Piper Pa1200 BugSmasher Build

[CPOTED]

I'm planning on doing something crazy with some VW parts, a Goldwing GL1200 and a 1964 Piper Comanche Pa-28-50 and you guys are along for the ride.

I've been over at the CX500 forum trying to figure out if I wanted to build a clone of a Velorex 16/350 or a reverse trike using the aforementioned odd combination of parts. It all got settled this past weekend when the fuselage of a 1964 Piper Comanche followed me home.

If y'all would read my thread over at CX 500 you sure would save me a lot of typing: https://www.cx500forum.com/threads/velo ... 7/#replies

I do have some experience, just not a lot with motorcycles. I became a mechanic in the early 19and70's, have been through VWoA, Porsche and Bosch schools. I have a degree in auto tech and my ASE certs, until I let them lapse. I weld and can run almost any shop machine as long as it ain't attached to a confuser. I raced cars (MGBs) for about 12 years and I did this to an M35a2 Deuce a while back:

2. Finish.jpg

But I don't know what I don't know about GL1200s AND reverse trikes ... and that's where you guys come in. I WILL have questions. LOTS of questions.

Below is what I'm up to incase anybody asks:

1a3 PA1200 BugSmasher Spec Sheet.jpg

1a9 Piper PA-1200 Bug Smasher 4v 3 noses with paint.jpg

100_0209.JPG

Piper Cherokee PA-28-40 dimentioned drawing.jpg

[CYBORG]

interesting. Looks like a goldwing engine is a perfect choice

[CPOTED]

interesting. Looks like a goldwing engine is a perfect choice

Especially at my age. The GL1200 is the best choice. The power of the 1500 or 1800 would only get me thrown into jail.

In truth, both the frame AND the engine are perfect for this project. Honda did OK by me!

Just make some cuts and the whole thing just slides under the Piper and bolts up to the simple cage I'll have to build. I think it is going to be almost that easy.

1c1 GL1200 frame Stock and modifyed.jpg

I'm not exactly sure how tall the GL1200 frame is, but if this young feller has a 31 inch inseam, I'm thinking there will be a LOT of room in the storage area above the engine bay for cargo ... or my little dog, Fritz. Just think about what that engine does for the center of gravity!

considering a 31 inch inseam.jpg

Oh yeah ... this is Fritz:

100_0176.JPG

On paper ... the whole thing is all done except for picking a color.

1a3 BugSmasher in Cream with stripes.jpg

Piper Cherokee flying low since way back.jpg

[CPOTED]

Oh yeah ... this will be the simple cage I will have to build ... and how the VW stuff I need will mount:

1a4 PA1200 BugSmasher chassis and bike frame cage.jpg

The VW stuff below will pretty much bolt to the Pipers floor pan and firewall:

1b This much of front steering column and steering wheel.jpg

It really is amazing, but it's almost as if the VW bug stuff was designed for this project. The dimensions are almost perfect. The only other VW stuff I need will be the steering column and everything along its length including the nut holding the steering wheel on. Well, that, a disc brake conversion and probably a Solex 30 PICT carb to keep on the shelf.

fly low - smash bugs.jpg

[CYBORG]

I have two 1200's and a spare 1200 frame. I can take some measurements for you if you like

[CPOTED]

I have two 1200's and a spare 1200 frame. I can take some measurements for you if you like

Far out ... and thank you very kindly! Yes, there are some measurements I'd like to know before I find and buy my very own GL1200.

First I want to snoop around this place, do some searching and reading and get up to speed. I got up early this morning and started looking at things 1200 like.

547-5476906_honda-gold-wing-logo-decal-sticker-vector-logo.jpg

[CPOTED]

To review. My goal:

I have always wanted to build my own car. I looked at a number of ways to do it, but when I saw the Shotwell home build on Jay Leno's YT channel ... I knew what I wanted to do. The Shotwell was that young gentleman's first car. This may well be the last car I ever own (maybe). Not the "family's" last car, but certainly my own. It will be my daily driver (not some show pony) so it's got to be SAFE, reliable and durable. I have to be able to find parts for it anywhere and for how ever "forever" gets defined for me. It has to be able to seat 2 plus my little dog, Fritz ... plus some small "cargo" ... overnight bags or milk and bread from the store. I need enough power to climb the hills found in north Georgia and keep up with and pull out and pass traffic safely. I need it to be quick and spritely ... but not "fast". I don't see myself going over 100 mph anymore, but it's nice to know I could. I'd like to get around 40 mpg. It's got to be comfortable for a long drive ... and FUN on the back roads up here in the hills of Georgia.

BTW ... I've been a mechanic on cars since the mid 19and70s ... I HATE the cars that are getting built today. I despise EVERYTHING about them, from the complexity to the cost.

Back in 19and 31, 18 year old Bob Shotwell used a bunch of junkyard parts and the engine from an Indian motorcycle. He put over 130k miles on the thing ... and gave it to Jay Leno ... "when it was time".

