oldman's Homemade 250 Reflex Trike...

[skuuter]

Tennessee TOI Member, oldman has been workin' on His version of a Homemade Trike kit for His 250 Reflex Scooter...He rode it over here a few minutes ago. This really looks good...I took these Pics.....













I was extremely impressed lookin' at it a while ago.....

[Memnoch451]

From an engineering point of view.. that thing scares me! is it DOT?? lol

I do like the white trailer wheels they add a certain I made it myself flair and I would be proud to ride it... at speed of up to 19mph

All kidding aside... he did a great job! I do like the thought he put into it.. I would just feel better if it were more Stout. I take it he's just going to use it for around town? If so..

it's spot on!!!

[skuuter]

From an engineering point of view.. that thing scares me! is it DOT?? lol

I do like the white trailer wheels they add a certain I made it myself flair and I would be proud to ride it... at speed of up to 19mph

All kidding aside... he did a great job! I do like the thought he put into it.. I would just feel better if it were more Stout. I take it he's just going to use it for around town? If so..

it's spot on!!!

Nope, it'll see some Trips too.

It's actually built better/stronger than the Pics allow for. Everything is gusseted (guess I shoulda' laid down and got some "underneath" pics too), and there is a fabricated belly bracket attached to the Scooter that it mounts to underneath. It has the 12" Tires, unlike most of the Factory Kits that use 8" on the 250s. The Rear Wheels are to soon be painted Silver....

[Memnoch451]

Nope, it'll see some Trips too. It's actually built better/stronger than the Pics allow for. Everything is gusseted (guess I shoulda' laid down and got some "underneath" pics too), and there is a fabricated belly bracket attached to the Scooter that it mounts to underneath. It has the 12" Tires, unlike most of the Factory Kits that use 8" on the 250s. The Rear Wheels are to soon be painted Silver....

How dare you not lay down on the ground to take a picture!!!

It may be that with this trike a picture is worth a 1000 words.. but a ride may be priceless!!!

[skuuter]

How dare you not lay down on the ground to take a picture!!!

It may be that with this trike a picture is worth a 1000 words.. but a ride may be priceless!!!

Rides and Handles Great...already been on the "Monteagle Mountain Twisties" Program.....

[Papa Zook]

Nice looking setup, but I would have to agree with Memnoch451's assesment. Based strictly on the pictures provided, and not seeing whats underneath, it looks as if the torsion suspension mounting block is simply resting on the top of the round tubing and welded into place. Im pretty sure that isnt the case, but unless its really gusseted and properly welded underneith it would appear to be an accident waiting to happen. PLEASE dont take this as criticism, just a call to safety for the builder/rider. If you suddenly lost a wheel/suspension assembly on one side, it could be a real problem especially where you guys ride up in the mountains.

I say this as a guy thats built trikes of all sizes, makes, models and brands for 8 years now including conventional trike conversions and the "outrigger" style ones. Torsional loading and even normal road vibration for prolonged periods, can and will snap fender brackets or suspension components off quicker than you might think. Ive seen it happen more than once. It can cause hairline cracks in round tubing that can create structural failure. Thats why the commercial trike builders overbuild everything...LIABILITY.

[oldman]

The home built trike is lightweight was built for strength. It's on a 250cc Honda reflex scooter. It was not built for overkill. Oh yes, it was built at Beans Creek Custom that has a reputation of building 4000 hp tractor pull tractors, modified race cars with 600 hp and 4 wheel mountain trucks. I guess you could say it is custom built. It's built with 1.5" tubing, .135 chrome moly tubing, and was built using a computer controlled pipe bender. 1.5" gussetts under the axle plates and all welding is tig welding. The axles are 250 lb. torsion with 4" removed off the end getting them down to 165 to 175 lbs. So this takes out the vibration.

The 12" wheels were used instead of the 8" for stabiliy.

Just came off today a 135 mile ride through the twisties and mountains of middle Tennessee. Rode about 20 miles on Highway 64 which is 4-lane and cruised at 65-70 mph. The trike did extremely well in the mountains and highway running. Getting ready for about a 700 mile ride in the smokies. I'm not worried about the pipe breaking; it's not muffler tubing.

[tommy loso]

I think it looks great and wish you the best of luck with it..We're looking forward to seeing it.........

[Papa Zook]

The home built trike is lightweight was built for strength. It's on a 250cc Honda reflex scooter. It was not built for overkill. Oh yes, it was built at Beans Creek Custom that has a reputation of building 4000 hp tractor pull tractors, modified race cars with 600 hp and 4 wheel mountain trucks. I guess you could say it is custom built. It's built with 1.5" tubing, .135 chrome moly tubing, and was built using a computer controlled pipe bender. 1.5" gussetts under the axle plates and all welding is tig welding. The axles are 250 lb. torsion with 4" removed off the end getting them down to 165 to 175 lbs. So this takes out the vibration.

