This German Company You’ve Never Heard Of Builds 12-Foot-Long Trikes With Mitsubishi Engines

If I asked you to name me a trike, I have a feeling you’d mention something like a Can-Am Spyder or a Harley Freewheeler, maybe a Morgan 3 Wheeler or a Polaris Slingshot. Maybe you even own one of the oddball trikes from China. Something I didn’t expect to see at the North American International Auto Show was a kind of trike I’ve never seen from a German company I didn’t know existed. Rewaco builds trikes with enormous tires and powers them with the same Mitsubishi engines that used to power Smart Forfours. Let’s take a look.

This summer I have been giving trikes some love. Three-wheelers are sometimes the red-headed stepchild of the motorcycle world. For years, I’ve seen debates about whether trikes are even motorcycles and what’s the point of buying one over a two-wheeled motorcycle or car. I think trikes have their place in the world, especially if you’ve lost your balance, have been injured, or just aren’t that interested in balancing and leaning. At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, I found a pair of trikes that look like ostentatious custom builds, but they actually come from a real company that’s been around for three decades!

The German Builder Of Silly Trikes

When I saw the brand name on these trikes, Rewaco, I was expecting a small American outfit with an exotic-sounding name. But no. Rewaco opened up shop in Germany in 1990 as a manufacturer of factory-built custom trikes. The company powered its initial builds with Volkswagen air-cooled engines before moving to large Harley-Davidson mills. In 2005, Rewaco ditched the Harley motorcycle engines for 1.6-liter Ford Zetec engines. (You might find that in foreign-market Focuses and other Fords).

Over in Europe, Rewaco trikes are reportedly popular with long-distance riders and rental firms.

It was around this time that Rewaco first tried entering the American market. Apparently, Rewaco encountered many roadblocks, including the fact that neither the EPA nor the NHTSA would certify the trikes, ultimately grounding the idea of their importation. Rewaco continued to attempt to enter America until 2008 when the idea became shelved.

Long after Rewaco gave up on the idea of importing trikes, Shaun Cady and his father Doug, owners of Trike Traders in Lake Alfred, Florida, contacted Rewaco with interest in bringing the trikes over. Rewaco informed the father-son duo that the vehicles still had to get through the hurdles of the EPA and NHTSA before they could be sold in America. Given the recession at the time, Rewaco itself didn’t have the funds to federalize its trikes for America. At the time, Rewaco and Trike Traders put the idea on hold.

In 2013, conditions improved enough for Rewaco to give it a try. The company found a potential distributor in Canada and later that year, Rewaco gained the certifications it needed to import vehicles into the United States. That year, the Rewaco RF1 made its way into America. At the time, Rewaco boasted German engineering and quality, sports car styling, and an American engine by way of a 1.6-liter Ford Zetec making 140 HP. The trike had other interesting traits too from a cavernous trunk, a gas tank large enough for over 400 miles of highway cruising, and a comfy ride thanks in part to a dual A-arm independent rear suspension.

Today, Rewaco is selling different flavors of trike in America and all of them now come with a Mitsubishi 4A91T 1.5-liter turbo four making 140 HP. Europeans get two more engine choices including the Mitsubishi 1.5-liter four making 110 HP and another turbo variant making 177 HP. The engine comes from Mitsubishi’s 4A family, which saw use in the Mitsubishi Lancer, the original Smart Forfour, and the Mitsubishi Colt. Currently, the engine is used in a ton of Chinese cars as well as a couple of Asian market Mitsubishis.

Rewaco says it’s targeting a rather large swath of people. Its expected clientele includes middle-aged to senior-aged men and women, wealthy vehicle collectors, people who don’t own motorcycles, and people who may not fit well on a traditional motorcycle. Rewaco also targets people who want to take very long road trips, people who need a lot of cargo space, and people who want to carry more than one passenger or who want to carry a passenger plus a pet. Basically, Rewaco’s customers are basically anything but the typical riders.

What You Can Get In America

A dealership distributing Rewacos had two models on display in Detroit, the RF1-ST-3 and the Pur3 Touring. Let’s look at the RF1-ST-3. This one is the latest version of the RF1 that Rewaco first brought into America a decade ago. All of Rewaco’s offerings in the United States come with the 1.5-liter turbo four from Mitsubishi making 140 HP. Rewaco says it’s good for a 60 mph sprint in 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 110 mph. That’s bolted to a seven-speed automatic transmission.

The features list is huge and includes stainless steel crash protection, LED lights, seating for three, a folding front seat, cruise control, a rearview camera, ABS, a first aid kit, and more. Options include a trailer hitch, a wing, additional headrests, and even a 10-centimeter frame extension in case the trike just isn’t long enough. Speaking of length, these trikes are 12 feet long and over 1,300 pounds empty. They carry a fuel load of 10 gallons and have a useful payload of about 600 pounds.

Equally large and in charge are the rear wheels. You get 200/50R17 wheels standard but can get wheels as large as 305/30R19.

Also on display was the Pur3 Touring. This one doesn’t have three seats, but it does come with a rather large fairing with a digital display, stereo, and plastic windscreen. It also comes with bits of kit like preparation for a navigation system add-on, a USB connection, adaptive suspension, and more.

Regardless of which Rewaco you get, the trike has a seriously large trunk and the body itself is made out of fiberglass. Rewaco says all versions of its trikes can be upgraded to have fairings, windscreens, and sound systems. So, you really just choose your favorite body style then pile on the options. The company offers the trikes in a bunch of different colors, including two-tones and yes, you do get a reverse gear. These things do weigh two riders short of a Smart Fortwo, after all.

The cheapest Rewaco is the Pur3 Classic, a two-seater for $37,400. It has all of the aforementioned standard features, a chrome frame finish, and 17-inch wheels. Representing the top of the line is the $47,731 RF1 GT-Touring, which has all of the aforementioned Touring equipment plus nearly every option such as a black-painted frame, two-tone paint, a stereo system, glove compartment, and a wing. In between the Pur3 Classic and RF1 GT-Touring are a number of granular variations that mix and match options like fairings, seats, and paint. Most of the 98 Rewacos for sale in the U.S. right now are at or slightly under $50,000.

Silly, But In A Good Way

Given the high price, I’m not entirely sure Rewaco is going to get most of the target demographics it is going after. Someone looking for a machine to ride after losing their balance will probably just buy a significantly cheaper $22,099 Can-Am Spyder F3 and call it a day. A woman dipping her toes into the motorcycling world who also isn’t interested in two wheels will probably follow a similar path. Not to mention Harley’s much cheaper trikes, converted Honda Gold Wings, and similar. There are also a lot of nice motorcycles and cars you could buy for just one of these.

That said, I’m happy they exist. Rewaco trikes are daft like the custom trike builds you see on Facebook and on YouTube, but you can buy one from the factory! The big wheels are silly, the lengths absurdly long, and I love the idea of someone actually attempting a family road trip from a Rewaco. If you have the kind of money that Rewaco wants, you will probably feel like a big kid as you drive your big wheel trike down the highway. It’s silly, but in a way, I respect it.

(Images: Author, unless otherwise noted.)