latest project, first time out of the workshop.

[rob]

'blade forks n brakes, st1100 engine, suzuki jeep axle, 1 1/4" beach bars, dakota digi dash, v-rod switchgear, zx10 back wheel in the front, zzr600 rad,
harley seat and footplates. all built by me.
comments please......(the mesh under the seat will be fibreglassed in).
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture043.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture042.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture041.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture038.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture037.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture036.jpg

[minxy]

Looking well there Rob. Always great the 1st time a project moves out of a workshop on its legs. On 1st impressions the front end looks a bit odd with the low yokes but it completely works from a rear view. I'm gathering odd is your thing tho ;)

Nice. What colour you painting it mister?

[rob]

BLACK!!
gloss this time though, with some tribally flamey graphics on the tank in VERY DARK grey.

[vixxe1]

Looking very nice. Not usually a big fan of trikes, but I do like the lines. It's really clean looking. Keep it that way, get good paint and you'll have a show winner. :cool:

[Yoda]

I Like that, it has a nie agressive stance

[fatty]

BLACK!!
gloss this time though, with some tribally flamey graphics on the tank in VERY DARK grey. tribally flamey rob :eek: dont do it rob :D looks well mate

[shaggy696969]

yea looking good, interested to see final pics , loadsa potential there.

[rob]

tribally flamey rob :eek: dont do it rob :D looks well mate

says you!!
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture1014a.jpg

[Shifty]

Looking nice that; good clean lines, just proves a trike doesn't have to look like a pile of ****e as so many do

[rob]

thanks all.
gonna try and keep the lines clean, wiring and hoses through the bars etc, all the electrics under the seat.
cant decide how to finish the exhaust off, was thinking a car side-pipe type of thing??

[fatty]

says you!!
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture1014a.jpg
you twat rob :D

[devon-tony]

wow finally I am going to see a trike on the road round here

mental note to self, as soon as I have some cash, pop up and see Rob get a trike built

not very often that I can genuinely say this, but WOW thats gonna be well smart and I wouldnt change a thing so far.

Im working late here painting my tanks tonight, hopefully have my chop finished by next weekend, might pop up and see you some time if thats ok

oh and give us a shout if you find you need anything, or ever need a hand, always willing to get grubby or help if I can

[rob]

cheers m8.
pop up any time, phone the number in the mag 1st tho, in case no ones there!! (shut tuesdays).

[devon-tony]

yeah well a ride out that way never hurt anyone :)

will give you a bell some time

Im not that specialised in anything, just a bit of everything, but pretty good at wiring, properly with relays and fuses etc :) usually got plenty of wire, relays, heatshrink, and got all the proper crimping tools for the mulitpole connectors in VWP etc??

[devon-tony]

really pleased I seen this now, has made me want to get my chop finished and get my trike finished

I started it 3 years ago and nearly finished it in one very long weekend, then took it apart to get some room in the garage while I did a bike, and sort of forgot to finish it :( LOL

[rob]

started the loom this afternoon, just waiting for the heatshrink to come from Vehicle Wiring Products, should be in fridays post. i do everything apart from filler, i refuse to do that!! but my mate and business partner is a sculptor by trade, so thats his dept, along with the paperwork. (its his trike, kind of rolling advert of what we do, mine, his, anything in between, etc).

[devon-tony]

cant wait to see it finished and on the road

I got a hardtail yamaha trike that I really need to finish some time, owes me next to nothing so in my interest to finish it asap and sell to help with the bills :(

really want to build something with IRS back end, but all the "kit" back ends out there are way too expensive for my liking

going to have a go at doing my own, should be a laugh :)

[Tom-madbiker]

looks lovely mate

[addjunkie]

really want to build something with IRS back end, but all the "kit" back ends out there are way too expensive for my liking

going to have a go at doing my own, should be a laugh :)

kit back ends easy enough to copy m8......


trike looks nice too...............

[floris]

nice project!

[churchill]

the more quality trikes i see the more i want one ...top looking trike but needs more wheelnuts :rolleyes:

[rob]

could also do with some braided hoses, some wires, throttle cable, some lights.......
its got half a wiring loom, a handbrake and a gearchange linkage now tho....

