Several years ago I set out to find the best electric tricycle for my needs. There are many new electric tricycles available. I wanted to buy something new, but I was also willing to buy used. I am well aware of the high cost of building something. I certainly did not want to start from scratch. I could not find what I needed. There are many tricycles available that will transport an individual, but none that will also carry the amount of gear that I want to carry. There are a few cargo trikes available that will carry a whole lot of stuff, but did not meet my other needs. No trike even came close to what I needed. The trike that appealed to me most of all was the Worksman PAV-3. I was able to test ride a used motorized Worksman PAV-3 with a factory original front wheel hub motor. The seller lived across a busy road from a park. The park was the place to test ride the trike. There was a slight rise leading up to the road. When there was a break in the traffic, I gently applied the throttle and the front wheel just spun in place. Once I got across the street I was able to test the trike in the park and I was pleased with it for the most part......but the lack of traction on the front wheel was a killer. So I continued to look for a trike that would satisfy my needs. I could not find a trike to satisfy my needs. The Worksman PAV-3 still came closer to anything else I could find. When another non-motorized Worksman PAV-3 in clean condition became available, I bought it. Above is a photograph of my custom adapted Worksman PAV-3. I will describe the features I wanted in a trike. Rear wheel drive was a necessity....for the sake of traction. I wanted a motor and battery that were hidden, protected from the elements, and protected from theft. The motor and battery sit underneath the seat, protected by a steel mesh surround that allows cooling air to get in, but protected from rain and road splash. The electric motor has not needed servicing since installed and it is unlikely to need servicing during my lifetime. The battery may be accessed through a door inside the rear trunk. That was another requirement: plenty of lockable storage space. Initially, the rear trunk was expected to meet my needs, but I found that the lack of front wheel traction was a problem even with rear wheel drive. The front end tended to skitter to the left when I accelerated from a stop. So I added the lockable front trunk as ballast.....and the added storage space was welcome. A bucket seat with a seat belt was another of my requirements. There are many recumbent trikes with bucket seats or similarly comfortable laid-back seats.....and I find most of them comfortable, but for the sake of safety, I wanted a higher seat and that is what I got with the Worksman PAV-3. I did replace the bucket seat on the trike with a tractor suspension seat, which was needed for my bad back + I now sit even higher up. The higher up you sit, the better you can see and the better others can see you. The Worksman PAV-3 is designed to carry up to 550#. I am not so heavy, but I tend to carry a lot of weight in the trunk. Worksman PAV-3 wheels are built with extra heavy duty rims and larger diameter spokes. The tires on my Worksman PAV-3 are Kevlar belted and have extra heavy duty tubes. The Worksman PAV-3 frame itself is extra heavy duty. The stock trike weighed about 120#. With what I have added to it, it now weighs about 200#. I wanted running lights front and rear + a flashing strobe on the flag pole. I wanted solidly mounted left and right rear view mirrors. I wanted a camera mount on the handle bars (many tadpole trikes do not even have traditional handle bars). Tadpole trikes (with 2 wheels up front) are considered more stable than Delta trikes like this one, but I have never rolled this trike. Nevertheless, I always use a seat belt and I lean into turns. Speaking of turns, I love the ability to make short radius turns on a Delta trike. On a Delta trike your turning radius is your wheelbase length. Worksman PAV-3 trikes are still available new. This Worksman PAV-3 is very dependable and will probably last me the rest of my life. Oh, I should mention that there is little easy about the conversion. I am an experienced machinist with a well equipped workshop. This was the 1st electric vehicle I built. There was, without a doubt, a challenging learning period in the building of this trike. I consider that learning period very valuable, however. Since I built out this electric trike (3-4 years ago as of today's date of 1/1/2022), I have built 2 more electric trikes and I have invested in 5 electric bikes, all of which needed work. The end result is that I am capable of dealing with most electrical and mechanical problems I am likely to experience; so far, at least, I have successfully dealt with all such problems. This trike utilizes a 48V 750W motor and is speed limited (by my choice by the controller) to 15mph.
I will be adding additional photos of my custom Worksman PAV-3 as time allows. Below you will find a few Worksman PAV-3 parts that are surplus to my needs.
