After mentioning the ZRX powered Sportcycle, Luka left a comment about the Rayvolution Trike from UK France? based Rayvolution Cars which brings the idea of plug and play up to date. This looks more like a sports car than a Formula racer and the power you plug in comes from a GSX-R 750 rolling chassis.
The Rayvolution is a kit available in multiple forms, a Starter Pack, a Stage 1 Pack or a Full Kit plus there are optional extras. The basics are a steel tube chassis, front suspension from a Mazda MX-5 and power train support for your Suzuki GSX-R. Stepping up you get the body panels, seat, lights, radiator and cables. The full kit adds a bit more and the extras include such things as a modified swingarm for a wide tire, 17 inch wheels and more. Price isn’t mentioned.
This really does much the same thing as the Sportcycle but benefits from years of development and more modern power. The assembled kit weighs 880 pounds and the rear end looks more thought out than on the Sportcycle. If you have an old GSX-R in the garage, wouldn’t this make a neat project? From the sound of things on their website, assembly is pretty easy and I bet this thing is a hoot to drive.
UPDATE: It’s hard to tell where this company is based. The contact information on the website says the UK, but some information points to France as the home base. It also seems they call this trike the Evolution. Someone over there in Europe (wherever they are) may wish to make a few of those details a bit more clear.
UPDATE 2 Got a note from Chris, one of our readers, a university student studying transportation design, who had the opportunity to meet the founder of Rayvolution at the Paris Auto Show. According to Chris the founder is:
… a graduate of Creapole school of Design in Paris. He said that he has a studio in both Paris as well as England because apparently the Rayvolution GSX-R 750 Powered Trike is legal to drive on the road in England because there are significantly less safety standards there than other European countries. He is a very nice guy, has a small team of 4 people or so.
That helps a bit with the country location question. Thanks, Chris.
Thanks for the pointer Luka!
Link: Rayvolution Cars
todd says
I always wonder how they deal with reverse. Do you have to hop out and push? Is there a panel in the floor you open to push with your feet like Fred Flintstone….?
-todd
BigAl says
Unfortunately butt-ugly. And more important: not tilting.
Larry says
I understand the concept of 2 wheels in front, but I’ll never get used to the idea. It just looks wrong. The F1 inspired bike my friend created handles great and is fantastic in the turns. Is it just too conventional looking to be called cutting edge?
Here it is again:
http://www.geocities.com/f1_trike/F1PhotoGallery.html
todd says
Larry, the perception (valid!) of a conventional trike is that the front end plows in turns and is more likely to tip. Plus they are too chopper-ish for modern tastes. Help prove us all wrong.
-todd
Larry says
It’s been a few years since talking with him, I’ll try tracking him down and get some new info. Stand by!
Jeff says
I would like to see a trike camper concept bike .
JC says
Some Goldwing models have an electric reverse (does it just use the starter motor in revers or something?)
A small electric 12V motor would make for an easy reverse.
A single wheel in front trike CAN tip over if you brake heavily during a turn (and conversely, a two wheel in front trike can tip if you brake heavily while backing up)
Which is more likely to happen in real life and which has worse consequences? I would hate to panic brake in a turn at high speed, and seems more damaging than a slow speed parking lot tip over in reverse.
Mark says
There are plenty of British kit-car experts who have made bike-engined cars reverse in different ways. Fisher Sports Cars UK offer reversing differentials or stand-alone reversing gearboxes by Quaife. Electric reverse is often used on race cars, I have seen a small bike-powered race car with teeth cut into a rear brake disc and a Chevy starter motor mounted as a reverser. The Flintstones option would of course be the funniest though, and probably not all that stupid in a vehicle this light…
Braden says
It has a very Alfa Romeo feel.
Azzy says
How does the stock gearset handle the extra strain of the vehicle? I know in the Smart-uki they said the extra weight detroyed the engine.
Steve says
Looks like there isn’t much weight on the back wheel.
Mr. Tanshanomi says
Get rid of the silly bat-wing fenders and put some conventional cyclecar fenders over those wheels, and you’d have a winner.
anon says
I like it. But the ride would end at the first speed bump…looks to have all of 1 1/2″ clearance at the front!
OTTO MANN says
Well i like both, larry tell your friend that looks cool’.
James Northrup says
A brilliant design – but demonstrates a lack of understanding.
The back of the MC fenders are open (!) = rocks into cockpit.
Use separate MC fenders – enclosed in the back . . .
The ground clearance does not work off the showroom floor
So no more than a (useless) styling exercise.
Reverse a must at this weight.
Gearbox never intended to handle this amount of inertia.
trysicl says
Looks like a fun ride. I would also lose the front clip and put small fenders on each front wheel. I ride a spyder and it has full speed reverse, no reason this cant.