Whats up with Drift Trikes?

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chancer

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I think they are Really Cool and look like Fun. Also simple enough to build. I have never Driven one so I gotta ask...

What is the point of spending a Butt load of Cash on the Engine.

Seems to me with Plastic Tires Either way you are Gonna break traction.
and with a ride designed to handle like it is on Ice, I do not see wanting to go 45-50 MPH.
But still most that I see have a Really hopped up Stage 2 Kit, The Cars and Camera guys even put a 420 in theirs.
I even recall a nice build from last year where the guy had success with a 79cc.
So is it just the Fun of the build or what?
The higher RPM Range? to hold a drift?
Spending the extra money saved by not building a full Kart?
Is the Extra HP really needed to Drift, better, faster, longer?
 
OzFab

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In my experience with drift sleeves on my kart, if you baby the throttle from a standing start, you can get the kart/trike moving at a decent speed; it's not until you open up the throttle that it cuts loose; you can achieve traction loss from a standing start, I simply wanted to point out that you don't need to...

The next point is, obviously, higher RPM results in more drifting action, more variables; whether that action is controllable or not depends on the driver; I would imagine that an intact governor would provide a certain level of control, being that the RPM remains stable but, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

The one major negative I noticed is, with a CC, once the wheels stop spinning (which does happen quite a lot) the throttle needs to return to idle to break the lock on the clutch, otherwise, the kart/trike will only crawl until it reaches speed again, all the time overworking the clutch...

The bottom line:
As we know, it is possible to build a functioning drift vehicle using a 3hp 79cc engine (here's a thing, downhill drift trikes use nothing but gravity & the driver's body movements); I can only assume that extra HP means more variables which translates to more control, not to mention what the trike can do without the drift sleeves...
 
chancer

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Good points Oz. I remember you saying the CC messed with the Drift Action on your Kart.
So is a TC better for Trike Drifting?

Also I have yet to see a Trike Drift without the Plastics.

I would love to hear from some of the Trike guys. ???
 
OzFab

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Oh, my kart drifts awesome without the plastic sleeves... on grass & loose dirt; I have a vid of my daughter pulling a perfect donut... among other maneuvers...
 
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Im gonna try mine tires only first but we have snow now. I hope the cheap CC works for now. I have a converter to buy I was hoping to save that for a kart. I think the keihin carb no Governor and header should break the tires loose.
 
bigair49

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I have built dozens of drift trikes over the years and they have ranged from 50cc two stroke (1/2 hp maybe) with CC to full out race engines from pit bikes 4 gears and manual clutch (10-15hp) and each one will drift and maneuver great with PVC sleeves. Now removing the sleeves is where HP and driving skills come into play. The smaller hp CC engines aren't very good and any turning will put too much of a load on the clutch and burn it out. Wile keeping in a straight line till the engine can make RPMs works but trying to turn or drift is not going to happen. Now with the higher HP engines and some serious skills or lack of, things can be extremely DANGEROUS!!! You can get them to drift and burn up the tires but you need every bit of power to keep it going and pray that you don't high side. These things will roll over in a heart beat in the wrong hands and slow tuns can only be achieved by quick jerk of the bars to get a rear wheel off the ground and then you can turn on a dime or go in small circles. I have snowblower tires that I use in the winter along with a hand made studded front tire for ice and snow riding and this is where the high HP engines shine and skill levels are a must. Ah all in all it comes down to what you will be doing with your DRIFT TRIKE and how skilled you are at riding it. that to me is what dictates HP on a DRIFT TRIKE!
 
Jr. Mechanic

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I live in Wisconsin and lemme tell you, drifting on ice with a drift trike is a Blast. Mine has a stock 5 briggs w/ a about 1:4 ratio. (I used to have a 1:6 ratio on it, and you could drift on grass nicely without sleeves.) with 1:4 you will need sleeves.
With sleeves, you can have more fun with less HP
Or if you have a pond that is frozen over, that works too :)
 
Bbqjoe

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I don't have any dogs in the the whole trike thing, but I used to fantasize about suiting up, and taking one of those plastic big wheels up to Nederland, and riding all the way down to town on Boulder Canyon rd in Boulder Co.
The ride is all downhill, and would take at least an hour.
 
chancer

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Because they can. That is the only reason. Right now it is a fad and people are wiling to pay 12 to 1500 bucks, for 300 worth of stuff
We should all be crankin them out and getting rich!
 
KartFab

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Looks like the trend is holding steady for drift trikes. Mini bikes slightly gaining popularity, go karts holding steady, barstool racers have tanked.

https://www.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=drift trike,go kart,mini bike,barstool racer

I also wondered why people were putting this $500 box stock engine on there all hopped up, then a $20 cheap centrifugal clutch, aluminum racing wheels blah blah. Doesnt make sense, but looking at trends in other things. People spend money on hobbies and like flashy things, whether that be a built computer with LED lighting and a see through access panel, car with tricked out lights, intake, modified engine, etc blah blah. People just like going all out in their hobbies. I think its pretty cool, but also impractical. I thought about making a drift trike with a vtwin mounted between where you rest your feet in front of you, then routing the drive train under seat, and having mini-dragster tires for rear wheels. That would be the epitome of impractical yaaaaas!
 
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I have a drift trike and I don't get it either. I have a 212CC predator engine in my trike and it'll get up to 30MPH pretty quickly. I originally planned to remove the governor in my engine and go 40MPH but after going 30MPH with my butt is 3" off the ground I decided to leave it in. Plus before I installed my rear brake I spun out going 25MPH a few times and decided that was fast enough for me. Spinning out at 40MPH would have been terrifying.
 
chancer

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This is a funny thing to me. The impractability of Extra HP on a Drift trike.
I know it Does not sound MANLY to say. I mean Yes in almost all cases More HP is better.

Most of what we do on Karts and Mini bikes is for faster acceleration and Higher RPMs to reach higher speeds.
On a Drift trike you are not trying to GO FAST, just trying to slide around, and have fun!
So all the excess engine work is just Cake Decorating.
You can have just as much Fun with 7 HP at 5000 RPMS
As you can with 10 or 15 at 7000RPMs

I must Quote FHB here and Say "Moderation... Whats that?"
 
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