KMX Cobra

Kevo, thx 8) , you can expect a full review and pictures of the process as i go along with the conversion.. :p

recumpence , big THANK YOU for the quick replies and support, if anyone wants a kmx i highly recommend mr.R , quick resonses and support is always a welcome thing when dealing with new things, getting the lowest price does not always win out in the long run.. i've always gotten nothing but the best from matt as far as help , support and fair pricing... again, Thx man !

I couldn't help but notice ... that chain guard (TUBE) covers about 70% of the entire chain length.
Doesn't that add a lot of friction working against the rider's pedal power (not that it'll matter once you put your motor in there)?
And does the chain rattle in the tube?
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Honestly, no, it does not add any noticable friction, and in fact is beneficial with such a long chain, it prevents chain slap and frame getting scratched and beaten up, in the long run i'm sure the tubes will get dirty and i expect to run the hose to it once in a while followed by air compressor and then a fresh coat of chain lube, am not sure how this would work out in winter, but for now i plan to use this on nice weather days.. that will be figured out over time.

----

oatnet , hehe.. expect that to start happening shortly !!!! :twisted:
 
I test rode one today ( a cobra ) and i concur - if you are close to the weight rating, forget it. It will flex a lot. And the taller you are, the longer the boom needs to be, so then that flexes even more as well.

6ft. here, but with long legs, and 240lb. currently. I found the terratrike tour2 to be even flexier.. only the low end catrike felt anything like solid.. quite sad :(

So as a heavier and taller rider, i will forget these and build something more sturdy later on.. just my 2 cents.

( they were all, however, a total hoot to ride.. )
 
YPedal,
If you're new to recumbents, there are a few things to note:
1) Some people get numb feet after riding as little as 30 minutes. There's lots of speculation as to why on line, and home remedies - I just wanted to give a heads up.
2) Related: You might want to get SPD pedals and clip in, since when you're notpedaling, if you relax your legs they'll be pulled down.
3) RE: the jelly legs. Recumbents can fool you. They feel harder to pedal up hill (which, since a trike can't fall over, is solved with patience and a good granny gear). But, you can actually put more force on your pedals (and therefore on your knees). On an upright, the most force you can put on your pedals is your body weight. But with a recumbent, your back is braced against the seat taking that upper limit away... Just a word of caution because some recumbent riders learn this fact after by getting injured.

Looking good... can't wait to see the first video!
 
Hi Gaston

Nice trike, really like the new models :D they are great fun and as Doc has proved an all weather machine in your neck of the woods too!! I like the colour as well, I was wondering what you plan as far as e assist? are you buying in new gear or swapping some of your existing kit from another build? my KMX has a modified USPD bolted to it, its fast enough 40mph top speed and that feels pretty scary I tell you! I think the steering damper is a very good idea, the front brakes are a must, I dont run a rear brake at all its way to dangerous yanking on that when turning at speed, a lot of KMX riders ditch the rear and only use the front, you will find out when you have a go.

Riding on the roads is scary, a lot of cars hooted at me as I dont think that they can see you and some other must think you are not allowed on the road with them? I keep meaning to go and get one of those buggy flags that you see attached to bike trailers to make myself more visible but I think they look a bit gay :lol: so I have resisted and ride mainly on the cycle paths and only taking it on the road when its quiet and i feel comfortable, the other thing you can do of course is to run a very bright rear light in the day.

I dont use mine a whole lot but I would never get rid of it because it is too much fun, when its a hot sunny day and your cruising along with mild peddling and sat all comfortable in that seat you feel you can stay out all day, I have to say even on my old KMX the seat is really comfy and I can peddle really hard because you push in to the seat which gives you so much more force.

