Motor Powered

Recumbent Moped/Motorcycle

December 16, 2022

I’ve always thought the Honda 90 Cub, with it’s low mid frame, would make a great recumbent conversion. I couldn’t find a Cub for sale, but did find this TOMOS moped which had a similar frame design. 1/2″ square tubing was used to make an attachment point for the aluminum seat pan. Foam was double…

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Briggs and Stratton motorized 6 speed bicycle

March 13, 2022

This was the Hardley Davidson. Hardley, not Harley, get it?  It was one of my favorite Burningman rigs. The engine and transmission design was borrowed from my first Burningman motorized trike which had a 3 hp motor. This has a 2 hp motor with a small pulley driving a BIG 12″ washing machine pulley which…

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Briggs and Stratton powered bicycle

November 15, 2021

I’ve been wanting to have a powered bicycle (with usable pedals) to tow my bicycle campers with. Electric to me is too much money and a hassle, plus on a long journey when the juice runs out you’re stuck pedaling. I favor the old briggs motors. They’re 4 cycle (no need to add oil to…

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Economical Reverse trike

March 31, 2021

This is the California Commuter built by Dale Malewiki. Back in 1982 it achieved 155 mpg breaking the old high mileage world record for a road use vehicle. He used a Honda 90cc motor bored out to 110cc’s. The wheels were from a moped. This really inspired me. This is Charly Perethian. Back in 1983…

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DIY car top carrier

May 9, 2019

Here I am playing around again with a $20 sheet of 4×8 foot 4mm thick fluted plastic. I thought I’d make a car top carrier. I buy my fluted plastic at Laird Plastics Inc. (206-623-4900) in downtown Seattle Washington where they stock several thicknesses, sizes and color choices. Made with zip ties and held down…

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Electric recumbent scooter

April 13, 2019

  This is the first stand up scooter I made into a recumbent. It was a hoot to ride for about 4 miles, then the battery would drain and soon you were forced to walk the rig home.

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Little burningman trike

April 12, 2019

  The second time I went to Burningman I brought my older brother. I brought the big trike and made this little sail trike adding a 2hp Briggs and Stratton edger motor for back-up power. I pounded on a roughed-up tube onto the drive axle for front wheel food activated friction drive. I made a…

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High mileage trike #2

April 12, 2019

This was my second attempt at making my dream 150+ mpg one passenger vehicle. I started out with a rear engine design but opted to try a front engine placement for better cooling and balancing.   Later I tried to make it a rat rod type vehicle, but eventually abandoned the idea all together. Fast…

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Burningman trike

April 12, 2019

My first motorized trike was made for my first Burningman experience back in 2000.  I used a 3 hp Briggs and Stratton motor with belt drive. This went to a 12″ pulley which drove a 13 tooth sprocket to my rear 6 speed cluster. It could easily carry 3 people, and it topped out at…

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Recumbent scooter

April 11, 2019

This was the third of my stand-up scooter recumbent conversions. This Zooma was built a bit cheaper than the Goped. The Goped had single forks for easy access to the wheels in case of a flat, and it had a big rear disk brake. The Zoom however had dual drum brakes on both wheels, rear suspension…

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