This 3-wheeler was built by me 1979-1980, just because I wanted to build something. All my friends had 500+cc bike and I only had an OSSA 250. So a trike would be interesting.
What I really wanted to build was a Lotus 7 type car but at that time it was impossible to build your own car here in Sweden. But a motorcycle was possible. Since I had a lot of Opel Kadett junk I decided to use it. "You take what you have got" as Kajsa Varg said. Also I had found a cheap place to build it in but it was down in the basement with a narrow staircase. So the frame had to be designed to pass the staircase.
A jig was welded together from two I-beams. 35mm mild steel tube was used for the frame and they were bent over a 13 inch Opel rim. A front fork from a Honda 750 was the most expensive part but I thought it was worth it instead of building my own. My goal was to build it for 5000 SEK (1980). The brake test I had to to costed me 1700 SEK so the final sum ended around 7000 SEK which even in 1980 was next to nothing.
Parts used:
Engine: Opel Kadett 1964 Gearbox: Opel Kadett 1964 Rearend: Opel Kadett 1964 Radiator: Austin Mini Speedometer: SAAB 2-stroke Rearend bushings: SAAB 99 Front discs: Ford Cortina Calipers: Renault R 10 Shock absorbers: Koni from my brothers BMW R90S Carburettor: Weber 28/36 DCD, homemade manifold Foot pedals: Volvo Amazon, modified
Rear rims were widened 25mm by myself. They were split using just a hacksaw. One hour/wheel.Puh! After welding together the rim I spent many hours grinding the welds until I was satisfied.
This picture is from a 1000 km trip I made in Norway 1980, a test trip just before I passed the safety and registration inspection.
Here uncle Kurt goes for a test ride with his son Lars on the back (1980).
Since 1985 the trike has not been used but once my garage is finished I will put it on the road again.
26-june-2002After 17 years rusting away in an old barn I started to work on my trike again. Now it needs a restoration. I have had it in my garden for one year and finally a few days ago I started it up and took a spin around the block. Great feeling! Hopefully I will have everything in order next year.
11-sep-2006
Still not much has happend with my trike. I start it up once in a while and take it for a spin around the block.
At last my garage is finshed so I can now start to do some serious work
Check out these videos. LimaxTrike1 LimaxTrike2
23-jun-2011
Finally Last winter I worked really hard to have the trike back on the road again. The gearbox had been filled with water, made a terrible noise, and had to be changed. The parking brake did not work and a hand brake I have kept for 20 years from a Volvo Amazon was fitted. The home made front brakes was no good so Arne Karlsson lent me a Goldwing front fork. Thank you very much Arne! The Opel Kadett dynamo (likströmsskit!) was swapped for a Nippondeso alternator. Thank you Micke Lindström! The electric system had a lot of fixup and in may 2010 it past the Svensk Bilprovning test. I visited the Cutstom bike Show in Norrtälje and took part in the Mälaren runt. So far this year it has worked fine, only a small problem with the rear brake cylinder not releasing the pressure sometimes.
MC Nytt article
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E-Mail adress: ossanyberg@gmail.com
Mats Nyberg OSSA motorcycles
