As mentioned in the OP, there are nearly infinite ways to go about constructing a 3-Wheeler. None of the kits are practical due to budget, even if they're still available.
The Morgan starts out with a big V-twin S&S engine, so that might be as good a starting point as any. But Morgan has a magic box that goes between the engine and the Miata trans that they use. I don't have that, or a way to replicate it. The dwarf racing car series use I4 motorcycle engines and sprocket adapters to driveshafts that run to the back. That was an option, but the look of I4 engine up front isn't the look I'm going for.
That said, I'm not stuck with the V-twin idea. Looking around at what's available in cheap motorcycles, a friend pointed me to the Honda Goldwing line-up. Flat-four cylinder engines of the earlier Wings were closer to my ideal of the V-twin. Much more importantly for my project, however, was the very useful feature of the Wings - shaft drive!
Shaft drive solves a lot of getting-the-power-to-the-rear-wheel problems. Not only do I, essentially, make a longer driveshaft, the donor Wing will already have a rear suspension and drive mechanism set up for shaft drive.
Further research on Goldwings helped me narrow my search range down. Part of the method to my madness in setting a $6,000 budget for this project is my plan to utilize as much of the donor Wing as possible. The late '70s/early '80s GL1000 and GL1100 series Wings are nice bikes for the time, but pretty bum-basic by modern standards. They put out decent power (80ish horse) and torque, were plentiful back in the day (so there's still support for them), can be had for $500-4,000, and that specific year range has analog gauges. Honda went to digital dashboards in '83.
With the model and year range set, it was just a matter of waiting for the right bike. I found it a while ago, but finally purchased it yesterday. A 1980 Honda GL1100I Interstate tourer.
37K miles, recent big service, two owners (second owner/seller serviced the bike for the original owner), seller runs a motorcycle shop, in cherry condition with every single thing in working order, owners manual, tool kit, etc.
1085cc flat-four, four Mikuni constant-velocity carbs, 5-speeds, shaft drive, 81hp/64ft/lb
As mentioned my plan is to have this bike donate everything I can use off it, including the sweet analog gauges (revs to 9,500!), including:
Engine/trans
Rear suspension/shaft drive/rear brake
Lights/signals
Mirrors
Horns
Gauges
Electrics (with some lengthening of wires as necessary)
I should need this bike, build a chassis, upholster some basic seats, build the front suspension, and buy the front wheels. The Wing should give me 60% of what I need for the entire thing, and represent the largest single cost (with the planned wheel choice being #2). $2,000 spent, $4,000 remaining.
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
