Three Wheelers - Your opinions and expertise wanted!

Three Wheelers - Your opinions and expertise wanted!

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Discussion

Steffan

10,362 posts

227 months

Tuesday 8th July 2014
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Wanchaiwarrior said:
Steffan said:
I am arranging a test drive ASAP
I'd be interested to hear your impressions as well. I found this trike a couple of years ago and thought it looked OK.

Cheers

I think that I ought to mention on here that qdos, who posts regularly on kit cars on here , has been instrumental in introducing me to these cars and very kindly effected an introduction to the designer himself. qdos is himself a mine of information on kit cars and in fact runs his own kit car business see:

http://www.qdoscars.co.uk/

Some great machines there including the excellent midget three wheeler and other interesting kit cars. Must be worth a look if you are after information and advice on what there is about in the market , and what to buy. I understand that the firm offers kit car builds or partial builds and must be worth a try if things are getting a bit complicated in the construction of a kit car or you need advice on kit car building. I have of course, no business connection with qdos or the firm I just think it is well worth a look.

Could well be worth a call and might well assist in identifying what is a good compromise between having an excellent finished car and unintentionally choosing a very difficult build! I have done that many times personally the V8 Duttopn i have is still in the imrovement stages in unsuccseful attempts (thus far) to cure the terminal overstree under acceleration and in the wet! I would certainly recommend a look at the offerings and a chat with the man.

The three wheeler is out for me because SWHMBO will not entertain very smal kit cars and qsingle seaters and I have no wish to be persona non grata any more than I am already. Otherwise ........


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Wanchaiwarrior

364 posts

213 months

Wednesday 9th July 2014
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Thanks for the info Steffan.

Unfortunately life's circumstances have/are pushing me further and further away from any form of kit car ownership.......... having moved from UK to Hong Kong, then to Brisbane and now back to HK. However, if I ever come back to the UK I'll probably go straight for a Striker (or Riot), its been my favourite for many years.

I read your posts with great interest and will keep an eye on the thread.

Cheers

Steffan

10,362 posts

227 months

Wednesday 9th July 2014
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Wanchaiwarrior said:
Thanks for the info Steffan.

Unfortunately life's circumstances have/are pushing me further and further away from any form of kit car ownership.......... having moved from UK to Hong Kong, then to Brisbane and now back to HK. However, if I ever come back to the UK I'll probably go straight for a Striker (or Riot), its been my favourite for many years.

I read your posts with great interest and will keep an eye on the thread.

Cheers
Jeremy Phillips is an exceptionally able kit car designer and has been for years. Met him first many years ago, certainly more than 20 and his output and quality of designs have stood the sets of time. The Syla Striker is an excellent design and well worth owning, as is the Riot. Good luck to you, excellent cars and well worth pursuing. You do get about a bit, do you not!

Gompo

4,396 posts

257 months

Wednesday 9th July 2014
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Sway said:
As you may be able to tell, I'm in love! All it needs is to be Road legal over here (under msva I assume, but not sure about the exposed suspension at the front) and the ability to mount a motorcycle top box at the rear...
I think it looks good from the outside, but the driving position looks quite cramped? The 'cockpit' shot seems to show the wheel quite close to the driver, with the driver sitting upright. Side on shots seem to back up that though.. it just doesn't look very comfortable? Fine for some admittedly. Is that something you have noticed/considered?

fuoriserie

4,560 posts

268 months

Sway

26,070 posts

193 months

Monday 21st July 2014
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Is that the MEV Tr1ke rebadged?

Is Stuart selling off his kits - I've noticed that the Sonic is available rebadged in the classifieds too.

Steffan

10,362 posts

227 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
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Sway said:
Is that the MEV Tr1ke rebadged?

Is Stuart selling off his kits - I've noticed that the Sonic is available rebadged in the classifieds too.
If it s not then I think it is a derivative of that excellent machine. Stuart Mills is a bit of a one off in Kit cars certainly in his own league nowadays in prodigious output and exceptional energy. I wish I had that drive! No doubt Stuart will be along to give us the detail in due course. There is clearly a link but whether this is collaboration or otherwise remains to be seen. Keep it up Stuart we could do with all the ideas men we can have in the Kit car world.

fuoriserie

4,560 posts

268 months

Sunday 27th July 2014
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Sway said:
Is that the MEV Tr1ke rebadged?

