RAZOR DXT Drift Trike Electric/Hybrid Conversion

Drift trikes are either pedal powered or motorized (electric or gas). I have never seen a hybrid drift trike. I enjoy pedaling a drift trike for the exercise, but would like to kick in some electric power to get longer flat land drifts, and get a boost to help up the hills. Pedal power limits the duration of a drift on flat land, because there's a limit to the angle at which it becomes impossible to pedal.

Electric drift trikes don't have pedals, which makes sense because the motor is far more powerful then our legs, and having feet close to a motorized wheel is not very safe. They usually have foot pegs that are attached to the frame, not the fork. Adding a shield to the fork to protect legs from the wheel, and a shield over the spikes to prevent feet from getting caught in the spokes will make it safer.

The wheel needs to be driven by the motor. These are some ways that can be done.

• Friction drive the wheel by rubbing a motorized tire on the front wheel. This is the easiest way to drive it from a hacked hoverboard. The downside is that it can't coast, so the motor resistance will be felt when pedaling.

• Use a hub that has a disc brake mount, and mount a sprocket to the disc brake mount and chain drive the wheel. Coaster sprocket on the motor shaft.

• Use a sprocket that clamps onto the spokes, and chain drive it from a coaster sprocket on the motor. Very common way to install cheap motorized bike kits.

• Use a sprocket that clamps onto the hub. This is a nicer way to attach the sprocket vs the spokes. The downside is that the RAZOR DXT drift trike hub measures 1.667 inches in diameter, which is larger than any available sprocket hub adapter. This would require precision machining or a lathe to enlarge, which I can do, but makes it difficult for anyone to mod that doesn't have machine tools.

UPGRADE THE REAR TIRES AND DRIFT SLEEVE

Before we even get to adding an electric motor to make the hybrid RAZOR DXT Drift Trike, it will be essential to upgrade the rear wheels, because the stock rear wheels are rubbish. Here's a post on how to do the rear wheel upgrades.

DISC BRAKE MOUNT SPROCKET

Ride minded sells wheel and crank sets that have disc brake hubs, but can also use rim brakes. The disc brake rotor mount can be used to mount a sprocket instead of (or in addition to) a brake rotor.

SPOKE MOUNT SPROCKET

This is the cheapest way to mount a sprocket to the wheel, but not the best.

HUB MOUNT SPROCKET

There are no hub mount sprocket adapters large enough to fit the 1.667in diameter RAZOR DXT drift trike hub. It's probably because this hub is extra large since it's driven by the cranks. With access to a lathe or milling machine, the center hole could be precisely enlarged to fit the hub.