Lawn mower trike!

I was in class the other day and my welding instructor gave me the inspiration to build a trike or something along those lines, when I present an idea to make a chipper/shredder. I got home and though about an old Baja Doodle Bug frame I had in my scrap pile, an engine, and a trans-axle I had sitting in the garage half apart. I ended up setting the parts on the frame to see the basic layout, and to see if I had to hack up the mini-bike frame to get everything to clear. This is my work assembling it in my garage, and the first day at my School.




This should more or less be what it looks like when the major components are mounted, save the engine be much higher up.





Had to have the engine facing backward to have room in the front for the original footpegs and so my leg wouldn't be on the carb

1/4 in. plate for the main brackets, all cut out with a Plasma Torch.



The little tabs on the end are so the pipes for the frame on the minibike can't rest on the aluminum housing of the transaxle. FCAW

The transaxle might move up alittle from this position, but not much.

Monday when I get back to School, I'll be cutting out triangular brackets to run from the orginal frame of the mini-bike, to the mounts I made, and gusseting the lower parts of the frame to the mounts. That shouldnt take too long so afterwards, I'll take some of the spare pulleys I have around and see if I can figure out the height of the engine and find a way to raise that up.

i like how you are doing yours nice and compact love it, i also had built one but a little bit bigger

LAWN MOWER MUDDER wrote:

Check out mine in my sig. I used a Genuine Honda Clone motor and a centrifugal clutch to a live axle.

Drift Trike FTW!

How well did yours turn? The transaxle on it is locked, and it looked like you used a solid axle.

Very cool. Just curious, what did you use to cut the plates out that good?

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

Very cool. Just curious, what did you use to cut the plates out that good?

I used a plasma torch, I've gotten great at using it so far, I think MOST of the cutting in this build won't be grounded, and it's gonna be either from a plasma cutter, or a Oxyfuel Torch.

Murray modder wrote:

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

Very cool. Just curious, what did you use to cut the plates out that good?

I used a plasma torch, I've gotten great at using it so far, I think MOST of the cutting in this build won't be grounded, and it's gonna be either from a plasma cutter, or a Oxyfuel Torch.

Like plasma CNC? I'd give my right nut for one of them tables.

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

Murray modder wrote:

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

Very cool. Just curious, what did you use to cut the plates out that good?

I used a plasma torch, I've gotten great at using it so far, I think MOST of the cutting in this build won't be grounded, and it's gonna be either from a plasma cutter, or a Oxyfuel Torch.

Like plasma CNC? I'd give my right nut for one of them tables.

Nope, just your standard plasma cutter. We have a table practically dedicated to using it though, but I cut it all by hand. I just clamped a piece of 1/4 strapping material to it and used that as a straight edge. I'll grab a few pics of our table next time I have to cut something.

Couldn't get done as much as I though I'd do today, hitting it hard tomorrow for sure.


This is our "cuttng table" under the plate are cones with squares on the bottom to hold them into place. (The squares fit into the table)

Trying to get the frame, and the transaxle even and level with one another.

Really nasty welds, the other side looked way better since it didnt keep burning through.

If you look at the back of the mounts, you can almost see the triangle gussets I used to strengthen the mounts, and I cut off the origianal engine engine plate.

This is about where the engine is going to sit, The mounting plate is from a Murray(?) and I haven't welded it on yet.


Tommorow I'll be welding the new engine mount and starting on the clutch. Got any questions so far?

Neat. I guess you'll have to get the front wheel down a little more to level things up right? What back wheels were you going to use?

mr.modified wrote:

Neat. I guess you'll have to get the front wheel down a little more to level things up right? What back wheels were you going to use?

I have some laying around, but It depends on what I have laying around, I have a set on it, that you'll see in the next update. But those wheels go on the front of a mower, and have bushings (Steel I think).

'Nother work day!

Got quite a bit done, in terms of bein able to drive this thing soon or at least go through the gears on jackstands. LONG way from being anywhere hear finished.


Welded my engine plate level to the frame. I MIGHT have to reinforce this, as the ottom lip (close to the rear) is only tacked on.

I mads 1 1/4 long spacers for my engine to keep the pulleys lined up, these might have to be all joined together, and washers welded to the ends to keep the motor straight.

