Once we had the trike up and running it was time to start working on extra features we did not have time for as well as re-doing some things that needed to change.
The plan all along was to have tall smokestack tailpipes in the back. C decided to build a luggage rack to support them. First he custom designed and welded the rack.
Then he attached it to the back hoop of the frame.
After which he put in side bars for additional support.
Once each side was supported the rack was sturdy enough I could sit upon it, bounce up and down, and the rack still held.
We temporarily mounted the license plate from it because we needed to remount the fenders.
The original fender mount fabrication was not strong enough. Additionally, I got feedback from my friends who rode back there that it was a little scary being able to see the inside of the wheel go round and round.
C re-engineered the fender mounts with gussets and cut some sheet metal to make into inner fenders.
This is one of my favorite pictures from this phase of the build because you can see C swinging the mallet as he prepares to strike the red hot metal.
Once the metal was form fitted to fill the gap between the fender and hoop it was welded on.
And painted with primer. In this photo you can also see a smaller hoop with a center plate. That will be the mount for the storage boxes.
I had custom storage boxes made to hold helmets, goggles, and tools. There was a guy on Ebay who made boxes and I contacted him for the custom size.
I also got tractor exhaust caps to put on the smokestack tail pipes.
The normal size exhaust port for a VW bug motor is 1.25” outer diameter. I did not want little bitty pea-shooter pipes for my exhaust. I got some 1.25” OD pipe and some 2.25” OD pipe since that is the size of motorcycle tailpipes. (If you are curious the ones they use on semi-trucks are 5”-8” in outer diameter.) Using the trusty pipe bender C curved the smaller pipe to fit with the engine ports and then cut out a section from the larger pipe and heated it up to shape the two pieces to fit together. The rack that was designed to support them did a terrific job. Here is a view of the pipes from the rear with the flapper caps on.
In this picture you can also see the new taillights. There is one red and one amber on either side of the rack. They are shaped like the headlight to give a uniform look to the ride.
Here is a view of the pipes from the front with the flapper caps on. You can also see the mounted diamond plate storage boxes. I chose to use diamond plate since it matches the plates we have covering the electrical that also serve as steps into the back seat.
Due to the expense of chroming this much metal I decided to paint the pipes with high temperature paint. Eventually I will paint the pipes with a metallic black layer of high temperature paint.
With these pipes on the trike everyone can hear me coming long before they see me. I put some bezels in the tops to reduce the sound a bit so as not to upset Johnny Law. The new sound is only slightly more quiet but also gave the pipes a warmer more throaty sound. I think I now sound like an old WWII corsair plane.
Soon we will be dismantling the trike for painting. Yay!
