely to fall over?

[jrevillug]

Feb 19, 2011 14:17:57 GMT qwerty said:

Feb 18, 2011 16:04:19 GMT TerraRoot said:

it's a lot more complicated then that. trikes with there main weight (eg the engine) not over the twin wheel (front or back) invariably just fall over.
trikes with a single rear wheel have no camber control on it, so if you have a wide rear (as in anything more then morgan width) the tyre will roll off it's contact and you will need new pants.
trike with a single front wheel at least have some caster to try and keep the contact patch on the road.

So would a rear engined Robin be less likely to fall over?

Well Bond 875s (Imp-based rear engine three-wheeler) don't fall over. They do wheelie if you put a hot 998 Imp engine in them though.

[TerraRoot]

Feb 19, 2011 14:17:57 GMT qwerty said:

So would a rear engined Robin be less likely to fall over?

yep, as roll over resistant as any four wheeler, as long as it designed right, for example a pinto high between the (quite narrow track) rear wheels is not good.

[ditchdigger]

I drove one of these interceptors for a day

even with the rear engine layout there was still too much weight up front.

It was terrifying. It felt just like the Top gear reliant bit looked. I had the inside rear off the ground almost any time I turned.

But the little Gizmo EV I samples was a total blast! Very stable

[elmotheewokking]

My ex's dad was a fairly insane chap. The "Thunderbird 4" Robin was his.

[qwerty]

Feb 19, 2011 17:43:24 GMT TerraRoot said:

Feb 19, 2011 14:17:57 GMT qwerty said:

So would a rear engined Robin be less likely to fall over?

yep, as roll over resistant as any four wheeler, as long as it designed right, for example a pinto high between the (quite narrow track) rear wheels is not good.

HMMMMM

[Rob M]

Feb 17, 2011 18:40:36 GMT stealthstylz said:

I have a huge dislike for 3 wheelers in general. Trikes are the most pointless forms of transport ever, managing to combine all the negatives of a car with all the negatives of a bike.

Given special dispensation to be negative, were you?
For me, there is only one three wheeler...

Sheer class! ;D

[eternaloptimist]

I remember the company my old man worked for had one of these in the Sixties - a Scammell Scarab - not this one though

[EssexRich]

Grinnall Scorpion. BMW bike-powered I believe. R1200 engine?