Bike versus trike? Which is better?

FlyingMonkey · Post by **FlyingMonkey** » Thu Mar 12, 2015 1:13 pm

remi wrote:I found a way of getting a small 50cc gas motor attached to it with double mufflers... however, am I right to assume that if it's a gas motor it would need to be registered with the DMV? If so, then I'll have to go electric, which seems like it'll be 5 times more expensive.

Would electric -v- gas even matter? It's still motorized.

Post by **trilobyte** » Thu Mar 12, 2015 1:43 pm

Yes it would. An electric assist bike (meaning still had pedals and was not a gas engine) does not need to be registered.

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Thu Mar 12, 2015 2:06 pm

And maximum motor power 750 Watts. And maximum three wheels.

melodiousdirge · Post by **melodiousdirge** » Thu Mar 12, 2015 2:13 pm

remi wrote:I found a way of getting a small 50cc gas motor attached to it with double mufflers... however, am I right to assume that if it's a gas motor it would need to be registered with the DMV? If so, then I'll have to go electric, which seems like it'll be 5 times more expensive.

Ehhhhh, I think the letter of the rules says you need to register it, but every year I see plenty of people on gas powered contraptions that are not registered and are obviously not for disabled riders.

remi · Post by **remi** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 7:21 am

melodiousdirge wrote:
remi wrote:I found a way of getting a small 50cc gas motor attached to it with double mufflers... however, am I right to assume that if it's a gas motor it would need to be registered with the DMV? If so, then I'll have to go electric, which seems like it'll be 5 times more expensive.
Ehhhhh, I think the letter of the rules says you need to register it, but every year I see plenty of people on gas powered contraptions that are not registered and are obviously not for disabled riders.

I was thinking that. I already have the gas power hooked up for my trike for the Canadian festivals I attend. It was easy, quiet enough and cheap. I can either risk it (just like I see many people doing,) or I can spend the +/-1000$ to get a great electric trike kit. I'll probably just get the EKit.. as long as I can afford it. With the oil prices plummeting, I have a reduced work week that cuts off 20% of my pay. I wish there was a good, cheap E Kit for trikes.. but so far, it's pretty much "you get what you pay for."

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 7:36 am

There are cheaper ways if you do the work yourself.

https://www.google.com/search?sourceid= ... e+electric

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 7:53 am

Think outside the (Kit) box!!!

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FlyingMonkey · Post by **FlyingMonkey** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 10:48 am

melodiousdirge wrote:
remi wrote:I found a way of getting a small 50cc gas motor attached to it with double mufflers... however, am I right to assume that if it's a gas motor it would need to be registered with the DMV? If so, then I'll have to go electric, which seems like it'll be 5 times more expensive.
Ehhhhh, I think the letter of the rules says you need to register it, but every year I see plenty of people on gas powered contraptions that are not registered and are obviously not for disabled riders.

Thanks for the answers to obvious questions which I now see are answered on the web page. That new layout has me feeling like a noob (which I am). I try to look stuff up before asking stupid questions but I just couldn't find it before. Problem solved.

I wouldn't have been offended if someone called me out on this

I still Vote Trike with Big Tires, electric would be a bonus.

FYI for anyone else looking - http://burningman.org/event/preparation ... -vehicles/

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 4:24 pm

FlyingMonkey wrote:...

I still Vote Trike with Big Tires, ...

For the benefit of all the new folks here.... Yes, this trike rolls right over pretty much any surface the Black Rock Desert can dish up.

captain voltaveus · Post by **captain voltaveus** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 7:11 pm

Good God, Elliot's trike not only definitively ends the debate regarding trikes being superior, but leaves me more than a little humbled and in awe. I hope to see that trike in person this year!

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 11:28 pm

Elliot's stuff inspired this pedal trike

captain voltaveus · Post by **captain voltaveus** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 12:02 pm

Tiahaar wrote:Elliot's stuff inspired this pedal trike

Tiahaar, any close up photos or schematics of your mini fire effect set up? I'm setting one up on my trike and am thinking about trying to use smaller tanks and maybe skipping an accumulator in favor of more of a weed burner style flame? Seems plenty ambitious for my first trike and fire effect - and lighter to haul around. This is especially true as I hope to be pulling a trailer behind the trike that holds a folded up LED ping-pong table that I haul out to deep playa...

