DSD Education and Health: Drift trike build plan project

Introduction

Building a drift trike is a lot of fun and very rewarding. We can be as

creative as we like when we are building our trike and we may

just learn a few things about physics and engineering. This ebook

won’t tell us exactly what we need to do, because everyone has

access to different tools and parts. This ebook will give us the tips

and show us the tricks we need to successfully use the parts we

can get our hands on.

At the completion of this book we will be able to build an entry level

drift trike and start enjoying the buzz of downhill drift triking.

The methods and styles used in this book are methods that have

worked and are proven. There are a lot of methods that are better

but take a lot more time or money to get a similar result.

Right from the start, we would like to point out that drift triking can

be a dangerous sport, we will be riding on public roads and often

with other traffic. We must always follow the road rules, local laws in

our state/country and we always wear safety gear. We speak on

this topic from experience.

Planning your build

TOOLS YOU’RE GOING TO NEED

1. Welder –

Using a Electric Arc Welding but a MIG will do the job just fine. The entry level MIG from Machine Mart (TE110 or TE135) is a bargain and will be ample for this project. I recommend getting a proper gas cylinder (Argon CO2 for MIG, Pure Argon for TIG) rather than using the disposable ones as you'll get through loads and pay a fortune. It definitely works out better value with a proper cylinder.

2. Lathe –

Unfortunately you need a lathe for this build because of (1) the fit of the axle and the bearings you will need some way of making some shims to make the fit tight. (2) the placing of the disk brake you need to bore it to to get it to fit. If you haven't got a lathe then you might need to call on your friendly local engineering shop/mate who has one to get this sorted. Read the improvements section at the end where I'll list how I'm going to simplify the design for my next build.

3. Hacksaw –

a mitre box is also useful to get a square cut (but not essential). I was lucky enough to have a Machine Mart/Clarke metal cutting band saw to hand which saved a lot of grief but not essential at all.

4. Drill + Drillbits - pillar drill is useful (highly recommended) but you can get by with a cordless

5. Hole Saws - the best you can afford! Quality makes all the difference and saves untold grief.

6. Angle grinder - a cutting disk, a grinding disk, a sanding flap disk and a knotted wire brush disk.

DRIFT TRIKE BUILD PLANS

No liability can be accepted to for any inaccuracies or omissions in this publication, although every possible care has been taken to make it as complete and accurate as possible.

The right is reserved to make changes at any time without prior notice and without incurring an obligation to make such changes to products manufactured previously.

All information contained in this publication is based on the latest product information available at the time of publication. Illustrations and photographs in this publication are intended for reference use only and may not depict actual model component parts.

AVALANCHE

Avalanche has been designed to be an easy, quick and cheap build for any one that is intrusted in motorized drift trikes but doesn’t want an expensive off the shelf option. Avalanche uses a 6.5hp go kart engine. This is a simple straight forward build that uses common parts that are regularly available. We have designed this trike with a 40mm go kart rear axle but we have also included measurements and instructions if you choose to use other popular go kart axle sizes like 1 ¼” and 1” (25mm).

SPECIFCATIONS

Frame: Mild steel RHS

Brakes: Go kart rear disc brake hub and caliper. Must be 190mm in diameter for ground clearance. Bicycle brakes up front.

Handlebars and stem: Bicycle

Front wheel and forks: standard BMX wheels, forks and bearings. Custom trike wide wheels with forks to match can also be used.

Rear wheels: Front go kart tyres and rims that use a hub.

Rear axle: Go kart 1”, 1 ¼” or 40mm rear axle.

Sprocket: Go kart sprocket and hub. Must be 65 tooth or less for ground clearance.

Engine: 6.5hp four stroke go kart engine. An engine based off a Honda GX200 is what will work best. These engines are widely available due to them being copied from many different Chinese engine manufacturers.

Clutch: Go kart centrifugal clutch to suit engine.

Chain guard: Custom 1.6mm sheet metal guard. We have included fabrication plans for this.

Bearings: Pillow block bearings. If using 40mm rear axle then two UPC 208 – 40mm bearings needed. If using 1 ¼” rear axle two UPC 206 – 20 bearings needed. If using 25mm (1”) rear axle then two UPC 205 – 25mm bearing needed.

Seat: Many different seats can be used on drift trikes. We have included a few mounting plate designs for more popular seats.

SAFETY

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE RIDING

DRIFT TRIKE BUILD PLANS wish to advise in the intrust of your enjoyment, some safety features which will enable you to enjoy riding your trike and minimise the risks to yourself and others.

HELMET

Always wear a good crash helmet, a full face helmet offers more protection than an open face. Remember to buckle up the chin strap.

