Sinclair C5 YES or NO ??....NO IT IS...

[MrKang]

I can purchase a 2nd hand Sinclair C5 in good condition. It includes spare tires.
asking price is 250euros

Did any of you have some driving experience on this vehicle ?

My plan was to modify it with a 500-1000W brushed DC motor powered by some Lipo's
Make a nice digital instrumentsdash, better lighting.. you know the drill..all kinds of gadgets offcourse...

Is this a good buy ? or should i pass it ?

Here are some pictures of this 1985 monster from Sinclair...

 

[Carsten]

ive never seen this thing before, looks awesome. for 250 euro dont ask, buy. if it turns out it doesnt fit ur needs than sell it maybe with profit. how does it work? rear tires driven? is there a differential or is only one side powered? what about the handlebar? do u put ur legs above or is it able to move up and down? buy it and post more pics gogogo

edit: ive found this http://www.sinclairc5.com/buysell.htm sayin the value for an average c5 is about 150 to 750 british pounds, so 250 euro sounds like a good deal. incomplete or broken ones are 70 to 150.

 

[Hillhater]

The C5 was a disaster, ..technically and financially. and dangerous on corners too !
It was a feeble elec assist recumbent ( yes it has pedals, luckily as the 12 v 250w drive was near useless !
more info here.. http://www.evalbum.com/220

 

[MrKang]

Yes i read those things on the internet. But i hope to have some feedback from real owners experienced this thing..

i'm still having doubts...if i start this i know i will spend another 600 euro's to modify it...

It doesn't have any suspensions...so when riding it..do you feel every little hump ?

 

[Carsten]

The C5 was a disaster, ..technically and financially. and dangerous on corners too !
It was a feeble elec assist recumbent ( yes it has pedals, luckily as the 12 v 250w drive was near useless !
more info here.. http://www.evalbum.com/220

financially is not ur problem, technically i think there were some developments in the last 20 years. what about a rc setup, lot of lipo or lifepo, add an differential ... . i think theres a lot of room for improvements. whats the reason for cornering problems? where were the batteries located? maybe a slightly wider wheelbase and tryin to bring the center of gravity to the front/down would help a lot? it looks like a worth base for modding. as mentioned before, it looks awesome.

...
It doesn't have any suspensions...so when riding it..do you feel every little hump ?

there are 2" tires in the back and a 2 1/4" in the front, i would guess its quite comfy on the street but potholes should be avoided.

 

[michaelplogue]

I'd buy it. You might see if you could widen the rear axle for better stability.......

 

[deardancer3]

C5 owner here.

12" and 16" wheels, no suspension, non adjustable crank to seat lenght.

Unsafe above 20 mph.

Give it enough umph to climb hills at 15 mph , stay at reasonable speed, watch road for irregularities.
(trikes have three wheel lines to manage to avoid bumps, bicycles only one)
accept the pedal length limitation. install 1kwh batteries low, get good efficient brushless motor. Install high mounted warning lights. Then wait till gas prices double and you are alone on the road, then it will be safe.

until then have fun riding it in parades and taking it to car shows.

d

 

[JennyB]

C5 owner here.

12" and 16" wheels, no suspension, non adjustable crank to seat lenght.

Unsafe above 20 mph.

Give it enough umph to climb hills at 15 mph , stay at reasonable speed, watch road for irregularities.
(trikes have three wheel lines to manage to avoid bumps, bicycles only one)
accept the pedal length limitation. install 1kwh batteries low, get good efficient brushless motor. Install high mounted warning lights. Then wait till gas prices double and you are alone on the road, then it will be safe.

until then have fun riding it in parades and taking it to car shows.

d

All good advice. "Crazy fast C5" has already been done

 

[Carsten]

...
Then wait till gas prices double and you are alone on the road, then it will be safe.

until then have fun riding it in parades and taking it to car shows.

d

the thread opener is located in the netherlands, a country where cyclin is mainstream, suv drivers are the minority there and they are all aware of low and fast vehicles like recumbents, there are a lot of them, propably more than anywhere else in the world. so i think drivin there with this vehicle is a lot saver than in the us or elsewhere.

 

[deardancer3]

...
Then wait till gas prices double and you are alone on the road, then it will be safe.

until then have fun riding it in parades and taking it to car shows.

d

the thread opener is located in the netherlands, a country where cyclin is mainstream, suv drivers are the minority there and they are all aware of low and fast vehicles like recumbents, there are a lot of them, propably more than anywhere else in the world. so i think drivin there with this vehicle is a lot saver than in the us or elsewhere.

Carsten, your comments about "other vehicle issues" probably very valid for much of Europe. I should have noted the country.

