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BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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A bit silly granted, but what's the point of havin' a full charging system unless ya use it I figure - so, chopped up an old surround sound satellite cabinet to fit two much larger & stronger speakers, cut and recessed the back with an aluminum plate to fit the headrest mount, gutted a near antique PC speaker cabinet and fitted it with a wee lil baby subwoofer, added a tiny 20w amp & we jammin' lol




It looks a bit odd, but it sure does sound sweet heh - I'll be tidying up the wiring, mounting the amp & doin' some finish work to the cabinets now that it's been tested. The headrest speakers are easily removable (velcro) for rain/security BTW. I do still need a crossover for the wee lil sub... unsurprisingly, they're a bit hard to find that small.
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
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N.M.
Indeed it does!! Now I am struggling to figgure what he might have missed? Dunno? When I think absolutly everything is covered there is more! Keeps amazing me with yet more perfection!:)(^)
 

BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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Thanks guys :) ...but as silverbear noted long ago this is my nemesis, that one pesky detail I just can't seem to figure out, odd as it may seem;



...while the T3 does have a water bottle mount, it's canted and awkwardly located on the back of the seat - so it doesn't fit a travel mug and puts my life in peril should I dare use it whilst riding... and what's the point if I can't savor mine cawfee as I roll?

So odds are it'll hafta wait, looks like I'll actually hafta build something like this just to have a place for my cuppa lol;

 

BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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Another thing too long forgotten & finally fixed :D



Just another sunny summer sunday ...rode all day & went nowhere at all, the excuse being "reestablishing fuel efficiency rate under varying parameters" truth being more "vrooom-WhooHoo!" ;)

 
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BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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rotfl Thanks ajoh, it's defo cool & thanks for the link! Pity it's a few years too late for my project, had it been available the build might have taken a different path entirely - although in retrospect I suspect I may be better off with the hybrid aspect, insofar as engine reliability & longevity is concerned ;)
 
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ajoh

Member
Mar 21, 2014
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australia
lol no problem barely. i don't think it would hurt your engine so long as air/fuel ratios are tuned right but i was thinking who knows you may want more power at some point it would save on buying a new engine an possibly needing to mod the frame of your bike to fit a bigger motor

(note i do realize it would mean modding some parts of your frame an bike)
 

BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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Well, it may be only nearing the end of August... but hereabouts that means gearing up to be ready for that long cold dark again, which means winter projects to keep some semblance of sanity at least lol

With that (& me nemesis the cupholder, thx Tom) in mind, we've "one small step" towards what I s'pose is a commitment towards an experimental veloshell for the taddy, something which you may surmise is still viewed with some amount of mixed feelings, for all the reasons stated before (ergonomics, visibility, size, etc.);



...yarp - jus' a roll of free 1" black plastic water pipe, I said "one small step" didn't I? :p

Not much to be sure, then again the prototype aeroshell for the T3 isn't going to be comprised of much more. I'm figurin' laying out a support structure with the plastic water pipe to both evaluate potential complementary shapes & curves, establishing flat planes to be covered in industrial shrink wrap (preferable, may not be rigid enough/flutter) or pop-riveted thin plastic sheet & ofc clear/lightly tinted plexi, the wheel-well cut outs likely to be some scrap 24" aluminum rims cut to fit over/around my 20" front wheels, providing a rigid support for joining the plastic pipe sections.

None of the following is quite the madness I've in mind, but provided the inspiration for such - the first pic below is actually a metal framework but gives a rough idea of the plan for the plastic piping, the second & third pics shows some single-plane curvature I'm considering, to keep costs down & aid ease of construction/repair;




Despite my reservations - as the estimated cost of this experiment is likely less then $50 I figure might as well give it a whirl, to give me something "real" to work with rather then mere shapes on a computer screen, to see if my concerns substantiated or proven silly, to get an idea of the actual benefits vs liabilities of a fully enclosed velomobile.

