Tr1ke build, In the Netherlands by Erik #4

[erik]

newsflash.
finally the documents arrived at Bas's place. One step closer to get her street legal with dutch plates.
I hope we can make decent progress next week. it will take some time to get the dutch plates and arrange insurance. I wouldn't be suprised if she will be street legal in November.

[slugshot]

Good news Eric

Hopefully you can be road legal before the weather turns bad.

[vtR1k]

Good luck! Remeber it is legal now to fit a motorcycle size plate!

Sent from my mobile phone

[erik]

Thx guys!
I don't think I will be able to enjoy her before winter sets in and already cleared my mind starting in april 2014 for maiden flight

i have been in doubt for a while wether to use car or bike sized plates. having the car plate brackets welded on the chasis was easier to stay with my choice made in 2012. An other reason to stay with wider plates is notice ability on rear view and other drivers on the road might take more caution this being a real fast car instead of "bike engined toy". My tR1ke is colored pretty dark and needs some highlight at the rear IMO. i do plan to add FIA rain light cluster for 3rd brake light later.

[erik]

In about a few days my tR1ke will be converted to dutch plates (I hope if weather permits )
I may have her back home pretty soon. Some small things need to be adresses first: Adding a ground switch (may suffer some voltage leaking somewhere but it could be the bike key switch in Parking mode), calibrate the speedo healer and get the motor starting up more easely (spark plugs get wet and broke very easely). I'm looking forward to get some milage on her!

yesterday my Eco-Exo kit arrived. the curvature is very impressive and size wise it fits my garage better as my tr1ke LOL!!
Hope to enjoy both. Perhaps I might even sell my bike later

br,
Erik

[erik]

wrong thread

[erik]

Finally, my tR1ke went through dutch MVSA this week. Only lights had to be flashed and engine milage noted. The engine hasn't been fired up and my tR1ke stil hasn't been driven an inch to date LOL!!

I will be picking her up monday and get me the documents for the fees. After this I should be able to get the licence plate and insurance.

Sadly enough, the Litium-ion batterie past away during it's trip to the UK. Not sure what is the problem here. The only possible cause might be the starter key switch set at parking mode or a voltage leak which hasn't been noticed before. It was a 300 euro batterie...

I will have to add a mass switch for safety reasons anyway.

If this has been corrected the tR1ke will be picked up by a Can-am Spider dealer who needs to fix the wet spark plug issue I have been fighting for a long time. This seems the perfect shop for a tR1ke (wide lifting table and trailer and R1 racing experience and storage space inside the building). Naturally, he needs to prove reliability with a testdrive or no deal.

I still do not have hope to drive her before april 2014. Weather is getting pretty bad now and we might have salt on the roads in about a month or so to prevent icing.

Still I am quite happy to have her back home but it needs to be stored elsewhere later.

Snail speed but perfect progress.

[edvb]

congratulation's!

Yes sometimes you just fly on the build then everything just come to a screeching stop for awhile.

I also will not be able to drive till next year but I will be all set and will have the inspection and documentation done early next year.

[erik]

Thx!

You'd better not plan dates on a project LOL!!

[erik]

She's back in town again and under surgery now.

The batterie was puffed. Very likely due to exessive charge rate which can be caused by unmonitored high power lead chargers. The batterie may have been run flat before with contact key in park mode as well. These cells have had a hard life.

Luckely, connected to a stabilised PSU the loom shows no voltage leak and the 12V sockets work as desired. The loom is engeneered pretty well I guess

Leaves me to find a new batterie and prep her for a visit to the Can-am Spider mechanic/R1 nut.

The needed forms are send and she's an other small step to being road legal.

[Deleted]

Hi Erik,

Not sure what issues you have with your Lipo batteries, but we use them in Airsoft, and whilst giving great power, they are a bugger for over heating, setting on fire, and once voltage drops below a certain voltage it will not charge anymore.

I steered clear of Lipo technology after seeing one burst into flames when charging in my sniper rifle

[erik]

I am using Lipolly for 10 years now in my rc jets and yes they need to be nursed quite a bit. Unfortunately Lipolly cells and lead chargers are a bad combination.
Luckely, my motordealer has good choice of lead batteries and I was able to replace the Li-ion batterie for a conventional closed lead-acid batterie. I had only to remake one batterie lead. Everything seems to work in good order now.

While waiting on the paperwork to be finished I went to the local Can-am spider dealer yesterday to ask for engine inspection and testdrive. This turned to be not possible for this momment because a cop went by yesterday asking if Can-am drivers need a helmet (Can-am Spider is a rubbernecking vehicle same class as tR1ke) and their business plate only covers their stock vehicles. Because the tR1ke is an even more rubber necking vehicle they have risk of losing their license plate when strapped on my tR1ke.
I do have to wait for my own plates and insurance now, hoping the roads will still be without salt. of not, the tR1ke needs to be stored until april 2014 in my other garage.

I think it might be a good thing to print a copy for the tR1ke regulations and take it with me in the batterie box in case the cops will ask funny questions.

br,
Erik

[vtR1k]

Don't be scared of the cops... they are just curious and will give you a ticket for speeding since it is impossible to maintain the speed regulations in a tR1ke ;D .

They even don't say anything about my Yoshi's, 3 rear lights, wrong indicators, very small mirrors etc...

They just admire the damn thing, say how they like it and then punish you for breaking stupid speed regulations...

Sent from my mobile phone

[erik]

hehe, I tried to mask my Tr1ke as being classy but I have been a passenger on 2 tR1kes recently and she will be a hooligan for sure wether I like it or not

This week I payed the fees. I do hope the amount will not be corrected and/or additional fines will be caried out later. I received the documents today and will try to get my plates early this week and get her insurance. If weather permits I might have a drive in it soon.

br,
Erik

[erik]

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