CLOTHING

Always wear paints, long sleeved shirts and clothed in foot wear.

PROTECTIVE GEAR

It is advisable to wear knee and elbow pads to minimise injury if and accident was to occur. Gloves are also and essential part of protective gear.

DRINKING, DRUGS AND RIDING

DO NOT consume alcohol and ride any type of trike, bike or vehicle. Drinking and riding is dangerous to both yourself and others. The nature of drift trike riding is demanding and unpredictable so you need to be alert and focused on what you are doing at all times. Drugs and alcohol dull your senses and concentration.

SHARP OBJECTS

Make sure the frame or any parts of the drift trike that you have fabricated is to design specs and all sharp edges and burrs have been removed.

BRAKES

Good brakes are essential. Braking is relative to speed; the faster you go, the better your brakes should be. Always maintain your brakes so that they are always in good working order.

STEERING

Steering is an important safety area, without it you have lost control. Always make sure that steering components are in good condition and check for loose bolts/parts.

The more responsible you are, the better it will be for all of us and the better an image for the sport of trike drifting you will create, guaranteeing for all of us acceptance and respect from the general public.

DISCLAIMER

DRIFT TRIKE BUILD PLANS, their agents or employees will not be held responsible for any damage caused by any of their trike designs to person or property.

DRIFT TRIKE BUILD PLANS make every effort to advise their customers of safety precautions and responsibility and cannot be held responsible for the actions of an individual or individuals. DRIFT TRIKE BUILD PLANS cannot be held responsible for an individual’s quality of workmanship or for the suitability of the finished product in respect to safety or the performance an individual may expect from the said design in various conditions. Drifting trikes is a dangerous sport because of the varying conditions that may be encountered and although DRIFT TRIKE BUILD PLANS makes every effort to design a solid and safe drift trike, DRIFT TRIKE BUILD PLANS have no control over how or where an individual chooses to use their drift trike.

DRIFT TRIKE BUILD PLANS makes every effort to supply quality components to its customers but will not be held responsible as to the way an individual assembles, fits or uses said components or the way or manner an individual uses a drift trike.

	Glossary of Terms
Bending	Tending to curve or bow.
BMS	Bright Mild Steel.
CAD	Computer Aided Design – objects that have been designed on a
	sophisticated computer software drawing package.
CNC	Computer Numerical Control – a system used to control automated
	machines using computer guidance.
℄	Centreline – symbol shown at the centre of some drawings.
ERW tube	Electric Resistance Welded tube. Is usually made of better quality steel
	and comes with thinner walls that normal steel pipe.
Fabricating	To measure, cut and weld to create a finished product from raw
	materials.
Flatbar	Steel that is sold as flat lengths.
Gusset	A bracket strengthening an angle of a structure.
ID	Inside Diameter – inside measurement of round objects.
M	Meter – metric measurements
Mm	Millimetre – metric measurements.
Module	A self contained item, normally an assembly or parts to create a
	specific item. Normally used in combination with other units.
NB	Nominal Bore – Classification given to some sizes of pipe.
Nyloc	Brand name for a self-locking nut that uses a nylon insert to lock onto
	the bolt thread.
Ø	Diameter – measurement for round objects.
OD	Outside Diameter – outside measurement of round objects.
PCD	Pitch Circle Diameter – diameter of a circle in which holes are evenly
	spaced.
RHS	Rectangular Hollow Section (steel).
Scollop	Notched. Remove material.
Wheelbase	The distance between front and rear axle centres.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Some basic equipment will be needed to fabricate the drift trike frame. Here is a list of basic tools and equipment needed.

WELDER

A ‘Mig Welder’ is the most preferred as it can be used by most novice welders with the minimum of experience. Another type of welder is the ‘Arc Welder’, this can be used just as readily but needing more skill and practice to produce clean tidy welds. Other forms of welding suitable for construction are ‘Tig’ and ‘Gas’ welding (brazing). The form of welding used depends on what your personally have available and what your skills are best suited to.

CUT OFF SAW

Ether a grinding type ‘Drop Saw’ or a ‘Power Hacksaw’, or ‘Bandsaw’ may be used. If either of these are not available a ‘Hand Hacksaw or ‘Angle Grinder’ may be used with a sturdy vice.

DRILL PRESS

A drill press of 5/8” (16mm) capacity is the more suitable but you may use a hand power drill either in a drill press stand or on its own.

SQUARES

A large fabrication square, a one meter rule and protractor bevel for marking out and setting up the frame and angles will be required. A tape measure for measuring tube lengths.

