future ATC?

[guidi]

whats the liklihood honda, or any other company will ever make another atc? I wish someone would?

[bad350]

never, that horse has already been beaten

[ChrisCrash]

Think again...

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff223/motomanimal32/th_TPC_Video_3.jpg (http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff223/motomanimal32/?action=view&current=TPC_Video_3.flv)

[350Kris]

The dawn of a new era...

I called them today to ask questions like, "How much?" Didn't get ahold of anyone yet. Don't you think that this is pretty monumental to the 3 wheelin' community?!?!

[ovhonda1]

wish they would show a still of the bike so we could take a look. Need more info!

[200x newby]

do a search for the tpc 450 the guy is a member here and posted pics of it.

[atctim]

http://www.3wheelerworldforums.com/showthread.php?t=88625&highlight=TPC+450

Here it is - I guess he will be launching a website soon as well

[Gearheadtom]

I thought 3-wheeled ATV's could not be sold new from a manufacture in the US? I never heard anything about Canada.

[SYKO]

If everything goes as planned I will be riding a TPC sometime next year.

[ATC-Eric]

I will be lookin into the kit, at least to put together for later.

[SWIGIN]

since it needs a quad motor its not a complete bike....that might be a loop hole but as far as any big factory....it will never happen

[ChrisCrash]

The website is still under construction so we'd rather not make the address to it public yet. Would you mind editing your post and removing the address? How did you find the website by the way? Thanks so much, Jeff.

[oscarmayer]

post removed! I crossed your website name to the ip address via a nslookup.

oh, I'm the guy emailing you about the 200 atc stuff. ;)
I'm a sr. network/server/san engineer by trade, so I tend to look things up a little different than the averge joe.

also your isp has it the site set already up to your current web site and if you type it in, it takes you directly there even if google doens't say it exists.
(figured it out via a "who is" after i looekd it up.)

[ChrisCrash]

Thank You. Jeff

[guidi]

this is the most badass thing I've ever seen, I don't care what it takes, if these ever become obtainable to get I will have one. I love trikes and would give a lot to have a modern day one. I'm so thankful someone is doing this. ALL PRAISE TPC!!!!

[Louis Mielke]

I've seen the machine first hand. For a test type its a nice build. A little fine tuning and I would expect the production kits/bikes/however its gonna be sold should be very nice.

I do have to say, after watching the video....why could I see barbra walters in the foreground with a microphone and a tv logo telling lies all over again?
That or a fresh batch of roll over videos on youtube?

All I gota say is if these REALLY get sold with decent production numbers there better be a test you gota pass and a freakin stack of legal paperwork to sign involved.

I also have to say that if its gonna be done the way I think Bill's trying to do it he's got a good shot. 1 to 1 builds like Service Honda does on the CR500AF bikes.

Bill I know you're reading and I know you have your buddies post and I'm sure I'll get lambasted over on .org but here's a piece of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Dump the quad cut frame and find a reputable frame builder to build you one off frames. I strongly suggest HRE. I think he could build what you're after at a high quality and he's got the skill to repeat the frame design over and over to spec. I also think he would be the one who would be easiest to work with. He's not a huge name but he does amazing work. I think it's a good match. If I was you I'd give him your frame and at least have him build one to see what he can offer you.

If HRE built the frame, even I would consider having one of your bikes in my stable, even though I'd rather build my own. I can appriciate what you're trying to do.

[SYKO]

I agree somewhat with you Louis, but as a "kit" so to speak it would be more available to anyone then a whole frame kit I think.. I to would like to build my own... but im tired of that, this is exactly what I would want.

[atctim]

I am going to have to disagree with Lou here for two reasons.

#1 - Don't mess with a good thing (the back half is Honda Proven)- there is nothing wrong with the way he built it - it is like taking a CRF and an TRX and morphing them. Sure - with the custom frame you are talking about it would be sweet - but look at the cost involved with a new frame VS this conversion.

#2 - As Swinig mentioned - loopholes. Now that the CPSC screwed us over, Yet Again!, producing a "trike" frame may get you into some hot water down the road.

If I was to build a 450 Trike - I would do it just like Bill did - Or like Jason Hall did - but that is a different page in the book. Bill was using his head as far as parts go as well.

Although I see you point Lou - I have to disagree.

[Blown 331]

Now that the CPSC screwed us over, Yet Again!, producing a "trike" frame may get you into some hot water down the road.



What do you mean again? I thought there was only a 10 year ban from producing them or did I miss something?

[Louis Mielke]

Guys I understand what your saying but i think we maybe on different wave lengths.



Syko, you think a kit would be more accessible than a frame ready to go?

