Trike Tales

[cpjitservices]

Here she is.

Ive been after a trike for ages. This one came up very cheap! Previous owner has not ridden it in a while, last MOT was 2023.

It was a Reliant 858CC, that engine failed - so in went the renowned and well known BMW K100 engine! 
 

Long term investment and project! 

I am having a bother with it starting right now, it’s been started and ran for the last few weeks whilst I was preparing it for MOT which is tomorrow (likely to be cancelled now) and it’s started and run first time every time. Went to pick it up from old owner today and the dam thing would not start for love nor money - I will investigate further tomorrow but I’m suspecting fuel pressure regulator.

Let the fun begin!

[cpjitservices]

We have a winner!

[cpjitservices]

[Cavcraft]

Looks really tidy, quite a few appear half arsed/bodged.

[cpjitservices]

8 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

Looks really tidy, quite a few appear half arsed/bodged.

Yeah its not bad, ive seen a lot worse ones lol. 

I just need to get the dam thing to tick over lol i think its a MAF issue

[Mally]

Make is interesting.  Which bit?

Ah the towball obv! Edit Axle, forgot that.

Will the diff take the strain if it is Reliant?

Maybe its a Ford axle, the Reliant half shafts aren't up to much.

[tooSavvy]

11 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

Looks really tidy, quite a few appear half arsed/bodged.

Living along from Whitley Bay we do a drive along the seafront often - getting petrol/shopping - and see quite a *few, ermm.... yeah 🙄

The '*Munster Waggon' [... Black rear hearse styling (imagine horse drawn/scaled down...) and the pilot wearing a goth/death hockey mask.

*To be fair, for those into such pursuits, it must score 100% 🤢

🚙💨

[Mally]

I've had a couple, they all tend to say Reliant even the VW ones.

It is a very nice one that just remember the width.

[cpjitservices]

1 hour ago, Mally said:

Make is interesting.  Which bit?

Ah the towball obv! Edit Axle, forgot that.

Will the diff take the strain if it is Reliant?

Maybe its a Ford axle, the Reliant half shafts aren't up to much.

It was all Reliant, but its been rebuilt and went through its test to become a Q plate - only bit of Reliant that remains is the back axle. 

Engine, Gearbox and Shafts etc are BMW. 

[cpjitservices]

Ordered a new fuel pressure regulator today from Motorworks. £85. For a brand new third party part. I hope it gets it running and ticking over cause I am itching to get out on it I don’t even care if it’s raining!!!!

[cpjitservices]

Hi all - Quick update.

I cant remember whether I mentioned that we'd had a house fire and I got burnt.. im healing and allowed to drive again - in the meantime I've been tinkering with the Trike (as you would do).

 

I have deducted that it still wouldn't start. 

Ordered a new battery (going to need to edit the battery tray so it will hold the new much smaller battery). That shouldn't be an issue.  

I got it started by unplugging the Coolant Temp Sensor, it would tick over. Plugged back in it will turn over but wont idle. 

Spark Plugs replaced, with Denso ones (It would have come from factory with those) and new old stock HT leads. 

 

By power of deduction I have considered the Coolant Temp sensor dead. Ordered a new one at £40 brand new (Motorworks) which I don't think is bad! So hopefully get the new one fitted - fresh coolant in it and were away hopefully it'll start and run!!!!!!!!! 

Here's hoping!

 

Silly of me though should have checked the diameter of my Handlebars, before going on ebay and ordering Harley Davidson like controls so I can bin off the terrible and hard to find K100 controls for lights etc. Harley handlebar controls are 1" - mine are 1 and 3/4" so might have to fabricate something to hold the controls. 

I also want to change the seat, apparently according to previous owner the seat fitted currently is from a VN800, I want to change it to either Harley or Goldwing  double seat with Top Box attached. Not sure whether either of those will fit yet though.

 

Getting there slowly!

 

[mercedade]

15 hours ago, cpjitservices said:

Hi all - Quick update.

I cant remember whether I mentioned that we'd had a house fire and I got burnt.. im healing and allowed to drive again - in the meantime I've been tinkering with the Trike (as you would do).

 

I have deducted that it still wouldn't start. 

