When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Let’s see some late 70’s/early 80’s Cruisers and Spitfires

#eBayPartner    Most Recent BUY IT NOW Items Listed on eBay
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
Has anyone ever installed an engine on Trike like the blue one ?
Like to see how they did it.
Hi Wes, Let me add what little knowledge I have on this subject. I enjoy fabrication, and "thumb nail engineering".

The Schwinn Town and Country three wheeler in the photo is a normal middleweight Schwinn girls bicycle with a Triwheeler conversion kit added. The conversion kits were made by Ret Bar Engineering in El Mirage, AZ. Remember this is all 1980's information, I'm sure much has changed in the past forty years. Ret Bar shipped the raw parts to Schwinn Chicago, Schwinn built the bike and shipped it back for sale in Arizona Schwinn Dealerships. Over the years there was two different style kits, a single wheel drive kit, and the bike pictured has the dual wheel (differential) drive. In our Arizona dealership which was close to the Retirement Sun City tribikes were a popular product. We bought the parts directly from Ret Bar and converted our own bikes, for a large freight savings.

Adding any kind of an assist motor gas or electric IMO would be marginal using the original kit drive parts. The differential is not lubricated and will not sustain any higher RPM speeds. The rear axle bearing retainers are simple press-in (cheap) items. They were marginal for slow speed use, they are not designed for any extra torque or speeds.

As a fabricator, you can engineer most anything to work. But it would be a full re-engineering on the drivetrain. Good luck with your project.

John
 
Last edited:
Hi Wes, Let me add what little knowledge I have on this subject. I enjoy fabrication, and "thumb nail engineering".

The Schwinn Town and Country three wheeler in the photo is a normal middleweight Schwinn girls bicycle with a Triwheeler conversion kit added. The conversion kits were made by Ret Bar Engineering in El Mirage, AZ. Remember this is all 1980's information, I'm sure much has changed in the past forty years. Ret Bar shipped the raw parts to Schwinn Chicago, Schwinn built the bike and shipped it back for sale in Arizona Schwinn Dealerships. Over the years there was two different style kits, a single wheel drive kit, and the bike pictured has the dual wheel (differential) drive. In our Arizona dealership which was close to the Retirement Sun City tribikes were a popular product. We bought the parts directly from Ret Bar and converted our own bikes, for a large freight savings.

Adding any kind of an assist motor gas or electric IMO would be marginal using the original kit drive parts. The differential is not lubricated and will not sustain any higher RPM speeds. The rear axle bearing retainers are simple press-in (cheap) items. They were marginal for slow speed use, they are not designed for any extra torque or speeds.

As a fabricator, you can engineer most anything to work. But it would be a full re-engineering on the drivetrain. Good luck with your project.

John

We are deviating a little from the original topic of the post, but I guess that is my fault for posting the pic of my T&C.

Anyhow, if my memory serves me correctly (?) I seem to remember an aftermarket front mounted motor drive of some sort that drove the front wheel on these trikes? Do you remember anything like that John?
 
Last edited:
We are deviating a little from the original topic of the post, but I guess that is my fault for posting the pic of my T&C.

Anyhow, if my memory serves me correctly (?) I seem to remember an aftermarket front mounted motor drive of some sort that drove the front wheel on these trikes? Do you remember anything like that John?

Sorry @Xlobsterman , I don't.

It seems like the easiest way to accomplish adding a motor assist "with today's technology", would be to spoke in one of the electric motor front hubs. The biggest issue might be they are made for 26" wheels with 36 hole spoke drilling, and the Tri Bikes had 24" wheels with 28 spoke drilling.

Lets get back on topic, LOL.

John
 
adding a motor assist "with today's technology", would be to spoke in one of the electric motor front hubs.
@Xlobsterman I would have to agree.
Lets get back on topic, LOL.
Allow me, this is an '80 ladies Cruiser I forgot I had in pieces. I love my springers and always like to see what my bikes look like with them installed. This one looks fantastic and cannot wait to finish it up and cruise it around. Not everything is original to the bike I do however have the original fork on another bike but will leave the springer until I find another suitable bike for it. The original guard is on another bike as well and I will get it and add a chain this week and be ready to go.

IMG_3727.jpg


IMG_3728.jpg


IMG_3729.jpg


IMG_3730.jpg


IMG_3731.jpg
 
Back
Top