I guess in my mind if TPC had frames on shelf ready to go it would be much more accessible than you as the customer, buying your quad, taking it appart, sending the frame to TPC to have the mods done. Obviously I haven't talked to Bill but I HIGHLY doubt TPC is going to sell/ship you a front end that you have to cut your own quad frame and weld it together yourself/have your local welder do the welding.

I would suspect you would have to buy the quad, take it appart and send them your frame. That covers quality control and lawsuits. Can you think of the resulting lawsuits if "people" weld thier own frame and it comes apart.

"well TPC sold me this "KIT", they're liable!"

A reay made on the shelf frame BASED on Bill's quad frame conversion woul be much more accessible.

Hypothetically TPC's cost for a complete BARE frame is $1000. They sell it to you for $1500-$1700. Then you guy to snag up your parts on ebay and forgo starting with a complete quad.

I would rather buy a BARE frame ready for me to paint/coat/whatever and start bolting stuff on than buying a quad/bare quad frame and waiting for it to come back to me.
Obviously this whole thing is hinged on exactly what the TPC intentions are. I personally feel I would not want to pay to have a reverse astro kit installed on a quad frame. I WOULD buy a new trike frame that was designed from the ground up based on the trx450r.

Tim, you've missed what I'm saying. I'm not saying to mess with the design. I'm saying take the test type and find someone to mass produce it without requireing a quad frame.

[SYKO]

I am going to have to disagree with Lou here for two reasons.

#1 - Don't mess with a good thing (the back half is Honda Proven)- there is nothing wrong with the way he built it - it is like taking a CRF and an TRX and morphing them. Sure - with the custom frame you are talking about it would be sweet - but look at the cost involved with a new frame VS this conversion.


a diffinative answer to the cost would set the tone for making a new trike frame

#2 - As Swinig mentioned - loopholes. Now that the CPSC screwed us over, Yet Again!, producing a "trike" frame may get you into some hot water down the road.

I agree with this

If I was to build a 450 Trike - I would do it just like Bill did - Or like Jason Hall did - but that is a different page in the book. Bill was using his head as far as parts go as well.


once again I agree

Although I see you point Lou - I have to disagree.





Louis Mielke Guys I understan what your saying but i think we maybe on different wave lengths.



Syko, you think a kit would be more accessible than a frame ready to go?

of course it would but I trully beleive the cost would be higher, also as a "kit" I think I can manage to buy a trx 450r and have a riding trike made faster then piecing the parts from here and there

I guess in my mind if TPC had frames on shelf ready to go it would be much more accessible than you as the customer, buying your quad, taking it appart, sending the frame to TPC to have the mods one. Obviously I haven't talked to Bill but I HIGHLY doubt TPC is going to sell/ship you a front end that you have to cut your own quad frame and weld it together yourself/have your local welder do the welding.

why not? wouldnt that be a kit? in the 80s you could buy a astro kit or a suspension kit for your trike, what would make it any differnt today? pus I would get some statisfaction of actually being part of my own build, and I think it would make the consumer liable completly if it failed and they got hurt.

I would suspect you would have to buy the quad, take it appart and send them your frame. That covers quality control and lawsuits. Can you think of the resulting lawsuits if "people" weld thier own frame and it comes apart.

"well TPC sold me this "KIT", they're liable!"

see above... i beleive they would be MORE LIABLE if they put it together then if say me or you put it together

A reay made on the shelf frame BASED on Bill's quad frame conversion woul be much more accessible.

to a certain extent, but not all the time

Hypothetically TPC's cost for a complete BARE frame is $1000. They sell it to you for $1500-$1700. Then you guy to snag up your parts on ebay and forgo starting with a complete quad.

that would be just the frame... what about forks.. and everything else... I can see where I can realisticly build a "KIT" frame with a complete trx for under $3500 I just cant see that happening with a full frame at the cost of 1500-1700 new, then buying all the nessecary parts for it.

I would rather buy a BARE frame ready for me to paint/coat/whatever and start bolting stuff on than buying a quad/bare quad frame and waiting for it to come back to me.

Tim, you've missed what I'm saying. I'm not saying to mess with the design. I'm saying take the test type and find someone to mass produce it without requireing a quad frame.



I think keeping it as a kit and not mass producing a frame would be the way to go

[Louis Mielke]

as far as the csps, I don't care. the frame can be labeled a cycle frame. nothing has to be labeled as a threewheeler. what someone builds with it after its sold the csps can do a darn thing about

[Blown 331]

I know the wheels are in motion and things aren't going to change but I'm thinking I'd be cheaper and easier to convert a dirt bike like Jason Hall. Then you just buy an dirt bike and add front and rear end. My buddy bought a CRF450 for $1000, I imagine for another grand you could have it a 3-wheeler. That pricing wouldn't be bad at all and you get an aluminum frame.

