Doomsday Trike Project

[Social Torture]

I am one of those guys that likes to be prepared for anything, so I'm going to take on a project. Since my 83 Honda Big Red is not a restoration project, I want to implement it into my preparedness plan. You never know when those zombies are going to start causing problems. LOL!

Originally, I was going to do this with my 1984 Dodge truck, but the old trike makes more sense.

Both platforms offer the following
- They are already EMP hardened.
- They are reliable.
- Both can be repaired without computerized tools.

The trike offers a few things that the truck cannot offer.
- It is easy on fuel.
- Mechanically, it is more simple than the truck.
- It is smaller.
- It is lighter.
- It is better for traveling off the beaten path.
- It is easier to hide if that ever became a concern.

I'm planning to implement as many ways to carry gear as possible. The plastics are really beat up, so that gives me an excuse to come up with customized fenders.

I still want to keep it legal since doomsday has not arrived yet. Feel free to toss some suggestions at me. I will consider them. When I come up with a design and start building it, I will post pictures. I am psyched, not to be confused with psycho, although it could be argued. LOL!

[Ghostv2]

Well im pretty sure this is a first for both preppers and trikes. Cool idea though.

I would lean more towards a trailer to pull than to rely on carrying a lot on racks.

[M.Pargiello]

Post of the year :)

[JasonB]

a flame thrower needs to be mounted above the headlight. no. scratch that. 4 flame throwers, and a rocket launcher.

[JasonB]

and you need some of those trendy snow-trac systems for crushing skulls with too

[my1423]

The truck you can run on woodgas, propane, natural gas, poo bio gas, ect. Has a bed to hall the needed bits.


If you want the trike pulse proof, look for a point plate, advance cam, from any pre 79-78 honda upright point model. 79 was the cutover to cdi on most models.
sl125 will definitely fit! :beer
95% will direct swap onto the mount on the head of the 83. Need a spacer on the cam to hold the advance on.

Or buy many cdi boxes and store them in an ammo can. Then buy a roll of stainless hose cover and cover all the wiring.
Hard part is soldering them bits into one peice to protect it. Seen one of the china xr70 clone harnesses set up that way on a trike once.
Whole harness, cdi, coil all inside one peice of rad hose.
Had an exposed spark plug boot and a bendy strap to kill the motor. Guy claimed the kill wire could feed back and take out the cdi.
Buy some spare rectifiers to.

Have seen a couple of trikes running small forklift propane carbs.
In an emergency gas is no more, but bbq propane cylinders can be had.
Also seen ac compressors set up to pump out big propane tanks.
5hp engine and an ac pump with the proper plumbing.
OLD pump v twin caddy recommended. has oil sump and does not pump it through like modern pumps.

Big thing is PARTS.
Fleet of ready running bikes. Stored carefully.

[Larry T Moore]

just what ever you do...please dont camoflauge it....way way way...overdone

[Social Torture]

@ Ghosty2: I'm sure that I'm not the first guy to think of this, but I'll have get it down to a science and market it if I am the first. Bill Gates will bow down to me before this is all said and done. LOL!
I agree with you on the trailer, but it can't hurt to be able to carry a lot of gear on the trike. You have to ready for anything.

@ M.Pargiello: Thanks for the compliment.

@ JasonB: the flamethrowers, rocket launchers and the snow-trac system would be amazing. The problem is that they are little bit too “high profile,” they're out of my price range, and I would probably have way too much fun with that combination.

@ my1423: I will look into your solutions. After I get the trike ready, I'll have to work on the truck. I can always carry the trike in the back of the truck until I need it.

@ Larry T Moore: I won't camouflage it. First, stealth camouflage doesn't exist anyway. Second, even if it did, I don't think I'd be able to afford it anyway. LOL!

[Social Torture]

The old trike would probably make an effective security deterrent. Since those ATCs have been know to murder people at random, most people would probably run away. LOL!

[my1423]

This is fun!
Seen some other things might help,

Boat hand strap wench mounted to the rear rack on a quad.
Also those wenches mounted on a long piece apx 2 1/2 ft of aluminum 3 in channel with holes in it.
Make a mobile tool that is multipurpose. Ramp, club, stand alone winch, pot stand, hammer, ect.

Foam filled tires. Heavy and they bounce badly btw.

Guy down south wanted flotation on his quad.
He bought the tires for a rokon and made his own wheels copied from the rokon style.
They float, have a center storage area for fuel water ect.

Another used 31 truck tires and rims. Cut out the centers and welded in the stock centers.

[Social Torture]

Just thinking about it gives me the warm fuzzies. LOL!

