Kyoto flivver (electric tricycle) progress with pix

[Thaddeus]

This weekend's progress:



I added some items, like a seat, and motor mounts... I also (Finally!) managed to create a spindle adaptor for the freewheel gears on the motor spindle. I can't tell you how much farting arund that required, to come up with something that would (a) work and (b) meet my standards of durability/reliability. It involved purchasing a freewheel tool and milling it so it would fit on the motor shaft... no mean feat.



Having sat in the thing and rolled around (wheelchair style), I realized I would need to revise 2 things:

(1) I can't have a steering wheel. It would make mounting/dismounting too hard... even harder than getting in and out of a Porsche 993. I will instead use dual contol arms, one on each side. I need to get some 3/4 inch electrical conduit and bend it into the appropriate shape. No place to get it today, so I'm done for the day.

(2) I need some sort of guard that will keep my legs from getting broken by the oncoming tricycle should my feet slip off the pedals. I will also fabricate this guard in such a way that I keep my cuffs, and flesh, out of the sprockets. I need a chainguard too...



So I'm getting closer. I want this thing ready for the Powderhorn Park May day parade... I don't know if I'll make it, but I'm pushing hard.

Happy Easter!

[xyster]

Amazing work! Wonderful example of a DIY EV.

[Reid Welch]

Original thinker, I'm in awe of your genius.

Say, the drive going through the Unite's new freewheel
---won't there be a tremendous bending moment on the now-extended motor shaft?

If so, how about an outboard shaft support?

[Thaddeus]

No, that bolt sticking out isn't bearing any stress. It's a bolt welded to a nut, the nut secures the sprocket on the original shaft. I had to do it that way because the clearances inside the sprocket were so tight I had to grind the corners off the nut to get it inside there.

It required a LOT of messing around to get it to work....

[Nimbuzz]

Sorry Thad, I'm going to have to report you for having too much fun!!

[Thaddeus]

I'm all balled up now about a design problem. I'm really concerned about what could happen to my leg if my foot slips off the pedals and gets sucked under the frame at speed. I did some searching on the web and apparently this is called, appropriately, 'leg suck'. There were some posts from some people who had broken ankles and torn ligaments from this sort of thing.

I'm going to have to implement some safety measure. I don't want to cripple myself on this thing. Some sort of safety bar or cage is required.

Sigh.

[Ypedal]

The thing about " Leg Suck " is that you only do it once.. trust me .. you learn NOT to do that again.. ( Recalls the first time he put his foot down in front of a 22x10x8 Kenda Bear-Claw on his Honda 250SX.. ouch.. )

[Geebee]

Thaddeus, the leg suck issue is easily fixed, buy some clipless pedals and shoes, if you shop around they can be had fairly cheap and as a bonus will allow you to generate more power as you can pedal through the entire circle of the pedals.
If you must go cheap do as I did originally on my trike fit some cheap pedals with clips( about $5) buy a couple of extra adjusting straps ($2) thread the extra straps through the front clip cage and around your heel( I used some velco in a loop to make up the extra length required) and back to the other side of the clip cage.
If you need more info I can set them up (if I can find them) and take a photo.
The bodgy version will work with any shoes which is a plus but clipless is the real answer and either will increase the amount of power you can deliver but the clipless more so.
Either will stop leg suck completely.

[TylerDurden]

How about a hull/fairing that protects your limbs and streamlines the rig?

[Thaddeus]

How about a hull/fairing that protects your limbs and streamlines the rig?

The frame I may build to keep my ankles out of mischief may double as the forward supports of such a fairing. Many things are possible...

[Mathurin]

The thing about " Leg Suck " is that you only do it once.. trust me .. you learn NOT to do that again.. ( Recalls the first time he put his foot down in front of a 22x10x8 Kenda Bear-Claw on his Honda 250SX.. ouch.. )

What are the odds? I almost got leg sucked on a 250 honda trike too, from the looks of it, could have been the exact same model. I was carrying a 5 gallon full of water on one side, so I was sitting on it amazon style. I was going pretty slowly, maybe first or second gear. My right leg was kinda dangling in front of the wheel and at some point, touched it. (the mud guard thing had a good part of the corner that had been clipped off at some point.) It made my foot touch the ground before I had time to start reacting by pulling back as hard as I possibly could, and that was just barely sufficient. Felt like it wanted to suck my leg under it. Waaay too close for comfort that, left me thinking about it for a long time.

[Thaddeus]

Made more progress today and actually rode it up and down the alley.

This was scary. The brakes are 'feeble', to say the least.

Additionally, I got the gearing wrong, so the pedal effort was huge. I am now moving the motor around so I can use different gear combinations and make the effort manageable. If everything doesn't line up just right, the chain moves to a different gear... or falls off. This is taking more time than is optimal. I have nearly worn out my bike chain tool by adding and removing links as I try to find the sweet spot.



At one point I was mounting the chain by turning the sprocket, and it popped the wrong way and caught a finger. I don't think it needs stitches. It's not getting any even if it does.

Last thing, the steering is VERY responsive. Too responsive. Move the tiller and the trike turns, RIGHT NOW. I mean it literally will turn on a dime. It's kind of a complex system, as the pictures show, and has a little slop. I will be refining that out.

[TylerDurden]

I don't think it needs stitches. It's not getting any even if it does.

I use super-glue.

(clean & disinfect first)