The chain line has never been right on mine! ha ha I dont peddle a huge amount though so its no biggy, I never shift gears on it either, I use a lever thumb throttle on mine as I couldnt get used to a twist throttle because as you turn the bars you are turning the throttle, I damn near rode though a wooden fence when I tried Jozzers trike out a few years ago, here is a picture of my thumb throttle its super smooth and is spring return, its basically a spring return pot with an ally knob on the top, I also intend to put a kill switch in the top of the other grip some time. I think it must have been years of playing flight sim games with top mounted joystick controls makes me feel very at home with this type of control.
 

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She is beautiful. Definitely taking it to the next level.Orange rocks KTM style
 
Ypedal said:
if it's worth doing... it's worth over-doing ! :wink:

edit : I just got back from pedaling around the block, i'm really liking this thing... conversion starts tomorrow ! :p
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Cool, what are you going to start with, the beard or the aerobelly? :p :lol: :lol:

-JD
 
oatnet said:
Cool, what are you going to start with, the beard or the aerobelly? :p :lol: :lol:
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After just giving mine a decent run with the mac motor today, there is a distinct possibility of an aerobelly in my future. It's just too easy :D
 
Well.. i grew a goatee over the last 2 weeks.. and the belly.. well..... i credit that one to beer.

So, got the kmx back in the kitchen, had it in the garage for a few days but it's cold out there and starting up the oil furnace means cleaning the area, plus, all my ebike parts are in the house.. so ..
 

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I dug out a box with a used X5304, laced in a WIDE 24" rim with 10 gauge spokes, Found a 24 x 2.4 holy roller and tube.

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This motor originally did not have a disk brake, one got added, the axle is also modified with coarse thread and milled down at the ends..

Butch..
 

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Game plan for tomorrow.... unless i come up with another idea tonight.....

is to take my angle grinder and remove axle material to shift the motor to the right side by as much as the thickness of the frame and derailleur hanger, add an inside torque arm to the left side of the axle, and i'm rolling on tripple 20's !.

No rear brake, but from what you guys are telling me and my short amount of riding confirms that it's all about the front brakes anyways..
 

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Ypedal said:
No rear brake, but from what you guys are telling me and my short amount of riding confirms that it's all about the front brakes anyways..
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Most trikes don't even have a rear brake, never missed one on my Trident...
 
Why not just use regen for rear breaking?
 
Pure said:
Why not just use regen for rear breaking?
Click to expand...

Yeah!!! surprizingly it work REALLY WELL on mine!!!

I adjusted the rear tire presure and the regen current in a way that i can drift just with the perfect curve when i need to turn!

I love that regen!!

Ypedal.. you should consider having this option!!!

drifting with a trike IS one of the thing i most appreciate!

Doc
 
I could not agree more.

Drifting a trike is not only fun, it is really, really easy. You will feel like a proper rally driver in no time.

I am glad you are going with a 20 inch rear wheel. 20s are much stiffer generally and easier on the frame.

Matt
 
I'm a complete trike noob ... but I see one in my future in a few years, so I'm following this thread with interest.

What exactly is drifting? I see "drift trike" videos when I search on this, but they have special back wheels. And if it is about sliding, what's the physics of the tire pressure and regen to make it happen?
 
recumpence said:
Drifting a trike is not only fun, it is really, really easy. You will feel like a proper rally driver in no time.
Click to expand...

Unless you make a noob mistake like I did yesterday and forget to lean into the corner before you open the throttle, it's amazing how quickly a trike can flip with a healthy dose of right hand lock and power...
 
YES on rear regen for braking, i need to get another infineon unit tho, this motor is setup for a regular clyte analogue that will do until a new Lyen can arrive..

modding the axle is the first thing to do here, using hand tools for precision work is messy.. hacksaw and angle grinder here we go...
 
ok.. small update.. been busy last few days dealing with everything non-ebike related in my life.. but tonight i got back into it..

It's crude.. but between dremel, angle grinder, and bench grinder, the hack saw won out. oh what i'd give for proper tools and knowing how to use them...

But, as you can see, all you newbs out there , this can be done with the most basic tools if you take your time and think it thru...
 

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