i am opening a new three wheel bike businesses in vn

Dan:
These bikes ; motorbikes or bycicles ?
Let me know please .

V.V.  Good Fortune in this endeavor. Cheers.

nickuscdds1 wrote:

i am an expat from usa and love to live in vn.  i am opening a three wheel bike business in saigon.  since vn has alot of accidents, i think we need three wheeled bike to prevent falling off bike and hit the head.

what u think, please give me some feedback

Well just my opinion and not specific to VN. 

Any new business is going to have an entry level of return necessary to get off the ground and continue.  You need to determine the total costs to open and operate the business for 6-12 months to get liftoff.  Next determine realistic model of how many bikes you need to sell to break even by the end of the entry period.   If the second is realistically higher than the first then you can justify doing some testing marketing/pricing on-line by placing ads with good photos and proposed price of your bikes on sites devoted to VN and expats in VN.  Wait and see what the interest level is after three months of on-line marketing.  By then you will have a better idea of realistic success. 

Not doing the above pretty much guarantees you will either fail or get lucky and get hit by a falling satellite that that ejects a small gold brick upon impact without explanation.

Sarcasm aside, I just want to impress upon you that there is no easy money in this world and you will have plenty of competition in short order even if you are selling bagged ice to Eskimos.  So best have your best plan before moving forward. Good Luck either way.

Hi. I just read this topic. So are you opening your 3 wheel bike store now? Also if anyone know where to buy a 3 wheel motorbike in hcm. Please let me know. I am having problem with balance.

Thank you.

I have seen 3 wheeled motorbikes on the road down here in the Delta, my wife is looking for one for me now - we think there is a French Man building them around Can Tho, thats where one guy said he bought his - he had an accident with his two wheeled bike and decided to go three wheels.  If I get any more information I will be sure to post.

Might want to check this thread out:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 52#3107133

Rick

Did you open the 3 wheel shop? If so what is the address?
I am partially disabled, so can't manage a scooter.
Thanks,
Ray

Hi,

Did you open the business. I am interested in getting one in Hanoi

So funny, I just spent about two hours looking into three wheeled motor bikes bc we are moving to HCMC  this summer, and I figured it’s a safer option (tipping would be harder!). Keep me posted... I’ll definitely be interested! Thx... Sam

Well tipping yes, falling in corner mutch more easier, plus these modified 3 wheeler scooters are illegal. And if some miracle you find one that is not,  you need A3 license to operate them legally

I would like to get one of these myself but my wife just laughs at me and says there for handicapped people... coming up on my 60th B-day I'm starting to feel a little handicapped.

If you think mcuh about the physics, it should be apparent that a three wheeled vehicle with two wheels in the rear and a single steering wheel is inherently unstable in turns at any kind of speed.  The inside rear tire will lift.  The freight haulers you see don't tip because of their weight.

There are other designs like the Piaggio that has two closely spaced wheels in front.  The front wheels tilt slightly as they turn.  This should have more stability going straight than a two wheel design and should corner soundly, but the engineering is much more difficult than simply adding a rear axle.  I have never seen this model except in internet advertising and it is expensive.  You can look it up.  It is called the MP3, like the music player format.

Another alternative that I have seen in Vietnam is what I would call "training wheels."  The weight usually rests on the two wheels but there are small outrigger wheels that improve stability.  All the ones I ever saw were based on Air Blades.  I have no idea how this design works in fast turns but someone in Vietnam is making them.

THIGV wrote:

If you think mcuh about the physics, it should be apparent that a three wheeled vehicle with two wheels in the rear and a single steering wheel is inherently unstable in turns at any kind of speed.  The inside rear tire will lift.  The freight haulers you see don't tip because of their weight.

There are other designs like the Piaggio that has two closely spaced wheels in front.  The front wheels tilt slightly as they turn.  This should have more stability going straight than a two wheel design and should corner soundly, but the engineering is much more difficult than simply adding a rear axle.  I have never seen this model except in internet advertising and it is expensive.  You can look it up.  It is called the MP3, like the music player format.

Yamaha Niken

THIGV wrote:

If you think mcuh about the physics, it should be apparent that a three wheeled vehicle with two wheels in the rear and a single steering wheel is inherently unstable in turns at any kind of speed.  The inside rear tire will lift.  The freight haulers you see don't tip because of their weight.

