Advice request on solar-powered recumbent trike

[BarryK]

Hi guys,
I've been quoted US$5,200 including delivery to my door (from China, via sea) for a solar-powered recumbent trike.

It's the same one that a young lady completed a trip around Australia early this year, 11,000km. She has been in the news, including ABC in February.

She and her partner traveled up the East Coast to northernmost Queensland down to Alice Springs then up to northern WA then down to Albany, hundreds of kms on corrugated gravel roads. Her trike is full suspension, not fat tyres.

The company no longer make the full-suspension model, just rear suspension. I also want to go into the Outback, so that's my first question, do you think it would be good enough to swap the front tyres and rims for fat tyres?

There are videos on Youtube, it is model 320E Solar. For example:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rvkN46sodl8

The full-suspension version, that they unfortunately do not make anymore, is model S320E (not solar, just electric).

The second question is the width. She got away with it, but WA is the only State in Australia that has a width limit for trikes, of 660mm. I did read that WA police turn a blind eye to this particular requirement, but I wonder if I should risk it.

Third question. It isn't legal, has a 500W motor. Perhaps I could ask them if they can substitute a 250W motor, but then the controller probably won't have the 25km/h speed limit that causes the motor to cut out above that speed, so that would also need to be replaced. Would the police even notice if the controller isn't compliant, as long as I stay within 25km/h?

The price is great, but there are these issues. I have posted about it to my blog, with more links, including to that young lady and her partner:

https://bkhome.org/news/202305/outback- ... trike.html

Any thoughts welcome!

[zebee]

If it looks legal and you aren't zapping along at 60 while not pedalling the cops won't care.
If they have some other reason to pull you over and they want to do you they might say it doesn't have a 250W stamp on it or something but they probably will do you for something easier to manage. As long as you do not commit an act of stupidity in a public place you will not have to worry about cops.

The big issue with illegality is not police it is insurance and liability. If you are in a crash you might find that your insurance company drops you for riding an unregistered motorcycle or your own injury payout is cut.

the latter happened to a guy in Canberra who wasn't going too fast and was hit on a shared path by a car backing out without due care. The bike was not legal and it was determined he should have known that and not be riding it. The fact it was not legal was not the reason he was hit but his payout for injury was cut anyway.

So if you do it, make sure that whatever liability insurance you have covers e-things, and has no wording about legal e-things or about illegal acts anywhere.

[Mububban]

Hi guys,
I've been quoted US$5,200 including delivery to my door (from China, via sea) for a solar-powered recumbent trike.

The price is great, but there are these issues. I have posted about it to my blog, with more links, including to that young lady and her partner:

https://bkhome.org/news/202305/outback- ... trike.html

Any thoughts welcome!

Joeblake (user on this forum) is a bit of an expert on recumbents and solar/electric stuff. If he doesn't see this thread, try PM-ing him.

[TrikeTragic]

Hi guys,
Snip...snip..snip

Any thoughts welcome!

You might also enquire with Trisled who have heaps of experience with serious adventure / trekking trikes, bents and other good stuff : http://trisled.com.au/

Cheers