[D n K]

Hiya rob,

I recently re-built Kaths ST1100 trike. It was origionaly made by a well-known-ish trike building crew and it was fecking terrible!!! The welding was crap, it looked like a tube bending was done cold in a vice with a lump hammer and the exhuast - well i,m not even going there !!!!

I kept the pair of left and right front downpipes, cut them off at the most tapered part of the mild steel section that joins each sides s/steel two into one sections. I went to my local motor factors and bought two exhaust reducing section ( they are about 200mm long and reduce in stages. I heated up each reducer section at the wider end and gently clamped them into an oval shape in the vice. I then slid em into the triangular mild steel section of the Honda downpipes and gas welded them on. I then fitted a section of exhaust flexi pipe into the end of the reducer and curved them around to fit into the exhaust cans. The cans were purchased of ebay for £12.50 each brand new!! They are Massey Fergesson tractor exhaust silencers !!! I welded a couple of brackets on em and used motor factor rubber exhaust mounts to fix to the trike frame. A couple of s/steel exhaust clamps were used to fis the flexi,s into the end of the silencers. A neat, close fit.

They look ok, you can finish em in whatever paint scheme you like. I imagine they will even take chrime as they are new, virgin steel.

I put a pair of chrome , downturned exhuast pipe ends on to finish them ( again from the motor factors ).

So - One custom made exhaust system, mostly from brand new bits at a budget price.

Exhausts Cans - £12.50 each
Reducers -"andunvdecicinu

in ru
-ish

[D n K]

Oh Feck...finger trouble on the last bit of my last post......so heres the summary again....

Exhaust cans - £12.50 each
Reducing sections £ 2.95 each
Flexi - £ 9.90 per mtr ( one metre needed)
S/steel clamps - £ 3.00 each
Chrome end covers £ 3.99 each
Paint - £ 4.25 can

So a good system for under £50.00 and it sounds fecking gorgeous too.

Hope this helps.

REgards

D n K

ps......ya gotta cross the flexi pipes left to right, right to left exhaust to get the correct radius.

pps.......dont forget - if you are cutting flexi pipe by hacksaw or disc cutter - REMEMBER - it sometimes winds on - i.e. as you cut the flexi section screws into itself. Result the O/D increases on the cut section by a mill or two and you cannot get this cut section into your can or reducer. YEP It took us a while ( 2 hours ) to work that one out !!!! We thought the fecking workshop was haunted or some entity had crept in to curse us!!

Pics available if ya want em....lemmie know ok?

[Nik]

Very cool-looking trike Rob - gissabell when it's done, yeah?

:)

[devon-tony]

Im doing well here now Rob, chops in for MOT thursday, might be out to see you in the next couple of weeks, have a chat about some wishbones etc for IRS trike back end

[rob]

Very cool-looking trike Rob - gissabell when it's done, yeah?

:)
will do. :)

[rob]

Im doing well here now Rob, chops in for MOT thursday, might be out to see you in the next couple of weeks, have a chat about some wishbones etc for IRS trike back end
good luck with the mot, who do you use??
melvin out at 'robinsons garage' at horns cross, between bideford and hartland is my favourite....... if you know what i mean.....
gis a ring, see you in a few weeks maybe.

[rob]

Oh Feck...finger trouble on the last bit of my last post......so heres the summary again....

Exhaust cans - £12.50 each
Reducing sections £ 2.95 each
Flexi - £ 9.90 per mtr ( one metre needed)
S/steel clamps - £ 3.00 each
Chrome end covers £ 3.99 each
Paint - £ 4.25 can

So a good system for under £50.00 and it sounds fecking gorgeous too.

Hope this helps.