Ordered a new battery (going to need to edit the battery tray so it will hold the new much smaller battery). That shouldn't be an issue.  

I got it started by unplugging the Coolant Temp Sensor, it would tick over. Plugged back in it will turn over but wont idle. 

Spark Plugs replaced, with Denso ones (It would have come from factory with those) and new old stock HT leads. 

 

By power of deduction I have considered the Coolant Temp sensor dead. Ordered a new one at £40 brand new (Motorworks) which I don't think is bad! So hopefully get the new one fitted - fresh coolant in it and were away hopefully it'll start and run!!!!!!!!! 

Here's hoping!

 

Silly of me though should have checked the diameter of my Handlebars, before going on ebay and ordering Harley Davidson like controls so I can bin off the terrible and hard to find K100 controls for lights etc. Harley handlebar controls are 1" - mine are 1 and 3/4" so might have to fabricate something to hold the controls. 

I also want to change the seat, apparently according to previous owner the seat fitted currently is from a VN800, I want to change it to either Harley or Goldwing  double seat with Top Box attached. Not sure whether either of those will fit yet though.

 

Getting there slowly!

 

Interesting. Normally, I'd expect a dodgy coolant temp sensor to show itself with a limp-mode/engine management light and this wouldn't change when unplugging the CTS, the thinking being that the absence of a reliable signal from the CTS forces the ECU to go for 'oh shit just make it run' settings. Terrible MPGs, reduced performance etc.

If it runs better with it unplugged, obviously it could still be the sensor, but I'd suspect that adopting the limp-mode default settings is what's making it run and that when it's plugged back in, you'll possibly be back to whatever the actual problem is.

Fingers very much crossed that I'm wrong. 

 

[mercedade]

And very glad to hear the burns are healing rapidly - that would have been a very scary time

[comfortablynumb]

I'll have to find the pic I've got, but I saw a trike at the old long Marston drag strip years ago, with a ford V8.

It had no gearbox, the flywheel was in the bellhousing,with a clutch, and then it connected straight to a propshaft from there,!

The scariest thing was that the seat, an old single one, was on top of the bellhousing, this placing the distributor between the rider( driver?) legs, and right next to the family jewels 🥺

You'd have found out pretty quick if there was any insulation breaking down..

Glad you're improving @cpjitservices

 

[cpjitservices]

Update:

The above is after fitting new CTS and putting in fresh coolant!

 

HOWEVER

We are now at the stage where itll idle really shitty and If I rev it, it dies

 

Ideas on a postcard please.

[cpjitservices]

Thanks all for your kind words and thoughts in regard to my burns - getting there slowly.

[cpjitservices]

And were now back to none start

I think I may need to ask for assistance!

 

Its cranking and then idling very poorly and wont rev - just dies.

[cpjitservices]

Ive made things worse I think.. I need help.

Can we have an AS All hands on deck to give me a hand lol ill pay! 

 

Dam thing!

[mercedade]

Does it have any kind of OBD/ability to flash codes back at you? 

I still suspect the CTS was a red herring.

Revving and dying? Air/fuel mix is wrong. You said you suspected MAF at some point, so what happened there? 

[paulplom]

Unplug the MAF and try it.

It should go to a default setting when unplugged.

[cpjitservices]

Solved it.

MAF plugged in.. CTS plugged in... 

Had auto sparky redo all of the wiring on/to the fuel pump as it was bad (Fuel pump was running) and voila! Up she fired first press of the button. I had had the injectors out as well and installed new washers/seals as let them soak in carb cleaner overnight.

 

So she's a running!

 

A Few bits to get sorted out and out and about we go

 

 

[Mally]

Remember, it's wide at the back. It's easy to clip a kerb either side with disastrous results.

[cpjitservices]

7 minutes ago, Mally said:

Remember, it's wide at the back. It's easy to clip a kerb either side with disastrous results.

Indeed. Im well versed with Trikes, Ridden them before. One much larger than what I have now

 

No filtering either

[bezzabsa]

31 minutes ago, cpjitservices said:

Indeed. Im well versed with Trikes, Ridden them before. One much larger than what I have now

 

No filtering either

you can filter.............just hope ...LOL