UTCustom Catrike Cat-4 Recumbent Quad

The Cat-4 Quad is made in the USA and features many custom gearing options. We now have two custom differential options available. Our geared differential is perfect for road riding performance whereas our new posi-trac differential is all about traction on loose surfaces or even two-wheel tricks.

The Catrike Cat-4 Quad by Utah Trikes

When we first talked with Catrike in 2009 about making a Quad they were excited about the prospect. There were several designs built and tested over the following three years, but it was really the year of 2012 that things started coming together. Not only did we finished building our own machine shop and fabrication facility, but also several members of the Utah Trikes staff have been trained and certified in Solidworks, TIG welding, general fabrication, and powder coating. The stars lined up, and just before the 2012 Catrike Rally in Florida we completed our last prototypes and were able to demo them at the Rally.

The Quad has been designed for those looking for a true pedal car. The additional cargo capacity, traction, and 4-wheel disc braking make it the perfect utility vehicle for touring and commuting. The Quad conversion of the Catrike changes the handling characteristics of the base trike. The stability of the Cat-4 Quad is the best we have encountered on any cycle. The unique change to the geometry makes the Catrike ride like its on rails. It wants to go straight like never before.

The Quad housing and mounting system is manufactured entirely in-house by Utah Trikes.

All parts of the housing are machined in-shop which allowed us to do a lot of testing and create an efficient production process. The inner and outer mounts act as their own jigs during assembly and welding. We built our own coping machine to mill the three bracing supports so there is a no-gap fit and perfect alignment. We use oversized tubing throughout, so that despite weighing less than three pounds, our cage can easily support over 500lbs of applied weight. With the combined axle system we've raised the rider weight capacity of the Catrike to 350lbs with a combined rider/payload capacity of 500lbs.

Gearing Options

We started out by designing a coupling system that allows us to use the stock Catrike dropouts to hold a middrive. The beauty of this setup is that Catrike�s already efficient chainline can be used and mostly off-the-shelf hubs and transmissions can be used for gearing. Using a middrive gearing system instead of running the gearing directly on the rear axle offers many advantages. Our middrive coupling system allows for the use of derailleur-based gearing as well as any of our Internally Geared Hub (IGH) transmissions. Being able to use derailleurs on our Quads is a first for us, and makes for a very efficient drive train. For performance riders, the derailleurs are hard to beat, but they do leave the rear derailleur exposed making this setup mostly suited for road riding. The IGH transmissions offer wide gear ranges, ultimate reliability, ease of riding, and increased ground clearance.

Besides being able to use a variety of gearing systems the middrive systems allows us to have a lot of control over the final gearing. For example, if we use the standard gearing found on the Catrike Trail up to the middrive and then use a 26t sprocket on the middrive with a 20t sprocket on the axle we raise our gearing to be equivalent to running 26-inch rear wheels. By choosing different drive sprockets the gearing candidates be geared as low or high as you want. This allows the rider a lot of control in choosing their ultimate gear ratios.

Rear Axle

We are using our UTCustom Freewheel Posi Differential with 17mm hardened steel axles. This allows your quad to have 2 wheel drive in the rear instead of just 1. Giving you increased traction and power in the wheels.

Despite being slightly heavier, we decided to go with the thicker axle to give us more strength and allow us to use a high-quality bearing. Each axle is machined to attach to our own custom rotor mount. We chose to create our own rotor mount so that we could use OEM Catrike wheels on the rear of the Quad. The wheels attach by mating to the rotor mount and then secured with a centering shim and 16mm locknut. This makes removing the wheels easy and the entire assembly very modular.

Braking

All Cat-4 Quads have provisions for optional rear brakes. If you choose the four-wheel Avid BB7 disc brake option you can choose how you want the brake levers setup. The default setup is as a motorcycle with front brakes on the right side and rear on the left. We can also set the levers up like a mountain bike with the actions reversed and the left lever actuating the front brakes. For the performance riders we can setup the right and left levers to control the right and left calipers respectively. The performance setup is especially suited for fast cornering and two-wheel tricks to prevent differential slippage.

As a Platform

We have a complete cargo system for the Cat-4 Quad and will be releasing many other attachments that fit on the Quad including electric motor assist, fender kits, and so much more!

Is a Quad for you?

If weight is your primary concern, then you are probably better off with the trike or even a skinny-tire carbon road bike, but the mere 13lbs our rear end adds to the Catrike brings a lot to the table. The Cat-4 Quad is a performance-oriented option for those wanting utility, traction, or simply something a little difference.

Already have a Catrike?

As an upgrade, the Quad kit can be painted to match all the existing Catrike colors, in addition to any colors offered by our Custom Color Shop. The Quad kit can be purchased through Utah Trikes and select Catrike dealers.

Make Yours Electric!

As electric motors get more affordable and main stream. We are building more and more electric trikes and quads. All of our motor kits allow you to choose the level of assist you want. That means that as you pedal the motor kicks in automatically providing additional power to your own pedaling efforts. We also provide a thumb-actuated throttle with our Bafang motor systems that act like the gas pedal in your car. Don't want to pedal? No worries, just push the throttle and go!

Currently we offer three different options here at Utah Trikes: the Bafang mid drive motor which ranges from 750 watts, 1000 watts, and our Ultra which is a 1000 watt motor with a 1400 watt max output. We also offer the "eCat Bosch Active Line Plus" which is a pedal assist only motor that comes as the factory motor upgrade for Catrikes. And Our newest option which is the "UTcustom eCat Bosch Sport Upgrade" which takes the configuration of the regular eCat motor system and replaces the Active Line Plus with the "Bosch Performance Line Sport" a class 3 motor with a 28 mph top speed.

Boom-Mounted Bafang Middrive Motor
The Bafang Middrive comes in a 750 Watt, 1000 Watt, or Ultra. You'll want to choose the motor size based on your style of riding. We install the Bafang motor on your bottom bracket, which means it replaces the front crankset of your quad. The motor being mounted here means the motor can utilize the rear gearing ratios, making it the best for speed and climbing ability

Boom-Mounted Bosch Motor
The Bosch line of motors comes in two varients; The classic "eCat Active Line Plus Kit" which is the Catrike factory motor option, or our new "UTcustom eCat Bosch Sport Upgrade" These are both pedal assist motor that do not feature a throttle, but make up for it with their built in torque sensor. Unlike the Bafang motor systems which have a cadence pedal assist system the Bosch motors utilize a torque sensor which allows for a more natural feeling assist that adjusts to the amount of torque you apply to the pedals. The Active Line Plus is a class 1 electric motor with a top speed of 20 mph, coming equipped with a 400 watt hour battery. The Performance Line Sport is a class 3 electric motor with a top speed of 28 mph, that comes equipped with a 500 watt hour battery.

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