Spooky tooth conversion kit... Vintage 30's cruiser to trike?

Curtis,
You have now read AZbill's post regarding the smaller sprocket size at the axle. If you are making your own is there any problem doing it so that a normal sprocket can be used? High top end is not a value to me on a two wheeler, but good low end start up power and hill climbing power are important. Especially for an older rider on a three wheeler it is just as well if top speed is 25 to 30at most, especially for an older rider not used to either three wheels or going fast. What do you think?
SB
 
Jack shafts would take it any speed you want,and a shift kit could really give a range of speeds for the persons abiliby and skill of riding,a CVT would be neat ahead of the shift kit,,,,speeds down to a crawl up to 20/30 mph(that sounds fast)
 
If You were fabbing or having one fabbed up for You the crossbar brace could have as much space as needed only limited by ground clearance and you could use a modified hub as a geared jackshaft similar to this ( I borrowed this photo from Grauchos work) In the original dropout area Just add a sprocket to left side of hub
graucho.jpg
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Cheers
 
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silverbear said:
Curtis,
You have now read AZbill's post regarding the smaller sprocket size at the axle. If you are making your own is there any problem doing it so that a normal sprocket can be used? High top end is not a value to me on a two wheeler, but good low end start up power and hill climbing power are important. Especially for an older rider on a three wheeler it is just as well if top speed is 25 to 30at most, especially for an older rider not used to either three wheels or going fast. What do you think?
SB
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Being that I can weld and all I will probably do like the Atomic Zombie with the 5 or 7 speed hub and drive it like a shift kit Staton sells free wheel sprokets that fit verious shafts ( used for the rear axel to )that could be used like a shift kit to drive a second sproket up front. Eather with the pedles or seperate. I have seen 5 speeds on a 20" so you don't need that long of chain. Ok now for the engine the Transmission are bolted on with 4 bolts ( don't have one yet to know for sure ) and there is now reasion that you can't flip it and face it fowerd and put it in the back of the bike.
Or if you go to Worksman site you will see that there three wheelers have three speed hubs and are used as jack shafts just in front of the rear axel. You can get them in eather coaster brake ( be KOOL no extra brake to mount in the rear ) or free wheeling. I don't know what they coast. ( maybe even a bike shop could get them) They could be easyer to mount.....Curt
 
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chainmaker said:
If You were fabbing or having one fabbed up for You the crossbar brace could have as much space as needed only limited by ground clearance and you could use a modified hub as a geared jackshaft similar to this ( I borrowed this from Grauchos work) In the original dropout area Just add a sprocket to left side of hub
graucho.jpg
[/IMG]
Cheers
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This is cool. Do you know the post for this.
Its why didn't I think of that.
 
silverbear said:
Curtis,
You have now read AZbill's post regarding the smaller sprocket size at the axle. If you are making your own is there any problem doing it so that a normal sprocket can be used? High top end is not a value to me on a two wheeler, but good low end start up power and hill climbing power are important. Especially for an older rider on a three wheeler it is just as well if top speed is 25 to 30at most, especially for an older rider not used to either three wheels or going fast. What do you think?
SB
Click to expand...

SB What size rear wheels are you thinking of in the rear? Most are 20"?
 
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I think the geared jackshaft would probablt give the easiest to build results

I had read graucho's fat tire build before, and never even thought of using that idea for a trike,,,thanks ;)
 
azbill said:
I think the geared jackshaft would probablt give the easiest to build results

I had read graucho's fat tire build before, and never even thought of using that idea for a trike,,,thanks ;)
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The best 3 speed drive gear box I seen is in Motor bike Pictures section page 4 Herry from Germany It apears to be driven from the left side with two sprockest on the right. I asked how but he never replied. I have been looking for a three speed hub to play with but so far havn't found one Find plenty others but not coaster brake.
 
curtisfox said:
SB What size rear wheels are you thinking of in the rear? Most are 20"?
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The only ones I seen are eather 24" wheels or 20" wheels I have a 20 that hs the back wheel are all croked and rusty. They would have to be relased diferant rims. I supose that would be to small for you?
 
Curtis,
I think when the time comes I'll run a 26" 2.125 wheel up front and two 24" 2.125 wheels in back. I may already have the wheels and want to try lacing old ones with heavier spokes, like what Bairdco has been doing with original wheels bringing them up to snuff for motored bikes. I want to try it anyway. I think winter would be a nice time of year to experiment with wheels; something to do inside by the fire when snow is falling outside the window.
SB
 
I have what I think is diferant. Its a Clumbia 3 wheeler. The only problum it been hacked up I got it ant the scrap yard for $3. Who ever had it cut the rear and seat post and welded a motor mount plate out back. But all the wheels and tires are there. So when I said I had to build a new rear I could just as well build two. The wheels have wider hubs. So if you are going to lace some wheels you should widen them first. And another thing diferant is this bike has a diferential like the Go-Karts use, so the wheels are fastend solid and the dif does the work. I have a couple extra of thoes rear ends out of early garden tractors. Or could just build one like the worksman with free wheel hub.
 
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solventerprises said:
Silverbear,
Did you manage to find a solution for this?
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Yes and no, since it is a long range project I won't begin on for at least half a year and perhaps even a year from now. I have a totally different project I'm working on right now (Silverbear's Worksman Cruiser) which involves some new territory for me and after that a 1950 Panther which will get a four stroke engine, another foray into something new and different as I have only done 2 stroke builds so far. I'm not like some of the creative geniuses here on the forum. I'm no mechanic, not an engineer and don't understand some of this well enough to innovate. I am handy and enthusiastic with a good deal of time on my hands as an elder, even if sometimes I don't have the energy to use the time well. I am also trying to do too many things with too little money, but having a great time. I ask people more clever and knowledgeable here for advise and am always gratified to find teachers willing to share what they know.
So that is where I am with a three wheeler. I know I want to make one, perhaps for others, but certainly one for myself. It doesn't take a great deal of imagination to see that in ten years I may need one if I want to ride. And I have a driving interest in sharing the fun I've had with other elders who may think their lives have passed them by and they are too old to ride a motorbicycle. Having experienced some disability in my life (partial paralysis, traumatic brain injury from a lightning strike) I would also like to see the joy of motorbicycling extend to the borderline disabled, making rides as user friendly as I can. It would give me a lot of satisfaction to help someone else, as having the wind in my face on a motored bike has helped me.
Call it "research and development" if you will. All who have contributed to this thread have expanded my understanding of what is possible and now I have some ideas on how to go about it. A few weeks ago I didn't even know a conversion kit was out there, let alone that there are different options. I'll be watching other people's builds closely and asking more questions. By the time I begin I will have set aside the frame I intend to use (right now I'm partial to a 1940 Schwinn "The World" step through cruiser) and will have wheels set aside for the build and will already have a picture in my mind of where I want the build to go. All the good fellas here will have smoothed the way and given me the confidence that I can do this new thing, too.
So that is the long winded answer to your question... "yes and no". I'm still learning about it. How about you? Is this something you want to do?
SB
 
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