- My first order of business will be those custom fenders. I have the tools, materials, and the know how to accomplish this. I can't guarantee that it will look pretty, but it will be functional.
- After that, I'll look into making it float.
- Since I'm planning to make it float, I'll have to put a snorkel kit on it.
- The EMP hardening will come a bit later since that will probably be the most expensive part of it.

[manbearpig]

dont forget to weld the hubs to the axle:lock:

[Social Torture]

I'm sure that your are being sarcastic, manbearpig. For all I'm concerned, welding the hubs to the axle, or welding anything else to anything that is not supposed to be welded, on any machine should be grounds for justifiable homicide.

[ColtonGG33]

2 holsters on each side for an ak47, I bet you didn't think about that ;) you need guns when the zombies come

[ColtonGG33]

And some titanium handguards

Edit: and reinflateable tires, or you could just get trail pros :lol:

[manbearpig]

mount an airplane motor to the front rack, complete with propeller. need to clear a path through zombies? vroom

[Larry T Moore]

and a trunk for Chuck Norris to hide in

[just ben]

those wenches mounted on a long piece apx 2 1/2 ft of aluminum 3 in channel



I would like to see some pics of the wenches mounted,I don't care what they're on.

[Social Torture]

It sounds like I have some high expectations to meet. I like a challenge.

[Social Torture]

@ ColtonGG33: I was waiting to see how long it would take for someone to mention guns.
I would much rather fondle guns than chase women, so I definitely thought about firepower. At least one gun would be necessary... so I don't get lonely. For the zombie apocalypse, I prefer manually operated weapons. Revolvers and bolt-action rifles will get a place on the doomsday trike. Since it all comes back to shot placement, I'm not too picky about the caliber.

[ColtonGG33]

@ ColtonGG33: I was waiting to see how long it would take for someone to mention guns.
I would much rather fondle guns than chase women, so I definitely thought about firepower. At least one gun would be necessary... so I don't get lonely. For the zombie apocalypse, I prefer manually operated weapons. Revolvers and bolt-action rifles will get a place on the doomsday trike. Since it all comes back to shot placement, I'm not too picky about the caliber.
You could always use a pump shotgun? Multipul kills with one shot? Heck yeah. They do have those new pistols 28 gauge shot gun shell pistol http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/01/25/big-gun-short-lived-taurus-28-gauge-revolver/ now this is what you need !

[DasUberKraut]

I was thinking more of a belt fed .50 on the front.

A small air compressor would be handy too.

[SiiCHo]

Emp hardening would be easy. Not sure whats available commercially, but all you need is enough conductive mesh to route the harnesses and coil through... Think of steel braided hose without the rubber down the center... I dont know how well that would work, but thats the basic concept. I work on military aircraft, and all of the wire harness have that style of shielding around them. You wouldnt have to wrap each wire individually, one shield around the entire harness would work. I say to each his own, but some people take this zombie thing way to far. I believe in being prepared for a disaster, but zombies? Really?

[SiiCHo]

Oh, i forgot to mention that the shielding has to be grounded, it needs a lead coming off of it that can be connected to a good ground. As for weapons, buy yourself a taurus judge or a s&w governor and strap it to your hip. That along with your choice of long gun and youll be set. I myself keep my "oh trailpro" ar15 in the front of my gun safe, right next to my bug-out bag, along with 500 rounds of ammo.

[LastFoolerInVA]

My .02 cents:

As far as EMP proof, I assume your thinking in case of a nuk attack.... it would be more practical (and possibly cheaper) to have the storage room for the trike emp proof- not the bike... as well as a few boxes of spare parts also stored in emp proof container.... emp proofing storage area is pretty easy-lots of aluminum foil... not soo much as doing the electronics on the bike... all would have to be converted to solid state (like in the 60-early 70's) as well as the wiring shielded... or else your just wasting your time

as far as avoiding a gun battle in case of the ww3 battlefield here in the US... I would extend the back rack like a foot or 2 to the rear... then find an old diamond steel truck toolbox and cut it to fit on the rack... not only to help with supply storage, but also a way of bullet-proofing your back side & a bit of a wheelie bar...

water proofing and a snorkel would be a must as well as having a spare fuel tank... plus I think someone was trying to be funny with the trailpro comment... its actually a dam good idea.. the run flat capability of a trailpro is second only to a wooden wheel or foam-filled wheel....

and you would want some kind of ultra silenced exhaust system

also.. to be truly practical... I would use the trike as a redundant back- to the truck... it would be the "if all else fails" safety since its small, not that fast, and leaves you open to attack on nearly all sides & you would have to be only concerned with saving your own ass.

