Cannonballs Threesome--Wheels Of Course!

cannonball2 · Aug 24, 2014

Started a trike, never have done one so figured its time. Based on a 1953 Schwinn step thru. Found a NOS bare conversion for cheap on ebay. I already had a 36" 5/8 keyed axle and precision bearings so this worked out great. due to the strange nature of the build I need all the clearance I can get around the rear drop outs so decided to weld the conversion after trimming the forward arms off. To decrease the load on the rear triangle I will be adding stout bracing from the outer axle tubes to the seat post area, like seen on many older trikes. Rear seems narrow so will be spacing the wheels up to 4" with some stout wheel spacers.
Power will be a 48v 500w wheel motor that I may under volt to keep speed down. I motorized a trike for my son using an HF 79cc. Thing was scary over 15mph. Was probably just that trike. Any way waiting on parts so not much more to do til they get here.

Lungcookie · Aug 24, 2014

Are you selling bikes or just playing with them?
You hide them from the wife?
I am already catching flak for making a second.

That rear-end looks like something off a VW bug.

That front single wheel will all ways be unstable.
You ever watch Top Gear? the British version, Jeremy Clarkson drives that 3 wheel car, Reliant Robin...on its side most of the time.

I have been contemplating a recumbent trike, 2 front wheels.
They look really stable and the are fast without motors.
Couple weeks ago I came up on 2 guys riding recumbent trikes all mellow down the road.
As I got next to them one guy put the power on and took off. No motor.
Was all I could do to catch and pass him, I was going 27mph, pedaling like mad!

Made me think 'hey that's pretty sweet'.

cannonball2 · Aug 24, 2014

I haven't recently counted the motorized bikes I have but off the top of my head I think its 4)IC bikes and 4) E bikes this trike will make 5. I had about twice this many before I moved so the wife is thinking Im pretty sensible now-lol. But theres two 150cc scooters and a KLE 650 in the garage so Im running out of room!
This thing is just to ease around on. Im pretty aware of the limitations. I drove an original Austin Cooper S around on three wheels a lot back in the 70s. Guess thats trike experience?
This thing will be a vintage type build hopefully looking the early part of the last century. All of the E stuff will reside in a leather trunk between the rear wheels. Only the motor will be partially visible. The only thing up to date is a black thumb throttle with no LEDS or buttons and a disc brake on the rear axle which is basically hidden under the trunk. Even the voltmeter is from the 1920s. Might be kinda steam punk looking.

silverbear · Aug 24, 2014

Signing on for your thread... sounds interesting!
SB

cannonball2 · Aug 26, 2014

Got some parts in/work done. Made the struts from the axle tube to seat post. I trammeled the conversion carefully and it is in perfect alignment, want the best handling that can be had from one of these. Got my drive parts from Staton(great folks!). When contemplating this build I really didn't want a hub motor plainly visible. So figured I could mount it in place of the transfer hub used on most trikes. After a lot of careful head scratching I cut the new motor loose from its wheel. Well it all fits as figured! Am running 2 freewheels one pedal, one motor. This will allow pedaling with out motor drag.
Life would have been easier maybe if I had a rear wheel kit(long axles may have been a problem) but I didn't. The kingpin part of this conversion was the hand made to fit 18t motor drive sprocket made from a coaster hub sprocket.
So the drive is basically completed, brake disc is in place, just needs a caliper mount fabbed. I had some antique script decals made for the motor, plan to dress it up a bit to look old.
Will be running 24x3 cream Felt Thick Bricks on the rear with a matching 26 on the front. Also using my last long spring seat a Mesinger De Lux B as well as a set of antique pedals.

silverbear · Aug 26, 2014

Wow, when you said this was going to be different, you weren't kidding, were you! Looking good...
SB

cannonball2 · Aug 27, 2014

Thanks SB!

Got it up on the wheels. Didn't have them when I welded the rear frame so the careful calculations on determining rear axle height paid off with the mounting bars for the trunk being level. Have seen many of these conversions with the bars at an angle.

So far so good! I have had simpler builds give me more problems. Wife is already eyeing this one as being more her type versus the other E bikes I have. If it gets her riding, fine!

Lungcookie · Aug 28, 2014

Now I see what your doing. haha
Get the wife on ebikes! Good thinking.
Surprised she is not on that last one you built.
Just have to paint it her favorite color. Sold.

cannonball2 · Aug 28, 2014

Shes like that with everything I build or get. Gotta have it/one then uses it a couple of times then its a dust catcher. We will see how this one goes.

