three wheeler

[DanJR1]

Originally posted by Kid Prozac
Couple of things with the one wheel at the rear that I can foresee. If you are planning to have a lot of power from thenegine, and you will to compete with a radical, you are going to be traction limited, ie you will spin up that rear wheel very easily. Secondly, with a single rear wheel, in a roll situation, you have no form of keeping the rear wheel at a suitable angle, without running zero roll stiffness. This will mean that coming out of corners you wiill not be able to apply power unitl the vehicle is at 0 degrees roll. It will also destroy the rear tyre very quickly. The solution would torun some kind of floating swing arm, that can move in roll as well as bump. Would be a very sweet solution if you could get it to work.

Regarding the engine, if you have your rider/driver above it, your CG height will be in the order of 700mm. This will absolutely kill your cornering potential. Bikes get around this by the rider leaning into the corner, thus lowering the CG. If you keep this format you'll struggle to keep up with a Radical for sure. If you wnat a one rider vehciel, stick the engine next to the driver, thuis reducing the wheelbase, and combining it with a low CG and low polar moment of inertia.

Good luck with it, there is potential for a truely different machine!

how do three wheeler cars get round it then? and surely sidecars that are used at the TT have the rider on top of the engine?

[Fireblade]

Although agreeing in essence with the 2 wheels at the front theory I do have to point out that the Bill Chaplin/Livvy Klimpke team won a couple of Hillclimb Championships with 2 wheels at the back configuration.
Bill used a Cossie rear diff and a clever front suspension geometry. He no longer builds them as he is the constructor of the formidale Force8 hillclimb car. But his road holding had to be seen to be believed. Jason Reeve, in the same Championship, uses a 2 at front combination and is most rapid and spectacular in a different way. Although I am impressed by both designs I must say I would prefer to be Bill's passenger.His seemed more stable under load to me.
Come to think of it, Bills passenger(Livvy)was much easier on the eye than Jasons. Someone previously mentioned Grinnalls and they do certainly hold the road. Like muck to a blanket to coin a phrase.
I have driven more than a couple and seen their developement over the years. A nicely done package in all based upon the rear end of a BMW K Series bike.

[halecmini]

here is a pic of the HALEC mini, it actually pre-dates the Greenwood mini, built in the early 60's orginally had a v-twin JAP engine but now has a 1300 mini and laps mallory in 57 secs

http://www.racecarsdirect.com/cars/d...id=10998&cat=0

[halecmini]

it's for sale too, driver banned!! but a very quick car, blows morgans away!!!

[halecmini]

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[halecmini]

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[halecmini]

sorry chaps clicked on it twice!!