VW Trike epiphany

[rally4x4racer]

I have been considering a VW TRIKE project over the last couple years while I tie up some older loose end projects and the other day I had what may be a really good idea.... Im looking at this sandrail and thinking I wanna build one of those too... thinking about that IRS - WTF - just build an offroad VW TRIKE!!!! - this way I wont need a sandrail too .......

keep it as light as possible - barely street legal - high performance and well balanced.....

The main question I have is will it still be too heavy?

Ideas welcome...

r4r

[Vealmonkey]

You better go back to work so you quit having any more dumb ideas. I would thing it would be way to heavy. I saw a vw trike that was a sand dragster, but I wouldn't want to try and ride one on any trails, and forget jumping it. You would really have to have the 930 cv joints and such to help it live. Also you would have to make the frame pretty beefy to handle much trail running. Have you seen how the frames are put together on most old school vw trikes? Basically just one large tube that runs the length of the frame from nece to torsion tube! I would not trust that off road! A vw engine and trans would probably weigh more than most trikes.

[ratvespa]

I actually met a old timer who made off road VW trikes back in the day (70's) he showed me a few pics of his. Looked pretty cool. I lost track of him since I moved.

I am actually in the business of manufacturing VW trikes, I work for www.rewaco-trikes.com in las vegas. I have seen a lot of trikes, but not too many off road trikes that were vw powered. My guess is there ia good reason for it, you can't shift your weight as much on something as heavy as a vw trike vs a atc trike. but if you are not planning to make it hard core off roader it would be a fun project, plus you can register them as a motorcycle.

[RedRider_AK]

Leave the VW engine and tranny's to the sandrail/Manx guys.

[rally4x4racer]

thats the biggest problem I see -----WEIGHT

I am sure it would be hard to shift your weight around, but I think you could take some of this out by running wider tires and keeping it low - plus it would have to be short wheel based.

I doubt it would be a hardcore off road trike as it would not be that flickable.

Vealmonkey - thanks for your support! Does this make you my #1 sponsor?

[Vealmonkey]

Sponsor???? My phone bill and bar tab are overdrawn cause of you already. Let alone how the UPS people cringe whenever I bring in any more boxes to ship to Arkansas. Who admits to living in Arkansas anyway?! If you can't keep your rear end from dragging on a 250r, and can't figure out how to shift a motorcycle, what are you going to do with reverse???? LOL
I know you haven't finished all your other projects.
Hey, how about a 944 powered trike? Sounds like an idea. Maybe add a
cb750 front end to the blazer. At least you have all the parts at your disposal. Or better yet, don't you have a nice bike to cut up for a front end? LOL You're scaring me Jef. Maybe you can trike out a destroyer or a frigate or something, swabbie. Hahahahaha

[El'Capitan]

Sponsor???? My phone bill and bar tab are overdrawn cause of you already. Let alone how the UPS people cringe whenever I bring in any more boxes to ship to Arkansas. Who admits to living in Arkansas anyway?! If you can't keep your rear end from dragging on a 250r, and can't figure out how to shift a motorcycle, what are you going to do with reverse???? LOL
I know you haven't finished all your other projects.
Hey, how about a 944 powered trike? Sounds like an idea. Maybe add a
cb750 front end to the blazer. At least you have all the parts at your disposal. Or better yet, don't you have a nice bike to cut up for a front end? LOL You're scaring me Jef. Maybe you can trike out a destroyer or a frigate or something, swabbie. Hahahahaha

how about keep the sarcasm/flaming down a little. No need for posts like that to scare away could be members. Keep it civil.

[rally4x4racer]

all you had to say was " I fully support you..." and I would have gotten the point.

[icp4life162005]

I don't get it?!?

[rally4x4racer]

lol - i am talking to vealmonkey on AOL right now - we were just laughing at this spectacle... but for the record;

he enjoys flaming...

BTW - my earlier response was to VM.. which was total sarcasm. I will try to keep it to a minimum in the future.

any other ideas for a "trike from scratch" or close to scratch - maybe frankentrike with big power and advanced suspension?

[Vealmonkey]

If you really want to build something wild, try and kawi 2 stroke triple. 500 or 750 would rock. Keep trying to find an 750 triple for the rd frame.