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Thread: Mini Rat Rod Drag Chopper Trike

  1. #1
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    Jul 2010
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    Mini Rat Rod Drag Chopper Trike

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    I don't know what to call it, but it goes and stops now.

    It's a project I didn't need, but bought as a roller a few months back because I couldn't pass up the funky thing.

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    It handles like...well, a shopping cart dropped from 10,000 feet, but I took it down the gravel road today and didn't die.

    This is a one-of-a-kind home brew. That's code for booger welds galore (a few of them are mine). Understanding the original builder/s probably threw this together with things they had lying around, as a fun project, it's important to keep that in perspective to the changes I made.


    New custom 1" rear axle (right wheel 3/4")
    New tires all around
    New left wheel
    Used replacement right wheel
    New axle bearings
    New axle lock collars
    New hydraulic disk brake assembly
    New chain
    New rear sprocket
    New air filter
    New carb gaskets
    New spring seat

    I converted the current engine from points to electronic ignition using parts from two other 5hp Briggs engines I have.


    It was a bit more than I anticipated to get it where it is now. Mainly the rear axle and related parts. What they had on it was some type of riding mower differential that was a total mess and had axle stubs welded to it that were all kinds of off center and not useable. Literally couldn't replace the axle bearings without cutting the axles off. The gearing they had was for like 40mph, which is certainly reaper taunting speed on this thing. I got it set for around 25mph, and that's still not a walk in the park.

    I tried it with a live axle, but with the steering geometry and such little weight over the front, the turning circle was in hectares, not feet. Now, the left is the drive and braking wheel, and the right is on bearings. Under brisk acceleration, it pulls hard to the right, but levels off with less throttle and goes relatively straight when cruising. From a stop, it makes a right turn in a really small circle. A left turn isn't too bad either.

    I had to completely redesign the brake. They were using a cable operated rear master cylinder with a remote reservoir, and it was all frozen when I got it. The new brake is overpowered, but stops straight. No problem locking the tire up. The 'new' sprocket isn't true, so the brake pulses when lightly applied.


    The rear axle was a compromise. The whole thing is just goofy and nothing is going to handle well anyway. The right of the axle is keyed, so it's easy to put a different right wheel on to make it a solid live axle and ride wheelies all day, it'll just turn poorly.


    Obviously, the front forks have so much flex, rough roads have it bouncing like a caffeine infused, Mexican jumping bean.


    I really don't have the room for this and need to focus on other projects, so I'm going to try and sell it. If I don't, I'll modify it to a theme to use in some nearby parades.
    Last edited by ATC King; 03-22-2020 at 01:40 AM.
    The story of three wheels and a man...

  2. #2
    Scootertrash's Avatar
    Scootertrash is offline Just Too Addicted: Protecting Our Community The day begins with 3WW
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    I like it!

    Needs a springer front end
    Quote Originally Posted by fabiodriven View Post
    Trick the people into thinking they're enacting their own will and you have willing slaves.

    Liberalism suspends the intellect of its victims, while at the same time tricking them into believing that they're smarter than everyone else.


    If we've done business together, please leave me feedback. Thank You!:

    http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthr...t=Scootertrash

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2006
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    The Open Road
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    Quote Originally Posted by ATC King View Post

    It handles like...well, a shopping cart dropped from 10,000 feet, but I took it down the gravel road today and didn't die.

    .


    Success!

    I love it, Clint

    Looks cool as hell. I'd be proud of it.



    Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Scootertrash's Avatar
    Scootertrash is offline Just Too Addicted: Protecting Our Community The day begins with 3WW
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    Any idea what the frame came from?
    Quote Originally Posted by fabiodriven View Post
    Trick the people into thinking they're enacting their own will and you have willing slaves.

    Liberalism suspends the intellect of its victims, while at the same time tricking them into believing that they're smarter than everyone else.


    If we've done business together, please leave me feedback. Thank You!:

    http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthr...t=Scootertrash

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    new england
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    Cool piece
    I definitely would have grabbed it also

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Arkansas
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scootertrash View Post
    Any idea what the frame came from?
    The now top tube, was the bottom tube of a bicycle, and the steering neck. The tube to neck weld is factory to the bicycle, then the hand drilled and cut gussets were added on.

    The forks are just extended bicycle forks.

    The engine plate looks manufactured, so it possibly came from a go-kart. It may be the rear section cut from a kart because the bottom is all square tubing.

    The rear axle was some type of chain driven differential, possibly from an old riding mower. I'm not certain about that either, because it's a style of lightweight differential, similar to ones still available for pedal trikes. It didn't have the proper bearing support either way.

    It does have BMX stunt pegs welded on as the foot pegs.

    You'll notice some unused tabs on the frame, under the seat. Those were for the seat mounting they made. It was a very skinny bicycle seat with a nut welded to the front for a front pivot, and one of those cheap Walmart bike rear shocks welded to the bottom and bolted to the very end of the frame. An non adjustable setup, that just looked cluttered and the shock was so weak it collapsed when anyone set on it, making it useless. I've left them on for now and was planning to cut the front pivot tabs off and use the rear for a wheelie bar strut, because the flat steel they attached the wheelie wheel to was a little twisted from no support.

    That's a roller blade or scooter wheel.

    The current seat post is what I added. It's a ATC185 front wheel bearing spacer (ends were messed up), that just happened to be the right diameter for a seat post. I drilled completely through the top tube and welded both sides. My welds are terrible though. Thick seat post tube, trying to weld to thin bicycle frame, with a flux core, 110V mig. It's been holding so far, and hasn't left my cheek skin on the road anywhere. The seat is adjustable for height (a little) and angle now.

    There's one other unused tab near the seatpost that was a brake reservoir mount and a bracket on the bottom right of the frame that used to hold the rear master cylinder that was being cable operated. The cable operated setup made the handlebars look a little cleaner, although it made the system more complex. It was frozen and I wasn't too sure about the stopping power of the setup, so I just simplified it by going with a front brake system for a motorcycle. Making a removable bottom caliper mount and modification to the original top caliper mount was all it took.

    The rest I don't have a clue about. I bought it from a brother or cousin of the guy who built it and it hadn't run in years. I think he said the guy had a motorcycle shop in in Northwest Arkansas.
    Last edited by ATC King; 03-22-2020 at 12:44 PM.
    The story of three wheels and a man...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Florida
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    I love the brake/sprocket combo, that's brilliant!

    MrC.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Arkansas
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    Thanks, but it's not an original idea.


    A lot of custom chopper builders back in the day done that.
    The story of three wheels and a man...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Arkansas
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    2,196
    I found out the wheelie bar is inadequate.


    Somehow I ended up on my back, with a tire mark all the way up it, and the trike laying on it's side.

    All I know is the front end came up, and kept a coming. VTEC kicked in yo!





    Going to look at the security camera footage in a bit. How I got the tire mark up my back is a mystery.
    The story of three wheels and a man...

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