Motorcycle Engined Trikes
Car Engined Trikes
Chain or shaft?

If you are starting from scratch and are set on using a bike engine, a large capacity shaft drive unit has to be the best.
  All that needs to be done, engineering-wise is to connect the bike shaft to whatever axle you plan to use, obvious eh?

If you already have a good chain drive lump and are set on using it, you have three options:-

1)  Convert an axle by fastening a sprocket to
     the diff inside its housing.  It will run with
     no oil and it will have to be tensioned.

2)  Find a bevel box from a shaft driven bike
     and reverse it, then machine and bolt a
     sprocket to that, driven off the output
    sprocket on the engine.

3)  Turn the engine sideways and weld the    
      drive shaft to the output sprocket.
    There could be problems with cooling if  
    the lump is air-cooled and also with the
     exhaust which would have to be
    routed differently.
A car engined trike can either be front engined, rear wheel drive or rear engined. rear drive, and can be any capacity you desire.
As basic as it gets. Any front engined, front wheel drive unit with motorcycle frame welded on. Notice the extra bracing.
Same as above, but with fabricated frame.
Plan view of Austin Mini/Metro, or any similar front engined, front wheeled drive.(Click to see detailed picture)
Suzuki GS850 chain driven.
Small Reliant-engined trike.
Honda 750/4
chain driven.
VW engine with fabricated  frame.
70's Wilmac framed Beetle trike.
Click on picture for VW trikes.
60's Morris Minor axle converted to chain drive.
Click on picture for details.
A large-engined frame, most usualy
made from heavy duty box. The figure
'C' is the point of most stress in the
structure.
MotoGuzzi 1000cc automatic gearbox.
Swedish Style VW.
Yamaha XS1100 shaft drive.
Ford V-6.
Honda CBR-engined special.
As in No.3 above.
Jaguar V-12