Board logo

MSVA 3 wheeler info needed
russbost - 19/7/18 at 09:23 AM

Ok, I'm well up on IVA for 4 wheelers, but considering a 3 wheeler (reverse trike) project, to save me reading the entire MSVA manual (much of which must be similar to IVA?), a few quick Q's

Does it have to meet a minimum weight requirement

Is there any requirement for reverse gear?

Same Q for handbrake - I'm assuming it is, I assume has to be mechanical?

What are the differences between bodied & unbodied treatment at MSVA test - I'm assuming if you attend with an unbodied vehicle you don't have the same daft radius requirements that IVA has? & also assume a body could be added at a later date once registered?

If bodied does the test have min radius requirements?

Seat belts? I'm thinking along the lines of a Morgan style vehicle - & if a requirement do they have similar min height requirement for mounting

Similar collapsible column requirement to IVA?

If bodied & with a screen does it have requirement for wiper & demist?

Can a reverse trike have a single headlight or are 2 a must?

Do wheel arches (mudguards) have to meet a minimum coverage? (no. of degrees of wheel covered)

All info much welcomed!

Benzine - 19/7/18 at 09:52 AM

quote:
Originally posted by russbost
Does it have to meet a minimum weight requirement


No, just a maximum weight of 1000kg.


quote:
Originally posted by russbost
Same Q for handbrake - I'm assuming it is, I assume has to be mechanical?


Yep

quote:
Originally posted by russbost
Can a reverse trike have a single headlight or are 2 a must?


Yes, unless it's wider than 1700mm, then it needs 2 headlights. It can have 1 position lamp if narrower than 1300mm, wider needs 2.

JC - 19/7/18 at 08:41 PM

And no requirement for reverse gear!

What plot are you hatching Russ? I caught the three wheeler itch at Blyton a few years back and need to scratch it!!!

russbost - 20/7/18 at 04:28 PM

Ok, thanks for info so far, can anyone shed any light on the other Q's?

Particularly:-

What are the differences between bodied & unbodied treatment at MSVA test - I'm assuming if you attend with an unbodied vehicle you don't have the same daft radius requirements that IVA has? & also assume a body could be added at a later date once registered?

If bodied does the test have min radius requirements?

Seat belts? I'm thinking along the lines of a Morgan style vehicle - & if a requirement do they have similar min height requirement for mounting


Thanks for any input

Ugg10 - 20/7/18 at 04:42 PM

May be worth asking on the MeV owners forum under the tr1ke section.

http://mevowners.proboards.com/board/43/tr1ke

Not sure how friendly they are but a call to sve/exo cars may answer your question as they now sell the tr1ke.

Personally I would read the manual myself as I never believe anything said on the internet :-)

russbost - 20/7/18 at 06:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by JC
And no requirement for reverse gear!

What plot are you hatching Russ? I caught the three wheeler itch at Blyton a few years back and need to scratch it!!!


It's all ideas in my head at present, I've always had a soft spot for 3 wheelers, tho' only reverse trikes, a single front wheel doesn't do it for me - in my teens a mate's Dad who was car mad, enlisted my assistance in building a 3 wheeler from scratch. We used a Mini front subframe with an Austin 1100 engine & box & used one of the mini radius arms as a trailing arm at the rear - for it's era it went like a bomb & handled really well, I drove it myself & loved it , he made his own fibreglass bodywork for it, looked a bit like a Noddy car crossed with a frog eye Sprite! I'd actually love to know what happened to the car, he sold it some 40 odd years ago & I lost touch with the family a few years later, can't even remember what he registered it as now, may have been a "Dawson Special" or similar as the surname was Dawson

Anyway, I've toyed with reverse trikes in my head ever since & still want to do something b4 I'm too old to deal with it all. I was tempted to do something not dissimilar to the Tr1ke, but using the ZZR1100 engine & box rather than the R1, (cheaper, more grunt & a beefier clutch & gearbox) but things like that & the Grinnall do seem to have a bit of a rep for being a handful near the limit. Hence I've been thinking more along the lines of the Triking & 2 CV based cars, only with a different engine/box, which TTBOMK no one has used as yet. Withe engine up front, like the Morgan you have more stability, probably a bit more trouble getting the power on the floor tho' .........

