FZR trike project idea, need advice

[Klondike1020]

I am considering modifying a 97 FZR 600 into an off road on road trike
The bike is a 97 FZR 600 stripped down with dirt tires, since I enjoy this preliminary off road testing I want to move on and make it into an atv rather than a street bike with dirt tires.

I have looked into axle designs and other modifications

Right now I am planning to build a chain drive rear end with dual discs and differential similar to the Franknstein axles that are popular on harley conversions
here is a site for their products.

http://www.mcworx.com/FS40rear.html

I want to make something more compact so I was curious if anyone has suggestions for a good differential other than the Dana. Also I was considering chromolloy over aluminum for the body of the differential.

Does anyone know of smaller diameter DOT approved tires in the R 12-20 range, preferably off road on road.

Once I work out the rear end then I will worry about getting a wider trike fork setup.

Can anyone leave me some links or suggestions?
thanks
~JB aka klondike1020 and former owner of smokey @TF 06

[4cylinders]

hey, early(60's- 70's) datsuns/toyotas had small differentials, like 6'' ring gear. check one out, if it needs to be narrower, moser engineering shortens axles. just had a set done for a mitsubishi pickup.

[cr480r]

Geo tracker front diff... its 5.12 ratio... super small... and aluminum... you can use the tracker rear housing, axles and, side gears for a strength upgrade... my buddy just built a super narrow one for the I.R.S. in his sand buggy..

[Klondike1020]

thanks for the input....
When making a differential of the type I have planned the ring gear is not significant... I want to make a custom housing for the pinion and side gears which will be chain driven. Instead of using one central disc that is affixed to the housing of the pinion gears I plan to use individual discs on each axle behind the wheels. I want to make it light and very compact so the axle is not too bulky for an off road trike. So Ive been looking for axles that bolt in rather than press and that have small pinion and side gears. So Ill look around and see what i can scrounge up at the local junk yards and friends houses ... definatly checkking out those suggested rear ends THANKs

I want to make somthing very similiar to the frankenstein trike rear end.
my aim is to make these changes to their design

To reduce the bulky nature by putting discs on the out side of the differential and using smaller tires and wheels as to allow smaller sproket in the rear with less gear reduction.

Can anyone offer good DOT approved small tires rims ????

[NewOldSchool]

ahhh....i was planning a project very similar to this
i have a bunch of 1992-98 cbr 600 f2-f3 parts......i was thinking of just putting a quad swingarm and axle(maybe a banshee) on it with some quad rear plastics.....it wouldnt be very stable on the road though
i know if you stop by your local quad dealership they have DOT tires for quads......of course, i live in arizona where you can get just about anything you want street legal as long as it has a title(yeah a cr500 )

[cr480r]

it would be sweet if you used a diff with a selectable locker... then once offroad you could slide just like on a real trike...

[LonesomeTriZ]

I am gathering parts for my own (street) trike biuld. The components you would need are very different from a stret bike. The wieght is the biggest problem.

[RedRider_AK]

I think someone has discussed this before. Unless this is for drag use only, I somehow doubt it will be very fun to drive, it's gonna be big and heavy...

[Klondike1020]

ok yeah so it will be big and heavy that is a given, its a 390 somthing pound bike before you strip it down to a naked wonder... then remove front breaks and put dirt tires on it... and its fun to ride... a little scary but fun.

so the moral of the story is that the heavy ones are fun to ride, you should first strip them naked and then ride them in the dirt.

bulky heavy axle is the problem and i am trying to work around it

If i get this done it should be spun aluminum housing that spins with the spider gears about the side gears driving axles that have a light support frame that bind it to the swinger.

It should be very dangerous very heavy and very fast

I was trying to determine a way to make a selectable locker for off road on road.

I dunno maybe ill get a couple scetchs and pics up so somone with more resources and skill might take intrest in the idea. right now its moving very slowly for this broke college student

I should be able to start finding parts next week i hope.

I talked to somone about traker gears adn using the rear axles with the front side gears and they said it sounds feasable but the wheel base will be very wide.

[Klondike1020]

i need to see how much it costs to shorten axles
also i anm checking mule axles and bobcat car axles and other utility vehicle axles
and i will check my golf car axles too even though i dunno if they would be good for high speed or power and strength but i think ill just try a trial and error process
I guess ill post when i actually do somthing other than talk and read
thanks for the comments
~JB aka klondike

??? I found a HarleyGolf car axle.... its differential is compact and the wheel base is better... and on the upside its a 3 wheeler, so i will see what i can do with this rusty mess.... and i found somone who made a street trike with one so i think it will hold up well enough... time to see if it can handle dirt.

[oldskool83]

If you want to make a fizzer a 3wheeler, i would have a custom swingarm made to just use some stright axle off what ever off-road trike you want. i dont think you need street legal axles and rear ends.

also are you going to use different forks or somthing? the stock forks and springs on the fzr600 suck, i own one. i personal would not use a fzr chassis for a 3wheeler...its not gonna handle good with you butt in the air, face to to the ground a 75 rear wheel hp at the end.

good luck trying...id keep it a street bike and use it for what its ment, riding corners

[Klondike1020]

Yeah i assume it would handle terrible its a total night mare as a freak dirt bike right now, but its fast and very unusual. I wanted to make a chain driven differential that could be locking for the back just because i have never seen it before. the reason i wanted to do a project with this bike is because it was cheap.

I was building everything in a way so that it wouldn't be difficult to convert back to a plain street FZR

oh well ill probably play with my rear differential idea and leave the rest alone... ive been too busy with school and work.

[NewOldSchool]

ive seen a couple of rear engine riding lawnmowers with chain driven diffs.....pretty sure that they run 41 chain.....they have to be pretty strong to stand up to the torque put out by a lawn tractor....i think its made by LAWN BOY......kind of narrow though...it would need widening