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Doers Builders and Positive People

ACE Cycle Car from Liberty Motors

By Paul Crowe

ACE Cycle Car from Liberty Motors

Liberty Motors of Seattle, Washington, builds and restores some very nice sidecars. The business is the work of Pete Larsen and his wife Patty. Pete is an industrial designer and fabricator and recently started building something a little different, the ACE Cycle Car, a 3 wheeler that looks an awful lot like the old Morgan 3 wheelers, only this one is powered by a Harley Davidson V-twin engine. It looks rather nice from what I can see.

They tried to import a Moto Guzzi powered car from the U.K., (a Triking, perhaps?) without success and decided instead to build their own, powered by a Harley twin cam engine and using modern running gear. The ACE has a TIG welded tube frame, rack and pinion steering, a single sided swingarm in the rear with shaft drive and disc brakes all around. The ACE weighs 950 pounds, has a 10 gallon fuel tank and a top speed of 120 mph.

Projected base price is $34,500.00, less paint and the customer gets to specify a lot of the final details. “Each ACE is built up to order from the standard chassis using the engine of choice and outfitted with the buyer’s selection of wheels, chrome, powder-coat, interior and body colors. ” The end result looks like a fun little car perfect for scooting around some back country roads. I like it.

If a 3 wheeler looks like fun to you, check out their web site, then talk to Pete and tell him what you need.

Link: Liberty Motors

Related: Motorcycle Powered Cars

Also interesting: Morgan Road Test Book: Morgan 3-wheeler 1910-1952

ACE Cycle Car from Liberty Motors

Posted on November 30, 2006 Filed Under: Motor Vehicles, Motorcycle Builders, Three Wheel Vehicles


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Comments

  1. Divine says

    November 30, 2006 at 10:16 am

    Neat. I kinda like how the engine is the center of attention in the front. Kinda has the wheel base and weight of a chopper tho….

  2. Chacoura says

    November 30, 2006 at 12:51 pm

    I just saw the T-Rex last night on TV here (Montreal). It’s the same thing, only a lot different. (http://www.go-t-rex.com/)
    Me too, I really like the engine in the front.

  3. Steve says

    November 30, 2006 at 1:00 pm

    VERY NICE!! The motor up front a’la Morgan maintains the nostalgic appeal the originals possess.
    When I win the Power-Ball Lottery I plan to order one… (:

  4. hoyt says

    November 30, 2006 at 1:50 pm

    the factory is great-looking, too.

  5. coho says

    November 30, 2006 at 2:34 pm

    I like it.
    It’s way too expensive for what it is, though.
    I get the hand-built one at a time aspect, but somebody (doesn’t look like it’s gonna be VW, dammit) needs to bring us a reverse 3wheeler under $20K.

    If sportscar sporting prowess is what you’re after there are lots of faster, better-handling 4wheelers in the $30-40K range, and if it’s motorcycle sporting prowess that blows your kilt up you could get two or three for the same money.

    But if you just think it’s neat and can afford it, please buy one. The more non-cars on the road the better.

  6. Richard says

    November 30, 2006 at 4:36 pm

    I like the upside-down glasses look.

  7. chris says

    November 30, 2006 at 6:49 pm

    what happened to the back end?!?! it’s all minimalist and bare up front and then nearly slab sided in the back. i like the idea, but visually it seems very imbalanced. i know the old Morgans did the same thing, but i feel the same way about them. let us see all the mechanical’s on both ends!! in the end it doesn’t matter though, ’cause it’s WAY too expensive.

  8. todd says

    December 1, 2006 at 4:28 pm

    There really is nothing else going on underneath the rear. It’s just a wheel and a short swing arm. I think it would look very weird without its “beetleback” rear end. Besides, it has a trunk.

    Though it makes sense from a logistics standpoint, a harley motor just doesn’t carry the same panache as an english lump. Even a Moto Guzzi twin would have been a much better choice to appeal to the intended market the ACE is aimed at. Maybe a replica Vincent motor? Perhaps a watercooled twin would be more appropriate so that the pho-radiator would actually have more of a purpose.

    It’s a beautiful design nonetheless, one definitely worth replicating as done here. This puts a Morgan trike closer within reach than ever before.
    -todd

  9. chris says

    December 1, 2006 at 5:31 pm

    okay, didn’t know it had a trunk. that makes sense. i still don’t like the look of it, but that’s just a style preference. the idea is still a good one. did you hear that Volkswagen?

  10. Gus gus says

    November 25, 2007 at 10:58 pm

    it’s nice but looks lika a coffin to me (sorry)..

  11. Mike says

    December 28, 2007 at 9:37 pm

    Make me one with a goldwing motor and I’m in.

  12. phil says

    January 9, 2008 at 9:27 am

    This is the right approach – a tail that is enclosed and pointed – like the rear of an airplane wing – means 27% less drag. In a time of fuel crisis and global warming – makes sense – even though it bothers the “norm” of what is expected for road vehicles.

