5k euro ($6,850 U.D.) German Tilting Trike

I'm thinking maybe some issues with on road use if no steering mechanism apart from leaning, has anyone ever come across very detailed plans for a tilting tadpole trike with steering arms? I've riden a non tilting trike with 26" rims all round, very high off the ground, surprisingly stable, but highly cambered straight roads are a nightmare, the rear wheel slides off line. Also some risk of tipping over if run into a ditch or similar.
 
I'm thinking maybe some issues with on road use if no steering mechanism apart from leaning, has anyone ever come across very detailed plans for a tilting tadpole trike with steering arms? I've riden a non tilting trike with 26" rims all round, very high off the ground, surprisingly stable, but highly cambered straight roads are a nightmare, the rear wheel slides off line. Also some risk of tipping over if run into a ditch or similar.

I don't know if you refer to the FN trike but think of it as a normal bike in terms of riding it. Which is actually the hardest part when you sit on it the first time looking on two front wheels.
You can use the bar handle to steer but above walking speed you must shift your weight like on a regular 2 wheeled bike.
But You can also ride it freehands like a regular bike and steer it freehands by shifting weight.
 
how many KMs have you actually make with this tilting trike before deciding to convert it into electric?
 
wojtek said:
how many KMs have you actually make with this tilting trike before deciding to convert it into electric?

Only a few on the manufacturers trike.
If i don´t like the electric support i´m gonna uninstall it - but the trike is just yearning for speed. Hope 16S with the HS motor is enough on open road.

Have you received your "no PAS" controller in the meanwhile?
 
just got it on friday - installed all quicky and to my big surprise it all works!!! I took it for a pretty harsh off-road riding. No issues whatsoever! Extremely quiet and great torque , even though it is just the HS version... I did some pretty steep climbing on the rough terrain with pedaling. It did just fine. But was getting hot on top of the hill which is normal.
No idea how many Watts I used on those hills - still waiting for the crystalyte display.

I used thumb throttle with 4 pins.
Hows yours? working now?
 
I still have trouble getting it to work since i don´t know how to connect my 3 pin thumb throttle from ebike.ca to the 4 pin receptable on the controller.
Did you compare your controller with the pictures of mine - does it look similar at least in regards to the stickers and data on the controller?

To make clear once again. On my controller (see pic) it says that the throttle connector is the 4 pin female plug. So i guess i have to connect this plug with my 3 pin male throttle plug - but until now without success. I did try various combinations.

How did you connected your throttle to the controller exactly?

Has your thumb throttle a 3 pin plug or 4 pin?

Thanks
 
groundproximity said:
I still have trouble getting it to work since i don´t know how to connect my 3 pin thumb throttle from ebike.ca to the 4 pin receptable on the controller.
Did you compare your controller with the pictures of mine - does it look similar at least in regards to the stickers and data on the controller?

To make clear once again. On my controller (see pic) it says that the throttle connector is the 4 pin female plug. So i guess i have to connect this plug with my 3 pin male throttle plug - but until now without success. I did try various combinations.

How did you connected your throttle to the controller exactly?

Has your thumb throttle a 3 pin plug or 4 pin?

Thanks

My thumb throttle has 4 pins. I got it togehter with the controller from C E.
Normally it is very straightforward- there is only one connector out of the controller that will fit the throttle connector. No place for an error. Best you call C E or email ebikes.ca.
Or post a separate thread on the forum asking this question..

I did not open the controller - dont want to void the warranty :mrgreen:
 
John in CR said:
Since he'll never get his "costs" back then why doesn't he do the world a favor and price it at material costs? I believe it's a fine trike, but if no more than a handful of people ever own or experience one then his effort is wasted AFAIC. It may be that a 4 wheel version of this trike is the perfect LEV, but the world will never know. Why don't the Chinese copy something like this?

really exciting about the conversion!
But yes, it is expensive [not crazy expensive] but i have some concerns about customer service and post sale support. I mean if the seller thinks he is selling them for "cheap" comparing to the development costs...
 
who need a tilting trike?

https://picasaweb.google.com/HPVelotechnik/HybridCup2011PedelecsUndEBikesAufDemOdenwaldring?feat=flashalbum#5607680034393323650

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 
wojtek said:
who need a tilting trike?

https://picasaweb.google.com/HPVelotechnik/HybridCup2011PedelecsUndEBikesAufDemOdenwaldring?feat=flashalbum#5607680034393323650

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Yeah I've had mine like that just before it goes over! I have slowed down a good deal since raising the seat and putting on 20" front wheels but the limits of a non tilter are much lower than a tilter in corners. I gotta find that video of Seide going over in a flip trying to outcorner a tilting trike.
otherDoc
 
any update on your creation? cant wait :D
 
Well, kind of.
The controller is fine now. We use the same one. Just don´t like the missing CA plug/compatibility. Got a different controller with CA receptable but haven´t modded the cables yet to fit my plugs.
Besides that, i purchased 240° C heat resistant wire and 400°C heat resistant cable housing for the motor modification and soon will be posting pictures of that mod. I´d like to install the motor in a condition where i don´t have to expect failures after cycling some hundred kilometers.
Also changed the screws like electricwheels did.