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 10:26 pm

captain voltaveus wrote:Tiahaar, any close up photos or schematics of your mini fire effect set up?

indeed! this is the drawing I did that year in case it was needed by DMV:

That's just the pilot flame in the photo, it had a nice big poofer flame and a huge fireball from the accum. tank. Nothing as big as the big boys but lotsa heat and fire all the same. One tip of note: most flexible BBQ tank propane hookup hose I've bought has safety flow restriction in it...it will shut off the propane if its flowing fast, which it will with a poofer. You have to remove the spring and ball shutoff from inside the connector for full flow at tank pressure. Thus the safety shutoff valves at tank and at operator position in case of a line break or other emergency. The needle valve fill of the accumulator helps to keep the tank from freezing due to fast boil off of propane, but firing the poofer too often will really cool off the tank too. I didn't have the room for any tank heating on my trike. Big boys do that on their setups

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 10:33 pm

heh, trike thread detour into flame effects. this is the valve hardware for that flame effect. use WOG rated fittings, valves, and gauges, no solder fittings in the pressure lines. the gauge and right side thumbwheel needle valve go to the accumulator tank, the left (front) side thumbwheel controls the idle flame size. poofer lever is a whistle valve. shutoff valves are those 1/4 turn ball valves.

captain voltaveus · Post by **captain voltaveus** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:59 pm

Tiahaar, Thank you VERY much for the up close pics and schematic. I did a test run on my pilot light and igniter system today and it went well. Do you think this pilot light arrangement ( with steel wool added) will get blown out when the main poof goes off?

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I truly appreciate the input and tips! Your trikes are killer...

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:38 pm

Awesome!! More flame effects on the playa is good! Hmmmm, hard to tell if you'll blow out the pilot or not from looking at that, looks like it ought to go up the center OK, try it and post another vid! Mine blows out from time to time so I usually kick in the poofer a bit when discharging the accumulator. The blue flame hissing solder torch pilots are more blow out proof but I like the mellow yellow flame pilots too. Use stainless steel or copper wool, they don't burn up. I use the all copper pot scrubbie pads around my pilots

captain voltaveus · Post by **captain voltaveus** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 12:11 pm

Tiahaar, THANK YOU for the inspiration and advice. I truly appreciate it, from tips on getting the trike itself going, to the propane effects. It's fair to say that the pilot light didn't have any trouble last night on my test run! I hope to find my little trike out near your big boy trike sometime this year...

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Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 7:55 pm

WOOOHOOO!!! Awesome!! Good work

Gotta love flaming trikes!! That there is a major fireball

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 8:30 pm

Tiahaar wrote:Gotta love flaming trikes!!

Lol, now that's a quote....

lucky420 · Post by **lucky420** » Sat Mar 21, 2015 8:54 am

did I hear someone say "not legal" in that clip?

Well done! I admire your work

captain voltaveus · Post by **captain voltaveus** » Sat Mar 21, 2015 11:10 am

Ha! That was my sweet 11y/o daughter who I had filming the test shot. She was expecting a much smaller poof than we got... She thinks her dad is a bit nuts!

captain voltaveus · Post by **captain voltaveus** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 10:17 am

TRIKE IS BETTER.

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lucky420 · Post by **lucky420** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 10:28 am

captain voltaveus wrote:Ha! That was my sweet 11y/o daughter who I had filming the test shot. She was expecting a much smaller poof than we got... She thinks her dad is a bit nuts!

as it should be

Post by **trilobyte** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 10:44 am

Awesome poofer!

Fresh off the recent mutant vehicle workshop, I'd highly recommend reaching out to [email protected] regarding flame effects on a trike. Even though the vehicle may not be considered something that requires a mutant vehicle license, the use of flame effects on the playa most likely does. When a mutant vehicle has flame effects, it makes an additional inspection stop at Salem's Lot (100 yards or so from the DMV on playa). Once that's cleared, the vehicle owner is given a flame effects laminate that doubles as a certification of a passed inspection. Law enforcement can and has been known to approach people with mobile flame effects and ask to see the laminate, they've also issue citations to those without them.

captain voltaveus · Post by **captain voltaveus** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 1:08 pm

Thanks, I have corresponded with Dave X regarding the mini poofer design. No one wants a citation or unnecessary attention!

Zubeneschamali · Post by **Zubeneschamali** » Thu Apr 23, 2015 3:13 pm

I am the proud new owner of a used workingman tandem trike and just two hours ago I bought an electric drive setup for it. I'm excited to get it onto the playa and can't wait to get everything onto the workbench.

Anyways, back to the previous posts regarding fire! MORE FYAH!!!

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Thu Apr 23, 2015 3:32 pm

The Worksman brand is a good one. Many of their models are intended for industrial use.
And I just discovered that they are not so named because of industrial use. They are named after the founder of the business, Morris Worksman.

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:34 pm

Today I was riding a trike at a loading dock where things are donated. A trike like a 4 year old would ride only adult size. I remember my girlfriend had one on the playa. She is a tiny little thing and I think that's why it worked for her.

lucky420 · Post by **lucky420** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 10:42 am

I love my worksman trike

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 11:06 am

Is it like the one I described? A large version of a baby trike.

Bike versus trike? Which is better?

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