There are other designs like the Piaggio that has two closely spaced wheels in front.  The front wheels tilt slightly as they turn.  This should have more stability going straight than a two wheel design and should corner soundly, but the engineering is much more difficult than simply adding a rear axle.  I have never seen this model except in internet advertising and it is expensive.  You can look it up.  It is called the MP3, like the music player format.

Another alternative that I have seen in Vietnam is what I would call "training wheels."  The weight usually rests on the two wheels but there are small outrigger wheels that improve stability.  All the ones I ever saw were based on Air Blades.  I have no idea how this design works in fast turns but someone in Vietnam is making them.

You are right and 3 wheel ATV's were legally banned in the USA in 1988 because of the dangers and they are not easy to ride due to the ergonomics (leaning in the opposite direction of turning).  Lot of people got hurt and that was the end of them.  There is plenty information available on the internet about the problems with 3 wheelers.  People went to 4 wheelers and they sell like crazy.

However, 3 wheel motorcycles are still sold, but these are full size bikes and do not have the same ergonomic issues.

You guys are bikers on steriods.

Google Can Am Spyder motorcycles.

Two wheels upfront,  1300cc, 110 hp......

Nice big fat tyre at the rear .    I test rode one a few years ago,,very impressed.  They “corner” a lot better than you think they would.

Parking is the issue though.

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   ..and you can forget about sneaking down the line of stopped traffic...     

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Bazza139 wrote:

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   ..and you can forget about sneaking down the line of stopped traffic...     

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Easy Bazz....you just crank it up & “mono” the lane split on the back wheel.    110 horses 🐎 under the seat should do that.

Yogi & Boo Boo just use our skate boards........Cool bear dudes,,hey bro.

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       Yairs...   Yogi has his ways...  (as in: Always...).   

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Bazza139 wrote:

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       Yairs...   Yogi has his ways...  (as in: Always...).   

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Yes, so subtle - in about the same was as a piano falling from the space station and landing on your head is subtle.
However, he tends to score well on accuracy.

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   (Grudgingly)  Given.

   I hold both your minds in equal admiration...

   Alien concepts:  ..how naive I am...     

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THIGV:   There are other designs like the Piaggio that has two closely spaced wheels in front.  The front wheels tilt slightly as they turn.  This should have more stability going straight than a two wheel design and should corner soundly, but the engineering is much more difficult than simply adding a rear axle.  I have never seen this model except in internet advertising and it is expensive. 

These two front wheeled bikes are very popular in Thailand, I know several expats that have one, one even has the two wheels in front that tilt as you describe and two wheels in back (he;'s a large guy) .  I sold ny two wheeled bike and ordered a three wheeler from OzziMoto . in Pattaya, he custom builds three wheelers from any stock motorcycle.   It will be ready for me when I return . -  I understand you need an A3 license in Vietnam to operate one of these though, not so in Thailand.

Peace

I am on Phu Quoc and broke my leg very bad and won't be able to ride a two wheeler. Do you have any idea where I can find a 3 wheeler or trike on the island?

mmetca wrote:

I am on Phu Quoc and broke my leg very bad and won't be able to ride a two wheeler. Do you have any idea where I can find a 3 wheeler or trike on the island?

I have no idea where you could find it in Phu Quoc, but if you can buy in Ho Chi Minh city, then you can search on chotot.com with "xe 3 bánh cho người khuyết tật"

https://www.chotot.com/tp-ho-chi-minh/m … %E1%BA%ADt

mmetca wrote:

I am on Phu Quoc and broke my leg very bad and won't be able to ride a two wheeler. Do you have any idea where I can find a 3 wheeler or trike on the island?

Simple enough to build one or get your local motorbike mechanic to do it, should only take a day at most. There are loads of bikes that would be a suitable donor.

Cue the music.. sounds like the A-team
I remeber some years ago seeing a small manufacturing company built a three wheeler bike that the mounted the rear wheels and axle in such a fashion that it allowed the frame or body if you like to lean without causing the outer wheel to lift during corners.

Obviously it won't lean like a proper bike but still a step closer than the fixed frame issue and corners.

Failing that ask The Grand Tour team.. they came here (Topgear at the time) and liked to mess around on bikes here.

Also worth an idea.. if you are a bike rider instead of a scooter person.. why not add a side car

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Cue the music.. sounds like the A-team
I remeber some years ago seeing a small manufacturing company built a three wheeler bike that the mounted the rear wheels and axle in such a fashion that it allowed the frame or body if you like to lean without causing the outer wheel to lift during corners.