I read that you´d like tu upgrade to 66V ore something. 45 km/h not enough? What is your motor again and what´s the difference to mine?
I have an HS3525. Don´t know if that will be considerably more on 16S A123. But i figured again that 45km/h is a decent speed. You´re not going any faster often.
Also moskitos start to hurt when they hit your face at that speed :shock:

Bought one of these just to be sure.

thumbnail.aspx.jpeg
 
45kmh feels fast only in first few days :twisted: :twisted:

I have the rear HS3540 motor, it is more like 42kmh. Fast if you are in town surrounded by cars ect but very slow when you are on the open road.

5404 is the way to go, i caught a virus from the Doc :? :roll:
 
Do you have any pics on the battery mounted on the trike?

I am also thinking to use Matt's astro motor on this trike.. what do you think? might be easier for you to judge as you actually have the trike
 
Astro motor is an efficient and fast choice but too loud for me. I like the stealthy way.

The 5 series is an option if you want more speed and even more torque.

What i learned so far from the forum and especially from the guys that push their setup to the limits like speeds over 80km/h and 5000 amd more watts:
There is always a longing to make your bike faster, feel more acceleration, have more range and so on. And that somehow never ends.
I decided to pull the brake on that and try to be satisfied with my range and speed. Otherwise i would buy more stuff, more expensive batteries, motors, controllers...

Keep in mind that your trike was made for human pedaling with speed accordingly. I´m sure it´s asolid machine, but there are limits.

But keep pushing, maybe you will find a setup where you´re satisfied but believe me it´s hard to find. And it won´t get cheaper :wink:
Maybe an option is to kind of accept and aprecciate what you have right now :D
...although that should not prevent you from trying to improve your present setup and/or compare with others and so on.
Just my thoughts...
Pics to follow.
 
Looks very cool, I have to agree though that it would be nice to see something like that at a lower price point.

I've been looking at Velomobiles lately and it's ridiculous how expensive they are. It seems someone could put together a decent aluminum framed, fiberglass or ABS plastic covered velomobile for $2-3K pretty easily, but they all start at >$5K and go up quickty from there.

I guess there's just not enough mass appeal yet to justify mass production. Wait until gas goes over $5 a gallon and we're going to see all kinds of things. Money talks and big cars seem a lot less cool when it costs $500 a month to fill 'em up.
 
Yeah, also considered that. But in Germany the network for bike trails especially in the cities is still too undeveloped. And you do need some extra space with them. In Holland you see alot of these velomobiles.
In summer a velomobil is too hot. You can start to install electric fans for cooling and stuff but...
Since i never came across a velomobil with 26" wheels theyre still very small/flat on the road. You´de be amazed how little they are if you stand beside one of these. Also i´ve never seen a tilting velomobil.
So the solution for me would be 26" inch tilt trike with part shell for rain protection but still enough air around your body. Something lilke this maybe.

View attachment 1

Ore what still is a dream from a french designer which makes beautiful designs:



...as tilting a tilting version of course :mrgreen:
 
is it your FN trike with the cover? i didnt know they offer the covers

groundproximity said:
Yeah, also considered that. But in Germany the network for bike trails especially in the cities is still too undeveloped. And you do need some extra space with them. In Holland you see alot of these velomobiles.
In summer a velomobil is too hot. You can start to install electric fans for cooling and stuff but...
Since i never came across a velomobil with 26" wheels theyre still very small/flat on the road. You´de be amazed how little they are if you stand beside one of these. Also i´ve never seen a tilting velomobil.
So the solution for me would be 26" inch tilt trike with part shell for rain protection but still enough air around your body. Something lilke this maybe.

View attachment 1

Ore what still is a dream from a french designer which makes beautiful designs:



...as tilting a tilting version of course :mrgreen:
 
No it isn´t.
Till today i haven´t found out who made that shell and what kind of trike that is.

Still determined to go for 5x motor?
 
i would not have problems to put x5 on the full suspension steel trike and use it on roads
for off roads i will have the astro 3220 setup
 
Well... there are enough people who purchase the trike.
Good products need no big advertisement. I had to wait almost 4 months for mine to be finished.
 
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