I have a particular powertrain in mind with an air cooled bike engine up front, very visible & reasonably attractive using the donors shaft drive box & an extended prop to the original rear wheel & shaft drive, almost certainly using the donor swing arm. I'm thinking use both wheels off the bike, getting another matching front to go on the remaining corner & as you already have a pair of discs/calipers why not make use of them? Run bike tyres up front with a wider car tyre at the rear to get the power down. I'm defo thinking old school styling rather than modern, but the reason I was asking about bodied/unbodied, is that if made with a reasonably "pretty" frame, then it could be built cheaply, "naked" or close to it & then have a body, or even different bodies (so not necessarily old school) that could be added at a later date, after registration thus spreading the cost

Unfortunately I also have about 3 or 4 other trike ideas in my head, including a super economy electric one (with a range extender), a similar one but single seat & much narrower as a city commuter with basic weather gear, & a couple of other more performance based vehicles. Also thinking of a totally different way of controlling everything from power to steering & braking - but it will probably all never come to more than a pipe dream

I mean, I knew a bloke once that wanted to put something on the road that looked, at a glance, a bit like a modern F1 car - I mean, c'mon, as if .........

Ugg10, yes, I will most definitely read the manual b4 starting, but no harm in having a head start!

Ugg10 - 20/7/18 at 06:47 PM

St1100 / 1300 by any chance? Sounds like it would work in the configuration you describe.

(Or any of the bmw boxers)

[Edited on 20/7/18 by Ugg10]

russbost - 20/7/18 at 06:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
St1100 / 1300 by any chance? Sounds like it would work in the configuration you describe.

(Or any of the bmw boxers)

[Edited on 20/7/18 by Ugg10]


Ooooh! I couldn't possibly comment. but never heard of an ST, is that a typo for RT?

Ugg10 - 20/7/18 at 07:04 PM

Nope - Honda Paneuropean, 1100cc v4 mounted longitudinal with shaft drive (st1300 was basically an updated version with 1300cc). One was put into a Stuart Taylor Loco seven car a while back. Quite tall but very torquey, more like a car engine and regularly do 50k+ miles.



[Edited on 20/7/18 by Ugg10]

JC - 21/7/18 at 06:13 AM

I will check but as I recall if you sit ‘in’ you need seatbelts, if you sit astride you don’t...

Edit: Yes I was correct.

Unlike IVA, the bike SVA is relatively small and easier to read - and much less onerous than IVA.

I have always had the BMW trike idea in my mind. I saw this online - 2CV based but fancied a BMW version:


[img] Three wheels 1
Three wheels 1 [/img]


I also saw this at Stoneleigh 2 years ago - the owner is on a Facebook three wheeler page I follow!


[img] Three wheels 2
Three wheels 2 [/img]

Was thinking of ordering a Triking....may delay that now!!

[Edited on 21/7/18 by JC]

russbost - 21/7/18 at 09:06 AM

The ST, yes, got it now, very good lump I believe, but that's water cooled & I think reverse trikes look really cool with some cooling fins on display!

russbost - 21/7/18 at 09:08 AM

JC, what's the FB group as a matter of interest?

JC - 21/7/18 at 09:33 AM

Its called 3 wheeled kit cars

There's a post by me on there with the same photo on it where the owner gets in contact.

If you cant find it, I'll send you a FB friend request and add you to the group!

russbost - 21/7/18 at 12:19 PM

I'm "pending"!

russbost - 23/7/18 at 01:06 PM

Well. I've joined that group, but can't see the post on there you refer to, would defo like more info on that car & how it's been put together

Edited to say, I've found it now!

[Edited on 23/7/18 by russbost]

russbost - 1/8/18 at 06:05 PM

Well, don't expect anything to happen too quickly as I'm quite busy with other stuff at present, but just purchased what I hope to be a suitable donor, should be collecting tomorrow!