New Threewheeler Designs
Discussion
Just noticed that we haven't had a new 3wheeler kit design, apart fron the great Blackjack Zero.
Is there still a niche for such vehicles?, I always believed them to be, the quintessential british design, just like the old lotus Seven.
But now they seem to have dissapeared from the kitcar spectrum,.
What do you guys think ?
Italo
Is there still a niche for such vehicles?, I always believed them to be, the quintessential british design, just like the old lotus Seven.
But now they seem to have dissapeared from the kitcar spectrum,.
What do you guys think ?
Italo
vojx said:
Wouldn't even feel safe sitting in one, let alone trying to drift it at looning speeds.
Don't knock it until you try it.I can remember going round Donington Park as a passenger in a Grinnal Scorpion - very exciting.
The driver didn't hold back. The only problem was lap belt rather than harness so not held in as firmly as possible.
Get the aerodynamics right and you can get amazing performance from very little. Google for Tryane II made by Friend Wood. He was inspired by Frank Costin.
Edited by FlossyThePig on Wednesday 8th August 18:05
RazMan said:
Personally I think that three wheelers are more for the quirky builders among us who want something that it TOTALLY different. However performance and handling will always be a compromise IMO.
I guess the Quirky builders are are a dissapearing breed then ...
,..... but do I agree with you,:I like them too, because they are so different and unique, but I guess we're all becoming a MC Kit world, we just like what most like, we're afraid of being too different...maybe for the fear of being categorized, and not fitting in with the rest ?
It does open a debate on new design trends though.........how quircky is acceptable ? is a threewheeler too much for todays potential customer ? a lost cause in the kitcar manufacturing business ?
Looking at the market....the answer at the moment seems to be yes..
......but who knows in the future.RazMan said:
I think the main limitation is down to the unstable (sic) reputation of three wheelers, but they are often quite cramped internally due to design constraints.
They can be designed for more confort.......but at the end it still a toy for the weekend anyway......and here is an old rough sketch I did, of how I would like my 3wheeler to be......
A modern retro 3wheeler, with more interior space for 2 adults, but still light and simple...
Don't Grinall still make the Scorpion? Think that was the best modern take on the 3 wheeler.
The morgan-esque ones are still my favourites I think. Can't remember what they were called but there was a company with initials (JZK?) who did a really nice one. Dunno if I'm thinking of the triking or if thhat was a different one!
So - no diff, no back axle to speak of, swing arm suspension, only one set of rear wheel brakes, tiny dimensions..... does have the potential to be very light and hence very quick. I suppose without the need to camber the rear tyre, you can run a big chunky wheel on the back and hence get more traction than the bike that the components originally came from.....
The morgan-esque ones are still my favourites I think. Can't remember what they were called but there was a company with initials (JZK?) who did a really nice one. Dunno if I'm thinking of the triking or if thhat was a different one!
So - no diff, no back axle to speak of, swing arm suspension, only one set of rear wheel brakes, tiny dimensions..... does have the potential to be very light and hence very quick. I suppose without the need to camber the rear tyre, you can run a big chunky wheel on the back and hence get more traction than the bike that the components originally came from.....
Chris71 said:
Don't Grinall still make the Scorpion? Think that was the best modern take on the 3 wheeler.
The morgan-esque ones are still my favourites I think. Can't remember what they were called but there was a company with initials (JZK?) who did a really nice one. Dunno if I'm thinking of the triking or if thhat was a different one!
So - no diff, no back axle to speak of, swing arm suspension, only one set of rear wheel brakes, tiny dimensions..... does have the potential to be very light and hence very quick. I suppose without the need to camber the rear tyre, you can run a big chunky wheel on the back and hence get more traction than the bike that the components originally came from.....
Yes, I think Grinnall still builds the Scorpion, but Triking and Jzr have stopped building theirs, just like Bra and all the others. The morgan-esque ones are still my favourites I think. Can't remember what they were called but there was a company with initials (JZK?) who did a really nice one. Dunno if I'm thinking of the triking or if thhat was a different one!
So - no diff, no back axle to speak of, swing arm suspension, only one set of rear wheel brakes, tiny dimensions..... does have the potential to be very light and hence very quick. I suppose without the need to camber the rear tyre, you can run a big chunky wheel on the back and hence get more traction than the bike that the components originally came from.....
The only 3wheelers still being built are the Blackjack Zero and the Scorpion, and I think the Malone with their Skunk is still being built.
I still think they have potential for development, maybe more Fwd. 3wheelers just like the Zero........
Chris71 said:
I suppose without the need to camber the rear tyre, you can run a big chunky wheel on the back and hence get more traction than the bike that the components originally came from.....
I guess you could, it all depends what you want to do with your 3wheeler, if more of a racer or a touring runabout....Triking has done a few racing 3wheelers with tuned guzzi engines.....pretty fast !
Grinnall do still make the Scorpion, in fact new one has just escaped with the new 170bhp BMW engine in it. Quite frankly, we Scorpion owners don't really care if the rest of the world "gets" what they are about or not. We do, and we're perfectly happy to keep it that way.
They're "happy" cars. They make people smile. I've never had a vehicle that causes so much interest wherever it goes.
They're simple, well made, well designed, quite pretty, fun vehicles. Isn't that what it's all about?
They're "happy" cars. They make people smile. I've never had a vehicle that causes so much interest wherever it goes.
They're simple, well made, well designed, quite pretty, fun vehicles. Isn't that what it's all about?
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