  13. Nelson Graves says

    February 19, 2008 at 11:12 am

    I built one of these using a shovelhead motor and a Ford transmission in 1984. Won the easyrider editor’s choice bike show. This one looks good, it has alot of original looking parts.

  14. Paul says

    March 19, 2008 at 1:52 pm

    There was a REASON why Morgan stopped building these. Just another re-invention of the wheel endeavour a la Indian, that Crocker attempt, Norton attempt, et al.

    Paul

  15. todd says

    March 19, 2008 at 3:45 pm

    Phil, please don’t shape ground based vehicles like airplane wings. I like to keep my wheels on the ground without a huge “whale tale” wing.

    Paul, Morgan stopped building these because they no longer had a source for an appropriate engine.

    -todd

  16. Chris Edwards says

    March 22, 2008 at 4:06 pm

    Another exercise in futility.

    No doors, no roof, no boot. It’s been done before, and just as well. How do you drive this in bad weather, YOU CANT. How do you get in with a skirt, NO WAY. Forget about a weekend getaway, unless you can live out of a briefcase.

    The three wheeler I like, the http://www.aptera.com enclosed in a safety cage, a true hybrid three wheeler with Air Conditioning, room for two golf bags and gets 200+ miles per gallon.

  17. kneeslider says

    March 22, 2008 at 4:38 pm

    Most of those pointing out flaws here are entirely missing the point. This is a modern re-creation of a Morgan 3 wheeler with a current production drivetrain so it looks like the old vehicle it’s modeled after while having the reliability of a new one. This is not trying to be some brand new 21st century form of transportation. Whether or not it is aerodynamic or high mileage or anything else is not a consideration. If you want all of that, you are not the person who would buy one of these.

  18. JOe says

    March 30, 2008 at 2:40 am

    I had the misfortune of having lived in Ranier Valley part of Seattle for 3 or 4 years and have walked past their shop several thousand times. I’m a bike guy so I apprecaite the HD vtwin anyway, and I’m a welder/fabricator by trade and undertsand basic engineering principals. I’ve seen these things and they are cool… shoot, I’d even say they’re downright NIFTY.
    Seriously though, they paid attention to detail and came up with well executed design.
    But my name’s only JOe, so what do I know.

  19. Domenique Hawkins says

    May 22, 2008 at 10:04 am

    Very nice looking bike car.

  20. Steve says

    June 17, 2008 at 12:28 pm

    Chris:

    i am sorry you can’t into this thing with your skirt on but then again it is pretty difficult to ride any motorcycle with a skirt on. BTW–that is what this is — a motorccyle–if you want a fully enclosed cab buy a car. Those of us who are real motorcycle drivers already know that it rains and snows. I rode all one winter in Maryland and I was fine. We have these neat little things called rain suits and snowmobile suites and gloves

  21. Carl Stone says

    August 4, 2008 at 5:36 am

    “Morgan stopped building these because they no longer had a source for an appropriate engine.”

    I heard this as well.
    It’s a good thing the American After Market
    has a good supply of parts for Kit Bikes
    that are meant to cloan or customize the
    Harley Davidson cycle line.

    RevTech makes a good line-up of after market
    engines and transmissions.

    I was thinking of building my own custom bike.
    But the ACE has gotten my creative juices
    flowing. I once owned a Triumph Spitfire and
    I am still kicking myself for selling it after
    nearly 15 years.

    The ACE (or a custom job similar to it) looks
    like it would be a good replacement for the
    one that got away.

    Nice looking machine.

  22. jack says

    October 17, 2008 at 11:31 pm

    Wow! I like it! However the price is a major obstacle! think used ferrari.When I win the lottery I will definately buy one.Jack W

  23. Brent says

    December 30, 2008 at 7:45 pm

    I like the looks. In fact I own a Morgan +8, so I appreciate the classic style and I tolerate the lack of accommodations. It’s a well done sort-of-replica. But the performance claim, 120mph, is laughable. Even the Harley wouldn’t reach 120mph with that engine. My +8 won’t go over 115mph and it has 150hp.

  24. Bob says

    January 31, 2009 at 7:13 pm

    With the three wheel setup you ain’tnever gonna avoid a pot hole. Otherwise it looks like a lot of fun, sort of like the Bond Minicars in England some years ago.

  25. Stephen A. Smith says

    February 20, 2009 at 4:04 pm

    Some people just don’t get it! It is a beautiful Morgan style 3 wheeler, cleaned up classic look, looks like great quality and has an American V-twin too boot. What’s not to love? If I had the free funds I’d order one today! Keep up the good work!

  26. Zapa says

    September 9, 2009 at 5:18 pm

    I think that the original Moto Guzzi powered one that they tried to import was the Blackjack Zero (or the early Avion, most likely).
    Here’s their website: http://www.blackjackzero.com/mainindex.htm

  27. Uncle B says

    September 17, 2009 at 7:23 am

    Needs 3 cylinder Deutz Air-cooled Bio-Diesel, scaled to fit, out front! All- carbon fiber enclosed body! Big tyre at back, plug-in hybridization, Love it! Will retire Detroit Iron and become car of the future – a high mileage super-commuter!

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