Dunecycle story and info request

#1
Hello all. 1st post and new to the forum. I purchased my first Dunecycle about 36 years ago as a young teenager for $350.00 from an area used m/c dealer and salvage yard. It was the coolest thing I'd ever laid eyes on. Long story, but it got away from me while I was in the USMC back in around '86. I tried for years to track it down to no avail. Then about 12 years ago I discovered ebay and started searching for dunecycles. I bought three of them and several other vintage trikes over the next 2 or three years. None were the exact model I used to own, although one is very close...
The model I had was a solid 1" rear axle that went through the round tube with bearings inside it at each end. It had the JLO Rockwell 340 twin and NO rear suspension. It had the peanut style front mounted tank and the yellow seat, as well as the front springs just like the Mojave 500 versions. Had a single hydraulic disc brake....Man that thing SCREAMED and was fun as heck to blast around the farm fields and gravel roads. SCARY fast and out of control, haha, without rear suspension.
Anyhow, I have the proper frame, engine, tank, and seat. The rear axle does not have the hubs or disc for the brake. I know I can fab these up or substitute standard Kart parts to finish it out, so I'll prolly just do that. Do any of you folks know about the model I'm describing? TIA and thanks for all the great info here on the site.
And, I'll dig out a couple of old pics of my machine and try to add them soon.
 
#2
Welcome billybeef7 : Your sure in the right spot to get help about trikes. I think a 340 JLO would be a handful for a bike with no rear suspension I had a Tri-sport with a CCW 290 and it sure had lots of torque. Can't wait to see your pictures soon

Steve

 
#6
dunecycle.png dunecycle2.png Sorry for the very low quality here guys. These are OLD and are scanned...These are the only two pics I have of my original machine. The first pic is how I received my trike and had it for several years. The second pic was after I tore it down, had it sandblasted and then repainted it. I had a body shop do the tank in black. Had a new seat made. And added the headlight....SACRELIGE! I would not do it that way today...
I'll get some pics of my current trike projects uploaded soon:
3 Dunecycles
1 Bletz mini trike
1 Owosso Explorer 800 SL
1 Owasso Explorer Exalter SL
1 Tri-rod
About 7 Tri-Sport Alsports in different levels of incompleteness and disrepair!
and one Rupp Rat (just have bare frame and fiberglass body)
ALL of these need restoration, some more major than others, but I'd like to start with recreating this dunecycle model from my past that sparked my ebay binge several years ago.
 
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#7
That car in the background is what I learned to drive on....at 12 years old...I kid u not, lol. 1970 Dodge Charger with a 440 magnum engine. My uncle blew up two 383 magnum engines in a row, so had the 440 dropped in. He taught me to drive that thing like a madman and we hauled the Dunecycle home, partially stuffed in the trunk, from about 50 miles away...So, I kinda grew up on excessive power, haha.
 
#8
So, I kinda grew up on excessive power, haha.
Nothing wrong with that, first time I drove outside of the pasture it was in a car that would drag the rear bumper on the ground. It was street legal enough dad could pass a few bucks to the inspector every year to keep it on the street. They stopped with the yearly inspections here before I was legal to drive.
 
#11
Yeah, I'm sure. It had a solid 1" axle and no suspension at all in the rear. Pretty sure it was one of the ones they used for flat track racing. I'll get pics soon of the solid axle one I have now, to show how the rear end is set up. I've read on here and searched for pics, but haven't found any on here, or online at all, of the rear end setup like mine has/had.
One of the Tri-sports I bought off ebay years ago was advertised as a Dunecycle with suspension. It had(has) rear suspension much like this and had a dunecycle seat on it...I'm pretty sure it is a phase III Alsport that someone had just cobbled up. No flat leaf springs like the Mojave models...
 
#12
The whole front end is identical to the Mojave like in your pics though Gumpit...Mine had a JLO Rockwell 340 engine as well, rather than the Kohler like most of the Mojave's came with. I think A.P.E. experimented with a variety of setups during their production years. I've seen them with the single cylinder JLO Rockwells as well.
 
#14
They had two different models, with that frame set up. First one in 1972 was a 230 JLO single. Then they had a 340 JLO twin. with two different exhaust race model had twin exhaust under the frame, standard model had a twin manifold into a single exhaust.
 
#15
Was the straight axle mounted in a tube ? Sure would like to see a picture of the drive set up and where was the brake disc mounted ?
So pictures or ????

Steve
 
#16
Yes...much as a trailer axle with idler hubs, except here, obviously the hubs don't "idle." The "tube" with the live axle running through it covers only the center portion (about 26" - guestimation) then the hubs (live) slide on each end of the axle and are fastened with a bolt that runs through the axle - thus making them live. The disc for the brake is mounted in the same way. It is much like the system a lot of go karts use, except they mostly seem to use a slotted axle and the hubs are secured to their axle with keystock, rather than a through bolt. The center tube just houses the bearings. I will take pics of the rear end the next time I get out to the farm where my trike projects are stored. It will be obvious when you see pics.

Arielsq may have some stock photos of the rear end set up.
 
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#17
Thanks much Arielsq! I appreciate the info and will be getting in touch with you soon. I'm gonna need a seat (upholstery portion) if you still have some. I'll pm you.
 
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