My solar-assisted custom tricycle FOLLIES

[amberwolf]

Yup I've found it to be weird that minute changes in anything affects the handling of the trike. Although I never (never say never) carry canines I do carry about 30 pounds of "stuff" besides the normal complement of battery and meself.

For things like my work commute and grocery trips, it's more like that kind of thing most of the time...but when really loaded down it makes a huge difference.

I'm very happy I finished my door project, since this year it feels like the rains are going to be much stronger than last years' disappointments. -been caught in a hail storm with no ill effects (other then loud pounding noises on the roof)

I keep pondering a roof for the trike, though I dunno about a full enclosure most of the year. too hot, makes a greenhouse. Maybe a tent-canvas one that can be rolled up as sections, kinda like some Jeep covers.

HK is currently selling multistar battery packages at silly cheap prices if interested, although most the packages are not the ones I use... the 3S 5.2Ah I do use and it's $16.something each (previously almost $30)

good that they're getting cheaper--eventually by the time my existing stuff dies out, I should be able to afford new ones. Right now that would still cost me at least $340 for the batteries (not incl shipping/etc) to get one that does what I need with spare for aging/capacity loss over time.

 

[ddk]

 

[ddk]

 

[ddk]

tempted to move to CA

 

[ddk]

 

[ddk]

been kinda stormy* for the last couple of weeks An old sailor, ten years my junior, mentioned to me that "if the horizon looks lumpy, that's a bad time to be out on a boat"
I'm guessing this is what "lumpy" looks like
MPPM keeps me dry...

*stormy= wind so strong windows break, trees and power-lines blow over and torrential rain from every direction including 'down'.

 

[ddk]

The rain stopped for a few hours today.

One of my sons moved out to the coast, keeping me busy but I did spot an bright lime green Organic Transit ELF today.
-another local e-bike (trike)
unfortunately looked to handle worse than MPPM but it might have been the user.
plus
-although not a bike, a local car dealer is selling a semi-enclosed tiny electric 4-wheeler that meets LEV criteria for $2.4K... cheap by any standard.

 

[ddk]

Finishing and transporting laundry in MPPM, suddenly the rain stopped and the moon broke through the night.
I took this opportunity to make a grocery trip, running with all lights atwinkle

could go on but to make a shorter story vehicles slowed to observe this lighted tricycle (as usual) and people yelled out encouraging things, maybe... generally unintelligible due to me being inside an enclosed "thing" and wearing my noise-canceling headset
...as I parked the trike on the sidewalk adjacent to the store's doors two young ladies ran up to me,stopping when noticing my disposition of time yet still managed an "AWESOME"
before disappearing into the store.View attachment 1

 

[ddk]

The rear brake wasn't working too well on MT trike.
Actually, not at all.
As usual I made an assumption that the cable came loose or broke, as the brake handle has a return spring internally so one has to check.
And as usual, my assumption was wrong.
The brake drum had completely moved out of the band-brake assembly because the key shifted in the keyway (caused by a loose screw, such as I've been accused of many a time)

 

[ddk]

I maybe overdid the battery capacity on the latest replacements, beings I recharged them all of three times in (almost) three months.
But I've had to limit my riding to needed shopping excursions.
It's been raining pretty continuously since December, with breaks lasting a few minutes to several hours every three or four days.

Yep, fairly normal year compared to these last few years of drought.
Yesterday waves of 10-20 meters washed over highways south of Crescent City and I forgot to take a camera...
...so it goes

 

[ddk]

Now that I've burned through 5 each of the Bell (Gates?) front tires on MyPersonalDiscoPopeMobil I bought a Marathon for grins, giggles etc.

I finally found a meter for the trikes -measures volt/amps/power and uses the trikes' battery(s) as power 6.5-100V DC and 100A shunt with resetable power usage meter for less than $20. Ordered one to see if it'll work as advertised.