REgards


cheers for the info, i'm not a great fan of flexi-pipe, i usually use pre-bent mandrel bends and lengths of straight pipe.
ST's do sound wicked without the standard cans on tho, don't they!!
i bought one new in '91, used to do long distance dispatching then, (120,000+miles per year!), i would ride it about standard during the week,
then strip it down it weekends for hoonin' about on, then put it all back together sunday night for work on monday!
standard down pipes and collector box, with some rolled up chicken wire stuffed in the end to take the edge off the noise, sounded awsome.
then some scumbag knicked it, a while later i got it back, (in a bit of a mess), and did this to it....
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/IMAGE0004a.jpg
which got in AWOL, :)
then i took it off the road to fit a supercharger to it, at a mates workshop, and his workshop got done over,
my bike, his bike, a customers bike and most of both of our tools gone. :mad:
of course the insurance had run out while i was working on it.... :rolleyes:
i found out who it was about 9 months later, just after he died of a brain tumor..... what goes around, comes around.

then about 5 years ago i bought a crash damaged one and built a matt black survival off-road outfit out of one!!!! (no pics of that one though :( ).
now i'm doing this trike with one, and i've just taken an order for another ST trike!!

[devon-tony]

those ST engines are excellent, easy to see why they so popular for this sort of thing


For MOT Im using Dolphin motors in barnstaple, right near my work, and Animal the tester is pretty cool with chops and trikes etc, they test trikes there

quite a few of the local NCC go there :)

[devon-tony]

Rob thats how I build my exhausts, if you get stuck for anything any odd bend etc just ask might have something, I got a few 45 and 90 degree bends in 1.5" steel here, think I got tight and standard as well, and some straight

I built quite a cool exhaust system on my first go, deffo the easiest way

[rob]

'bout time for an update...
most of the bodyworks done now, here's the underneath.....
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture006.jpg

this is the side of the seat bit that was chicken wire in the last pics...
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture007.jpg

this shows the removable cradle quite well, the whole of the front un-bolts to get the engine in and out easily....
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture011.jpg

the handbrake caliper mount...
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture010.jpg

i've re-worked the exhaust, just a few subtle changes, a fair bit of work, but i think it looks a lot better...
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture015-1.jpghttp://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture014.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture017.jpg
it will go 2:1 at the end of the drop-down bit, then a 3" harley slash-cut turn-out silencer. the down pipes will be painted heat-resistant black, then wrapped in black heat-wrap.
been waiting AGES for the ministry man to give me a frame number and for him to inspect it. (disabled owner, no MVSA, just a look at the disabled mods, and a look at the owners
proof of disability, then just MOT. because it'll be a 'Q' plate, next years MOT will be pre-'73 regs :D ).

[baldybongo]

Gonna be a nice looking trike. Like what you done with the exhaust and looking forward to seeing it finished.

[martindodger]

Nice to see, very tasty :)

[fobonarex]

thats a really nice lookin trike,very well done,(talented sod) ;)

[Blue]

Do you ever sleep Rob? :eek: :D

[kitkatman]

so then rob, what you gonna build next week :D

[rob]

Do you ever sleep Rob? :eek: :D
nah, tiz the stress that keeps me awake, :eek: . everything you've seen on here since may is just stuff i've lobbed together out of what i've got lying around to,
a) try n get some business, b) keep me busy. none of it has cost anything. had nearly 700 hits on the website, but no interest. could do with some customers.
the 2 orders i've had so far have pulled out, one with good reasons, still waiting for the second explanation....
i've got enough bits for another 2, probably a basic rigid ST1100 chop and a Z650 rigid trike. after that, who knows?? back to obscurity, i guess.... :rolleyes:

[baldybongo]

I like the U bends on the exhaust, just wondering if you can buy them in sections like that and if so if anyone could tell me where I could buy them from? Appreciate it, thanks.

[rob]

those ones came from the 'zodiac' catalogue :eek: :eek: expensive, but it wasn't me that was paying for them. ;) . they come in different radii & dia.

[critch]

going to look smart rob.....