Is Stuart selling off his kits - I've noticed that the Sonic is available rebadged in the classifieds too.
Check here :

https://www.facebook.com/DoveRacing/info

fuoriserie

4,560 posts

268 months

Monday 28th July 2014
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Mistrale

195 posts

142 months

Monday 28th July 2014
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That aero trike looks dangerous - at least driving it with a paper bag on your head so you weren't recognised would be....

qdos

825 posts

209 months

Tuesday 29th July 2014
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Here's a more mainstream company launching their new trike in America....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyDN3wI--Mw

Sway

26,070 posts

193 months

Tuesday 29th July 2014
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Electric power steering and stability control?

Blimey, the Americans are softer than I thought!

qdos

825 posts

209 months

Tuesday 29th July 2014
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The chassis was something that I have to say I was not impressed by, in one of the videos where they do a walk round (jump to 4 minutes in on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qbkiNIwCUA ). I think the rear end could do with some strengthening at least in my opinion. I'd hate to be in it if someone rear ended it and I wonder how solid the swing arm is fixed for lateral movement. Given this is American I'm somewhat surprised by the 'roll over protection' or very little of it save for two 'forged aluminum roll bars' but then it is classed as a bike. I'm sure it will sell though as it is by Polaris who do pretty well with their snowmobiles and quads.

Steffan

10,362 posts

227 months

Tuesday 29th July 2014
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qdos said:
The chassis was something that I have to say I was not impressed by, in one of the videos where they do a walk round (jump to 4 minutes in on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qbkiNIwCUA ). I think the rear end could do with some strengthening at least in my opinion. I'd hate to be in it if someone rear ended it and I wonder how solid the swing arm is fixed for lateral movement. Given this is American I'm somewhat surprised by the 'roll over protection' or very little of it save for two 'forged aluminum roll bars' but then it is classed as a bike. I'm sure it will sell though as it is by Polaris who do pretty well with their snowmobiles and quads.
I must agree. Not being an engineer ((Accountant:retiredredfaceld!!) but still building kit cars currently three) I rely upon the knowledge of others on structural considerations. My approach is "Does it look right". On this basis that chassis looks unacceptably weak at the back and the swing arm is definitely questionable as to being well supported and attached. I would expect beefing up in the production vehicles. Still a very interesting proposition.

dxg

8,125 posts

259 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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It's going to twist lengthways. I can only see one triangulation member running from side to side (above the swing arm mount).

qdos

825 posts

209 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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It's also damned wide at 6'5" marked on the two parallel front upper engine bay rails though I suspect that's meant to be the outer wheel track as it does say overall width

Edited by qdos on Wednesday 30th July 06:24

qdos

825 posts

209 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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From the image above of the chassis layout there does seem to be a dire lack of triangulation but in the video there seems to be more. If you freeze it at 6'09" there appears to be some chassis tubes in that area that are not shown on the picture plus there's the bulkhead and floor also though these may well be non-structural.

There's quite a few cars around which personally I'd be rather concerned about in the event of an accident including very well known and praised non-kits. The Polaris machine is classed as a bike however so that is something to bear in mind and I think a lot of people will forget about this as it has seats you sit in and has a steering wheel and a gear stick etc etc which give people the impression of a car.

As with many many things in this world there's a lot of "marketing" let's say that leads people to get the impression of safety such as the term 'Safety belt' for example..... They are rather minimal harnesses.

Where they go on about "The Forged Aluminum roll bars" somewhat amuse me as there's no triangulation on them and even if we do take it as OK they are strong enough to "hold approximately 5 times the weight of the vehicle" where's the rest of the vehicle going to be 'held' from when it's upside down? I don't think the windscreen will do much nor the steering wheel so I guess the occupants either duck or get out before it turns upside down. Given how the Americans almost killed the convertible in the 70's 80's .....

But then it isn't a car, it's a bike.

fuoriserie

4,560 posts

268 months

Friday 1st August 2014
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Stuart Mills

1,208 posts

205 months

Thursday 7th August 2014
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fuoriserie said:
Sorry, not allowed to comment, my posts keep being deleted so I will have to leave you guys to discuss kit car matters.

fuoriserie

4,560 posts

268 months

Wednesday 10th September 2014
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