Learned two important lessons today. 1: Don't forget you are wearing sandals when you are welding something in a vice directly over your feet! 2: If your new hub motor seems to have bad bearings or maybe you think there is a piece of debris that is causing it to intermittently feel very rough when you turn it, DONT take it apart to see. Check the phase wires, the bare terminal ends have probably gotten together. This thing was running me nuts trying to figure it out when something I read at The Sphere went popped into my head. Yep now I know what a hub motor tear down is.

cannonball2 · Sep 3, 2014

The trike is coming along, got it on its wheels and the trunk to hide the electrics mounted. There is enough room in the trunk to run two controllers, and different battery types. I plan to initially run a 48v set up. If its too fast for the squirrely handling Im expecting I will under volt the system to 24v. I could mount both controllers and just swap wiring say if the better half wants to ride(24v) then 48v it when I ride it for wheel lifting terror in the neighborhood. I have 15ah SLAs that I could use to add weight to the rear for stability or I can run my 15ah LI pack. I like the variability.

I also restored the vintage Wico Cyclo Motor speed controller. Its ready to mount once its wired. A throttle cable mounts in the black post and hooks to the gear wheel to control the motor.
Cant get a decent pic of the trike inside but you get the idea. Will have to dismantle it to get it outside.

silverbear · Sep 4, 2014

What great stuff you're doing with this trike... I love the retro look given by the leather trunk & seat along with the cream tires. Controller is pretty neat, too. Keep those pictures coming. What a nice footprint that trike has. Might not be too squirrelly
SB.

cannonball2 · Sep 4, 2014

Thanks SB! Im having fun with this one. Being electric its been a pretty easy build. Took a bit of finesse to get the hub motor frame mounted but once done the only big deal was painting the rims. I usually dismantle wheels to paint, but having three to do I opted for careful sanding, taping and painting while assembled. Took about 1.5hrs/wheel and wasn't a lot of fun! turned out well, but may be just about as easy to unlace them next time.
I bought a really cool Hawthorne antique kerosene bike lamp in a nice patina. Has all its jewels as well at a tail light jewel. Turned out the original wick was in it and after adding lamp oil it fired right up just like it did new! Im guessing they were used to let other folks see you coming as it provides about zip lighting down the road.
Seeing this is an electric era vintage type build I realized it needs electric lighting. Bought a vintage Star railroad inspection lantern that I hope to be able to make look at home on the bike as an old headlamp.
Heres a pic of the "restored" Cyclo Motor control on the rear triangle above the "Cyclo Motor"
BTW the track is 32" how does that compare with your build?

silverbear · Sep 4, 2014

Painting wheels is nobody's idea of fun. I use straws slit down the middle to mask the spokes and spin the wheel slowly while spraying. I don't know of a fast way to do it, but they sure look good when done and give it that "back when" look.
I'm guessing my wheelbase is within a half inch of yours since my axle is 36" from C clip to C clip. Add a washer at each end and subtract 3.5" (each hub is 3.5), so from center of tire to center of tire it would be just a bit wider than yours if I've done my math right... which is no sure thing.

Control looks great.
SB

cannonball2 · Sep 4, 2014

Thanks SB. I cut 2" fro the 36" axle and my driver hub( a 5/8 sprocket) is welded to the outside of the drive wheel. I hadn't noticed when I measured the wheel had slipped outward so the tread is really 31". Still looks like a decent spread.

Got the last pieces of the build today. The circa 1920 volt meter and the railroad light. The volt meter works perfectly. Its a pocket unit about the size of a pocket watch. The + terminal is meant to be held against the source. Will have to mod that. Will mount it to the upper frame rail at the steering head.
I think the RR light will work/look fine once modded. Will remove the stand and hopefully be able to cut and mod the handle to mount in some fashion to the steering stem. Once "antiqued" a bit I thing it will look the part. The thing is pristine, hate to cut it in a way, but gotta do it.

dirtwarrior · Sep 4, 2014

I would like to see pictures of the HF 3 wheeler

cannonball2 · Sep 4, 2014

OK. http://motorbicycling.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=45234&d=1329771022

dirtwarrior · Sep 5, 2014

Nice and very clean. I bet it runs well

cannonball2 · Sep 5, 2014

I did the conversion for my son. He was going to paint it to finish the project. I never liked the way it handled, it was not a good trike for this conversion. Too small, narrow and light with all the weight in the back. We should have probably inframed it(motor up front), but this is the way he wanted it. Havent a clue where it is now.

dirtwarrior · Sep 5, 2014

Even moving a few inches forward would help the handling. A lot of weight in back. I bet it has a lot of power

cannonball2 · Sep 5, 2014

It did! With the original low ratio it was a wheelie machine. I raised the ratio to a much higher one to eliminate the wheelies. Of course it was then too fast. I wanted to put a throttle limit in to keep it around 15mph, but he wouldnt hear of it. The young aren't as afraid/smart as us older folks. He used to scare me pretty good tearing around on it. Hope its broken somewhere so no one gets hurt!

Cannonballs Threesome--Wheels Of Course!

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