ha! finally I have found a really admirable design in every sense of the world. Of course my opinion will not mean much to you, but you may be sure your effort will bring you great satisfactions. I am pleased to be able to watch such a precious jewel, could be principally for you being inspired on that magnificient Citröen. Thank you!
Wow! I'm absolutely impressed. I'm sending this video to the Aptera group. I've always had a very soft place in my heart for the 2CV. What a shame such an intelligent vehicle didn't sweep up the world like the Beatle and Mini. (Oops! I did use the "intelligent" word in association with vehicle purchasing - hmmmm.) Thanks for this video.
I'm amazed that this and many of your other video's have so few views considering the time they have been up . I'm a Canadian currently vacationing in Florida , I was in a trek shop and mentioned your Company and this particular trike . They have never heard of you, Why ..This is probably the best suspended trike design I've ever seen.
Thank you for building a trike with Citron suspension I was thinking for months about doing that suspension then I saw your video. I'm building a fat tire recumbent trike with all wheel drive. I have built my grandsons a recumbent trike Don from northern California
I thought the stein full suspension trikes were great, but this is fantastic! I have a non suspension fat tire trike at the moment but your trike is my next prospect for sure.
I didn't think about the rider leaning partially negating the need for a sprung anti-roll system when thinking about front suspension for a trike/velomobile. Also the leading arm suspension has a neat feature, it naturally has some resistance to dive under braking thanks to the torque reaction of the brake on the suspension.
Note that the suspension of the wheels on either side is connected through a central spring. (So front left and rear left are connected etc) When there is a bump, one wheel at a time pulls on that spring and it allowed loose and far travel. In corners, both outside wheels are pulling on that spring, making suspension tighter. I think your design is great, but I just wanted to point out this detail.
Nice work , there must have been a lot of man hours put into this one , well done . maybe ill see one in the not too distant future when I come and annoy you about a trike😉.
Very clever prototype/ pre-production model. You’ve put a lot of work into the integration of the front suspension & the steering mechanism. I hope you can simplify the structure to keep the manufacturing costs down. It looks fantastic!
It is quite an improvement in the battery performance when the switch is replaced with two zener diodes. Battery life is dramatically higher because each battery provides less current and does not heat up as much. There is also the benefit of not being out of power on a hill and having to flip the switch or having to watch the state of charge.
Fantastic! Yes I am interested in a full suspension trike. Love to have an Aussie product. Can it be made folding, perhaps with a single quick disconnect battery? With love, Ken
Fold might be a bridge to far for the first generation of the idea. However we’ll explore ways to make it partly collapsible for packing into vehicles.
Very nice. A quad with that suspension would be even better for off roading because it would have twice the traction. The challenge, of course would be the complex drivetrain.
I had a test ride on Friday 17th June. It feels very different to ride on turns as the suspension allows it to lay out. It has good suspension riding on rough ground.
Hello, what a great idea to build a trike with the 2CV suspension. Looking awesome!! Back of Bourke!! I would like to know if this suspension also ensures that the trike has a tilding / leaning function so that you can drive faster through the bend without the trike falling over? is it possible to order this bike from you or to get a detailed drawing with which I can build the bike myself? did you make the bike from stainless steel or aluminum? what is the track width? can you also use 26" wheels or do you hit the wheels with steering? the switch unit under the handle seems inconvenient to operate, is that correct? Would it be better to replace the mirror and the mirror with a longer neck underneath? Too bad you live so far away, otherwise I'd love to test drive gr. Arie
love this suspension design frees up a lot of the bulk from the normal suspensions not to mention the soft looking ride even with air shocks on the other types there still little stiff and mess with the handling
The battery switch should also offer parallel mode, would put less strain on batteries, but would have to make sure they are matched before connecting...
See the comment on using two ziner diodes instead of a switch. It is helpful that the batteries can be different voltages with no problems or cross charging.
Hello, what a great bike!! I've watched it a few times already. what I would like to know: what is the track width? how do you adjust the springs... do you have to blow air into them with a bicycle pump? another important question. I try to go hard through the bend with my recumbent and then lean towards the bend. The lady in the video depends (just like with the 2CV) on the corner, so I think you are more likely to turn around in the corner. Is that correct and what can be done about it? is the latest design ready yet and if so what will the bike cost?
