Brake servo for motorbike ?

[MCKDAVID]

if the problem is getting on it, and getting your leg high enough to get on a conventional bike, what about some of these maxi scooters, most of them are still stepthroughish, the decent size ones don't hang about. If stability or getting your foot down is a problem, try the MP3 from piagio, the one with the two front wheels, if i remember there's a lever that you pull up to stay dead upright at junctions etc, so you don't need to use your foot for stability.

might keep ya rollin.... anyway good on yer for trying..

 

[Pete.]

My dad held on to his bike long after he was too ill to ever ride it. I guess he was going through the same emotions as you compo.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I bought the Breeze with the intention of adapting. It has a number of plus points compared to other machines I considered. Cable operated brakes all round, chain drive, 4 stroke engine, CVT gearbox with reverse, ability for engine to have PTO (via blanked off, with cover, optional handstart point) so pulley can be added to operate a small alternator as the Breeze item isn't really big enough for a road machine lights, proper flat foot boards rather than pegs, under 150cc so lowest VED band if converted to trike, older machine so with proof of age being over 10 years then no BIVA test applicable as long as mainly unmodified, and other aspects I can't remember at present.
Plan is to make it legally into a trike but retaining twin rear wheels. Confused ? Well as long as the centres of the wheels are no more than a certain distance apart (I think it's 450mm) then DVLA class it as a trike hence lower VED band instead of the more expensive quadricycle VED rate. Only problem is two front wheel with one rear trikes can't have hand operated brakes. They have to be linked and foot operated which solves my hand strength worry straight away. A Vespa can provide a suitable foot pedal and will operate the brakes via a compensator similar to that on cable operated car brakes (I used to have an Austin 7 special project ! )
A play with the rear axle shows that the wheel flanges can be turned around so they are inwards. That would mean having to remove flange to put wheel on and off. I've got a second pair of the smaller front wheels and their offset is almost right when put on the back axle with the flipped drive flanges to conform to the 450mm width. Probably with spacers I can achieve the required specification so other than the foot brake and change of rear wheels mostly original parts to conform to the regulations.
There is more to my plans than this but gives you the gist of what is planned first to get legally registered plus avoid BIVA.

Paul h

BTW I used to have a Kymco road legal quad. It was supposed to be 150cc but turned out to be something like 153cc so defeated the object of making it into a trike for lower VED. On the road it wasn't very nice to ride due to lack of diff. Mate had a go and on tight low speed turn almost flipped it over so it got promptly sold as too dangerous for me. I did search for a quad with diff but other than some (I think Kawasaki) 4x4 version nobody uses them.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

if the problem is getting on it, and getting your leg high enough to get on a conventional bike, what about some of these maxi scooters, most of them are still stepthroughish, the decent size ones don't hang about. If stability or getting your foot down is a problem, try the MP3 from piagio, the one with the two front wheels, if i remember there's a lever that you pull up to stay dead upright at junctions etc, so you don't need to use your foot for stability.

might keep ya rollin.... anyway good on yer for trying..

I'd love a BMW C1 to adapt into two wheels at the front. In fact many years ago I went as far as buying brand new Honda TRX400 front upper and lower wishbones and uprights for adapting my Vespa. They cost a fortune and only the other day dug them out ready to go on eBay this weekend.

Paul H

 

[CompoSimmonite]

My dad held on to his bike long after he was too ill to ever ride it. I guess he was going through the same emotions as you compo.

It's heart breaking. I started riding when I was 16 and have bikes continuously ever since (that 40 years !) even though I can't ride any more. In fact part of the reason I recently bought the Marlin kit car was as a motorbike substitute

Paul h

 

[MCKDAVID]

seriously mate, speak to NABD, the things that they can do now, I'm sure they can sort something out for you. got to be worth a call to them. if it keeps that wind in your hair, and yer knees in the breeze then anythings got to be worth doing;

I saw a full on wheelchair type trike conversion some time ago, where it looked like the guy literally rolled his wheel chair onto it, then took off like a trike... So if they can do that for a wheelchair, it's certain that they could come up with something to keep you rolling.

 

[TAITSIE]

I really feel for you mate , I am getting my second hip replacement next week and that will help but I still have issues with my shoulders and knees and bladder problems after prostate cancer . It is so frustrating when you want to do something that years ago was easy but now difficult.
I am now working with my son and he can do all the physical stuff but a lot of the time you want to be hands on. I suppose its one of the effects of getting old but I am only sixty this year and I never though that I would be like this . I hope you can find a solution that will let you continue to do something that you enjoy .

 

[norlander]

Yes you are right on that, the kymco was hard work at times and disconcerting in the bends and the odd roundabout which is why the trip was abit of an adventure-what I meant was that being out on a quad/trike/combination has many of the aspects that one enjoys on 2 wheels and longer trips are possible -I'm guessing you knew that anyway.
Looks like you have researched and thought through the Breeze conversion pretty well already-excellent stuff.

I don't know if this is relevant but my GP got me physiotherapy and reduced membership of a gym when I was crocked, I plugged away at the gym for a year and got stronger, and in fact I started going to a gym again last year and am feeling the benefits now.

Hope all goes well with your project.

 

[the snooper]

i havnt read through all the posts so don't know if this has already been posted but how about simply altering the brake leaver arrangement to give more pressure with less effort ie a longer lever would be easier to operate then a short one, could be done through linkages of some sort, either that or air over hydraulic using a small 12v compressor of some sort