1931 Shotwell 2.jpg

1931 Shotwell 1.jpg

1931 Shotwell 5.jpg

Jay-Leno-1931-Shotwell-Review-2-295x300.png

[Whiskerfish]

This might be of some interest

https://endeavortrikes.com/why-reverse/

[CPOTED]

This might be of some interest

https://endeavortrikes.com/why-reverse/

A good read, and worth reading twice!

quote: "Every time I stop for a break or a refueling I invariably get asked the questions 'Does it lean?' and 'How does it handle compared to a standard trike?'

On number one – no as with 99.9% of on and off road vehicles this particular design does not lean. There is no advantage to a trike that leans and many disadvantages. A leaning trike is no more stable than a standard motorcycle and offers no traction gain in corners. Essentially you end up with a normal motorcycle with an extra $10,000 wheel to maintain, it is simply a novelty item at best. On the other hand a Non-leaning trike offers the best handling and most stable ride without ground clearance and loss of traction issues of a leaning vehicle.

On the second, as with a conventional trike it is stable easy to ride however unlike a wheels back configuration my design is built totally around steering, handling, aerodynamics and most importantly – a sporty and fun ride. The wheels forward design offers a host of advantages from economy to true adventure sport riding. There really is no comparison between a wheels forward and a wheels back conversion."

Well ... there is ONE comparison ... at least in the extreme circumstance:

001-Reliant-Robin-Roll.jpg

m3w-tiff-drift.jpg

I do see some number of T-Rexs wizzing about these days. To their credit, although I am aware of instances of crashes, the ones I know of involve an operator simply driving too damned fast, rather then the vehicle exceeding built-in design limitations. Please let me know if you have seen otherwise.

The BugSmasher will have a wheel track of 4"3" (51") and a wheel base of 120". I am aiming at a target weight of about 1200 pounds. BTW ... the Piper fuselage is surprisingly light, perhaps 200 pounds as you see it, or light enough for 73 year ol' me and my 45 year old buddy to lift up and carry around which happened but you didn't see. I'm figuring that the GL1200 stuff will weight about 500 pounds after all the bits I don't need have been removed. I would welcome any input you may have on this. Obviously, it is a mid engine design, with a very low center of gravity. The 'Smasher will be built with the weird little front suspension found in the VW Bug, and has a fixed length, not-easily-adjusted swingarm at the rear.

Here are some unknowns. Of course, everything could be just fine out of the box. But then, I wasn't born lucky, I've never been lucky and I don't see any indication after all these 73 years my luck is about to change. It's always been better for me if I try to anticipate what might go wrong. :

1. To much roll stiffness in the frontend. I could remove one of the torsion spring inside the axle to reduce spring rate. I haven't looked to see if I can find lighter anti-roll bars yet, but I can remove the bar totally and see what I got. I suppose I can move the bike frame backwards in the chassis to see what that might do.

2. Being too light in the rear resulting in loss of traction in corners or lifting the rear wheel under severe braking.

We can anticipate but won't know these things until after the first couple of test rides. As the undertaker sez: "Remains to be seen."

single bugsmasher logo.jpg

[CPOTED]

BTW: For those not in the know, the term "bug smasher" is a pejorative employed by military and professional aviators to describe ANY civilian or "private" aircraft, i.e., "they fly low, they fly slow and they smash bugs".

I have a number of friends who are or have been military or commercial pilots and they are really enjoying all of this.

beware of low flying aircraft.jpg

[Rat]

Looking forward to following your build, thanks for sharing.

CYBORG can be a big help I bet

Gord

[Whiskerfish]

17 of my 27 years in the US Navy were as a Helicopter Crewchief. Bug smashing otherwise known as Nap Of the Earth (NOE) flying is great fun with the right "stick" up front.

[Fred Camper]

Looking forward to this exciting build.

[CPOTED]

Looking forward to this exciting build.

I don't know how "exciting" this is gonna be. I think the better part of my time will be spent drilling rivets out of a Piper fuselage. If I find that some of y'all are REALLY into that sort of thing, I guess I could make a vid.

BTW ... only a couple day here and I REALLY like this place ... seems to be a great bunch of guys. Just like over at the CX500 forum no body has run up to tell me what a stupid idea they think this is and how DARE I take a priceless collectable GL1200, tear it apart and waste it on THIS piece of junk!

And nobody has complaned (!) about my stupid jokes and memes. Yet.

[CPOTED]

17 of my 27 years in the US Navy were as a Helicopter Crewchief. Bug smashing otherwise known as Nap Of the Earth (NOE) flying is great fun with the right "stick" up front.

Years (and years and years) ago I had buddies who were 1) a plane captain on a A-1H Skyraider (aka SPAD), and 2) a door gunner on Hueys, both during Vietnam. I have heard stories about how LOW, low really can be.

Some say bosunmates and Seabees are crazy ... but you guys take crazy places I wouldn't go. Heck ... I think crazy don't want to go half the time, but you drag it along anyway ...

I give FULL CREDS when creds are due.