Mark2 Chariot Reborn at last!

[Chariot]

Sorry for not posting for so long. COVID, broadband problems. Now all sorted. The Chariot finally went to the weigh bridge last weekend. It clocks in at 480kg. Anything over 450kg has to go to a VOSA testing station for commercial vehicles over 35 hundred weight. Quite a delay in getting a test date. This is a three hour test and very thorough. If it fails on the slightest thing, you have to take it away and fix it, but they only retest the things it failed on. In my case, it failed because the brake lights were coming on brighter with the foot brake and dimmer with the front brake! A new switch has cured this problem but it means another delay. The tester was telling Paul about a V8 Trike they had in and had to fail because the rear tyres were so wide it then required twin headlights at the front 600mm apart. All the major work Paul had done, like the ABS brakes, back and front with the pick-up on the prop shaft, larger piston on the footbrake master cylinder, anti-roll bar on the rear axil, leading link forks. all sailed through the MOT. Makes me wonder how the original build ever passed an MOT, as I was firefighting from the word go! Got transport organised to take it home to Glasgow then my mate Davy (Hamilton Motorcycle Services) is going to fit the Barnet competition clutch. Thanks to all the guys for the advice and help with the clutch. Got a heavy duty battery so hoping for some trouble-free riding this year. Will try and keep it between the hedges this time. Hope to do the Easter Egg run for the sick kids in Glasgow. I'm sure to see some of the Rocket3 owners there. The photos are of the Chariot on the way to the weigh bridge, will post some more later.

 

[Mike Rocket]

Sorry for not posting for so long. COVID, broadband problems. Now all sorted. The Chariot finally went to the weigh bridge last weekend. It clocks in at 480kg. Anything over 450kg has to go to a VOSA testing station for commercial vehicles over 35 hundred weight. Quite a delay in getting a test date. This is a three hour test and very thorough. If it fails on the slightest thing, you have to take it away and fix it, but they only retest the things it failed on. In my case, it failed because the brake lights were coming on brighter with the foot brake and dimmer with the front brake! A new switch has cured this problem but it means another delay. The tester was telling Paul about a V8 Trike they had in and had to fail because the rear tyres were so wide it then required twin headlights at the front 600mm apart. All the major work Paul had done, like the ABS brakes, back and front with the pick-up on the prop shaft, larger piston on the footbrake master cylinder, anti-roll bar on the rear axil, leading link forks. all sailed through the MOT. Makes me wonder how the original build ever passed an MOT, as I was firefighting from the word go! Got transport organised to take it home to Glasgow then my mate Davy (Hamilton Motorcycle Services) is going to fit the Barnet competition clutch. Thanks to all the guys for the advice and help with the clutch. Got a heavy duty battery so hoping for some trouble-free riding this year. Will try and keep it between the hedges this time. Hope to do the Easter Egg run for the sick kids in Glasgow. I'm sure to see some of the Rocket3 owners there. The photos are of the Chariot on the way to the weigh bridge, will post some more later.

Excellent build.

 

[Pablouk]

I took my trike down to a weigh station after the test as it was real heavy too. I removed anything from the trike I could get away with to reduce the weight even the trims on front mudguard and the hub caps and luggage rack then I even drained the tank of fuel and added just 1ltr. I managed to get the weight down to 440 kg from 480kg. By the way the weigh station does not inspect the trike to see it has all that is required ie indicator's lights etc so worth trying yourself.

For you all outside the UK the weight is a big factor on road tax you pay, it is about a 3rd of the price if trike is under 450 Kg. I wrote to the licensing people with a copy of the weighing document and they re-classified the trike at the lower weight. Now I have rebuilt with IRS over the old axel it should be lighter than 400kg now anyway.

 

[Chariot]

Sadly I think Im too far over the 450 kgs.When I weighed it at a private weigh bridge it was 480kgs

 

[pica]

Nice build indeed.

I think the closer to that road tax in the USA will be the tolls you pay in some Express lanes and/or fee highways which are based in the number of axles, with the exception of electric cars that for all intended purposes are considered levitating cars, so they are exempt...
Motorcycle registration tax is like $35/ year in Florida... truck about $70...

 

[Pablouk]

Sadly I think Im too far over the 450 kgs. When I weighed it at a private weigh bridge it was 480kgs

just unbolt all the back and get it reweighed

 

[Chariot]

just unbolt all the back and get it reweighed

Got myself a retest on 7th February, so things are looking up. Anyone in UK suggest a good insurance broker? I was thinking using Adrian Flux. Think I might get a bad hit after the write-off. The last broker I used was a disappointment.