The above image is a link to a video that illustrates my refined concept for a human powered tilting reverse trike (two wheels in front one in back), that can transition between steering by leaning and non leaning normal steer like a car for slow speeds. Steering by leaning works by tilting the wheels and body of the bike while the front wheels are free to caster (FTC) to the proper steering angle for the angle of lean and speed using gyroscopic effect.

Steering is done via a steering wheel that connects to the lean/steer mechanism (shown in green) through a shaft with universal joints that allow it to move with the leaning body and connect to the steering/lean mechanism through gears mounted on the non-tilting sub frame. The sub-frame maintains parallel to the ground and the front wheels and leaning body are attached to it.

Basic operation would be while stopped, the vehicle is locked in non-lean normal steer mode. A hand lever unlocks the lean mechanism and engages the pedals of the bike to the lean mechanism through a clutch, cables, and guide wheels. Pedaling forward propels the vehicle forward while transitioning you to the free to caster mode by winching a connecting bar (dark blue) from from a point close to the lean mechanism’s axis to the it’s top, thus changing the ratio of lien to steer input. At the same time the connecting bar is being raised a cam is gradually loosening spring tension on a Pittman arm unlocking steering from the movement of the steering wheel, allowing the wheels to free Caster. The Pittman arm also acts as a tie rod with an Ackerman affect. When in free to caster mode engaging the transition clutch and pedaling backwards transitions to normal steer while pedaling has no effect on the motion of the bicycle.

The use of the steering wheel will require that breaking must be done by pushing the steering wheel forward using a balancing disk to disperse the pressure evenly through cables to breaks on all three wheels. This concept shows leading arm front suspension on the front wheels that will most likely not be included due to to weight considerations, and will have to wait for the motorcycle powered version.

It also shows a dampened spring assist for the transition to normal steer. On a motorcycle this would be hydraulic and would power the transition between normal steer and Free to Caster.