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    Electrathons (with video)

    Ah, that explains the lack of attention to aero streamlining. At those kinds of speeds, the aero isn't becoming a dominant issue. If you were average 10 more mph (give or take) then I would be looking at the aero more closely... Still, looks like tons of fun. :) Eric
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    Electrathons (with video)

    What's the average speed during a race?
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    Headway Pack Builders thread

    The Lithiumind from eLithion: http://liionbms.com/php/index.php Davide makes quality stuff. Check it out. Eric
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    It's unfortunate that the US state laws define anything with 4 wheels as cars (unlike most European markets - where they have a 4 wheel motorcycle category). It would really be nice to have the quad cycle here with dual wheel drive for lightly snowy roads Eric
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    Sadly, no. I really need to get in the habit of taking more pictures of my "projects"... I just never feel like documenting... :? Well, it was a compromise. The frame builder wanted to re-purpose the frame design as a kit for non-tilting trikes. He has since sold at least one version to...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    Hard to tell from the picture. Can the wheels steer independently of the tilt? If not, then it's a skateboard, not FTC. Traditional Skateboards aren't FTC - the wheels on a skateboard have a fixed steer/tilt ratio. FTC requires the steering wheels be allowed to adjust steering for both speed...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    Yes, I have. Back in college - the downhill soap box derby racer we built was FTC. That gave me enough confidence to believe in the FTC idea in general. True, it was "just" a soapbox derby racer, but it got up probably over 30 mph in some parts, and it worked fine. And that was a bunch of...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    I'm just telling you it works. You seem to want proof that it works at low speeds. The first (pre-SPARC) prototype had an optional FTC system in place, and it worked - even at low speeds. Tom Blackburn's system is completely FTC *at all speeds* and he not only reports there is no problem with...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    You'll have to do the investigation yourself, but I'll try to give you some additional info to perhaps direct your line of query... Regarding the MP3. I agree, the MP3 is a definite improvement (safety-wise) compared to a motorcycle. The Piaggio MP3 is basically a motorcycle with two front...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    *EDIT* I was confusing authors of posts. Apologies. Every system has it's own set of strengths and weaknesses. An FTC vehicle must take low speed maneuverability issues into account. Yes. But there are many solutions to this "obstacle". A far greater obstacle is high speed stability...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    Look, I understand your skepticism, but it's not a good example for FTC for a forced tilt vehicle since it's only 2 wheels (singletrack). As I distinctly pointed out, two wheels FTC is not the same as 3 or more wheel FTC. FTC on two wheels is OBVIOUSLY going have difficulties turning at slow...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    Well, I guess that's yet to be seen. Since there are very few highway capable FTC vehicles in existence (that I know of) - they are all prototypes that were decidedly non-simple to develop (because of their groundbreaking nature). Once you "get it" the FTC concept is actually quite simple...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    The arguments for FTC are subtle yet quite convincing if you truly understand the dynamics. The main benefit of FTC is not the lack of direct steering linkage. =) Besides dynamic stability in all non-catastrophic dynamic situations, the other main benefit of FTC is simple steering ("SS") for a...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    I don't know much about LOWRACER's trike, but looking at the videos, it does not appear to be an FTC vehicle to me. It seems he has the ability to tilt the main portion of the frame (where he is sitting) but I do not see the front wheels tilting at all, and it seems like the handlebars are...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    One more thing: reading through the info on Philip's website is going to be confusing... He is very protective of his ideas and technology (I understand why) so he is intentionally vague in his description of how everything works. If you want more info/explanation, you should search the...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    Off the top of my head, I can't point you to anything that is easily available on the internet. However, I will say this: 1) There is a company working on an FTC vehicle for a commercial market (sadly, not here in the U.S.). I am not involved with this company at all. Unfortunately, the...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    ensen, I understand the confusion. It's not simple to understand the physics because they are quite counter-intuitive to traditional vehicles. First off, let me say that your comparison is somewhat misleading as a two-wheel bicycle is not an FTC vehicle as typically defined by proponents of...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    Not necessarily. FTC can be set up in a way that steering is damped sufficiently at low speeds so that maneuvering is no problem because the wheels move in concert with the tilt and do not "wander" because they are damped. I found this out when we did some initial FTC trials on the prototype...
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    "Free to Caster (FTC) leaning reverse trike

    The benefits of FTC are numerous and significant. 1) The vehicle is steering is always at the perfect angle for given conditions of tilt, speed, grip, and road incline/decline. 2) No manual counter steer. Turn right to go right. Turn left to go left. 3) Built-in automatic stability control...
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    xenoDisplay

    We do not hook up anything physically to the iPhone. It's all done via wifi because Apple is so draconian with their hardware restrictions.. This system probably isn't appropriate for eBikes... Later on, we may do something that will physically hook up to an Android phone which might be more...
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    xenoDisplay

    I could actually. But, it seems kinda cheesy don'tcha think? :lol: We favor Android over WebOS (Palm). Palm is on the ropes too (they just announced they are trying to sell themselves to another company). So, if it makes any difference to you, we'll most likely tackle Android before we do...
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    Apple iPad as a dashboard display?

    gestalt, we hope to do an Android port after the iPhone version, and that should have lesser hardware requirements since it's not as "locked down" as the iPhone is. No promises, but just thought I'd toss that out to you since we're pretty high on the Android platform because of its' Open-ness.
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    Apple iPad as a dashboard display?

    To provide a little more info than gestalt (thanks by the way) the xenoDisplay might fill your need. We're developing for iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad and we plan to do a port over to Android as well. :mrgreen: details are available at the link in my signature.. Cheers, Eric *EDIT* because I...
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    Electric Reverse Trikes. Ideas, Rants, Collaboration?

    Hey, the Cozy Girrrls site is one I hadn't seen before. Thanks for mentioning it! I hear you on the cost issues with vacuum bagging. For pieces that are tubular (like my A-pillars) I plan to use a method which is used by model Rocketry builders and CF bike builders (I have a CF recumbent bike...
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    Electric Reverse Trikes. Ideas, Rants, Collaboration?

    I was thinking the same thing, but I notice that he doesn't show where his motor and some other heavy components are going. If he puts the motor up front (somehow) and/or move the batteries forward (stacking them up in the front half), the weight distribution might not be as bad as it appears...
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