GENERAL HAND TOOLS

Adjustable spanners, pliers, angle grinders (4” or 5”), socket set, hand files, bench vice and a sturdy bench will all come in handy.

TIPS ON CONSTUCTING

BEFORE BUYING PARTS DECIDE ON THE FOLLOWING

There are three popular sized rear go kart axles that you can choose from for this build (25mm or 1”, 1 ¼” and 40mm). All axles should be 1050mm long. A 25mm / 1” axle will be lighter and cheaper but a 40mm axle will be stronger. Parts so suit a 1 ¼” might be more widely available and cheaper in your area. A 25mm / 1” axle will give you a little more ground clearance than a 1 ¼” and 40mm. So before buying a certain size axle weigh up the pro’s and con’s of each size. Parts needed to suit your axle size are: AXLE, Pillow block bearings x 2, disc brake hub, sprocket hub and wheel hub x 2. Some stores sell all this in a package, this is usually the cheapest option. Make sure you shop around for best price.

PURCHASE OF PARTS

Purchase of second hand parts will bring the cost of the build down considerably. The design of this trike incorporates widely available parts that can be easily found from many suppliers.

WHEELS

Front go kart wheels and tyres are used in this design because they are easily found and second hand items are usually sold cheap or just thrown in the trash. Wheels with a hub to suit your axle size choice. Front wheel and forks are standard BMX wheels, forks and bearings. Custom trike wide wheels with forks to match can also be used.

GEOMETRY

Take extra time and care to ensure all the steering components are true and square before fully welding.

BRAKES

You will need a go kart rear disc brake, disc brake caliper, brake leaver and a disc hub to suit you axle choice. We recommend using a 190mm diameter disc brake, any larger than this will give you very little ground clearance. Please install the front BMX brakes on the front wheel for obvious reasons. Some genuine trike forks have brackets for disk brakes; this can be a far better braking system but will cost more.

SEAT

A good seat that holds you to the trike is essential. I recommend buying a genuine replacement drift trike seat from a dedicated drift trike parts supplier. Many other seats could also be used just ensure you want slip out of it while drifting. The universal seat mounting plate in this set of plains will allow a lot of different types of seats to be used.

SPROCKET

A go kart rear sprocket and hub to suit you axle choice will be needed. A 65 tooth sprocket is the largest sprocket you will be able to use to still have enough ground clearance. We recommend getting a sprocket to suit a #35 chain.

CLUTCH

Buy a clutch that suits your engine and sprocket choice. We recommend buying a clutch, sprocket and chain together in a package.

GEARING AND DRIVE RAITO

There is a lot of information on the internet about drift trike gear ratios. There is no 1 size fits all answer when considering gear ratio. If your small and light you might get away with a taller gear ratio than a larger overweight bloke. We recommend doing a little research into pro’s and con’s of gearing before buying your rear sprocket and clutch/sprocket. In saying that something like a 1 to 5 or 1 to 6 ratio is usually a good fit. So shop for something like a 10 and 60 tooth or a 12 and 60 tooth package.

ENGINE

A quick eBay search for 6.5hp engine will come up with hundreds of engines. Some will be better quality than others. Some will have an electric start. Some might have a 2 to 1 drive ratio. Some will come with a package including throttle controls, exhausts, mounting plates and other extra goodies. We recommend shopping around and buying a mid price ranged engine off a seller with a good returns policy. The Honda GX200 OHV four stroke engine that has been copied many times over by Chinese manufactures is a good robust engine that makes for an excellent go kart and drift trike engine.

MATERIALS LIST

	MATERIAL		QTY		USED FOR

	1.6mm plate	600mm x 700mm			Chain guard
	3mm plate	600mm x 600mm		Guard, engine and brake
					caliper mount
40 x 40 x 2 RHS		6 meters			Frame
35 x 35 x 2 RHS		2.5 meters			Frame
34mm I.D. ERW pipe with		500mm		Headset, Footrests
	2mm wall

PARTS LIST

	ITEM		QTY		USED FOR

Front go kart wheels and		2			Wheels
	tires
Go kart wheel hubs to		2			Wheel hubs
suit axle size choice
Go kart rear axle. In		1 at 1050mm long			Axle
ether 25mm (1”), 1 ¼” or
	40mm
Go kart rear disc brake		1 at Ø190mm			Brakes
and caliper
Disc brake hub to suit		1			Brakes
your axle size choice
Sprocket and hub to suit		1			Gearing
your axle choice
Pillow block bearings to		2			Bearings
suit axle size you choose
6.5hp OHV four stroke		1			Engine
Go kart engine
Brake leaver and cable		1			Brakes
to suit handle bars used
Throttle and cable to suit		1			Throttle
handle bars used
Clutch and sprocket to fit		1			Gearing
engine
#35 chain		1			Chain
M10 x 40 bolt and Nyloc		4		Fasten engine to frame
	nut
M16 x 60 (40mm, 1 ¼”		4		To fasten bearings to frame
axle) or M12 x 60 (1” or
25mm axle)
Bolt and nuts for		These normally come		Fastening parts together
fastening disc brakes,		with parts when you buy
brake caliper and			them
sprockets.
M8 x 20 bolt and nut		2		Fastening chain guard to
					frame