[atctim]

Lou - I gotcha now - I see what you are saying - albeit I don't know TPCs business plan - but I would think that it would be tough for a small start up company like TPC to keep $1000 frames on their shelves as stock. I also think it would be more like $2000 frames (cost) - I dunno though.

Have to wait and see - but again - I see your point now - I am kind of thick skulled sometimes.

Blown331 - Yes - the CPSC recently passed legislation to Ban the manufacturing / importing of any and all off road 3 wheeled vehicles - in other words - we had 10 years for someone to do this - someone finally stepped up and now this happens. Takes the wind right from my sails. They snuck this into an existing bill banning lead paint in Chinese toys being imported. Also voted themselves a big fat raise in this bill. Mighty White of em' if you ask me

I tell ya - they need to be stopped and the "Safety train" need it's plug pulled. It is getting out of hand if you ask me. ALL CROOKS!!!!!!!

[atctim]

I know the wheels are in motion and things aren't going to change but I'm thinking I'd be cheaper and easier to convert a dirt bike like Jason Hall. Then you just buy an dirt bike and add front and rear end. My buddy bought a CRF450 for $1000, I imagine for another grand you could have it a 3-wheeler. That pricing wouldn't be bad at all and you get an aluminum frame.

2 big problems here - #1 is finding a custom fabricator to do all that aluminum work. Most people can not weld aluminum.

#2 is if you do find someone to do this - you'll have WAY more than $1000 into the conversion - I would say triple that at bare minimum.

[Louis Mielke]

I would also add since I have some experience in the dept, bike to trike conversions are VERY hard to pull off. Mr. Hall just happens to be a fabricator by profession so it was a little easier for him to pull off.

[Blown 331]

I was just thinking if you already had a CRF450 and someone offered a kit that included the custom parts you'd need for the conversion such as swing arm bushings (or whatever it takes to put a TRX swinger on a CRF), triples, rear sub frame, front hub etc. Then you just need a the fenders and other items that you can buy at the dealer if need be.

You know with all the 2-stroke nut swingers on here I'm surprised no one is converting any 2-stroke 250 MX bikes to trikes, but instead they are all 4-stroke. Like taking an 08 CR250R and making a modern ATC250R etc.

[tecat-z]

Bike to trike converts are never easy. For so many reasons. And there are only a few people that i know of who have actually pulled it off successfully. And even then, it seems that there is always room for improvement in their eyes. The suspension alone is a huge hurdle. Nothing about it is easy. Nothing! TPC may be the ONLY choice for a modern trike availiable on a very limited basis. And i have not only seen the TPC450 in person, but raced against it at Smith Road. Very nice bike that appears to have been very well thought out. Infact, i have lots of nicks on my bike from the roost it was throwing at me while in 2nd place. We have to realize that there is always room for improvement no matter what it is, but great things sometimes take time. Not to mention large sums of capital. So..... with that, who knows. Maybe at some point a frame could be fabricated by a company like HRE that would accept all components from the converted model. I believe all of this depends on how many are purchased, and the old risk/reward scenerio. I give Team TPC all of the credit in the world for trying to preserve existing 3wheelers from being modified into something they never were, and trying to offer something modern................

[Dirtcrasher]

Allot of work and thought was put into this joint build.... Utilizing and altering the quad frame is a great idea and I would imagine, it was the simplest way to get it done. Getting it done left time to figure out triple clamps, forks, a front axle and a front hub. And, I'm extremely pleased with it and thats simply from reading about it and hearing what the test riders and or observers had to say.

But, I gotta say that I hear what Louis is saying completely..... I honestly wouldn't be surprised at all is Bill himself has thought about taking the best of the quad frame and the mods and having one built.

Lets remember, this really is the one of the pioneer conversions that have been offered. Conversions are getting better all the time, and some successful ones have been built and seem to working well. But, not all of us can Tig weld, few of us have a Bridgeport mill or Southbend lathe and some of us can barely change axle bearings or properly rebuild a carburetor :lol:

I'm thinking that this is a stepping stone and that stone will be chiseled and adjusted from here on. That's not too say it isn't fantastic! But, everything and anything can be improved.

I too believe a custom frame would be awesome and what would even be so bad about chrome moly tubing? Could it be designed in a manner that it was safe, ridgid yet flexible enough? Would that make it cost efficient? Could there be both a chrome moly and aluminum frame available as a choice for consumers?

A frame is a frame, just because it's modded without A arm supports doesn't make it a trike or a quad frame. It's simply a frame. Shom me the difference between a 2 wheeled BW200 frame and any trike frame?? There doesn't seem to be any specific component or layout to a given frame to label it a 100% ready to be banned again TRIKE FRAME!!

Just my thoughts..................................

[EAT_A_450]

So where can I talk to Bob at? Any ideas on price?

