Tricycle nostalgia

[SOHC]

I have a neat 2 seater trike that needs a restore if anyone is keen?

[clarkey]

Great stuff "tortron" I'll check them out.

Much appreciated 

[tortron]

On 11/10/2024 at 12:34, SOHC said:

I have a neat 2 seater trike that needs a restore if anyone is keen?

Mildly interested,  I think I know the model 

[tortron]

Got another (well actually 2, I also got one of the double frame Flyers)

This one is a Cyclops

Australian made, probably 1960s ? 

At some point they switched from spoked wheels and metal seats to pressed metal wheels and plastic seats. Lots of variations on this model, usually seen with split tubes going to each side of the rear axle.

 

Don't think I have an original picture, but is was $5 at the dump shop, several coats of paint, seat crumbled in half.

And then it got worse

I had high hopes it was unmolested and straight, just under lots of paint. But turns out it had been diddled several times with layers of brass, stick weld, and jb weld

 

 

So I made a new one

 

hand hammerd a new center tear-drop, came out pretty smooth really, if i didnt run out of time id have given it another round of smoothing,  but nothing some spray primer won't hide

 

Then I 3d printed some new headset bushings

 

 

And a hand carved wooden seat replacement

 

Vw pearl white (its not pearl its a really a solid bone white) for the wheels and bars, and a custom shed mix of metallic blue i came up with in the shed. Very nice I think, almost matches RAF blue, with some subtle sparkle through it

 

 

[bigfoot]

I have a (very) old trike in my shed that I should send your way. It is rwd, chain driven

[tortron]

2 minutes ago, bigfoot said:

I have a (very) old trike in my shed that I should send your way. It is rwd, chain driven

I had (and restored) one of those years and years ago. It had the trunk on the back

[Gibby]

On 25/03/2023 at 17:19, tortron said:

I'm sure you are familiar with these trikes

Here I am, with my brother on the back, this bike was even still in the garden at the old house up to a few years ago, with plants growing in the tray and the wheels rusted off

 

Made in waihi, the Akrad flyer, (the Mr akrad of pye radio fame) 300,000 units were produced from 1945 to 1984, the aluminium seats being cast from army surplus

 

 

I picked up a fairly crusty, but complete one a year or so ago, and it's been sitting dangerously close to my scrap pile ever since 

 

On 25/03/2023 at 17:19, tortron said:

I'm sure you are familiar with these trikes

Here I am, with my brother on the back, this bike was even still in the garden at the old house up to a few years ago, with plants growing in the tray and the wheels rusted off

 

Made in waihi, the Akrad flyer, (the Mr akrad of pye radio fame) 300,000 units were produced from 1945 to 1984, the aluminium seats being cast from army surplus

 

 

I picked up a fairly crusty, but complete one a year or so ago, and it's been sitting dangerously close to my scrap pile ever since 

 

I have just picked up 2 of this exact model, both different sizes but identical styling and construction. Would love to know some history on these. Not selling, just looking for some parts to get them complete for ornamental purposes. 

[tortron]

Not much I can tell you that a search for PYE radios Waihi and Akrad won't bring up.

Production started about 1945, after getting the roughest kid in town to ride the prototypes and strengthen them where they broke, eventually he was able to ride with his cousin on the back all the way to Waihi beach and back, and that design was the final version. Approx 300,000 were built. Originally the alloy bits were recycled ww2 components