The 12" wheels were used instead of the 8" for stabiliy.

Just came off today a 135 mile ride through the twisties and mountains of middle Tennessee. Rode about 20 miles on Highway 64 which is 4-lane and cruised at 65-70 mph. The trike did extremely well in the mountains and highway running. Getting ready for about a 700 mile ride in the smokies. I'm not worried about the pipe breaking; it's not muffler tubing.

The build specs sound good oldman, but you really cant tell anything about the metals, gussets and welding from the pictures, thus my concerns. As I said, it looks like a real nice, straight forward design and its obviously a quality piece of work. I only have your safety as the number one priority....I know youre going to enjoy it.
Ride Safe!

[oldman]

Safty was #1 with me to I am the one to ride it and I FEEL safe after another day of riding of 112 miles all in the mt. sent i can see mt.from my front door.I had one broblem was every time I look in the mirrow I could see a goldwing trike and a triguide trike in the mirror and the triguide had trouble keep up. so it was a good day to ride an had some good food to go with it.

[oldman]

Another goos day for a ride the apple dumplin gang road 215 mi in northern part of tn. about half in the twisty. skuuter the bbq place at clark range wonder where you bin.there were 2 scooter 1 883 2gold wing2 big harley 1 triguild he is new and is learing how to ride 70 year and never road a bike before last mouth. good food good friend what left

[Seatec]

Looks good, but like the others it looks like it's made too light. There is a lot of stress on the tubing and gussets, and they may break. I would beef them up and more braces.
Wayne

[427dave]

Holy cow, its a CAR, it has four wheels.

[John Luciano]

I thought my Voyager was strong until it almost broke in 1/2 on me. I had to add braces and extra gussets to it, I was told by others that had the same problem of what parts to add. Just please heed the warnings of these people and do a check of all the welds and parts after each ride.

[oldman]

The more heat you put on the 1.50 tube the more you will have the tube that will brake so with that in mind the more guset you put in the more trouble you will have. there is a point you can add to much . you have to keep in mind that it is a 300# scooter with 250 cc not a 1800 cc bikethat weight 900 plush # . all of this look smalL( but) it a 300#scooter. with 500 mi in the mt and it ride great it ride grate O yes i have over a 100 k ml on a voyager with 5 deferend bike and i know a little about them . my 1500 gw has one 98000 mile and i thank i know how they ride.

[John Luciano]

The scooter weight is not the problem it is the leverage. You have what looks to be 14" or so of out riggers, . When you turn a sharp corner it is not 300# it is more like a 1,000 . A man once said give me a pole long enough and the moon as my fulcrum and I could move the earth. And where did the torsion axle come from ?

[oldman]

John thank for you coment it got me to thinking so i put the scooter on a tilt table set at 20% angle to see what it look like. i had a set of nascar scale under each tire at the tire it weight out at 137# front 185# rear and 37# on left 34# on the right 393#gw so with a 165# torsion axle in a tight turn in the mt. there no way you gould get over a 100#twist to the frame. what a lot people dont under stand on a voyaver kit if you rase a wheel up in a turn you are add weight to the rear wheell of the bike so it conner better so with that in mind i built a kit that work for less than $500.00 dollars to fit a scooter that piss off the big co.good eye at 14'' it is 15.50'' the frame 31'' on center wide an 33''long on center my eye are not to good can't read a ruler as good as i gould years ago mist it by .50'' the axle came from nothern tool as 250#cut 4" off to make them 165#

[skuuter]

Another goos day for a ride the apple dumplin gang road 215 mi in northern part of tn. about half in the twisty. skuuter the bbq place at clark range wonder where you bin.there were 2 scooter 1 883 2gold wing2 big harley 1 triguild he is new and is learing how to ride 70 year and never road a bike before last mouth. good food good friend what left

Ah, the Clark Range Bar-B-Q Place...intersection of twisty 82 and 127 North of Crossville, Tn....."no idea where You're talkin' about".........Guess I'm gonna'hafta' take some more "Detailed/Close-up Pics" of Your Reflex.....This Set-up is built waaaaay better/stronger than some of You are elaborating about.....we'll get more "construction detailed shots" one day.....

[Memnoch451]

Holy cow, its a CAR, it has four wheels.

Good one Dave...lol

[oldman]

just got back off a 754 mi 4 day ride on the scooter it did a good job in the mt..we road mt from hillsboro tn to maggy V and dragon all a round and back .good food good friend grate trip.