[ot] Q for Beetle experts - vw trike in snow/ice

 I have a vw-powered Stires trike (looks something like this,
with a late 70's Beetle motor):

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/3393/tp/brian.jpg

Mine's not quite ready for the road yet, and I'm trying to decide
if it's worth fixing up before spring. I'm in Vancouver, Canada
where there's lots of rain and sometimes heavy wet snow.

My question is, how well would this rig run in snow and ice
conditions. Does the Beetle transaxle supply torque to both
wheels?

I've been talking to an RMH member who rides a Ural & sidecar
in Halifax, Nova Scotia who says he runs his rig all winter, usually
in 1 wheel drive mode. However there have been winter days here
when I tried riding a bike, and never even got out of the driveway;
the rear wheel just spun freely on the ice.

Another problem of course is steering traction for the front wheel.
I suppose on really icy days I'd better give up and use the van (FWD).

TIA, Sean_Q_

 The old sturdy VW in stock mode is excellent in snow and ice. If you
want to take a trike out in that stuff beter make sure your medical
insurance is paid up. Trikes are usually over sprung, over powered and
short on traction on ice. Add all that up and you have a recipe for
disaster. Better to bring it out on a nice spring day for a ride. Be
safe. OF

 
Undoubtedly, the trike would not only perform worse it would just be
flat dangerous. All the machinery was engineered for a much more heavy
body and load. Take the torsion bars for example. They have a preload
made to accept the weight of a full size car with passangers and gear.
Without that weight they have almost no travel. Imagine your bike with
a rear spring for a Harley. You get the idea. Get some cross country
skis and go have some fun safely. OF

 
Unless you put very narrow tires on the rear, you'g go about nowhere
in the snow.

And then the tough part would be steering, as you guess.


DDave

 When I was a kid there was a guy across the street, mechanical engineer
student (at Cornell, I think) who had torches. He bought old rusty VWs and
cut the body off of the floorpan creating giant 4speed gocarts that we would
ride around in the fields and woods. He did one for my oldest brother too.
That was a fun day and evening cutting that car up. The two carts allowed
some "riding together" kind of action as we'd adventure around on the old
abandoned roads back in the woods. He had one made out of a microbus too,
with a side-dumping bed on the passenger side.

He also owned the first trials bike I ever saw - a 70's Honda TL 125 I
believe.

He was a pretty cool guy. Wonder where he is...