My life with Python trikes Mk1 , Mk1.5 , Mk2 ?

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Ok after lots and lots of thinking I came up with this , simple and uses the existing seat sub-frame and the minimal amount of extra parts ?



This is probably the maximum tilt as the seat will hit the frame.



The front is a large door hinge held around the frame with 2 x 8mm bolts and some angle iron. I do think angle iron sort of screams of a diy bodge however I chose it because it stops the plate bending to easily and with the vertical surface pointing forwards it will help keep the nut's clean.



It is square I think I have botched the original seat mount and it is now sat at an angle.



So this is what it looks like when sat on the frame. I doubt I will be using the Q/R's as they are only screwed halfway into the Q/R nuts and I think that is not safe. On the clamp using the Q/R's I have freed the vertical tab on the other side, it was welded with some cardboard spacers as advised by Sandman to gain clearance for the paint so I carefully cut into the cavity made by the spacers and released the tab , now it can't get bent under the frame and then lock the whole thing up as it has done in the past as undoing the top fixing makes it come free from the main frame.

So this is only prototype wrong length bolts no lock nuts and no paint , Need to get the seat bolted to the sub-frame then I can put it on the trike and give it a test......

Watch this space....
 
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Anyone can build to a plan. After all, it is someone else's proven dimensions and methods. It takes creativity to suck-it-and-see so that it too, in time, can become someone else's plan. Along the way, there is a collection of scratches, errors, changes, bodges, discards, etc. Those that stick at it, reach its final conclusion - even if that conclusion changes to proving that it can't be done.

It's the journey that is important, not the destination. As an example, I'm concentrating more on the journey of life - not the destination.
 
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It's the journey that is important, not the destination. As an example, I'm concentrating more on the journey of life - not the destination.
I am in no way religious , however Amen to that philosophy.

All the best Paul
 
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Tuesday 11th
Yes ' cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey ' [ look it up it is NOT rude ! ] here yesterday however I got the new seat frame pivot/clamp assembled on a piece of scrap frame material and then transferred it to the trike , only 4 bolts and 2 zip ties however a real chore in the cold and high winds ? hiding in the back of the garage where there is no light ...

Not tried the tilting in-situ yet as rear rack needs removing and box assembling and I had had enough and went inside to thaw out...
 
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So no progress to report on rear fairing , instead took a sharp left and decided to explore iLean/tilting & rear suspension as you do !

For that I realised I could not keep messing up the blue part of the Mk1.5 as I need to be able to ride it daily ....

Answer ? build a ' Mule ' so a test bed rear half is needed , I also need a front half to go with it however lets learn to crawl first ;)

The Mk1 rear end was languishing awaiting for the impetus to give it rear brakes so out with the grinder and get it cut up !



I cut the fixed rear part off and found some tubing to extend the spine.



Mistake number 1 the identified tubing is 40mm which is not 1.5" !!!
Mistake number 2 the method of fixing was by cutting 4 slits in each square face and welding through into a 1 3/8" round tube hammered inside.
Mistake number 3 cutting the slits 4" long with a grinding disc !
Simple maths says 4 faces x 2 tubes gives 8 faces
Using TIG it cannot weld across the gap so each slit needs 2 welds x 8 faces which gives 16 welds
Now 16 welds x 4" is 64" of weld !!!

Now this is TIG up against one of it's limitations not designed for laying down loads of filler , if I had either Stick or MIG a simple weave would have filled the whole slit up nicely.

Should have slit with 1mm disc and widened slightly then welded , however it ain't coming apart now !




Here they are ground down to the face as I intend clamping any experimental rear end across the spine so they need to be flat.

Some time in the future I may cut the bottom off the old rear end and weld a 3mm plate across the end with 2 x 8mm holes then I can also clamp that to it should I be testing a front end or 2 and want a standard non-tilting trike ?


This now looks very long as the rear part is shown exactly in line with where it was cut off ?

However the Mk1 rear was very short and an iLean rear end will clamp a good way back due to the staggered wheels , so would not be in the same place anyway.

