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I am in the middle of building a reliant trike, I have a GSX 1100EF frame and front end and want to use the back of the subframe but am not sure how to go about putting it together. Can anybody point me in the right direction, I’ve built plenty of bikes in the past but I’m a trike virgin. Diagrams would be a great help but any knowledge passed on would be great.
Thanks
Jack.J Frost
Can’t give much help there mate although some members may be able to. Built a Lotus Seven replica once and had a great time doing it. Learnt a lot about the real design of a car through it. I know the reliant back axle lends itself to a bike engine well, ie chain drive can be adapted to suit driving two wheels via the axle. What engine are you using?
Try https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=trike+building+reliant+&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1 for a good start on the subject, some good links there.
Otherwise you’ll need SVA (Single Vehicle Approval) so have a look at the government website on https://www.via.gov.uk/vehicle_testing/sva/sva.htm
Hope this helps, let us know when you start it.
quote:
Originally posted by imperialdataCan’t give much help there mate although some members may be able to. Built a Lotus Seven replica once and had a great time doing it. Learnt a lot about the real design of a car through it. I know the reliant back axle lends itself to a bike engine well, ie chain drive can be adapted to suit driving two wheels via the axle. What engine are you using?
I’m going to try using the reliant engine but have to alter the bike frame a little to accommodate it. If the reliant goes ok I have got two Honda 400/4’s, I bought one as a doner for the other but I dont need the engine frame or front end so I’m thinking of having a go at making a trike out of that. My only problem there is how to go about driving the reliant axle with the chain !
J Frost
If you used the Reliant engine, you could then use the original propshaft, shortened where necessary. I seem to remember that you could remove the crown wheel and pinion and use a bike sprocket, literally bolted onto the Reliant axle after a bit of light machining. To tension the chain you would then have an adjustable rear axle or a jockey sprocket/tensioner assembly. I personally think that because of probable alignment problems with bike engine sprocket and rear axle sprocket, I would try and fabricate some kind of intermediate shaft which could be tensioned and also re-geared with different sprockets.
Think there may be a size limit on the rear wheel diameter too with that axle, worth checking out if you want to go big at the back end. As you can see, I thought a lot a few years ago about using this axle for one of my projects!
I think that using a sprocket in place of the crown wheel on the diff is a fairly common way of getting drive to axle shafts. As ID said alignment is cruicial and use heavy duty chain and sprocket. I would imagine the GSX1100O size would be OK.
Keep us informed about how you get on.Clever buggers on here arent they? I think they are right- you need to be spot on with your alignment cause I’ve seen so many manky trikes pass through a local shop I work at, most of them had bad work on the driveshaft or chains. This causes the trike to be so rough you can only ride at 20mph.
Just because I don’t care doesn’t mean I’m not listening – Homer Simpson
Why use the Reliant engine? There are much better, more reliable and pwerful engines out there for £50. I think you’ll regret that at the end.
Reliant axle with sprockets is definitely the way to go, but drop in a bike engine with big cc’s if you can.Agreed, bike breakers have them all the time, tested and guaranteed. Reliant engines weren’t bad but if youre going to all that trouble why not stick in a good ‘un. Could help the resale too.
A Yamaha FJ1100/1200 or XJR1200/1300 would be a good call. How about the engine/trans from a Kwack GTR1000, wasn’t that a shaft drive?
XJR lump is great but probably too new to be cheap I think. GT1000 was a reliable shaftie and there’s still loads about in the breakers yards.
@Judokwai:
New technical section up and running. You are welcome to post messages for any help required on your project. Perhaps you can help others too having had previous bike building experience.
Interesting project this one, look forward to hearing more.
Found a nice site:
They have pics of very well finished Reliant based trikes, worth a visit.
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