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| The Pagosa.com Special. |
For newest photos scroll down.
A couple months ago I ran an article on Pagosa.com asking the Pagosa community if there was anyone out there with metal fabrication experience. I had an idea while recovering from a heart issue to build an ATV like vehicle that could be used by lower limbed handicapped sportspersons. Ray Emery volunteered for this project and the build has started.
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| Ray with the Kawasaki mounted on a trailer for the build. |
The main design concern is to offer a small and light vehicle a person can drive from a bucket seat rather than having to perch on top of. This vehicle may not go anyplace and everyplace a regular ATV can but it will come closer than anything I can find on the market today for the handicapped . The desire is to offer a kit a person can buy that, when combined with a Kawasaki 650 off-road type motorcycle, will result in this ATV like vehicle.
The vehicle will be offered in two forms, one with two wheels on the back and one with a single rear wheel. The single rear wheel option will be a “trike” and legal for street use. So, this vehicle will be versatile beyond other vehicles currently offered.
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| Here Ray is working on the frame that will connect the motorcycle with the aluminum sand buggy front suspension. |
Stay tuned to Pagosa.com for updates as this vehicle comes together.
If anyone wants to contribute to this worthy project please make contact through Pagosa.com.
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| Two swingarms will be built, one will mount a single wheel and the other an ATV two wheel axle. |
Newest Photos
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| A complicated system provides a reverse drive ability for the machine. There is a 12 volt winch, note yellow tag, tucked in under the gas tank. It drives the machine backwards through the pully system. |
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| At the front a cage will serve as a bumper protecting the driver's feet. The steel tubes on each side form a platform where roll bars will be mounted soon. |
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| The front end is coming along well with the basic steering inplace and the spindles ready for the disk brake system. |
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| A close up of the steering box and mount frame. It took considerable thought and engineering to make the steering center mounted in the frame instead of on one side, like a car. Next is building a protective cage around the driver's feet and legs. |
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| Out back a lot of that engineering has gone on. That is an eight inch wide Harley chopper wheel that normally had belt drive. Ray had to convert it to a chain drive and fit it under the 650 Kawasaki frame. The complete wheel and low profile tire is about four times wider in ground contact than the stock Kawasaki unit. |
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| Here is a bunch of head scratchin.' Extending the drive sprocket outward, providing a custom system so the vehicle can go in reverse and engineering a drive train shock cushion device between the engine and wheel is all done in very little space. The pulleys will be turned by belt from a winch, not shown. Because this vehicle is made for the handicapped a "reverse gear" is critical. The winch can operate in both directions so, the rider can do short and slow distances, both ways, on electric power alone. |
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| The rear wheel in not just big...it is BIG! |
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| An entirely new swingarm is being fabracated for the wheel. |
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| Just before Ray mounted the seat... |
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| and just after. Yes, that is the front axle under my knees! |
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| The frame is reaching out now to accept the front suspension. The low frame allows easier side access from a wheelchair. |
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| Ray is building in a lot of strength with cross bracing. |
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| Just at the point of thinking about putting a person in the vehicle. This is the location of the seat being considered. |
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