...but don't hold yer breath as aside from keepin' an eye out for bits, I'm not plannin' much till the snow flies. It'd hardly do to "finish" my winter project jus' in time to put it away for the season lol, it'll be that time again soon e'nuff I fear.
 
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BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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In some ways I like 'em too Intrepid, but the ideas are more other's then mine as I'm just playing "mix n'match", snaggin' bits of other people's stuff to compile my own...

...but to be completely honest, cyclecars have ruined me & I've given no end of deep thought to choppin' up the T3 to reconfigure it as to fit the construction, it's reincarnation as a cyclecar - but I've realized this is a really silly idea for any number of reasons. Not least of which is the T3 worked out far better as designed then I ever dared hope, should I hack & chop to make it something it isn't I'll doubtlessly loose that lol

I'm actually quite happy with it the way it is, the veloshell more an inevitable curiosity then a desire to improve it - I'm jus' kinda wondering how much a practical difference it'll make & if it's "worth" the trade offs. Jus' another experiment in the long list of "erm, mebbes" that made up the thing in the first place heh

*shrug* we'll see I s'pose :D
 

Intrepid Wheelwoman

New Member
Oct 29, 2011
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Not messing up something that is working just fine is a good working principle BA. It's one of the reasons why my own Hercules trike has remained essentially how I first built it up despite my having all manner of bright ideas on how it could be improved.
 

ajoh

Member
Mar 21, 2014
171
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australia
this'll be interesting i'll be following for sure barely........

on the "choppin' up" idea you'd be better off building a whole new "bike" maybe the T4 ? lol
i know you already rejected the "choppin' up" idea but i seriously believe you'd be better off building another one if you went down that path i guess it would give a chance to
maybe "improve" on some points of it too (though i don't know how you could)

maybe it could be so you'd have 2 the one you have now for nice weather days
an this cyclecar idea for wet (snow maybe?) weather days.

just thinking out loud here but then reading it maybe i've given you ideas
hmm (note to self barely's mrs might kick my a.. rethinking trip to america now lol)
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
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northeastern Minnesota
Could this velocar aspect be convertible so that the overcoat goes on when snow arrives and comes off again at spring thaw? One of the things I so like about the tadpole is that the mechanicals are open to view showing anyone looking how it came together and how one thing complements another. Being inside your plastic bubble on a hot summer's day seems all wrong somehow... but in February not a bad idea at all! I know that would complicate things, but ya gotta admit yer tadpole is pretty complicated anyway.
SB
 

cannonball2

Well-Known Member
Oct 28, 2010
3,682
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Colonial Coast USA.
BA your aero shell idea is pretty cool. I have built one homebuilt light aircraft, and one kayak using the riveted tube and gusset method. Its easy and quick once you get into its cadence. Cheap too!. I used light medium hard 1/2" aluminum tubing(kayak not the plane!), which bends to shapes quite easily. For bike aero shell usage I might consider 1/2" PVC or CPVC(cheap). I still favor covering with aircraft fabric. Its not the black art its commonly thought to be. Will follow compound curves beautifully and finish to a high level. Properly done can sit outside in the elements for years. Is also much lighter(using the ultralight fabric) than most common process. Aside from that Lexan can be bought in thin sheets(.065 as I remember) and can be cut with metal shears with no harm(not so with Plexi). This requires a more slab sided shape with simple bends but paints up nicely. You can even paint it from the pack side before you rivet it on. Has that deep clear coat look-lol.

Anyway just a few ideas for thought.
 

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
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Is a double layer of shrink wrap doable or would the heat from the second layer further shrink the first layer?
Maybe some thin rigid foam between the shrink wrap to add protection to the first layer and rigidity at the same time.

