pusher trailer trike

A

alkllimike

New Member
I hope this all come through. I have a Penninger recumbent trike that was a good trike but the slowest trike I have ever ridden It was great around town. I decided that I wanted to power it with out changing the trike it self. I found the engine on sale at Harbor Freight for $100 and the mini bike frame in a guy's front yard for $20 . I then altered the mini bike frame to put the engine in and hook it to the frame of the Penninger. I used a bike brake lever for a throttle and wired a kill switch by the seat.

The trike handles the push trailer great in fact I believe it helped the stability when turning. The combination works much better then I expected. All together I have about $150 in the push trailer. I use it as a daily driver to go to town for shopping and just kick around. Works great. The one big problem is I live up a gravel road with a short steep hill. I have to get a good run on the hill or the trailer push wheel will start to spin over the rocks. It does good on the pavement but you have to use the throttle lightly or you will burn rubber.

I have another Penninger trike I can remove the front wheel and hook it to the pusher trailer back frame and use it as a powered tandem. The added weight on the pusher will corrects the above mentioned problem. The 6 hp engine is more than what is required but the price was right for the engine. I have even hooked a special trailer I built for my disable brother and hooked it behind my wife's trike behind the pusher trailer and my trike in the lead and pulled a 24 foot train with no problems
 

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if it spins in dirt/gravel I wonder how well it will work on wet /snowy streets?
Hop you have a kill switch hooked up you can reach from the seat of the trike without turning around
 
Ibedayank said:
if it spins in dirt/gravel I wonder how well it will work on wet /snowy streets?
Hop you have a kill switch hooked up you can reach from the seat of the trike without turning around
Click to expand...

I would think it would be OK in snow or wet pavement although I don't plan to ride in such conditions. I would rather be on this trike then on a two week MB or even bike in those condition. Oh heck, being retired law enforcement I don't even like to drive my car in bad road conditions. I could put more weight on the trailer and eliminate alot of the hop but it really isn't that big of a problem. Yes, as stated on my first post I do have a kill switch next to my seat which is handy in an emergency. Like most of the bike on this forum this is a fun thing to ride that has a practical use. Thanks for looking. Mike
 
Good to have a retired police officer amongst us. Driving is such a thrill till you've done it for a living all your life...I was a transit bus driver 11 years in Dallas. These bikes are fun tho they make ya feel like a kid again.
 
george_n_texas said:
Good to have a retired police officer amongst us. Driving is such a thrill till you've done it for a living all your life...I was a transit bus driver 11 years in Dallas. These bikes are fun tho they make ya feel like a kid again.
Click to expand...
I drove a bus for the Marines, just to transport dependent to different function, after I retired. I wouldn't attempt to imagine driving a bus in a big metropolitan area. What a nightmare and Texas gets it share of bad road conditions. I am not sure I would want to ride my bike in a metro area on a good day. Mike
 
Well that is one advantage of having driven transit the bus goes mostly on back streets through neighborhoods which is where you'd want to ride your bike. You are right tho when it turns to ice in Dallas it is best just to stay home and watch the fun on tv. I trained bus drivers I always thought they were awefully brave learning to drive the bus in the city I learned in Roswell NM.
 
To get the traction you need add 2 bungee sticks. Need 2 pieces of pipe that telescope together loosely (need space). Then mount a pulley wheel to the outside of the larger one. The bungee is attached to the inside pipe on one end, and out the side of the larger over the pulley and attached to the outside pipe.

Tension can be adjusted easily. AS you trailer is a beast, you could also mount the pulley to the end of the inside pipe and double bungee with a loop down into the outside pipe.

Now all you need is a mounting tower on the main bike. Attachment can be done with simple loops of reinforced plastic tubing. In this app even a hunk of garden hose will do.

I would mount dead centre on both ends as that should address any steering and cornering issues.
Nice as it is though, cheers, Phil Aka Adventureboy7
 
I looked at your pic again. The mounting tower would be long as is. If you move the trailer back, as in longer attachment for hitch, then you will have the option of using a reinforcing tube or V of tubes (other way up) to your seat back as your top attachment for your bungee pushin sticks.

That should do it, you can iron out the details, Advtrby7
 
adventureboyseven said:
To get the traction you need add 2 bungee sticks. Need 2 pieces of pipe that telescope together loosely (need space). Then mount a pulley wheel to the outside of the larger one. The bungee is attached to the inside pipe on one end, and out the side of the larger over the pulley and attached to the outside pipe.

Tension can be adjusted easily. AS you trailer is a beast, you could also mount the pulley to the end of the inside pipe and double bungee with a loop down into the outside pipe.

Now all you need is a mounting tower on the main bike. Attachment can be done with simple loops of reinforced plastic tubing. In this app even a hunk of garden hose will do.

I would mount dead centre on both ends as that should address any steering and cornering issues.
Nice as it is though, cheers, Phil Aka Adventureboy7
Click to expand...
Thanks, These are a suspension push stick that will actually push the bike? Do the horizontal we'll say at seat level or am I replacing the front forks with them.

It is not as bad as I described because my road is gravel and is not packed down. The rocks are fairly big, my car will spin wheels if I tried to start on the hill up to the house. The engine is a 6hp and if I hit the throttle hard on pavement it will burn rubber. You just have to be careful. I am going to build another push trailer for my other Penninger trike only this trailer I will build, not cut down a mini bike, and will have 3 hp. Mike
 
It was fairly cheap to build and works better than I expected. I didn't do anything to the frame of the bike that can not simply be taken off. The engine is a 4 stroke so no mixing oil and appears to be very reliable. I still got some stuff to do to it but I am very happy with it. I will try to post a picture of the combination in tandem with my other trike. Mike
 
These sticks are mounted to the frame of your bike up high and push down on the frame of the trailer, transferring wgt from your bike to the trailer. Very easy to make. I did not mention how to lube them. Could use white lithium grease as it is clean for grease, or slippery plastic sleeves on the inside of the outside tube. You could use small wheels but if you make them to push hard and shine up the inside tube no lube is really necessary. If you ride lots, lube would stop the tubes from wearing down.
Hope that clarifies your questions.
Adventureboy7
 
Mike, just a thought. Have you experimented with the tire inflation?

Less pressure will help with bounce and give some better contact over gravel. But will create more rolling resistance.

Don't really seem that your all that worried about it. Just typing out loud. (read avoiding yard work, snork)

Again, I really like your build. Simple, inexpensive and does what you wanted. Win/win/win. 2 wins are success. 3 is YeHaa!
 
Thanks Dan,
No I haven't done any think with the tire pressure but I will. The biggest problem and actually it is a problem with every thing I take up my road/driveway is that it is up hill with loose rock and potholes. I can make it if I take a some what run on it. If I go slow it will start to kick up rock and it will start to bounce in the pot hole. Really not that bad but it is there. I think the tire pressure may help a lot. Some times I just have to give it a little help with the pedal, that gives me a 2 wheel drive. Thanks, it is a YeHaa for me any way. Mike
 
LOL Mike. Ayup, on these things, we are the low gear.

Over the winter, I am planning on doing some pushers. One for camping/fishing. one sorta flatbed/pick up truck and one for park rangers in the area. They now use these really cool and incredibly expensive Cushman rancher style carts. (Work golf carts) They are getting long in the tooth and sound it.
Pretty much they need to carry a water jug and a seat for the ranger.
 
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