I, for one, have never understood the point of a trike. If I’m going to own a motorcycle, I want to own a crotch rocket banshee that will scare the bejesus out of me. If I want to cruise along silently, cosseted by a soft suspension and seating surfaces, I’ll buy a Lincoln. Yet for some reason, the motorcycle crowd insists on having access to the best of both worlds, hence the existence of trikes like this one here on eBay that’s listed with an $8K Buy-It-Now.
Now, 8Gs seems like a lot to me for what amounts to a motorcycle with a passenger cab and car-like trunk capacity. Although this judgement has no basis in fact, I can’t imagine these things handle very well, and the seating quarters are darn cozy. That being said, if you love riding motorcycles, but hate getting wet, a trike in any capacity would be a decent compromise versus waiting for the sky to break as you huddle under an overpass. Plus, this one has a crushed velvet interior!
Out back, this “Gold Dust” trike gets a real trunk so you can actually take real luggage with you, a feat not possible on a conventional motorcycle unless you are an extremely light packer. Out back, this trike also features a Datsun 510 rear axle and a Ford 302 C4 automatic transmission. The exhaust and the muffler are also new, so some money has been thrown at this thing beyond simply maintaining it as the oddball it is.
The rear haunches help to give the trike some serious heft on the roads, looking as if it burrowed its fenders from a Shelby Cobra kit car. For being a custom fit, the top looks surprisingly factory-like in appearance, so hopefully it keeps the water from hitting that sweet carpeting and door panels. The seller notes that this trike was made “…by an old trike builder from Tennessee.” Doesn’t that make you want to find out more about its history? I know I do.
I believe large quantities of Tennessee’s finest went into this creation.
And the south wonders why it lost the civil war.
It’s more of a 3 wheeler car than a trik
Looks like a lot of money/effort spent on something I wouldn’t be caught dead in.
Someone with really bad taste loved and built this.
Steve R
It should have handles on the side so that it can be lowered into the ground.
Its sturdyness reminds me of a forklift.
The steering? I can foresee scary wheel wobble, but the builder must have thought that through. Never mind.
Agreed, I’d expect to see the “grocery cart wheel” effect going on with that setup. Trikes like a minimal amount of trail, I’d be awfully careful on that thing.
If the backstory was that a one armed vet built this in his spare time when he was not repairing wheelchairs for other vets, we would be loving this machine.
Built with the stamped approval and support of ” old #7″.
Back in the day when bright colors were the thing…my mom had green shag carpeting, a bright yellow velvet rocker, and a wingback recliner that was this color.
We used to rock the yellow chair as hard as we could to try and flip it onto it’s back to pretend we were astronauts.
Her orange chair was a perfect match to that. It matched the orange formica counter with the zodiac glass hot plate insert.
I’d like to see this thing just to see that upholstery :-)
Mobile ice fishing shack.
Bet the fellow has on socks with his scandals
Nah, they usually drive either Scandanavian built cars or Subaru wagons depending on whether they made it through grad school or not.
This is the result of DNA splicing of a Crosley hot shot and Cushman scooter.
You could start a new Shriner parade unit if you had five more these.
Main question: WHY would anyone want something like this??? An accident waiting to happen! On a major freeway anywhere??? Getting passed by an 18 wheeler hooking at 80 mph? SCARY!!!
I hear banjos.
The only old Tennessee trike builder I know of was Chattanooga Charlie and this looks like one of his creations. He was a master trike builder and was in a wheelchair later in life He would show up every year usually with a different trike This really looks like one of his later jobs he always brought a five gallon jug of shine straight out of the hills.
The rear fenders look like they’re from an early 50’s Chevrolet pick-up truck. The only thing I can add is that, ole’ Richard at least completed his project. I don’t know why but, he did.
The answer to the question that absolutely nobody is asking. It could be useful in a parade assuming the pedals accommodated your red clown shoes that match your wig and red nose…I think the buyer would have better luck listing it with a “Crush it Now!” price.
Ha, ha, everybody’s a comedian, but the truth is, for some folks with disabilities, motorcycling is out of the question. 3 wheelers bridge that gap, but this one is a bit much. The biggest part I don’t like about 3 wheelers, is the single tire, be it up front or out back, always rides in the “grease strip” of the road, where all the nails, screws, and blasting caps ( remember those?) are that nobody else picks up. Not that you see a lot of flat tires, but it is a concern, for me. I think it’s really, really cool. If you guys are going to make fun of something, make fun of their crappy ad. What powers it? Cool, but I bet dangerous as heck to drive. I can’t imagine it steers very well. I’d think 2 wheels( like a tractor) would be better.
I do not see the point, I do not get the point, is there a point?
I often have some pretty bad ideas, sometimes I follow through, mostly I count to 10 and then move on. With an idea like this, I will forfeit my education and not count, simply move on…
The reason for three wheelers is that they can be titled as motorcycles. As such, they don’t have to pass safety tests, emissions tests, etc. That doesn’t apply to this vehicle, but it does to anyone that plans on commercial production, both in the US and Europe. It’s like the new Morgan three wheeler. It could never be imported into the US if it had four wheels. It costs millions to get a “car” certified in the US.
https://www.google.com/search?q=morgan+three+wheeler&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiA3I3z9MTUAhWH5oMKHceqC_EQsAQIPw&biw=1094&bih=486&dpr=1.25#imgrc=YVAS9n9VBNkJKM:
Well, I see South Dakota plate on it and also imagine most of the folks commenting have never been to a motorcycle “gathering ” such as Sturgis Rally or the big one in Florida? I lived 35 miles from Sturgis since January of 77 and don’t think anything odd or the least bit strange about this vehicle. The folks driving these units wouldn’t be entertaining the negativity of such conversation either. Yes, the trikes came about due to disabilities and other reasons. I see them as normal things.
Whether you like or not—–you got to admit someone did something besides make fun of someone elses effort at developeing something. Give credit where credit is due.
As a long time rider, who suffers debilitating vertigo, I like this. my Harleys sit in the garage while I dream of owning a trike. This is an oddball for sure. The comment of crotch rocket? Lay down on your tank if you want to, me I like to sit up and enjoy the view.
I dumped my upright bicycle for similar reasons and ride a recumbent trike now. Much more fun, easier to climb hills and if I want to stare at the mountains for a second I won’t die for it.
Needs a luggage rack.
…and cup holders…
Looks a little tippy but i like it.
October 2023….I now own this Trike and I can assure you that all the snide comments are just that…snide comments.
The issues with it right now are….someone didn’t like to keep the wiring clean, the clearance doesn’t allow much rough, uneven operating surface, the top needs to be Removable, the 302 heats up the inside on warm days. I m going to find larger tires, trying to gain a little more clearance 245/60/14″ tires now, should be able to go to 16″ or larger…plenty of room in those ’54 Chevy fenderwells