 

[Rassy]

The Washington Post
4 hours ago - A huge sinkhole in Harbor, Ore., led to the closure of Highway 101 on Friday, Jan. ... which included photos of the giant hole in the ground and one aerial ... “It's a monster for sure,” said Jared Castle, Oregon DOT spokesman ...

Hey ddk, keep your eyes open when you go riding today.

 

[ddk]

The Washington Post
4 hours ago - A huge sinkhole in Harbor, Ore., led to the closure of Highway 101 on Friday, Jan. ... which included photos of the giant hole in the ground and one aerial ... “It's a monster for sure,” said Jared Castle, Oregon DOT spokesman ...

Hey ddk, keep your eyes open when you go riding today.

A 30' (10m) sinkhole formed in a parking lot just east of this event early December. The sinkhole was caused by a collapsed underground culvert. The county, lacking funds to do anything about it only started working on it this week.
I happened to ride the road in question (shopping hill) Wednesday, late afternoon and spotted a 3" crack developing mid-lane. I warned people to avoid the area.
Thursday the whole width of the road collapsed in an avalanche, including additional lanes on HWY 101 which is now closed to traffic.
But keep on voting against increased taxes... fools.

I've never seen the ground so saturated with water here. It's actually pooling.
Local soils are basically sand and gravel so rainfall drains really quickly... but not this year.

 

[ddk]

I bought a (new) 500W power supply to bulk charge the 32Ah batteries, but big batteries take a long time to charge so I took pictures of the recently acquired power meter.
Eventually I'll incorporate a meter in each battery pack.

 

[ddk]

the first nice day in a very long time brings out the camera for pics because i liks to tak'm

 

[ddk]

 

[ddk]

NOTED:
you can order theCyclone Full Suspension Recumbent Trike nowadays with a choice of motors, batteries or non-electric and even one model with a hub motor (sans the cyclone mid-motor thingie)
Seems reasonably priced for what it is... and would be a top choice for me except:
Too bad I can no longer mount a tadpole (creaky old guy issues) :?
http://www.cyclone-tw.com/order-erecumbent.htm

 

[docnjoj]

Cyclone Taiwan also has a tilting trike kit for around 1800 USD. If I were a bit more daring I might consider it.
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

Cyclone Taiwan also has a tilting trike kit for around 1800 USD. If I were a bit more daring I might consider it.
otherDoc

Do you have a link?
I didn't see it on their site, but I did note their quadcycle that utilizes the same differential as my Justwin MPDPM trike although it's not offered for sale on that site.

...and at our age, it's really just the thought that counts :lol:
but I has sum off-springers who might get interested.

 

[docnjoj]

Phooey DDK! Cyclone seems to have changed their ad page and it is no longer mentioned. If I were serious, I would write to them and see if the parts were still available. It looked like a good design.
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

deja vu
at least they're finally offering 'a' recumbent trike beyond Taiwan, although not of the same design as previously pictured 5 years ago... (seems wimpier)

 

[ddk]

'nother day
'nother storm
(with lightning AND thunder)
(and wind... lotsa wind)
(and surf... BIG surf)

maybe I'll get some of my projects done this weekend
Always the chance.

 

[ddk]

new headlights

I'm probably gonna add deflectors to direct light away from the sky but ouch... these things are bright.

 

[ddk]

"Anything worth doing is worth doing badly."
...but then I got too chilled and this can wait (procrastination is something I usually procrastinate on)

 

[ddk]

If I now charge my motor battery' packs less often I just realized that since I increased size of my lights battery from 3S 25Ah to 4S 30Ah, I hadn't recharged them since last year
Put lights battery pack on the charger today and the battery cells initially measured 3.8V
...and this was even after I'd added those 36W of headlights with an additional hour or so of operation and all lights lit.
I figure I have about a *very* safe 6 hours of battery life with all lights, rear-view camera and monitor operating.
+ I'm fairly sure someone attempted to borrow popemobile trike but I always turn off batteries and leave the trike in it's highest gear, making it just about impossible to just pedal away.