Also of course leaning should be possible with a narrower rear end so the old dead axle will be in the way ... NOT NOW (y):D

Brought indoors for a lick of paint ....
 
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Hi all

So there I am cutting on the front lawn when I hear the cry ' your crotch is on fire ' now that surprised me some what as I haven't heard that phrase for at least 50 years .... it did not mean the same when uttered this time......



I did get a little welding done today in the garage



This is a bolt on iLean rear end for the mule , it still needs a link between the BB's and then some pedal cranks on the outside to mount the wheels on and maybe some rear brakes.

The base and horizontal are slightly out of line , however the bolt on interface will take care of that.
 
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Gives a whole new definition to "Blazing Saddles"..... Mel Brookes will be so proud. ;)
 
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So this is the mule main frame supported on wood for the 5" ground clearance , an implementation of Pegasus rod end mounting system may be easier than mine , I wanted individual bolts and it also shields the bearings better from the sh*t !



The BB is supported 15" from the ground and the 2 parts were slide together.



So this is the gap I need to make up ? DannyC now I have similar problems to you ? a large weld area in the vertical on the left and a large weld area in the horizontal on the right ?



What I may do is notch another piece of the frame tubing to sit vertically on the frame end , that would be 8 good welds then cut the end off to match the angle of the pivot right angled piece ?

all for now Paul
 
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Welcome to the "fun" that is flying by the seat of your pants and making it up as you go along.
Although I suspect your build is more "well thought out" and the result of experience.
Mine is just guesswork and poking & hoping. :)
 
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Although I suspect your build is more flying by the seat of your pants and making it up as you go along.
modus operandi - modus operandi - modus operandi ............
 
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So I need to join these pieces together :-



So I made a cardboard piece to mimic the tubing I have available.



however doing a little cutting of the cardboard told me:-
A) the steel end piece was not wide enough
B) it was spacing the tyre to far away from the pivot - so my legs would not reach the pedals



So I decided to take the radical step of cutting the end piece out , I will then cut a new piece with a notch in where the centre triangle is in blue and weld it to the right angled piece.

Then the end piece can be welded back in but at an angle so looking neat [ we hope ] and as short as possible.



Should be easy and neat.
 
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It looks like there's enough thickness in the end tube to cut a notch at the angle of the angle iron. ie cut the notch in the shape of a triangle - wide and deep at the bottom and almost non-existent and to a point at the top to settle the angle iron well into the end tube. It's an awkward cut to get right. If it doesn't look right or you make a mess of the cut there's still the option to replace the end tube.
 
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Sorry Popshot already cut it out :rolleyes:

It's an awkward cut to get right.
I though that and as I am a coward so it was already cut out.



What worried was the small amount of weld length available because the tubing is 40mm deep ?

So have decided to double up the number of pieces , so I will first tack these 2 parts together then cut the slot for the angled piece.



Then I will trim the 2 parts where the upper piece is sitting on the front frame and lower it a bit so the whole piece sits below the peak of the angled part. That gives me 80mm of weld length on each side of the angled part which will give me more confidence in it holding as the forces are very high at the pivot.



So happy with progress so far.

all the best Paul
 
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Hi all

So this was how it was going to play out :-



A big angled chasm...



and this was to be welded in there ...



However I doubt if I could have welded the parts together as the gap was smaller than imagined and it was big and clumsy , also because it was now taller than the frame members it would have interfered with the tyre...

So what to do ? hows about throwing three days of work away and starting again ?



So 2 pieces of 1/4" plate and 10 mins grinding ...
The plates will sit higher than this when in situ


The plates will be welded first to the angled piece and then to the horizontal , then the horizontal piece will be welded into the frame @ the same angle as the pivot.

I have tacked the upper plate in place then will reassemble the front and rear parts and clamp the lower plate in place and tack that to the angle piece if that looks good they will be welded up and then to the horizontal piece and finally the plan is to weld that into the frame.

Fingers crossed..

Paul
 
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It doesn't matter how much it weighs.
Stormbird is the original "racing snake" ;)
 
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