will my 1985 big red 200cc 3 wheeler float if i put loads of air in the tyres 25inchx10x12

 

Depends. How much do you and the machine weigh together?

As a kid, I had always heard that such machines would float, but it took an accidental discovery for me to find out for myself.

My brother had a Suzuki LT185 Quadrunner and we used to play with it in a shallow pond. One day we bailed off in there only to find out that the previous night's rain had filled the pond up much more than it had been. To our surprise, with both of us riding it, it floated and we actually drove it across the pond.

I was amazed that it could float and remain stable, and even more amazed that you could actually "drive" it around in the water. It wasn't fast, of course, but you could go forward and turn in either direction.

I would say yes, but only cautiously. Now, if you go out there and drown yourself, it ain't my fault.

 

They do float but usually with the wheels up because they are so unstable in deep water.

 

I have heard that exra air in the tires doesn't help it float. It actually hurts it in floating. But, I don't remember the mathematic formulas and stuff people showed me though...

 

Saw a pictue in one of the magazines recently. I think it was a Rancher floating down the river, not much was above the water.

Trivia: Do you know what determines if something will float or not. Answer to come in a couple days...

Never mind, I'd forget to come back and post it..

The short answer is. Something will float if it weighs less than an equal amount of water weighs. If the total area of an object weighs less than the equal total area of water. Make sense????????

 

I thought it was density that determinded if something floated?

 

Buoyancy is the term you are looking for. Density doesn't really have a lot to do with it, exactly.

Water weighs approximately 8 pounds per gallon. Whatever the volume (in gallons, cubic feet, etc.) the tires displace, MUST weigh more than the ATV and rider.

Weight (of water displaced)=Weight of ATV+ weight of rider, or W.water=W.atv +W.rider

In theory, if a Honda 200 weighs 250 pounds, and you put a 150 pound rider on it, that means the water displaced would have to be 400 pounds, or 50 gallons. That's a lot of water to displace so you can float!

Larry

 

Yeah, what he said. I knew what I was trying to say [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img] , but you used the right terminology [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] . Thanks for helping me out and setting it straight. That a good trivia question and I'll remember it correctly for the next time.

Tally Ho, and Ride Safe

 

I heard helium can make it lighter, is this true? if so you might want to put some helium in those tires [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

Nope. It's just the weight of water and amount displaced. If it helps, it is negligible.

The reason you don't add the weight of anything else from the atv that goes underwater is that it is denser than water (yes, here is the density part). For instance, the engine block displaces X gallons of water, but it would still be heavier than that amount of water. However, lets say that the front fork displaces one gallon of water. But the fork is hollow, so if the fork weighs eight pounds or less, then that plays into it as well.

Clear as MUD.

Larry