Impressive😊. I have a neckinjury from a bike accident 20 years ago, and have dreamed of biking again but because the injury is so sensitive for vibrations iI have not found the right suspension, but this constrution like 2cv and balloon tires may make it. Is it possible to order one trike like this? Best Regards Arne Gerhardsen
I like the idea of a soft suspension. But I dont like that leaning outwards the corner. Actually I have an unsprung low trike which makes great fun in sharp and fast corners. I love this go cart feeling :-) I'm thinking about a front suspension with dependant front arms. Like with a solid anti roll bar. Therefore no leaning. But also, of course, worse reaction two obstacles on one side. Was such a suspension ever realized in trikes or cars? Can this work?
Can you clarify something for me? I really like the thought that has gone into this design especially the tank steering & low center of gravity. It seems to have a high degree of lean on relatively slow, sharp turns. Is this part of the design to emulate the Citroen suspension but the trike won't actually have a tendency to roll over? Thanks.
Ultimately the amount of lean is a function of how much the rider leans into the turn. Unlike the 2CV the rider is the majority of the mass so leaning makes more difference. From my test rides I noticed I was more comfortable letting it lean over at slow speed than high. The is a lot going on but the ride feels very safe and smooth. Like nothing else I’ve ever ridden.
@@TriSled Perhaps there is more to suspension than travel? The FS 20 is very stable on turns and agile over rough roads. HP's website says "full suspension recumbent trike’s most unique feature is the beefy wishbone and stabilizer bar system under the cruciform frame. This stops the trike from rolling in corners while preserving its suspension movement. Control at the extreme limits is noticeably improved and tipping safety significantly increased. The AntiDive kinematics prevent the negative dive effects on braking. The design of the camber and track geometry ensures that the steering mechanism offers straight-line stability over the entire suspension travel and remains easily accessible and free from impairment when braking (brake steer) or traversing obstacles (bump steer). You can feel it immediately: in the precision of the steering, the sporty handling, and the direct feedback from the road." There is no problem with leaning in corners unless I forget to lean into a turn and have the outside wheel on a raised surface. My previous Tadpole tipped over so many times over ten years that I could not keep track of the number. The FS 20 is far more stable. That is the reason for my question.
What will it weigh in at as shown? Will there be base model up to fully rigged or order form? MSRP? What with the suspension Rotovelo "coming soon" Same questions apply.
We'll be conducting some testing on this machine and design assessment over the coming weeks. When there is something resembling production specs we'll publish them. Rotovelo production prototype currently being assembled but delayed due to pandemic supply chain. Rotovelo2 and its pre-order customers will remain our priority in the short term over this development. However we hope to have both well established through the first half of 2022.
Camber on the wheels and tilting have no relationship to each other in this case. Camber cannot be incorporated into leading arm design as it translates into toe out through the suspension travel.
Looks promising enough that I am tempted to ditch my ICE Adventure😅 HD "Full Suspension" in favor of a TriSled. Quotes bc ICE's implementation is so rudimentary/minimalistic/ineffective. The video was disappointing however because the rider avoided all the actual curbs. It would have been reasurring to see the trike negotiate a 4" curb - not necessarile at speed, but just to show it can negotiate such a curb with it's 20" front wheels. Another trait to show (that nobody in the industry seems to want to talk about) is off-camber tolerance. My ICE with 20" front wheels can have one of it's front wheels raised 9" before the rider eats dirt. With 26" front wheels, that number falls to 7". This seems quite important in the context of riding along a sidewalk and having one wheel go off the curb.
Sir. Respectfully. They still have to be manually arm steered and leg propelled . You are still using your muscles. There are more parts to these, so they're heavier than a regular bike. You don't have to work to balance on 2 wheels, to keep from falling over at slower speeds. They are not exactly a motorised lounge chair. I know, I know. Some have expensive motor assist. Extra $$$. So, if you're tired on your "trip," you can get some help. Lately, some of these new basic manual ones start at $ 2 k. Obviously, they go up in price from there. I'm just trying to help you understand. And not at all criticizing you.