However, England still considers the C5 unsafe on an isolated bumpy road above 15mph, Not due to other drivers.
In town in Europe? Might be a hoot. Wish I lived in a place that it would be safer; but not Colorado Springs.

And in the US, several states have listed 12inch wheels as making the product a "Toy" and not to be taken on roads. Colorado just deleted that designation this year.

 

[Carsten]

its not categorical valid for hole europe but especially for the netherlands, bikes are part of their culture and lifestyle. its absolutely flat and its a small country, its all compressed, there are no long distances in the netherlands.

i know the design looks familiar, first i tought on this

then i found that lotus helped designing it and it hit me

find the mistake

ive also found some bottom views of the c5, there is plenty of room to mount batteries and drivetrain lower and more to the front. besides with a wider wheelbase it should be much more stable than the stock model.

btw, check this out http://www.jetpower.co.uk/c5_media.htm

 

[knoxie]

Hi

Thats a good price for a C5 depending on its condition of course, here in the UK they can fetch upwards of £500, never ever seen one as low as £150 as the other poster stated? :? I have ridden one a few times, they are a lot of fun and even in stock form pull well low down and up to 15mph, the problems come from the handling at higher speeds and the transmission isn't designed for much more power.

I wouldnt ride one on the road but cycle lanes a sure bet, you will get lots of looks and sadly plenty of laughs as well (they do look like a training shoe on wheels) still the price is good. If you are after a low rider I would go with a KMX and a 9C motor in the rear, nice and simple, tadpole trikes handle much better at speeds as well however if you like the retro sheik go for it!! however bear in mind that hacking it about will greatly affect the resale value, they are getting rarer as time goes on and in a few years time they will start to be come very collectable.

Old Clive took a lot of bashing over this thing but he was thinking well ahead of his time its just a shame that he didnt consult the right people when he designed it, there are some great documentaries floating around on line about that will explain all.

 

[MrKang]

I have decided not to buy it because i know i want to speed it up above 20mph. I better safe my money for a second hand trycicle.
thanks guys for your opinions. He is still selling it...but it's in the netherlands...

 

[Carsten]

actually im unfortunatly out of funds, otherwise i would have bought it. its only a few hours away, so transportation is manageable. if its still there till end of next month and i can afford it, i ll get it.

 

[MrKang]

actually im unfortunatly out of funds, otherwise i would have bought it. its only a few hours away, so transportation is manageable. if its still there till end of next month and i can afford it, i ll get it.

it's on the dutch site : http://www.marktplaats.nl
just search for sinclair C5 and you will see several objects

 

[thewmatusmoloki]

its not categorical valid for hole europe but especially for the netherlands, bikes are part of their culture and lifestyle. its absolutely flat and its a small country, its all compressed, there are no long distances in the netherlands.

i know the design looks familiar, first i tought on this


then i found that lotus helped designing it and it hit me

find the mistake

ive also found some bottom views of the c5, there is plenty of room to mount batteries and drivetrain lower and more to the front. besides with a wider wheelbase it should be much more stable than the stock model.

btw, check this out http://www.jetpower.co.uk/c5_media.htm

......Haha :lol: :lol: nice one Carsten, you might just be on to something there !

 

[thedarlington]

wow they really got alot of c5's for sale there, i dont know how better off ud be with one of those compared to just going a similar recumbent or tadpole trike way, but it would definitely be a cool toy to have and attention getter none the less

 

[C5 Karl]

Hi one and all,

I bought my C5 from the UK, about 18 months ago for less than £150 and paid £45 for transporting it from the north of England to the Munich area. OK!, I had to buy a front whell cover, 3 tyres and some mirrors. Speed control is by means of a motorcycle type twist grip, and it's converted to meet the 'pedal before power' EU regulation for E-bikes (pedelec). I've also converted it for use with a 3 speed hub gear, and am now thinking of converting to a 7 speed hub, discs, and 24 volt.

@ Carsten,
if you haven't bought a C5 yet I would suggest that you think before you buy. As you know this land is full of bureauCRAZY, and a C5 in it's original form, with powered motor, is strickly illegal in Germany. It needs a lot of conversion to make it street legal, I know because I had a lot of work to put mine on the road. Under German law the basic C5 is an electric powered vechile, not a bike, and if you run into the wrong cop then you are in for a very expensive experience.

1. Driving an unregistered vehicle.
2. Driving without insurance.
3. Possibly, driving without a licence, that is if you don't have one.

With the use of many non 'ABE' (German cerification ) electric scooters the cops are getting to be very hot.

If you are still thing of buying one I can let you know what's involved in the conversion.

Regards.

Karl.