[kiffer38]

dunna want piss on any1s bonfire, but that handbrakes hydraulic isnt it ?, didnt think ya could use hydraulics for handbrake :confused: , just say if im very wrong, but looks like a lot o hard work gone into that trike to have some mot bloke say its no good , looks like itll be real nice job when finished

[rob]

it hasn't got to be MSVA'd, and i've read the MOT book which says the handbrake must operate on at least one axle and be held in the 'on' position by WHOLLY MECHANICAL MEANS. there is a standard car handbrake lever hidden under the N/S of the seat base, with a cable operating a cable-to-hydraulic thingy under the seat, then a short braided hose to the caliper, so i reacon it complies....... ;)

[kiffer38]

:) rite, in that case my handbrake probs sorted on mine, my trike handbrake only works on 1 wheel, and its going to be a ball ache to try to get the cable to operate both wheels, especialy as theres no mechanism in the side with no hanbrake, ive got a load o old suzuki calipers and disks lying around, so think ill make up a disk carrier, and fit 1 into the drive shaft :rolleyes: as its nearly mot time :eek:

[rob]

just remember the ground clearance twix'd the disc and the floor!! :eek:
you don't really want the bottom of the disc being the lowest point!!
thats why i'm using a moped disc....

[kiffer38]

na, itll be ok, the sump always hits the deck first, then the gearbox sump hits, and thats a lot lower than the disk will be, think i might fit skis on the sump for the winter :rolleyes:

[addjunkie]

looks really well that does,

the frame joints look very smooth , have the welds been claned up with a flap disc and filled????

[rob]

yep!, pain in the arse feckin' job, i did it once, years ago, never again :mad: . i get nik to do it now! :D

[rob]

BOING!!


update with some pics from the other week. final assembly now.


http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture028-1.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture035-1.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture031-1.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture037-1.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture044-2.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g303/flumpkins/Picture046-2.jpg


looks even better outside in sunlight.

more later.

[deegee]

Looking good

[shaggy696969]

Wow NIk better get a feature one this one, looking really nice.

[critch]

kinell, rob its shiny!! :eek: :eek:


looking very good my man

[critch]

Wow NIk better get a feature one this one, looking really nice.

brit chopper mate may have swooped already mate.....

[Yoda]

That is looking good indeed
cant wait to se it finished
Yoda

[Bosun]

looking good

[John Hopkins]

I agree it looks great...have you tried sitting on the back seat to see how the exhaust is in relation to your calfs and how the front wheel grips...And no I'm not criticising..I couldn't do as well let alone better, I was just wondering because the photo's dont really show how far the exhaust sticks out and a lot of riders don't think of sitting on the back!! :) John

[rob]

the silencer isn't shown in the pics, it's a slash-cut harley turn-out, and ends just in front of the back wheel. the pillion pegs sit beside the bit where the drive-shaft joins the engine, above the 2:1 bit. Nik, (the owner) bought his missis over and sat her on the back during the build, and we put the pillion pegs where it was comfy for her. the pipes are a (very) snug fit, tight to the R/H side of the engine. it'll show up better in the next lot of pix i put up. :)

[John Hopkins]

the silencer isn't shown in the pics, it's a slash-cut harley turn-out, and ends just in front of the back wheel. the pillion pegs sit beside the bit where the drive-shaft joins the engine, above the 2:1 bit. Nik, (the owner) bought his missis over and sat her on the back during the build, and we put the pillion pegs where it was comfy for her. the pipes are a (very) snug fit, tight to the R/H side of the engine. it'll show up better in the next lot of pix i put up. :)

It is going to be a real beauty...well done...John

[devon-tony]

looking good, strange how contradicting things can be, I was chatting with the MSVA tester in exeter and he was telling me that MSVA exemption for the disabled etc was not true???

wierd world, anyway I do think you might have problems with that handbrake, but depends on how friendly your tester is

isnt the handbrake tested like the normal brakes, left right together? in whcih case you better hope that the opposite roller is locked up or roll the left wheel and right wheel gonna go backwards??

is going to be a nice bit of kit though.

[rob]

my trike mot man is a friendly chap.... ;) ,
as long as it's not dangerous. :)

[critch]

looking good, strange how contradicting things can be, I was chatting with the MSVA tester in exeter and he was telling me that MSVA exemption for the disabled etc was not true???


well i can think of two forum members who have used this non existant loophole........ ;)

[John Hopkins]

I think some people view exemptions for disabled are not valid because the vehicle could be sold to someone who isn't disabled..But what do I know..I'm not a trike rider yet!.... :D John

[shaggy696969]

Funnily enough so's mne. :D :D :D