BSE Mad Cows - "The Moo Crew"

The evolution of my trike called "Dave"

The idea of Dave came about at a drunken wedding reception, where I told a close friend that I was unable to ride pillion on my husbands ZX12R Ninja due to back problems. The friends reply was "get the old man to build you a trike with a car seat", and so it started as the old man was well up for it. After a few phone calls to various bods in the know, a Sierra 2.3 V6 with 3 speed auto box was acquired. Just after this time, the rules on SVA changed, making it impossible to build it totally from scratch. Although some people frown on this practise, Relliant Robin chassis and log book was only option at the time. Although as you might guess from the attached photos, not much of the original Relliant remains as Dave has eveolved to suit my changing needs.

Chassis engine and gear box went off one Christmas to a close friend of ours to get him on three wheels, and he came back as a rolling chassis shortly after. It then took my husband a year of weekends and evenings to mount the engine, sort electrics, plumbing and anything else need to make him mobile. He passed his first M.O.T. with flying colours and at my request was only a single seat trike. But after doing a few rallies with the trailer tent in tow and my husband behind the trailer on his Honda Shadow, which replaced the Ninja, we found that a couple of extra seats on the back would be handy. So the following Winter, Dave went into the garage and had his back end stretched by 12 inches giving us enough room to install a pair of tractor seats above the rear axel. This configuration suited us fine until I was riding him to our Annual Pet Food Run towing a trailer full of dog food, when number one piston decided to let go. Fortunately it stayed inside the engine, but a lot of hot fluids were thrown at the road. One towed home, a phone call was made and a new engine and gear box was on its way. Apparently, it would fit straight in as it was another Ford V6, but a three litre version with four spead auto box. Once stripped out of the donor car, ertain measurements were taken and quess what, it wouldn't fit. So back in the garage, out came the big grinder and he was cut in half. Six inches was inserted around his mid riff and new engine and gear box installed, and that is how he is today and has been for the last three years. A three litre fuel injected four speed, Red mean machine. I would like to thank everybody who helped my husband, with help, advise and hands on work, in getting him on the road. Shell, Bury and Distract Motorcycle Action Group a.k.a. Mad Cows