[manbearpig]

when all is said and done i think this is what you'll end up with

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k557/proct103/zombie-car-1_zps5e2e74bc.jpg (http://s1115.photobucket.com/user/proct103/media/zombie-car-1_zps5e2e74bc.jpg.html)


ternader chasin vehicle! this thing lives in Pacific Beach, San Diego during the off season hah!

[LastFoolerInVA]

^^^I think that s tornado chaser^^^ but it looks like its from mad max!!!

[ps2fixer]

My .02 cents:
as far as avoiding a gun battle in case of the ww3 battlefield here in the US... I would extend the back rack like a foot or 2 to the rear... then find an old diamond steel truck toolbox and cut it to fit on the rack... not only to help with supply storage, but also a way of bullet-proofing your back side & a bit of a wheelie bar...

water proofing and a snorkel would be a must as well as having a spare fuel tank... plus I think someone was trying to be funny with the trailpro comment... its actually a dam good idea.. the run flat capability of a trailpro is second only to a wooden wheel or foam-filled wheel....

and you would want some kind of ultra silenced exhaust system


I agree, extend the back of the trike 2-3 foot though, add the dump box on it, and a 2nd axle behind the main drive wheels and figure out how to make it drive the 2nd set :). 4x5 5 wheeler :). If you went that far, you could also track the tires to be bad ass and go though anything. Should help the back end float too.

[Social Torture]

Water proofing and adding a snorkel will eventually happen. I'll look through the forum and other places for diy snorkel ideas. It just has to work. It doesn't have to look pretty.

An ultra silenced exhaust system never hurts.

Someone I know has an 83 Big Red parts trike. I'll be checking it out this Wednesday. Depending on what kind of shape this parts trike is in and the price is decent, I might hook a trailer to my Doomsday Trike and bring it home. He's even got an ATC110 that might come home with me too... if it's priced right. Somebody has to keep those murderous ATCs from falling into the hands of children.

The 5 wheeler idea would be interesting, but it would probably be a little too much for that 192cc engine.

[ps2fixer]

The 5 wheeler idea would be interesting, but it would probably be a little too much for that 192cc engine.

Just keep it in low range :D

[Social Torture]

The low range doesn't work in the doomsday trike. The high/low gear box in that parts trike works, or so I hear.

If I do buy that parts trike, I'll have to see which one has the best frame and build on that.

[ps2fixer]

If you don't get the parts bike, I have an engine I tore down. The shift shaft was rusted up pretty bad, but the gears and case/cover should be good.

[my1423]

The big red is already set up for minor water, not for submersion like a snorkel is used for.
More dunk and dry.

For the snorkel,
Abs 1 1/2 is cheap.
Need a tall mount and a pee trap u for the top. or 2 90
Seen some use a T on top with 90 on each end. The 90 they mount a plastic ball under. If it gets under water it seals that end and still pulls on the other.
Not sure where they get them. Shop vacs have the same setup to prevent water from flooding the motor.

Biggest issue is plumbing in the breather and sealing the air box.
Loads of silicone seem to be the most common.

They make barbed hose connectors that are for flat mounts. Drill a hole, insert, caulk, tighten the nut.
Same size as the breather line. Most mount them to the air box with a T.
Bottom of the T is a sealed line. This allows oil to collect.
Some get separators and mount those.
Suzuki quads had these.

Next issue is routing so it does not melt on the engine.
If you can not find a decent route, go with hot water pvc. Rated for 450 degrees. Little spendy, but you only need a foot where the head is.
It gets brittle in sunlight so high temp paint is needed.

For the steering head, have seen many solutions.
Removing the headlight, using a solid mount to the frame and allowing the forks to move naturally seems to be the most common.
Next flexible radiator hose in a big loop beside the forks with the snorkel fork mounted.
Last not so popular tail mounted snorkel. Not that great, in the way.

Try to put another pee trap under the air box where the snorkel attaches with a drain.
This way it is a low spot in the system and water will collect there and keep the air box dry.


Another issue is the pull start.
There is a weep hole on the bottom to let water out that can come into it through the rope hole.
Many plug this hole with a stopper to prevent it filling the whole starter with water.
This with a good handle with a rubber collar keeps the starter from flooding, but you must remember to pull the plug to drain the water after every ride and when stored to keep condensation out.
Others let it flood, this can be bad especially with muddy water.

Another overlooked spot is the cdi trigger coil cover,
The wires coming in and the weep hole.
Loads of high temp silicone will seal it up.
Weep keeps condensation out, but allows the unit to flood when submerged.