Nearing the Final veiw, take notice on the blue tank on the side, this may end up being my fuel tank. I kinda like the way it looks strapped to the side like that.

This is the rear view, I included this perspective for several reasons, the most obvious is because it looks kinda neat, second is this is where MORE THAN LIKELY my battery will be going as it BARELY fits in about the trans pulley across the frame. The third reason is so that you can see the Idle pulley between the engine and the transaxle that will end up becoming my clutch.

So far this build has come along pretty smoothly, I think tomorrow I'll be tackling the shift linkage, the clutch, and if I can, cracking the transaxle open to put the shaft back in.

Your trike is looking pretty sweet.  
Its hard to believe, all that will fit in one of those small mini bike frames.

I built a motorized red wagon years back that used one of those small propane tanks for a gas tank but after filling it i saw it didn't really hold much gas.  I ended up swapping it out for an old fire extinguisher tank.

Going to have a foot pedal operated clutch like an old indian motorcycle?

Thanks for the comments guys, Really appreciate it.
As for the Clutch, I'm leaving that up to you guys!

Here is what I got done today. All clutch work, and trimming a few things.


This is about 5' long, and is going to serve as my main arm for my clutch.

I dont know how well you can see it, but the end that actually bolts to the mounting plate was "polished" more, and the edges were rounded so wont catch on anything.

Tight clearances, but it fits! (1) (2)

Kinda hard to tell, but I actually drilled a hole into the end of this bolt to hold my spring.

Spring mount welded to the frame.

I had to cut a few parts off the mounting plate to clear the shift linkages, and the spring.

Clutch all the way out,



This is going to be where my battery is going to sit more than likely.



(1)----The way I set up the bolt that holds on the clutch arm is Bolt head, Engine mount, washer, clutch arm, washer, nut, nut. Anybody think this will come undone? I welded the bolt to the engine mount, But it woun't be a problem to cut it loose.

(2)---I have two route I could take with this clutch, The easier being to run a piece of brake cable up to a lever on the handle bars, the other being running a (much) smaller length of brake cable to a pedal near the foot pegs. I think having it on the handle bars would be MUCH easier, but I'd have to have it on the right side, because I'd be shifting with my left hand. Plus, having that, the throttle, and both brakes, (praying for front and rear brakes) on the handlebars seems like alot. The foot pedal just seems like a hard route to take in general..

No pictures today, But I did rip into my transaxle.

I had a new input shaft for my axle but it didnt quite fit into the splines of the gear that it should (forgot the name of it) So I sanded (not grinded, grinding would put a new hardness on small areas.) the spines off and TIG welded the gear on.

Not much progress wise since the last update, just got the new front wheel, rear wheels, fixed my exhaust, new engine...Well, I guess there has been alot of updates..

This is how its sitting as of right now.

I ended up getting a practically new 12.5 Briggs from a friend of mine since they somehow managed to grenade the transaxle. I ended up getting the entire rear engine rider actually.

The clutch linkage on it is all solid, and runs from the pedal on the right side, back to the actual clutch arm.

I tried driving it around with a mock up fuel tanks and this thing HAULS I almost got thrown off the back of the thing going from 2-3 gear. If you guys want to see anything specific, let me know and I'll grab pictures of it tomorrow.

nice but i think it would do really good if you put some 18 inch scorpion tires on the back and like a 110 cc dirt bike front forks and tires

kawasaki220 wrote:

nice but i think it would do really good if you put some 18 inch scorpion tires on the back and like a 110 cc dirt bike front forks and tires  

Trying to keep this as low cost as humanly possible, and the fork would more or less take away from the fact this used to be a Baja Doodle bug.

Well. That REALLY ticked me off.


GOt the thing home from my shop, and I go around my pond twince and BAM no gears. so I get smart, pop it into sixth, and drop the clutch....wait for it....WWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I look down and its DESTROYED. Any body know something to replace a Spicer from a craftsman? No idea the model or anything, and the sticker it too worn out to tell either.

*Also* this was the last thing that was installed prior to leaving, and I Really dig the picture. WHEELIE BAR!

See if redlinemotorsports can get u one but that sucks lol u just got to hate it when u are haveing fun and blow a rear axle