SX550
Well-Known Member
Exactly a year ago i stumbled upon a for sale ad for a weird electric tricycle.
I fell in love with it the moment i saw it and bought it for €250.
In my opinion a classic design icon like the Delorean.
This was Sir Clive Sinclair's (inventor of the sinclair computers) idea of the electric vehicle revolution. It truly was the first ever idea for a mass produced cheap electric vehicle.
Sadly it was an awful flop and only a few thousand were sold.
Too ahead for its time and the british weather and traffic just does not suit it.
Where i live in belgium or holland with its perfect flat cycle roads its awesome to get around.
Now since the inventor passed away these go around €1000 in running condition, nearly new-new €2000-€4000.
There is now a very active community restoring them and its absolutely lovely with people designing and 3D printing replacement parts
Technically its very dated, 250w brushed 12V motor with a lead acid battery, controlled by a relay.
U need to pedal up to speed them press a button for the motor and i can get up to 15mph in good condition on a flat road, hills are near impossible. Range is also 10 miles maybe.
Mine is modified with a 48V 500W hub motor and Custom Lithium-Ion battery with 140km range. Didn't want to make it too fast, its still a plastic tricycle with drum brakes.
Goes 20Mph, not too fast but has a lot or torque and climbs hills with ease.
Other addons are mirrors and indicators,horn, alarm,... still i'm searching for the very rare original mirrors and indicators. I also made a centerconsole and dashboard with phone holder, charger and bluetooth radio.
Still have lots of work to do but it drives very well, i designed a new rear axle from scratch on the lathe with new wheels and off the shelf bearings as original spares are very hard to come by.
I guess there are only a handful in the US, most of them are in UK, Holland and some in Germany.
Laws for these kind of vehicles are different. Originally these are illegal in Belgium where i live so i had to modify it with a pedal sensor and electronically limit to 25 kmh.
I fell in love with it the moment i saw it and bought it for €250.
In my opinion a classic design icon like the Delorean.
This was Sir Clive Sinclair's (inventor of the sinclair computers) idea of the electric vehicle revolution. It truly was the first ever idea for a mass produced cheap electric vehicle.
Sadly it was an awful flop and only a few thousand were sold.
Too ahead for its time and the british weather and traffic just does not suit it.
Where i live in belgium or holland with its perfect flat cycle roads its awesome to get around.
Now since the inventor passed away these go around €1000 in running condition, nearly new-new €2000-€4000.
There is now a very active community restoring them and its absolutely lovely with people designing and 3D printing replacement parts
Technically its very dated, 250w brushed 12V motor with a lead acid battery, controlled by a relay.
U need to pedal up to speed them press a button for the motor and i can get up to 15mph in good condition on a flat road, hills are near impossible. Range is also 10 miles maybe.
Mine is modified with a 48V 500W hub motor and Custom Lithium-Ion battery with 140km range. Didn't want to make it too fast, its still a plastic tricycle with drum brakes.
Goes 20Mph, not too fast but has a lot or torque and climbs hills with ease.
Other addons are mirrors and indicators,horn, alarm,... still i'm searching for the very rare original mirrors and indicators. I also made a centerconsole and dashboard with phone holder, charger and bluetooth radio.
Still have lots of work to do but it drives very well, i designed a new rear axle from scratch on the lathe with new wheels and off the shelf bearings as original spares are very hard to come by.
I guess there are only a handful in the US, most of them are in UK, Holland and some in Germany.
Laws for these kind of vehicles are different. Originally these are illegal in Belgium where i live so i had to modify it with a pedal sensor and electronically limit to 25 kmh.
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she went to school and work with it still in the garage where she left it in 1988. then i was born and 15 years later dragged it out and it started immediately with some fresh 'melange'. i used it to scare the sheep. good times. now im 33 and its been sitting in the same corner. hope some day to get it and restore it.