The gas cap, you need to ditch the one with the on off and find one with the hose vent.
This you can tie to the snorkel.

ALL the electrical connections need removed and pumped full of dielectric grease.
Then as an extra step srinkwrapped. This will keep moisture out and grease in.

The battery needs tied into the snorkel as well.
It needs fresh air to work properly, but tied in or else when it cools it will suck in water.
Needs a long hose and to get air somewhere on the snorkel, not the air box.
You do not want to get oil, gas, ect in the battery.
Some just use sealed batteries. Cost more, not serviceable. Prefer cheap lead acid myself.

Lights. Stock lights will fill with water and pop if submerged.
Some go to sealed beam lights. Led tails.
Others silicone the stock ones.

[Social Torture]

@my1423
- I was leaning toward building my own air box. I don't care much for his snorkel routing, but the air box design appears to be simple and effective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65SymITwiPU
- To keep it simple I'll tie other vents directly into the air box, except the battery vent. I'll keep the battery vent separate from everything else.
- When it comes to sealing off the recoil starter, is that mainly to protect the electric starter? Since the electric starter doesn't work anyway, and I have no intention of fixing it, I'm in the process of eliminating the starter motor and sealing off the holes. I'll definitely take the advice to make a plug for the weep hole and get a good handle with a good boot on it.
- One question that I have for the waterproofing is regarding the exhaust. As long as the engine is running, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'd more concerned about what would happen if the engine stalled while submersed. Is there a way to utilize something like a check valve to seal off the exhaust pipe is the engine stalls?

@ps2fixer
- If I do not get that parts trike, you might hear from me. Even if I do, you might still hear from me. Send me a PM with a few more details. What else do you have? What do want for it? Where, in Michigan, are you located? I might be interested in the whole motor... or whatever is left of it.
The lever is broken off the shaft on my high/low range. It moves when I grab it with a pliers, but nothing engages. There's no grinding sounds coming from it when it's low range, so I think somebody took it apart and didn't put the low gear back in it for whatever reason.


I might end up starting a three wheeler orphanage after this is all said and done. I don't have a problem with that. Somebody has to keep those old death traps away from all the innocent children. LOL!

[my1423]

Electric start is badess in a deep mud hole!
Have you tried to use jumper cables directly on the starter?
Usually the solenoid fails and the starter is fine.
If the starter does not work rarely anything more then bad brushes.
They are also fairly well sealed with o rings.


For the vents make sure the breather either gets a T with a drop line or a separator.
If you don't you will get loads of oil all over the inside of the air box and it might even pool in there.

The video, his design is ok.
Looks restrictive to me.
The feed to the carb is way too small! Needs pipe that the inside diameter is bigger then the carb.
A mod to that would be to put the intakes to the air box far off center to get a swirl effect.
Heavy equipment does this, swirl the air around the filter to use centrifugal force to help separate dirt out.
Placement, If you use that style the battery box may need removed. Maybe even the tool box.
Or you could move the whole air cleaner assembly somewhere else and just plumb in the intake to it.
The top ends of the snorkels need an extra 90 and ball valves to face straight down. Prevents water mud from flinging in and sucking water when that side is at or below water.

Since this is a survival trike I would go with a foam filter myself. Can maintenance it anywhere and you do not need spray oil for it.

For the exhaust. Seems many neglect it.
Stock is pretty small and cheap. If you want more power now is the time to upgrade.
Otherwise,
Take it off, have it washed and sandblasted. Painted. They make an enamel header powder coat that is awesome stuff.
Sure a local car speed shop will have some leftover or maybe doing one and you can get a deal on it. Not cheap.
Seen guys wrap the headers in heat wrap. Helps with performance especially when submerged. Help keep it from cracking as well.
For a tip to prevent backflow flooding.
Check out the local boat shop for old bits.
Most boats and skis use some form of valve.
Wether flap or ball.
Just make sure its not plastic since most boats pump water through the exhaust.
This page shows some options and just how varied they are.
http://www.centekindustries.com/accessories.html

[Social Torture]

Thanks for the information, my1427.

Due to some financial setbacks, this project will have to wait for at least a month or two. In the meantime, I'm in the process of tearing the trike down to a rolling chassis. I got pretty far on that, tonight. I probably would have got the engine, but the mosquitoes were getting too thick. I'm hoping to get that done tomorrow. After that, I'm going to clean the grime off the frame, use some rust stopper, and get some paint on it. I'll have to make note of any bolts and such that are missing and replace as needed. I haven't found any welded-on parts... yet. I hope I don't any.