What do you think of my new build?

[Smart51]

It has just passed the MSVA test so is road legal and I'm waiting for the DVLA to issue me a number plate.  It has a 250cc scooter engine of 22 BHP and weighs 240kg.  It should top 70 MPH, though it is perhaps best not to drive at its top speed for very long.

[Bob Purton]

Well done. That space frame is a work of art! Are you going to fit a skin or stick with the Atom look?

[mharrell]

Nice!  Mine weighs about 320 kg and can only manage about 60 mph (on a good day), extracting a mere 16 hp from its 453cc Tecumseh engine.  I can take no credit on the build.

[Big Al]

A similar thinking process to the Pod. More complex space frame. Be interesting to see it in the flesh, as it were. Can you see a skeletal thing in the flesh? Which engine did you go for. The Pod being older now has a Honda Forsite 250 four stroke. That engine has been developed over the years and I am out of touch if has now been superseded by a completely new unit. The Majesty engine has been used similarly in a few back end altered cars.

[marcus]

Looks fantastic and I want a go in it! Well done.

[AndrewG]

Very nice.  What is the front suspension from?

[Smart51]

Thanks for the kind words.  The engine came from a Piaggio X8, which I chose because it had the most modern engine and the best fuel consumption of the 250cc scooters.  The front uprights, anti-roll bar and steering are from a Fiat Seicento with wishbones I made myself.

Hmm.  The space frame was laborious and the insides of the front were tricky to get at and weld.  Painting it was even worse.  I was for ever finding bits I'd missed!  It was tested as shown so can be driven without a cover.  I am thinking of making a fabric cover for the front and sides to improve aerodynamics.  Less drag = less strain on the engine = less fuel burned.  On the other hand, I might just leave it as it is.

[marcus]

Did you do all the fabricating and welding? Is it ali or steel?

[Big Al]

Thanks for the kind words.  The engine came from a Piaggio X8, which I chose because it had the most modern engine and the best fuel consumption of the 250cc scooters. 

Well the Piaggio Hexagon was a licensed built Honda 250. So I wonder if this engine is the latest version under licence. Likely less expensive, if so, than the equivalent Honda. Either way a good choice as it will probably be plenty quick enough without going to a bigger cc. Should be thrifty while being great fun.

Why not cover it is clear plastic material. I thought of doing this with a naked Velorex, so as to show off the skeleton. A speeding ticket picture could be interesting. Man on arse clocked at 85 mph! We went further and thought of including lines of coloured LEDs so it would look like a giant plasmodium with cilia beating on the road.

[AndrewG]

More photos showing some of the details would be lovely.

What would be quite cool to cover it would be packaging plastic - after being wrapped, it can be heated to shrink it onto the shape, which would show off the lovely frame nicely.

[Smart51]

The frame is steel and I fabricated it all myself.  Round tubes are lovely but there's a whole lot of fishmouthes to cut  All at odd angles too.

The QUASAR engine is a Piaggio design and as far as I know, not related to the Hexagon engine.  It was new for the X8 and was designed for low emissions.  With EFI and a catalytic converter, the emissions test at MSVA read almost zero.

This pic is from before the build was finished but it shows the front in more detail

[richard]

that is a beautiful and very skilled piece of work