Three Wheelers

Ok so this is going to sound stupid but how bad an idea is it to build my own three wheeler (that would be two wheels up front one in the back)? Something along the lines of a Morgan 3-wheeler.

I was thinking basically use the whole swingarm assembly straight off a motorcycle and use chain drive but where could I put the engine. I was thinking behind the driver.

something like a t-rex?

or less enclosed, like a can-am spyder?

I was thinking more classic like a replica of a Morgan but with more modern power and suspension. Are three wheelers challenge legal?

maybe go with a aircooled motorcycle engine bolted to the end of an audi front wheel drive trans (pretransverse audi) Whilt it would hang the engine out in front of the car, it would put all the power to those same loaded wheels.

What Berkeley figured out is that their FWD four wheeler would always lift a wheel when cornering hard... it gave them the idea to do a three wheeler which is just as stable.

So take a FWD and use a single rear trailing arm...

http://fnader.com/Berkeley.htm

So if I took an Audi front wheel drive transmission and hung a aircooled V-twin off the end, I could build a car that looked very much like a Morgan.

Or there is something like this. http://www.3wheelers.com/blackjack.html

Morgan trike replicas are common in GB.... often using Honda CX500/650 or Moto Guzzi v-twins. They look like a lot of fun.

So can anyone fill me in as to if three wheelers are challenge legal?

I think most states title them as motorcycles... may help to use an existing MC donor.

Not as attractive as a V-twin but a Goldwing 4 or 6-cylinder might be fun. Already have shaft drive and some even have reverse (I think).

Well looking at the rules, there is nothing against a three wheeler. I know what I want to do for the next Challenge!

PS122 wrote: I think most states title them as motorcycles... may help to use an existing MC donor. Not as attractive as a V-twin but a Goldwing 4 or 6-cylinder might be fun. Already have shaft drive and some even have reverse (I think).

With a single wheel in front, most states license them as bikes. But there are generally weight limitations. And if licesned as a bike, you sometimes have to deal with REO's that don't understand how helmet laws work in stable vehicles...

Honestly, no matter which state I've been in, they tend to license it as it was imported... and once it is deisgnated as a car or cycle, it tends to stick. So the above advice is likely good if you want to end up with a bike tag.

At one point I had 6 three wheelers... 3 licensed as cars and three as bikes... of those 2 "cars" and 2 "bikes" were the same exact model in the same state!

wcelliot wrote:

PS122 wrote: I think most states title them as motorcycles... may help to use an existing MC donor. Not as attractive as a V-twin but a Goldwing 4 or 6-cylinder might be fun. Already have shaft drive and some even have reverse (I think).

With a single wheel in front, most states license them as bikes. But there are generally weight limitations. And if licesned as a bike, you sometimes have to deal with REO's that don't understand how helmet laws work in stable vehicles... Honestly, no matter which state I've been in, they tend to license it as it was imported... and once it is deisgnated as a car or cycle, it tends to stick. So the above advice is likely good if you want to end up with a bike tag. At one point I had 6 three wheelers... 3 licensed as cars and three as bikes... of those 2 "cars" and 2 "bikes" were the same exact model in the same state!

But what about a home built three wheeler with a single wheel in the rear? I guess I will have to get looking on the internet.

In most states a home built car will be difficult to license/insure... but say a VW Rabbit with a single rear wheel or a Harley with a single rear wheel may well retain the identity of the donor car.... really simplifying the paperwork.

wcelliot wrote: In most states a home built car will be difficult to license/insure... but say a VW Rabbit with a single rear wheel or a Harley with a single rear wheel may well retain the identity of the donor car.... really simplifying the paperwork.

How do kit cars get registrations then?

I don't know about other states but Ohio doesn't make it easy on the homebuilder. Car has to be inspected at a designated highway patrol post and I have heard they are very picky. For this reason most dune buggys and VW-based kits are titled as the beetle donor. Not sure what the locost guys are doing...

wish I could find more Golf inside lift!

Well given that it is Alabama or Kentucky not sure which it be if this bad idea ever takes off I am not to worried about it.

A lot of kitcar companies provide a certificate of origin for a starting point for a title. States may have a different set of rules for home builts usually taking a bit more documentation on the origin of major parts. For a challenge car doesn't it have to be based on a production car? There's your title.

ps122 is correct... properly done, kit car registration is very difficult in most areas.... and most locosts I've seen are either licensed as a mid-60's UK car of some sort (the most typical way) or as the donor....

If the car is determined to be say a 2009 based on the cert of origin, etc... then you often have to fight 2009 inspection and emissions issues... while an identical car registered as a 1966 Morris may have none.

But then that's how Boyd got into such trouble....

In reply to oldtin:

Yes but not for the locost class. I guess I could come up with some donor car and start from there.

96DXCivic wrote: Ok so this is going to sound stupid but how bad an idea is it to build my own three wheeler (that would be two wheels up front one in the back)? Something along the lines of a Morgan 3-wheeler. I was thinking basically use the whole swingarm assembly straight off a motorcycle and use chain drive but where could I put the engine. I was thinking behind the driver.

I actually saw one of those Morgans on the road this weekend. I'd seen them on the racetrack before, but never on the street. It looked insanely vulnerable, even compared to the motorcycles around it. This one had a Guzzi V-Twin in front.

those things look like a ton of fun. front drive and rear drive have both been done, wonder how long until an AWD/3WD trike comes to light? it wouldn't be too hard to do I don't think, just run a motoguzzi engine/gearbox, run it back to a transfer box with forward/reverse, then from the transfer box you could just run a motoguzzi swingarm and use some rhino/terryx/RZR front differential/suspension/steering setup and be set. getting the front and rear ends to match up ratio wise wouldn't be too hard, but then again that could be done by stealing the diff out of a FWD transaxle and adapting that to the transfer box. it could work if you didn't mind front end wheelspin when you stab the gas and engine braking making the trike VERY twitchy under hard braking/downshifting with the center diff unloading to the rear wheel

I personally like the idea of a V-twin adapted to an Audi FWD trans. But any big bike engine would be very cool too.