Not mentioned 3 wheeler on this site

[crackshot]

I was looking at some of the older trikes on this site.
My buddy did some horse trading back in like 1980 and he aquired on of those jc penny trikes. Boy did we tear that thing up and sure created a ton of memories.
Not to get off subject, I remembered something very important in the 3 wheeler world.
Back in the mid to late 70's, my brother and my uncle used to live in an apartment together and worked at a company in Santa Fe Springs California that used to manufacture 3 wheelers that were named "Dune Cycle".
They were 3 wheelers that were like jc penny trike (larger scale) had full suspention powered by Kohler 2 cylinder air cooled snowmobile engines with a tillotson carburtor delivering the fuel. The tank was mounted between your legs like a motorcycle tank. There wheelers came in 2 colors. They were also a kit.
Centrifugal comet cluth and belt driven, twist throttle. They had incredible low end and top end power.
They had a low center of gravity and would scream doing flat track and would take trails pretty darn good.
These machines were man killers and my brother took me for a ride on his and we flipped it going what seemed to be 50 mph. Yes, they had a roll bar also.
My uncle and brother each owned one on these and remember quite well that they built them in the living room of their apartment and we had to remove the sliding patio door, and lift them over the fence and into his truck waiting in the alley behind his apartment.
I think this is an important and extremely rare 3 wheeler and needs to be added to this board.
I am going to email my brother and see if I can get any pictures and other additional information about this company he worked for.

[mywifeknowseverything]

Thats some pretty cool info....If I remember right these little Dune Cycles have been mentioned here before but I just cant remember the thread...Do you have any old Pics of you guys riding them???? Digem out and lets see!!!!
Where are you at????

[crackshot]

Thats some pretty cool info....If I remember right these little Dune Cycles have been mentioned here before but I just cant remember the thread...Do you have any old Pics of you guys riding them???? Digem out and lets see!!!!
Where are you at????

I do not have any pics of any sort of these awesome trikes.:(
I will see if my brother does though.
We grew up in southern california and both of my brothers and uncle still live down there.

[mywifeknowseverything]

Check my Pismo Trip...Bunch of us going in Jan....Between this site and .Org we have about 10 families going.. I grew up in Big Bear...Now Im above Sac...

[crackshot]

Check my Pismo Trip...Bunch of us going in Jan....Between this site and .Org we have about 10 families going.. I grew up in Big Bear...Now Im above Sac...

Well I live in Idaho now. I would love a trip like that!
We used to have a cabin in Big Bear in the Sugarloaf area. I know all those back road areas. Used to ski and go to Moonridge all the time. I remember when they installed the Alpine slide!
Used to play golf with my dad in Moonridge also in summer.
I hear it is a big city up there now.
Where above Sac you at now?
I found that thread about dune cycles.
http://www.3wheelerworldforums.com/showthread.php?t=6582&highlight=dune+cycle

[mywifeknowseverything]

I know all those areas and helped build the High School there...Was also there when the Big Earth Quake hit...Im on the outskirts of Marysville/Yuba City....My parents still live down there...Now they are off of Bryant and hwy 38...Right next to the Mill Creek Ranger Station....Been there for almost 17 yrs now...Gees how time flys@!!!! the Helo pad is damn near in their back yard...Too bad you live so far away now....Pismo is going to be fun...Have you checked out the Org site yet....www.3wheeler.org There are a few people over there that live in Idaho...Sounds like there is a nice sand pile over there....

[crackshot]

I know all those areas and helped build the High School there...Was also there when the Big Earth Quake hit...Im on the outskirts of Marysville/Yuba City....My parents still live down there...Now they are off of Bryant and hwy 38...Right next to the Mill Creek Ranger Station....Been there for almost 17 yrs now...Gees how time flys@!!!! the Helo pad is damn near in their back yard...Too bad you live so far away now....Pismo is going to be fun...Have you checked out the Org site yet....www.3wheeler.org There are a few people over there that live in Idaho...Sounds like there is a nice sand pile over there....

I know exactly where mill creek ranger station is. Highway 38 is the back route and takes you over Onyx Summit. Isn't mill creek station near that park that is there?
I know where Yuba is. I lived up that way also. My Grandfather lived in Oroville and my Dad lived in Paradise.
I will have to check out that website. Where I live now is Southeast Idaho near the Montana / Wyoming state line. Lots of National forests to 3 wheel!

[Dammit!]

http://images.google.com/images?q=dune+cycle+&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search

[crackshot]

Yup, thats them dammit. I can see what info I can dig up by what my brother says.
Both my uncle and brother had the top of the line models since they worked there. :cool:

[Pistonhead]

As I said there are pics of the dunecycle on .org

[smokinp]

cool! :TrikesOwn

[RideRed250R]

here is a whole frikin load of info on them look feasable to build one. http://www.vintagetrikes.com/dunecycle/index.htm

[GEMINI JASON]

Here is a pic of my dune cycle. I got it in pretty bad shape and rebuilt her. Mine was missing the original seat they had but i put a new one on not original but everything else is original including motor. I had to rebuild the motor but she runs great now.

[bigpimpin]

http://dirtbike.off-road.com/dirtbike/data/articlestandard/dirtbike/232006/331922/ape_dune_cycle.jpg

[bigpimpin]

needs a 250R motor IMO

[harryredtrike]

like this with the roll bar

[big schott]

We had one of those for years!! It was made by Montgomery Ward (Sp?). My dad bought it around 1975 and we had up till about a year ago. It was made to run with a Brigs 5-8 horse engine but,,, We transplanted a 1972 Sachs Wankel motor in it.
Ours had the standard tires on the front and back (Large all made by Good Year) and they lasted through all we put it through. With the larger moter we needed to put better bearings in for the axels and the transfer. (where the clutch was mounted) With the extra torque of the Wankel the bearing would only last about 10 minutes with the pull of the snowmobile clutch when they locked in.
I kept the best for last... With the brigs, 10 - 15 MPH was about it but,,, with the high reving Wankel the thing was clocked out at 65!!!
Needless to say we did not sell it with the Wankel motor in it, it was TOOO much machine for the novice and my dad didn't want anyone getting killed on it. (Funny,:wondering He never thought about that when I was riding it like a bat out of HELL when I was 16!!! LOL)


Great machines, Get one if you can!!

[MonroeMike]

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/MontgomeryWard.shtml

[TheFamer]

Hey everyone i used to own one of these when i was like 14!! my brothers friend had it and i got it for 20 bucks or something, it was beat down, couldn't idle you have to be running with it and trade drivers. it was a blast to ride, rear diff with separate braking systems. we had a B&S 5 horse on it, worked ok. one of my friends rolled it 3 times going down my drive way.. that was about the last time we used it. i had dirt bikes to ride that could go many more places than that dune cycle.

great times, i tried to race a odyssey with a CR250 motor, i lost big time. lots of dirt and rocks thrown at me too. sold it when i was in high school for 50 bucks, not running, flat tires... i miss it.

[atcquebec]

Look like what is in my garage

[MonroeMike]

Bet that's fun in the snow.