Category Archives for Delta Trikes

This is an ongoing question with Trikes.  Which of the three main Final Drive Systems do we use to get all that power onto the ground?  Do we use a chain drive, a Belt Drive or a Shaft Drive? In this article we will discuss the pros and cons of each and why each has its own place in the Trike World.

In the simplest terms, choosing the right Frame for a trike can make all the difference.  Vehicles that have high torsional rigidity deliver a superior ride, superior handling and better response to driver input. Improving the torsional rigidity of a vehicle allows the suspension to work more efficiently and predictably. Vehicles with high torsional rigidity will see more travel in the suspension, as the chassis isn’t moving. Considering the suspension uses dampers and the chassis doesn’t, it makes sense why you want the suspension to move and not the chassis.  

When a country has its oil price go up over four times (America 1973, Oil went from $3 a barrel to $12) and the government starts talking about a fuel tax, people begin thinking outside of the box.  Bob Keyes was one of those people and he saw an opportunity to produce a 3-Wheel Car (Trike) to combat the problem. The Trivette Trike delivered four times the fuel economy of an average American car with an increase in handling and performance.

The short answer is, “Yes”.  It makes the trike handle a lot better (as leaning does to a motorbike and as it would to a four wheel car) because it changes the position of the vehicles centre of mass and counteracts the centripetal force a vehicle experiences during cornering.  See the video below to see how it works.

I’ve had a few really nice daily drivers in my time.  I had a 1991 Honda NSX which is one of my favorites. A BMW 535i with a couple of sweet modifications to make it hum and a Jaguar XJS12 for the power and prestige. BUT none of them compare to a 3-wheeler trike for the “Fun To Dollar Ratio”.  Let’s see why.

Seating layouts in a Trike come in four different forms.  Single seat, middle. Tandem seats, middle. Side by side seats and One Front Middle, Two Rear.  Other than those configurations, the only thing you can do is to move the position of the seats forward or backward depending on whether the trike is a delta (one wheel forward and two rear) or Tadpole (Two wheels forward and one wheel rear).  Is one configuation better than the others?   Which one is right for your trike?

When we look at building a trike, we have to decide on the question of what engine should we choose?  At this point in time there are a multitude of options all of which have different parameters that they bring to the table.  Electric, In Wheel Electric, Petrol Hybrid, Diesel Hybrid, Motorcycle Engine or Car Engine.  

When it comes to trikes there are several parameters that change the trike dramatically. The main one is the wheel configeration because it affects the balance of the trike. There are two main options when considering a three-wheeler, Two wheels Front and one wheel rear (2F1R) which is known as a TADPOLE and the other is One Front Wheel and Two Rear Wheels (1F2R) which is known as a DELTA configuration.