The first try.
...my dream came true
The base for my "Threek" named project was an incomplete Harley- Davidson®
WLA, disassembled and in bad condition.
Later I got two frames ruined by a rear wheel rocker arm in the postwar years.
After a long time of planning the restoration of the old motorcycle and the construcion
of the Threek® ought to be a present for Harley Davidsons 100th anniversary from my friend
Ralf Petzold and me.
A reverse
The almost finished Threek stood in my garage close to the river Elbe
in august 2002 during the century flood, which flooded the vehicle for days.
Restorator Ralf had to disassemble and restorate everything for the second time.
Finally the Threek was ready for trial in april 2004.
On 23rd of June 2004 I drove the first rally on my own. The only engineering problem was the
front wheel brakes got too hot when I drove downhill.
In the next rally, this time with
Peter Kleinert as my brave co-driver, we only lost a nut off of the pillion seat.
At the beginning of 2005 we began to make blueprints of a modern Threek.
The company "RuKo" is specialized on motorcycle combinations (motorcycles with
sidecars).
They invented a new construction of the front wheel guidance. The part where the front wheel
is fixed at the motorcycle.
We were convinced by their engineering know how and their
constructional solutions especially since we did not know how to build such a difficult part.
So we asked the company "RuKo" to construct the front wheel guidance for the Threek.
The actual stage of development of our Threek® could be seen on the trade fair
"Faszination Motorrad 2007” (= "fascination motorcycle 2007") in Sinsheim.
In september 2009 - after some test drives - a symmetrical deviation of the steering
from ideal curve radius was discovered. All steering arms have to be engineered one more time.
In june 2012 the Threek has been finshed as far as Ralf Petzold from P&T-Cycles
could install an new cable harness, all electrical and electronical parts and brake line and bowden cables.
On September 7th 2012 we drove the first miles on an airfield.
Unfortunately after 3 miles test ride the used car gear box was defect.
Ralf Petzold suggested to use a new BAKER 6-speed transmission with reverse gear like from HD®-Big Twins.
For that the engine and gearbox mount, the rear wheel hub and rear brakes needed to be rebuilt.
Ralf assembled the engine and the Baker gearbox. After that the following
changes have been done by Steffen Kunert. Within 8 weeks he reengineered the following component
groups again:
rear wheel hub with other brake rotor disks and calipers with parking brake,
caliper mounting, fender mounting on one side, countershaft with bevel
wheel, manifold with collector made of VA, battery box, electronic box, gearshift, engine
gearbox mounting with cylinder brace.
On may 21st 2013 the Threek was ready for test drives again.
In january 2014 the Threek has been shown on exhibition
"Sachsenkrad" the trade fair for motorcycles in saxony.
The test drives on airfields in Pirna and Kamenz discovered that the vertical standing steering axle
together with the positive roll radius are understeering too much.
I designed a new steering axle with negative roll radius. The lane grooves responsivity, unsteady driveability
on the straightaway, understeering and pothole responsivity are gone.
On December 18th 2015 the Threek got it's public road registration.
I began the preparation for a second model.
The new Threek will be lighter, shorter and intuitively operable for bikers. Gearing, levers and brake pedal like used to
be on motorcycles. Engine, transmission and rear swinging fork will be rubber mounted. The rear swinging fork is triple
pivoted because of the higher curve forces. The belt transmission and the original rear wheel brake will be kept in spite of
the cars rim with 245/45-16" tire.
The steering works perfect in every turn, even when the outer wheel is 7" spring-deflected.
In fact the Threek should be unique worldwide.
