How does innovation in America occur? In the case of the Prong Three it is a direct result of the current recession that we are in. Prong Motors, LLC founder Hong Quan recalls the start of his new venture: “I was laid off last year and the next day my wife said I should start my own company instead of talking about it for 10 years.” Most car fanatics do not have the means or the will to take on developing a new vehicle, let alone a newly developed vehicle type. The Prong Three (P3) is what is commonly referred to as a “Reverse Trike” design. This is a vehicle with two wheels in the front and a single rear wheel. Some refer to this arrangement as a tadpole trike or a 2F1R (2 front 1 rear) trike. While this basic arrangement has been around for over a century, only recently has it gained favor as a platform for developing a high performance vehicle. The P3 builds on the knowledge of previous reverse trike builders and incorporates some great new features. As is noted on the Prong Motors website: Why can’t a trike combine the openness of a motorcyle with the traditional position and controls of an automobile? Why can’t a trike give you amazing performance as well as daily driver levels of comfort and utility? Why can’t a trike have the manuverability of a moto and the stability of an auto? Now it can!
It all starts young:
Most gear heads do not become mechanically oriented as adults, but rather have always been tinkerers of sorts. Hong recalls “It started as a child, playing with Hot Wheels and then RC cars. I got into bicycles and made some spending money as a teenager rebuilding old bikes. I got into cars and motorcycles when I moved out to California and have been modifying everything since. I’ve always been mechanically minded but my parents would never let us do anything besides becoming a Doctor, Lawyer or Accountant.” So, does this lifetime of mechanical study and practice help in designing and producing a new vehicle? As Hong explains “I think the variety of cars I’ve owned and worked on have influenced what I’m looking to create with my own car, a sort of best-of-all-worlds type build. I’m a wannabe racer as well so things like a 10,000 rpm redline and sequential shifting are ‘must haves’. Being a Dad also ‘requires’ ABS and traction/yaw control so I make it home to my family.”
Innovation in design:
What sets the Prong P3 apart from other reverse trike designs? There are two features that jump out to me. The first is the use of a Rotax drivetrain with integrated reverse. A few trikes have a mechanical reverse gear, but virtually all of them have an aftermarket arrangement to either reverse the drive of the sprocket at the engine or they employ a battery powered motor that has a gear that temporarily engages the drive chain. Using a drivetrain with a factory designed reverse system should be more durable in the long run. Many reverse trikes have no reverse gear. The second is the traction / yaw control. By using electronics to limit the power delivery and/or the braking system greater stability is achieved. The reverse trike layout is inherently more stable in braking than the more common trike style with a single front wheel and two rear wheels. This is due to weight transfer during braking. The problem with many reverse trikes is that acceleration while cornering commonly results in oversteer. The reason is that the reduced rear tire contact patch resulting from body roll does not provide sufficient traction to keep the rear wheel planted. Providing ABS / yaw control will help keep drivers safely on the road.
Some talking points with Hong Quan:
KitSpeed (KS): How has been the response for sales of the motorcycle?
Hong Quan (HQ): We haven’t officially started selling the vehicle, but the limited number of people who have seen it in person have all been very impressed and it is an (almost) universally appealing design. We’ve gotten a few pre-order interest inquiries and will be starting a Reservation List in the next few months.
KS: Knowing what you know today what would you have done different?
HQ: I would have sought angel investor funding instead of risking our savings on this venture.
KS: What is your primary purpose for the motorcycle; race, Sunday rides?
HQ: I would love to see a one-make race for these vehicles, but the idea is that it is a 3rd vehicle, much like a motorcycle would be. Great for Sunday drives/rides but with daily usability for those who are brave enough. Solo use of the carpool lane is definitely a big appeal.
KS: Is the car fast enough, do you have any performance figures from testing?
HQ: We have not done instrumented testing but given that we’ve only gained about 100lbs over the donor vehicle the performance should be on par.
KS: What is the cost of the kit, and what is included?
HQ: Final pricing is TBD, but I’m hoping to get them out for $12-15k which includes the chassis, bodyshell (ready to paint) and necessary conversion parts (pedal assembly, shifter assembly, steering column, related hardware)… An intrepid builder could potentially be on the road for $25k and “labor investment”.
KS: What amount of assembly is required of the buyer?
HQ: We are engineering the build process such that the buyer should be able to assemble the vehicle with hand tools. A engine hoist might be helpful, but the motor itself is only 150lbs so a helping hand might be enough too. I don’t want to see our kits go out and sit in garages for years unbuilt
KS: Where is this kit available for delivery (Asia, United States, Europe, etc…)?
HQ: We can ship the kit worldwide.
Preliminary Specifications (subject to change):
Length: 144 in (3,658 mm)
Width: 72 in (1,829 mm)
Height: 42 in (1,067 mm)
Wheel Base: 112 in (2,845mm)
Wheel Track: 63.5 in (1,613 mm)
Dry weight: 795 lbs (360 kg)
Tires: 165/65R14 (f) & 225/50R15 (r)
Engine: 990cc Rotax 60 degree V-Twin
Horsepower: 110 HP @8500 rpm
Torque: 79 lb-ft @6250 rpm
Redline: 10,000 rpms
Transmission: 5 speed sequential manual with mechanical reverse gear
Suspension: unequal length double a-arm (f) and single pivot swing-arm with monoshock (r)
Shocks: front coilovers with Showa rear shock – Suspension Performance custom valved Ohlins shocks optional
Bodywork: Handcrafted FRP panels with core mat – Carbon Fiber bodywork optional
Electronics: ABS/Traction Control/EBD/Vehicle Stability System with Roll Over Mitigation/Dynamic Power Steering/Secure Key Encoding
Prong Motors, LLC has recently launched a website (www.prongmotors.com). There, you can find information about the current state of the design, production, ordering availability, as well as pictures and video. We wish Hong and the rest of his company well in the sales of this unique and attractive reverse trike vehicle.
BT
