Indian Tadpole

Steve I'm a big fan of the Silver bear's phrase built "in the spirit of"... there's a lot of creative freedom released in that short phrase. My interests are eclectic & my personality somewhat compulsive, persistent and eccentric, and my training keeps me focused & goal oriented; so splitting the Tadpole project into an opportunity to build an Indian style sidecar project makes a great deal of sense to me. Who doesn't like a two for one deal?

Completion of the Tadpole with a new frame. Would that new frame be a Flyer. Pat offers the heavier wall DOM tube & wider rear triangle version frame which is used used in the Bonneville bikes that should allow enough clearance for the drive line, but your current frame still has to mount a drive line that will clear whatever engine/rear wheel & tire combination you select for the Indian sidecar. The seat stay problem needs to solved to your satisfaction and not just "kicked down the road" to solve later on the sidecar build.

One thing to keep in mind is running a 1.95" tire on an appropriate size rim will also give more room for adjustment of the drive chain. Did I mention I'm persistent?

Rick C.
 
Very true Rick. The tri car as I said when I started building it would be a close but not exact copy of an Indian tri car. Not a 'tribute" or a "clone" as so many copies are called.

What I have I mind for the frame is to get another bike frame like the tri car has now and widen the seat stays so they will clear the rear sprocket and change the rear sprocket over to the new frame and order the parts from Pat to use on the new frame so it can be mounted on the tri car This will eliminate the need to mess with the current seat stays.

The current tri car frame will receive a smaller rear sprocket that will fit the frame and have a sidecar attached that would be based on the tri car seat. The early sidecars were often more of a sit up position than sit down in. The seat for the tri car was a whole lot of fun to build and I would enjoy a chance to make another one.

The Sportsman Flyer Tri Car? How many times have I designed that in my mind. I have three what I believe are golf cart frames that were purchased from e-bay. Silverbear bought one and I bought two and now have Silverbears as well. They are square tubing with go kart spindles welded on them and golf cart/go kart hubs. The hubs will be removed and the spindles replaced if they are not long enough. The rest could be based loosely on the Indian tri car front end with a different style of seat.

Once the current tri car proves it's self the Sportsman Flyer Tri Car may be the next project with a S.F. 200 frame with the Indian style tank and Pats forks and a Worksman front and rear drum brake wheel with a sidecar available when the bike is removed from the tri car attachment. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too. A replacement frame for the present tri car won't take long to build and the traded out frame can wait it's turn.

My son will begin his return trip from Uruguay next March and his plans at the moment are to settle somewhere on the west coast. Probably in Oregon or Washington state but the Big Bend area of Texas had his attention when he passed through. When he settles down my plan is to give him a lot of the builds and a lot of the pile of parts I stored away. My thrill is building them and riding them for a while and then going on to the next one.

Persist away, Sir. It's been proven more than once that a much firmer hand on the ships tiller than mine has been needed.

When I go into the garage tomorrow I'll have to see if the form for the camel back tank is still around. That's an after supper fun job that I enjoy. I think there is some of the furnace duct that volunteered it's self last time still out back. I'll have to look.

Steve.
 
Steve, sticking with the Tadpole build to this point shows your persistence already. Changes late in a build or at any point along the way shows your dedication to the project becoming better & not being a slave to ego & some form of fixation to an original plan. I believe most of us often become aware of important details during the course of fabrication which should have been considered & planned for during initial design. None of us are even close to perfect. I tell myself quite often "Get over yourself & just deal with it." That's what I see you now doing. Building a better Tadpole & planning an interesting Indian sidecar project utilizing the Tadpole frame... your now "making sweet lemonade without wasting the leftover lemons" - two great projects from one. Doesn't get much better than that! Keep having fun.....

Rick C.
 
Ludwig II said:
Welcome back! One just for you:

http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http:...to.php?idf=Bellier-Veloto-50-1406&h=wAQGo51XN

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Hello Zoran, good to hear from you again. The problems are slowly getting resolved and I'm hopeful that the tri car will be running soon.
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Click to expand...
Hello Ludwig and FatsEddy!
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Thank you on welcome...
Sorry, I couldn't open Ludwig's web-link - not being memebr of Facebook!
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For all of you, for a little of fun - simple quadricycle! Only, where to find 3 legionares and thier carabines (rifles)?

Seriously, I consider such concpet with two bicycles simply connected for two riders, one at each of them - similar to present quadricycle. Only, it would be good if both of us are seating in the same time - quite unstable and dangerous if just one is seating and pedaling... So, I choose seating between bicycles that complicated everything a lot. We shall see...
Zoran
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............. HA!
I menaged to open web-site!
Beautiful velomobile and proof that such vehicles are possible and could be practical - saw them some decades ago!
Z.
 

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That's too true Curt. I keep saving photos for later reference. Never going to use them but it feels good to have them saved up.

Steve.
 
I looked all over and can't find the form for the Indian camel back gas tank I made so I'll make another one. I kept the pattern so it's not a problem.

I think I have the throttle mount figured out for the tri car. It doesn't need to be anything brilliant. The outer cable needs to stop against one side and a return spring will rest against the other side to push the throttle closed.

Just not much room to work in. The carb mounts on the bottom of the crankcase and the frame and the motor mount are very close to it. Tomorrow I'll see how it works.

Steve
 
Try as I might small yet useful items, especially once used or seldom used, just vanish. I'd not considered Gremlins a possibility, but I'm now willing...considering the alternatives mostly involve me!

Usually I've allowed plenty of space on the frame. It's just not located where it's required. Have fun! Rick C.
 
After a lot of searching it seems that my brother threw it out for whatever reason. When I go out I'll try to get to Home Depot and get some more MDF and make another one.

Steve
 
Just a quick up date on the tri car. I am close to getting the throttle to carb hook up figured out and finished. I'll get some photos up in a couple of days when there is more done or it's finished.

Steve.
 
Arthritis flared up and slowed things down but I almost have the throttle worked out. Hopefully it will get done tomorrow and I'll have photos of it all.

Steve.
 
Today was attempt # 15. Yep, I kept track of them and as soon as I can work out a return spring I'll take photos of the little bit it took to do it. In the end it was embarrassingly easy to do.

Here is something to look at. It reminds me of Anne. Might be an easy build. Yes I can say that with a straight face.

Steve.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...9271390454_3801657516910732154_n-jpg.3256916/

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...49271310452_520033659142424958_n-jpg.3256917/

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...49271270451_595275446940014252_n-jpg.3256918/
 
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The last picture of the 3. Old cloth wire with plastic ends , somewhat old school. LOL

That's a cool bike, thanks for posting ..........Curt
 
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Steve, I like that front-drive trike. Never used tiller steering before, so I don't know how I'd feel about it. But I like the comfy looking seat and the front-drive. It seems a practical and pleasingly vintage-looking ride. A nice kind of old-school cool.
 
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