PARTS LIST CONTINUED

	ITEM	QTY	USED FOR

20” trike front wheel		1	Front wheel
Trike forks		1	Steering
Headset bearings to suit		1 set	Steering
Handlebar stem		1	Steering
Handlebars		1	Steering
Brakes to suit forks		1set	Brakes
	Seat	1	Seat

ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS
Engine Description	124.7cc
Cooling	Air Cooling
Displacement	124.7 cc
Maximum Power	9. Bhp @ 7000 rpm
Maximum Torque	10.35 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Number of Cylinders	1
Bore	52.4 mm
Stroke	57.8 mm
GEARBOX & CLUTCH
Number of Gears	4
Clutch	Multiplate Wet

BASIC MEASUREMENTS

There has been a lot of talk around ideal wheelbase for a drift trike

and to date this is the best we’ve seen. Axle to axle length (front to

rear) is best around 1000mm - 1100mm and width outside to outside

of wheels around 900mm is good.

When we mount our seat, our seat should be set so that the rear

axle sits around 100-200mm behind your lower back.

Frame

A frame can be built in any design, but the front end needs to be

made from a bicycle of some description. This can be a BMX,

mountain bike or even a pitbike front end. The most common choice

is BMX because these are cheap to get hold of and the small 20

wheel doesn’t rub on our leg like the larger mountain bike wheel

does.

When we are choosing a bicycle to tear apart, first check what kind of steel the bike is made from. If it is alloy, we will need to TIG weld the frame.

Some people use more of the bike frame when building their drift trike, but often these frames will break just in front of the seat. Normally a bicycle doesn’t bear so much load at this point.Use what we can to support parts when assembling our

frame. Tack it together and then measure it up to make sure it is square. Turn the front wheel to 90 degrees to make sure the frame doesn’t hit the ground at

full lock.

The right amount of angle for the headpiece/forks, often referred to as ‘rake’. This is hard to measure the angle of, especially while building a trike with no wheels on it. Headpiece should be between 15 and 25 degrees from vertical.

Closer to 15 degrees for a low speed trike, more angle if you are building a trike for high speed use.

Wheels

There are 3 common types of wheels that are used;

- Replacement wheels like Huffy Green Machine wheels (fig 9)

- Go -kart wheels (fig 10)

- Trolley wheels (fig 11)

All 3 options are great for different applications and resources that

we have access to. Some are more suited to high speed runs and

Replacement plastic wheels are an easy fit for our new drift

trike. These are sold as replacement wheels for the likes of the Huffy

Green Machine or the Big Drift trike from Mad Dog Cycles. These use

a 12mm axle and are hollow plastic.

Pros – easily interchangeable, these can be held on with just a split pin or nylon lock nut. They are cheap to buy, light weight and in most case they are fairly easy to source.

Cons – they wear out fast on coarse chip and because they are made of hollow plastic they are very noisy. The insides have been known to heat up and melt if they rub the axle housing (but lubricant helps with this problem).

GoBkart wheels are a common fitment and are the front tires from a standard go-kart. Standard sizing is 10x4.5 inch. The tire is deflated and a plastic sleeve is put over the tire. The tire is then re-inflated which holds the plastic in place.

Pros – Sleeves are easily interchangeable. The low friction bearing rear end will handle anything we throw at it and it will practically be maintenance free. They are very quiet compared to replacement wheels.

Cons – Go-kart wheels are heavier. This does not so much effect operation of the drift trike but we will be lifting the trike onto a trailer or truck many times through the day.

Trolley/lift truck wheels are also a common fitment but only

recommended for people under 70kg and at low speeds (under

20mph). As pictured, these are wheels we can buy from any local

hardware store and mounted similar to the go-kart wheels. We

recommend you only use PVC on these, as PE will put extra stress on

the wheel/tire and may cause it to buckle. To help the tire bind to the

sleeve some people use glue or stick sand paper on the inside of the

sleeves.

