4 Wheel bikecar?

[Trevor Holloway]

I seem to recall a pedalec three wheeler designed by a chap called Sinclair a while ago and he was generally riddiculed for it !
OK there were a few tweaks to be done to it but isn't that whats happening now.
How times have changed.

Has anyone thought of getting one of the old C5s and installing new technology into it ?

 

[flecc]

Has anyone thought of getting one of the old C5s and installing new technology into it ?

Today's recumbent trikes are far more efficient and many have been motorised with today's motors and batteries so already done many times over. The fundamental problems remain though, too low in modern traffic for safety, too slow amongst modern traffic, especially when hill climbing at crawl speeds, range too short. Something like the higher powered Twike three wheel car with either pedal assist or powered only is far more practical.
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[Trevor Holloway]

If I read their web site correctly it comes out at £20k - £30k (twenty to thirty thousand pounds), surely there is a bigger market for a fully or near fully enclosed three wheeled pedalec at around a tenth of that price.
OK not as sophisticated - basic ally body or thin fibre glasss - but a darned sight more appealing for those willing to give it a try.

 

[Trevor Holloway]

This is more what I was thinking of >> Aerorider: A Sporty Electric Trike >> MetaEfficient Reviews <<.

Although this one goes upto 28 mph so would be classed as a three wheeled car eg Reliant Robin.

 

[Clarkey]

This is more what I was thinking of >> Aerorider: A Sporty Electric Trike >> MetaEfficient Reviews <<.

Although this one goes upto 28 mph so would be classed as a three wheeled car eg Reliant Robin.

I think that the Aerorider would probably be classified as a three wheeled moped - much easier to gain approval for than cars.

I suppose that the DfT response confirming that EAPC law has precedence in Britain means that all 250W bikes are just as illegal as a pedelec quadricycle?

 

[flecc]

If I read their web site correctly it comes out at £20k - £30k (twenty to thirty thousand pounds),

Yes, that's a daft price like all Swiss production, but as a mass market product it would be a tiny fraction of that. The Aerorider is just another velomobile, many different makes already exist in the Netherlands but despite the 28 mph they suffer very slow hill climbing and other traffic mix objections that I mentioned for recumbent trikes. There's nothing stopping anyone buying them now of course, quite a few are within the 60 kilo limit, but would be expensive to import personally. I think their home market prices are equivalent to around 3 to 5 thousand pounds but the electric power has to be added to that so far from cheap as the Aerorider shows.

Most people would opt for a decent second hand car at that price and there are even some good new cars available at around £5500 to £6000, like the Chevrolet Matiz I bought at that price level.
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[flecc]

I suppose that the DfT response confirming that EAPC law has precedence in Britain means that all 250W bikes are just as illegal as a pedelec quadricycle?

As I previously mentioned, the EAPC advisory webpages have been archived (2/9/2009) so any legal action based on the 200 watt limit is now very unlikely. The legalisation of 250 watts and the rest of EU law is being worked on at present and will soon be implemented with the old EAPC regulations being scrapped.

The DfT clarification is almost certainly just a stating of a general position rather than being pernickety about a precise detail of power level. They will be fully aware that most of the e-bikes on the road now are already 250 watts and have been for a long time.
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[Clarkey]

The Aerorider was always slightly different from most velomobiles in that it was intended from the start to have substantial amounts of electric power (500w).

I fully accept that there will be no real issue with 250w pedelecs - I just maintain that exactly the same common sense should apply to quadricycles which are also allowed by the pedelec legislation. Of course a quad is a far more visible and unusual device to see on the street so it might represent a red rag to any slightly officious official.

I notice that there is a second hand twike for sale on the website at about £6500 - this is far closer to the real value of the vehicle IMHO. Swiss prices are always crazy - the Peraves Ecomobile is insanely costly for something that is based on pretty basic BMW motorcycle mechanics. I do very much like the twike concept though - a truly practical vehicle.

 

[flecc]

That's a massive depreciation on that Twike.

I'd like to see a brave manufacturer try to licence it's mass production in somewhere like China since I agree it has a lot of potential in many countries of the world. Being realistic, it would have to be a bit below £4000 in the UK to compete with the circa £5500 new cars, about three of those available at present here (Chevrolet, Perodua, Daihatsu).
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[Clarkey]

That's a massive depreciation on that Twike.

I'd like to see a brave manufacturer try to licence it's mass production in somewhere like China since I agree it has a lot of potential in many countries of the world. Being realistic, it would have to be a bit below £4000 in the UK to compete with the circa £5500 new cars, about three of those available at present here (Chevrolet, Perodua, Daihatsu).
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I absolutely agree. There is so much competition about who can make the cheapest 'real car' (like the Tata Nano for example) that the market for truly innovative new types of light vehicle is in danger of being strangled at birth.

 

[Mekon]

Does anyone know if a 4 wheel bicycle would be road legal in the UK?

I have had a vision of a two seater open frame 4 (BMX) wheeled bikecar in my head for some time now and had considered actually making it with one or possibly two hub motors, but the possibility that I may never be able to drive/ride it legally puts me off.

Hi i am also interested in a road legal quode. but because these are not allowed i am designing a two seater trike which has an off set wheel (like a motor bike and side car ) do look at the SCOT SOCIABLE.it was actually
a four seater .the other trike is "La chousinuse" it is a more modern version
of the Starley's coventry rotary tricycle (https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/coventry-rotary/qAFV_qXIRLQjQg)
The idea of all these designs is that two wheels are in line, and the third wheel is off set; so you can miss all the pot wholes .
Do let me know if all this stuff is of help to you?
and have you found out if electric quodes are legal yet?

all the best
MEKON

Does anyone know if a 4 wheel bicycle would be road legal in the UK?

I have had a vision of a two seater open frame 4 (BMX) wheeled bikecar in my head for some time now and had considered actually making it with one or possibly two hub motors, but the possibility that I may never be able to drive/ride it legally puts me off.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Hi i am also interested in a road legal quode. but because these are not allowed i am designing a two seater trike which has an off set wheel (like a motor bike and side car ) do look at the SCOT SOCIABLE.it was actually
a four seater .the other trike is "La chousinuse" it is a more modern version
of the Starley's coventry rotary tricycle (https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/coventry-rotary/qAFV_qXIRLQjQg)
The idea of all these designs is that two wheels are in line, and the third wheel is off set; so you can miss all the pot wholes .
Do let me know if all this stuff is of help to you?
and have you found out if electric quodes are legal yet?

all the best
MEKON

Quadricycles are allowed now. The same rules apply to the electric stuff: 25km/h max, it must have pedals and power must stop when you stop pedalling.

 

[VictoryV]

Does anyone know if a 4 wheel bicycle would be road legal in the UK?


Many year ago our local holiday camp on the east coast had two bench seater side by side bikes where each person had their own pedals and drive to the rear wheel, you sat down in a normal chair seating position and pedalled away. I suspect 60 yrs on they are still in use! They were never stopped by the local police. A modern version image is uploaded.