Anyone considered a home built 4wheeled "Trike" build?

Call me crazy/bored but I found this on ebay/net: http://supertrike.net/

I'd love to get my wife on my ride for "cheap" and with winter coming, this might be possible (if I can find a garage/welder to use).

A ) Anyone heard of this guy before? Comments?
B ) Would a light/small version be to heavy for an 82 750 Maxim?
C ) Any chance you could make my style of Maxim wheels fit the trailer axle?
D ) Other than being personally crazy, is this idea just WAY OUT there for an XJ?
E ) Without watching the DVD the guy sells, how probable is this type of project with basic tools and a welder (and mostly unused Mechanical Engineering degree).

Yes I know companies make these kind of kits (in fact one company is about 30 min from my house). Unfortunately those kits start at like $4k...

 

thought i saw a thread on here with someone making a quad out of a maxim.

 

now you're just being silly, Gottlieb Daimler sold his first one of those in 1892.

 

So it is basically building a trailer into a motorcycle? I'd say much cooler projects could be done with a winter, a garage and welder!

 

Do it, you will regret it if you don't. Its your time and your fun, thats what its about!.. use your skills and make it as cool as you want. and don't forget to post pics of its progress.
Don't let anyone put you off.

 

Metal_Bob, are you sure you would want to be seen on one of those things? Pretty much uglier than a bucket full of a$$holes with the pretty ones picked out!

Oh my! 8O

Loren

By the way, wouldn't a 4 wheeled trike be a quad?

 

Nah, to hard to lean into corners.

 

My opinion / answers
B) You could easily keep it under 150 Lb, XJ's will pull it.
C)No way- trailer axles are more than an inch dia. You would need to custom fabricate a spindle or re-engineer your bearings.
D)The guy says you can cut loose the bike in 10-15 minutes, so it's not crazy- - it's an accessory. And if you built a "tongue", you could then use the utility trailer.(keep the front part).
E)A side car attaches to just one side of a bike. Just double it, I think you could figure it out easy enough. I would be concerned about how much "preload" goes on the "trailer" axle, as the spring rates are NOT the same. Trailers are stiff.

Go for it !!

 

As I said this idea/project would get the wife riding (or driving).

If it was removable like commercial versions it would only be used with my wife riding.

Fyi I also have lots of ideas late at night when tired. I ;-)

 

haha, yes my best (sometime worst) ideas come to me when im laying in bed trying to fall asleep.

 

I'll sale you the trailer you need for it!

 

You are a bit far away

I'm sure if I really want to do this, I could look for used trailers in paper/Craig's List. I also have a local farm supply store and Harbor Freight is about an hour away.

 

There is a video of one already on youtube.

 

There are NO 4-Wheeled "Trikes"

Four-wheelers are "Quads"