Pros – Cheap and easy to obtain

Cons – The sleeve can easily move if it does not bind to the tire. The bearings on these are often weak and not rated for high speed. The tires are thin so don’t provide the sleeve with much horizontal contact. These tires often puncture and/or burst.

Sleeves

Sleeves can be made from any kind of plastic as long as it’s strong.

Simple deflate the tire, swap the sleeve and re -inflate. The most

common types of sleeves are polyethylene (PE) or polyvinyl chloride

(PVC). Sleeves can be any thickness, but PVC will split when it wears

down. It is recommended to use over 4mm sleeves. Keep in mind the

thicker our sleeves are, the longer they will last.

Mounting Wheels

Replacement wheels require a 12mm axle in most cases. We can weld short lengths of 12,, rod to the frame or run a length of rod running right though the frame. This 12mm rod will need to be a high grade steel to avoid flexing and bending. A rod full length axle will require bushes of some descrription, which will need to be oiled frequently to reduce friction, drag and heat. These bushes can be plastic or nylon and will need to be pressed into the frame.

Bearings

Mounting bearings can be done a number of ways, but here’s how we can add bearings to the rear end of our tyrike fairly easily.

Bearing have a lot less friction than bushes. This will make our trike slightly faster and bearing will not heart up and melt the insides of your wheel kike bushes sometimes can. Bearing are also maintenance free. As long as we have decent bearings, we will not need to libricate or replace them either.

Bearings are pressed into each end of a short length of thick wall

tube (top). Bearings must have 12mm internal diameter for the axle.

Two holes are drilled and threaded on each side for grub screws to

hold the housing in place within the trike frame.

The axle is siply a 12mm high tensile bolt, at what ever length we require, and can be spaced with washers. Make sure to use a washer or two between the bearing and the wheel.

The bearing housing sits in the frame of the trike and is held with the

4 grub screws. This provides a low friction rear end and keeps the trike very lightweight.

Go-kart wheel will require stub. Stubs for these wheels will need to be 16mm and have a thread turned on the end, this is then welded into or onto aour axle steel. These make it very eas to change wheels, they enable you to run with a full bearing cartridge and are maintenance free.

They can also be mounted by pressing a UHMWPE (high quality) bush

into our frame, which will hold a length of 16mm threaded rod as shown below.

Wheels can be held in with nuts on threaded rod or with a high quality split pin and washers. This is only an option if our axle is spinning with the wheels, definitely not suitable for stub axles.

BUSHES

Bushes are a very easy way to mount a rear axle inside a length of exhaust tube. Use a length of 2mm x 51mm exhaust tube, about 650mm long, and press the bushes into each end.

Front Wheels

Front wheels are normally a bicycle wheel. 16 or 20 inches front wheels are best. If we use a 24 or 26 inches wheel we are likely to burn our leg a lot while drifting, because when we turn the streeing to full lock, the tire will hit your lag. This will happen sometimes with a 20 inch wheel too, so it is recommended to use a slick style BMX tire instead of an affroad style tire.

BRAKES

We’re drift trike needs to have brakes. If we ride without brakes

our tempting fate. If we ride with poor brakes, we’re just as likely

to come off second best to a car, tree or a drop down a steep stony

bank. Make sure our brake pads are sitting right on the rim. If our BMX

come with a plastic brake lever it’s worth upgrading to an alloy

leaver. This will give our trike more movement in the leaver and less

flex.

Seats

Our seat can be made of anything. We’ve seen beer crates, recycling

bins, buckets and shovelheads used as seats. Our seat needs to be

well mounted and stable. Most common seats to use are go -kart

seats, there are a huge amount of companies making great fiberglass

seats.

Riding our drift trike

We need to be safe when we are drift triking.

We will need a full face helmet and covered arms and legs at

minimum. A good idea is gloves and elbow pads, and a lot of drift

trikers use knee pads, hi visibility vests and neck braces too.

We will have crashes, expect them and be prepared.

When riding at night always have a front and rear light. We need to

have a white front light to help us see where we’re going and we

need a red rear light so traffic can see you. These are cheap, simple

to install and save lives.

Be considerate of motorists and residents. Think about how much

noise our trike is making if we’re riding at night, avoid quiet streets

where people are sleeping.

Conclusion and Future Scope

By the final analysis of the project above, we may conclude that there is a prominent future scope for the Drift Trike. It is a sport oriented triwheeled bike with concept of loosing traction from rear wheels and drifting. It can drift on higher speed without rolling.

There are theoretical results that stable drifting may be achieved with robust and efficinet performance. The thrust produced is capable enouth for generating higher torque of 910N-m with maximum speed of 96Km/hr.