Steve
 

BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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You've all hit upon critical details, all of which lead me to believe the plastic pipe prototype is likely the best next step - Intrepid & ajoh, by some stroke of luck the T3 is about as dialed in for preformance street handling appropriate for it's scale & moments as I had any right to expect, better then I'd hoped for... should I change anything I might be able to compensate but likely not & a cyclecar deserves it's own dedicated build in any case. They're not particularly complicated which is ofc part of their charm. The only reason I mulled over the idea of a chop convert is absolutely all of the main components that comprise the T3 would be about perfect for the cyclecar I'd like to build (the unholy crossbreed of vintage appearance & modern materials), tested & true I'd need reinvest in quite the shopping list... while the T3 was an economical build for what it is, my budget is still enjoying the break from what seemed to be a never ending endeavor lol, perhaps next season?

silverbear & cannonball2, aside from I'd never subject the T3 to the winter road conditions enclosed or not (corrosion) - you've also hit on concerns leading to the possible prototype, one of the critical features it has to have is a "convertible" aspect, not just a canopy but the entire shell must be at least somewhat easily removable as well. Not only do I like "ridin' nekkid" (the taddy, not me, sunburn lol) but in order to get the T3 into & out of my shop space I have to tip it on it's side & wiggle it through, with a veloshell this wouldn't work as I've about a half inch to spare as it is. A bit annoying I still very rarely leave it parked out in the elements regardless - with a velo I'll throw together a small shelter outside for it... but I'd still like to easily get it into my shop, or jus' run around "nekkid" as it were.

Using the light aircraft materials is very appealing, I've some experience with Dacron & the UV deterrents have come a long way, but that & the ultralight geodesic design I'd like to use while comparatively simple they're yet still a bit more of a commitment then I'd like to make at this stage... the cheapo mock up will serve to help me ascertain better the shapes I need rather then like, modifications & alterations simpler & cheaper for the inevitable do-overs I've in store. I figure one of two possible results - it'll be subject to structural inadequacies due to the stresses of the speeds I'm traveling (frm just flutter to catastrophic failure/collapse) or it'll work so well enough it'll be then refined, to be kept as-is or replicated with the materials suggested.

fasteddy - a very good question, I'm not sure as that depends only on the rigidity of the internal support structure, of which depends entirely on my design ability. I'm fairly confident I can make it stable enough, the issue being will it be stable enough all the time or will there be an undue amount of inherent flex regardless of supports & gussets. You can ofc have two separated layers of shrink wrap, that's a bit tricky though as is any internal filler - it can't touch anything while hot as they layers will weld together/distort from cool contact. If there's any flex at all in the shared support, they'll never quite balance out, you'll be chasing wrinkles till you've a meltdown. You can however reshrink later after it's cooled or any time it jus' needs a snugging up & now that you've mentioned it I'll likely add a interior covering, if only for aesthetics.

Good thoughts all & I thank you, it helps me rethink stuff I thought I had sorted (but maybe not lol) as well as gives me new aspects to consider (^)
 

woaiyumi

New Member
Sep 19, 2014
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China
Hi, This is such an amazing project! Have been thinking of doing something like this myself for a long time.
What is your present range and MPG with no fairing?
How many miles do you currently have on this machine?
 

BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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Thank you woaiyumi :) As I've no fairing as of yet & jus' typed the following for another thread - your questions easy e'nuff to answer lol, I've just about 2000 miles on the thing so far & "range" without fuel refill is dependent on the limited size of the tank, which is just under one gallon;


Results highly variable depending on usage ofc, approximately 200mpg average, mixed riding styles/conditions...

...I should mention while the 49cc four stroke & ehub hybrid combination assist reducing consumption, the primary efficiency aspect would be the recumbent position. As a result the primary gain is during sustained cruise speed, what percentage of this gain is lost through the drag of the ehub exceeding it's usable RPM range is unknown, the ehub assisting acceleration only until 20mph the benefit depends entirely on usage. As I ride mixed environments the overall result is beneficial, were it "highway only" I'd forgo the regenerative charging & freewheel an edrive assist.