..

The Toecutter

100 kW
Joined
Feb 8, 2015
Messages
1,311
IMO, you can't go wrong with a KMX with aftermarket front and rear suspension installed. I have over 70,000 miles on mine since building it up in 2016, and it has ran as an EV for almost 2 years without significant issue. The worst thing that happened was that a steering spindle failed while hitting a large pothole at 40 mph.
 
I'm into trikes but have only one and think it will last me for years to come. Bought a performer (JC-26X – Suspension), put a leafmotor in the rear.

Does not stop me looking and window shopping. If the goal was to buy (ready to roll) E-trike then.
If you want electric and not going real slow you want suspension, rear is for your back and front is for control and not jar everything lose.

1. Outrider Nomad (All-Terrain) | Pedal + Electric or other models. They won the pikes peak climb one year with the 422.

2. VELOKS MK3 they have a full suspension AWD mid drive.

There are more a Peble is a E-trike with a roof.
Don't know what you are really looking for. Yes, most are expensive.

When first looking for a trike did not know what I wanted and the Performer was cheaper than most of them so I could see if I wanted one. Could always up grade. Have been happy but if I wanted more power and speed I would move to a stronger frame with front suspension. Like the two above.

Toecutter has the KMX frame like the Outrider's are based on.
 
ZeroEm said:
Toecutter has the KMX frame like the Outrider's are based on.

Outrider made a lot of improvements versus an unmodified KMX frame. To start with, it has indirect steering, to go with its full air shock suspension. It also optimized the frame design to accommodate all of the additional features you won't find on a stock KMX, and is in general, a much stouter platform than a stock KMX.

An Outrider is not perfectly suited to my purposes though, especially given the seat height, but in most respects it's more suited than a stock KMX. Going to an Outrider, I'd be giving up the sort of center of gravity possible with my KMX, in exchange for increased mechanical robustness, a stiffer chassis, more complexity, more weight, probably more comfortable ride(and I find my KMX satisfactory in this regard), bump steer elimination, better battery protection/insulation, and lots of other pros and cons. But you could build quite a bike off of one for sure, especially a velo. I'd try one before buying if possible given the cost involved, but an Outrider is definitely worth investigating if the OP is looking to do the "best" possible trike build.

Are they worth the price? I don't know. Never rode one. I can say my KMX was completely worth the time and money invested in building it up from a framekit and adding all sorts of non-stock components. I'll get the chassis stiffness I'm after with the addition of a custom made roll cage, which will allow for more crash safety than a motorcycle to go with that, and I have the seat so far forward and reclined that on any suitable tire it will be extremely resistant to flipping over, a feature I don't think I'd get with an Outrider unless I put an extremely heavy battery in it when my current design criterion requires a light battery pack.
 
Back
Top