Obviously it won't lean like a proper bike but still a step closer than the fixed frame issue and corners.

Failing that ask The Grand Tour team.. they came here (Topgear at the time) and liked to mess around on bikes here.

Also worth an idea.. if you are a bike rider instead of a scooter person.. why not add a side car

A side car in Viet traffic ? . ..  tempting fate I reckon. The addition of an extra rear wheel is much more practical and easy, don't even need a differential. If the guy doesn't know how then there are loads of kits available on the net. Just look at few, get the idea and fabricate your own. Ordinary steel will do or if you are heavy and carrying passengers just make the rear axle shaft from a piece of suitably bored ASTM 513 DOM or similar.

Side car along the lines of those racing setups would be cool..

Sidecar is like sitting in a small fighter cockpit.. awesome fun. But correct not practical for city life.

Grab bike and side car.. two passengers 😁
Does it show that I'm bored ?

In Hoi An, there's a hotel at Cua Dai with sidecars to transport you. Could be fun! And they're well maintained. I could imagine doing a trip with friends around Hoi An, Da Nang. But, once you're passing a black smoke car, truck or bus that's the end of your fun and back to reality!  google for the name of the hotel, same name as the most famous African waterfalls  .

Would be ok for tourist area using electric scooter. Hoi An would be spoilt with more noisy polluting bikes.

If it was enclosed and air con installed would be ok.. but at what cost to range and speed

Would you like to buy an electric Harley and no sound? I like the concept of electric cars or motorbikes but they should add some noise. Even if it's fake it's safer for everybody around you, they hear you coming and also the fun for the driver..... let it growling... yeaaaah. 

Sobie wrote:

Would you like to buy an electric Harley and no sound?

https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/m … lsrc=aw.ds

This is all very interesting to me because I, too, need transport and don’t want to take the risk of a 2 wheel motorbike.

What would you have to do to get a special A3 driver’s license in VN? And can anyone on a tourist visa get one, or do you have to be a resident?

Do you have to prove you’re disabled? Or can you get one if you can document that you have, say, osteoarthritis in lower back and claim that makes it hard to drive moto?

Do you have to take a road test?

I like the idea of a sidecar because it would make it easy to transport groceries, etc., or a passenger. But when I researched this years ago, I saw a lot of opinions that sidecars make it difficult to steer and turn the bike. Any thoughts on this?

People say that a regular bike modified to have 2 wheels in the rear is inherently unstable in turns. But they are not thinking it through. It’s not a problem if you KNOW it’s unstable in turns and take that into account when driving it. You simply slow down on turns, as you would if driving a car. What’s so hard about that?

A good choice….review for foreigners visiting yo rent also.

vietexpat2:   Besides being abusive, you are showing that you have absolutely no sense of humor.  The exchange you are upset about reads to me as simply banter between friends, Yogi, Bazza, and Fred.  You would probably be well served to stay out of it as these fellow words can skewer you with humor, while yours simply bounce wildly around the metaverse.

I miss Yogi and Bazzer's posts.

Do you plan to rent the 3 wheedlers to  tourist. It would be a great assert to the disabled and older crowd. Jack

Since this thread has been activated, I'll just put in my two cents based upon the experiences my wife and I have been having looking around for three wheelers:

If you want a three-wheel ebike, any moped store can order it for you and then they will be the place that covers your warranty.

It's possible to order them online but then you aren't connected with a local shop that will cover necessary repairs in the future.

As has been mentioned since this thread began, there just doesn't appear to be the demand to justify having one shop that focuses only on stock three wheelers, either electric or gas powered.

I don't know much about how commercially viable this is but I think it's a great idea. There's a huge population of people in their 60s and 70s who suffer from polio and need to get around. Three wheelers are common in Taipei but as these people get older you see less of them.

@oldexpat I have rented from OziMoto in Pattaya, ***  when I return for good, will purchase one from him. He modifies an existing Motor Bike for three wheel independent axel steering for turning stability.  His most popular for foreigners is the 300cc - very maneuverable and he also has a shop in Khon Kaen according to his site......give him a call at

Ozimoto ***.    Peace. BTW my beach home in Thailand is in Jom Tien

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Hello Tunnelrat ... It's been 9 years since that member last visited the website. It is a rather old thread.

Regards

Bhavna