Once more...............

You’d think by now I’d have learnt! Obviously not and despite my failing health and precarious financial position I have decided that I must build the ‘Thing’ that has been rattling around in my head for the past 18 years. It’s become increasingly obvious to me that riding a bike is probably never going to happen again, well not in a way that would excite me enough to risk it. It was my long suffering spouse that pointed out the first time she’d seen me sketch the ‘Thing’ was just over 18 years ago, I’d had some of the bits around for years and that Id probably not rest again until I got it out of my system once and for all! I am somehow going to have to build the bloody ‘Thing’!

I’m pretty sure it’s a midlife crisis, it’s either that or I have subconsciously bullshitted myself into thinking I’m going to drop stone dead on my 50^th birthday. It’s also based on the fact that over the years I have ridden just about every conceivable trike type and configuration, some good, some bad but all loved by their owners.

Experience has taught me that no matter what you do with some bikes, they make lousy trikes, most of the sports bikes are like that. they are too tall and always feel top heavy. They are fast enough but the small contact patch at the front means they tend to push the front when ridden hard. Ok blasting down the motorway but not so clever in the twistys. I know this because I ruined a perfectly good GSXR by fitting an IRS rear end and wound up hating it so much I sold it within months.

I built a car-based chassis with a much lower centre of gravity and a solid back end that cornered faster but lacked the punch of the GSXR trike. That to would push the front. I think this could be sorted by using a leading link and a fat flat profile tyre, in fact I know it could but it still leaves me well short of something that will perform anything like a sports bike in both speed and agility. These are just my opinions, I make no claim to be any sort of trike building expert, I can just about weld but I have built two trikes, re=furbed a score more and rebuilt enough bikes to know what I like and what I see the solution as being. I could be completely wrong but hey, you only live the once!

Or…. I could take a different approach entirely.

I could say get hold of a large capacity sports bike engine, loom and rear running gear, a load of tube, some wheels, a seat and a few mates, bung that all together with pies, brews, late nights, rock music , a set of MkII escort uprights and hubs, a quick rack and some GRP, give it all a shake and see what rolls out!

Oh yeah! A steering wheel too, I cannot stretch out to hold onto bars anymore, I’m in agony within 20 minutes. I manage considerably better sat in the car so it makes sense that anything I build reflects that so this trike is going to be a bit different.

I’m building it with two wheels at the front on independent double wishbones, a seat and steering wheel and an engine behind the driver hooked up to one big fat tyre at the back. Yes I know it’s already been done and I’m not doing anything particularly clever but I believe that if this trike is built right it will be bloody awesome to drive, yes I said drive! It will be for road use but needs to be something I’d go on a track day with. It’s got to have enough space for a camera and notepad too, I might just get out to a few more shows once I have something other than a car to get about in!

I see in the latest 100% Trike Magazine some trikes have been allowed to run some hill climb events in recent times and I have a funny feeling this ‘Thing’ in my head may be very well suited to it indeed!

My experience and time with the NABD have allowed me to build up a network of contacts with some very clever people over the years and I know I can ring for advice on engineering problems when I need to, I have a garage, some of the parts and the rest of my life to get this done. I will see some of you no doubt in a field at a NABD rally, those two I am committed to but other than that I’ll be trying to save, beg, borrow , barter or sell advertising on the bloody thing but I will somehow see it done before they roll me into an oven!