[NINJA]

You know with all the 2-stroke nut swingers on here I'm surprised no one is converting any 2-stroke 250 MX bikes to trikes, but instead they are all 4-stroke. Like taking an 08 CR250R and making a modern ATC250R etc.

I'm all for a modern 2 stroke trike myself, but not a converted dirtbike.

[SYKO]

I have withheld myself from building a mighty atc500.... im stuck on the ATK 700 intimidator... one day ONE DAY I will shove that monster into a trike!

[toocheaptosmoke]

I have withheld myself from building a mighty atc500.... im stuck on the ATK 700 intimidator... one day ONE DAY I will shove that monster into a trike!

I was just looking at those bikes yesterday and thinking the SAME thing. :w00t:

[ChrisCrash]

All your questions, concerns, and comments will be addresed by Bill on our web site.

[SeaBass8]

Is the website up? Or when will it be up.

Thanks

[TriMotoMan]

Here is the future for yamaha trikes

[ChrisCrash]

The web site is up but we are experimenting with different looks and text.

[UlsterATCFan]

Got a link to the website?

[EAT_A_450]

anyone 1 have the website? pricing?

[ChrisCrash]

The website with prices will go public on Jan 1 2009.



Thanks, Jeff.

[Tecate250]

Sweet. I think some people have to get on with it. I have seen all the aftermarket stuff like ricky stator and dc plastic bring new meaning to 3 wheelers. I see the problem with the law, but we are still here. My 3 wheelers are still mine. Why has the 450s not been grabed by the cops? Chris Crash I think you could be the man.
He could build kits to change any bike to a quad. They made trikes into quads and held up.

[BigGreenMachine]

I'll be in the market for this kit sometime next year. The Tecate is going to be jealous.

[Tecate250]

Or mabey making a Tecate 450?

[BigGreenMachine]

No. (stupid character min)

[ChrisCrash]

Or mabey making a Tecate 450?


There are many alternatives. Other models for consideration are KTM, Suzuki 450, Yamaha 450, Honda 650X, Honda 500 two stroke to name a few.

[BigGreenMachine]

An 08 KTM 300 XCW(E) motor in your chassis would be the cats meow to us twostroke fans. (or me at least) Broad usable power, lighting coil, electric start and new parts availability.

[cr480r]

I too believe a custom frame would be awesome and what would even be so bad about chrome moly tubing? Could it be designed in a manner that it was safe, ridgid yet flexible enough? Would that make it cost efficient? Could there be both a chrome moly and aluminum frame available as a choice for consumers?

I personally would prefer a cromo frame over an aluminum one...


A frame is a frame, just because it's modded without A arm supports doesn't make it a trike or a quad frame. It's simply a frame. Show me the difference between a 2 wheeled BW200 frame and any trike frame?? There doesn't seem to be any specific component or layout to a given frame to label it a 100% ready to be banned again TRIKE FRAME!!

Just my thoughts..................................

I would "modify" existing "motorcycle" frames into trike frames... I would register it as a "motorcycle" and sell it as a "motorcycle" ;) Even if the only "used motorcycle" component was the head tube its still technically a motorcycle right? Maybe the customer would required to supply his own "core" frame, and the company would simply offer a conversion "service" and then technically they would not be a "manufacturer"..

They could even be sold as complete fat-tired motorcycles (fat cat/missle/BW style)... It would just be a coincidence that a TRX swinger and plastic happened to fit like it was meant to be... :lol:

[Tecate250]

Haha Yeah that works for me.

[tri-Z ripper]

i love these threads! and will always read them word for word untill i see a $ for how much and where i can get one for real not just word of mouth will be great!! :beer untill that day comes i will enjoy all the ads and publicity of positive triking in the future we have a great hobby that is ruined by non other then lawyers! if i am ever to come into a large sum of money i vow to try to legalize the manufacturing of 3 wheeled off road vehicles to be MASS PRODUCED again! anyone know any good lawyers??:lol:

[ChrisCrash]

i love these threads! and will always read them word for word untill i see a $ for how much and where i can get one for real not just word of mouth will be great!! :beer untill that day comes i will enjoy all the ads and publicity of positive triking in the future we have a great hobby that is ruined by non other then lawyers! if i am ever to come into a large sum of money i vow to try to legalize the manufacturing of 3 wheeled off road vehicles to be MASS PRODUCED again! anyone know any good lawyers??:lol:


This IS A REALITY.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff223/motomanimal32/DSC03543-1.jpg

Come up with 20,000.00 you can have that one.

Otherwise you can build your own from our kit. Nothing is set in stone yet but figure between 2,500.-3,000.00 for the basic Kit.

Our site will be up very soon.

Currently our Hubs and axles are under production.


Thanks, Jeff.