TRIPOD HEAD MOUNT FOR 7/8" DIAMETER BAR. You see it mounted on the handlebars of the above Worksman PAV-3. It is 2" in diameter. It has a 3/8-16TPI stud. There is a formica top to protect your camera and this mount. Most bicycles have 7/8" diameter handlebars. A GLENNVIEW product....available nowhere else. $200. Add another $200 if you want the Manfrotto head, which I have adapted to accept Arca-Swiss compatible dovetail camera and lens plates. There have been nature photography excursions where I have done all of my photography from my trike.
WORKSMAN PAV-3 TRICYCLE EXTRA HEAVY DUTY COASTER BRAKE. Although I only weigh about 150#, my trike with motor and battery and gear is typically at about 400#.....and I typically ride at 15 mph. That translates to a lot of stress on the braking system. The Shimano CB-E110 coaster brake is easily up to the task. The weak point in the braking system is the weld on the welded on sprocket. One sprocket is an integral part of the coaster brake and it is not going to fail. The 2nd sprocket is custom welded onto the sprocket. I had an original Worksman coaster brake fail on me in an emergency stop. Immediately I ordered a new coaster brake from Worksman. It took over a month for the coaster brake to arrive. It was the weld on the welded on sprocket that failed. I took that opportunity to open up the coaster brake to clean, inspect and relubricate it. The Shimano coaster brake was fine. I could see no wear inside. I took the coaster brake to a local auto repair shop where the owner rewelded the sprocket onto the coaster brake housing. That did not last very long because it was only spot welded in 4 small places. I then gave the coaster brake to a good friend to TIG weld the sprocket onto the coaster brake shell. This friend is an experienced bicycle mechanic and presently a Mercedes mechanic. Before I got the TIG welded coaster brake back, the new coaster brake arrived and I installed it right away. The new coaster brake is working fine and, given the work involved in removing and replacing the coaster brake, the TIG welded coaster brake will remain a backup. That TIG weld is continuous around the perimeter of the coaster brake; the TIG weld is far superior to the orginal weld.......and it will not fail. I believe it is superior to the new coaster brake for this reason. So I could care less if it sells or not. I am glad to have the back up coaster brake. $110
WORKSMAN PAV-3 TRICYCLE BUCKET SEAT with suspension system. The 4 blocks at the corners of the blue sheet are dense foam motor mounts. You are the motor! $100. I now have arms available. The seat with the arms is $175. Worksman will sell you a seat belt if you like.
WORKSMAN PAV-3 TRICYCLE BUCKET SEAT with arms. The arms fold up and down and are removable. There is a 1/2-13TPI threaded hole in the center of the seat base for mounting the seat to the tricycle. Worksman will sell you a seat belt if you like. The seat with the arms is $175. The arms are available separately for $85. The seat is available by itself for $100. The last item you see illustrated is an adapter that allows the seat to be mounted in a seat post clamp that accepts posts with 1" diameter. That adapter is made of 5/8" thick aluminum. The post is 1" diameter aluminum, threaded to screw into a threaded hole in the aluminum plate, with a 1/2-13TPI bolt running through it to couple to the seat. The 4 corner bolts counter the force of the central screw by pushing against holes in the seat bottom.....making for a very solid mount. This adapter is not needed to mount the seat on a Worksman PAV-3. This adapter is not included with the seat. This adapter is available for $100 with or without the seat.
WORKSMAN PAV-3 TRICYCLE BASKET. Rear "trunk" basket with reflector. $30.
WORKSMAN PAV-3 TRICYCLE BASKET AND SHELF. See the above and below listings. Both items purchased together, $50.
WORKSMAN PAV-3 TRICYCLE TRUNK SHELF. Supports the rear "trunk" basket. I added the plywood, which is easily removed....being held on with screws and nuts. $30.
WORKSMAN PAV-3 TRICYCLE SEAT SECURING T-BOLT. 1/2-13TPI threads. $12.
WORKSMAN TRICYCLE STEEL TRUNK. $120.
WORKSMAN TRICYCLE EXTRA HEAVY DUTY CHROME PLATED RIMS FOR 24" TIRES. 2 for $40. 1 for $30.
WORKSMAN TRICYCLE 24" TIRES. Used. They probably have about 1/2 their life remaining. 2 for $30. 1 for $20.
WORKSMAN TRICYCLE CHROME FENDER FOR 24" TIRES. Used. It looks like a set of struts is missing. Free with an order of 2 tires, 2 rims or one tire and one rim.
Below photo by Frank Murphy.
