I don’t actually know what this particular model buggy is called, but I have a feeling this may have been a very early version where maybe it was the Viper.

I had a need to get a ‘real’ speed buggy. My customised wide axle Flexifoil 2002 gives me all the geometry I need to hold the power on the ground, but the low side rails mean that flying those bigger kites to maximise the speed would still have it side slipping. In addition, despite the efforts so far to lower the Flexi the tow point is still comparatively high, still some way to go to get that sorted.

So, when an advert came up for one of these Viper things second hand at a reasonable sounding price I thought is would be a good thing to consider, at least it would allow me to delay the work needed to continue improving the Flexi for a while.

Some dialogue with the owner at the time revealed a couple of things that needed to be known. For a start the standard seat had been replaced by a Libre Affair, some comments on that later. In addition a stainless tube fixed between the siderails had been added to act as a backrest. But most importantly for the sake of practicality it was offered with a cycle rack as a working system, which would allow me to carry the bug on the rear of the van.

After some negotiations the owner agreed to meet halfway to do the exchange of cash for bug. So, at Weston-super-mare stainless was swapped for paper, and the seller helped me to get the bike rack hooked up to the tow bar on the van. Driving back that day I was filled with doubt and uncertainty as this thing stuck out each side and above the roof line, I think I looked into that rear view mirror rather more than usual that day. I needn’t have worried, the thing was a very secure setup and time has proven that it’s a fairly quick and convenient way to transport a comparatively big beast like this.

So to the buggy.
Unlike a lot of race buggies I’ve seen the steel has a smooth finish, albeit rather matt after some time under the influence of sand. This at least will allow me to indulge in my liking for polished stainless steel, unlike buggies like the Libres which have an ugly textured finish which give them an agricultural appearance which I don’t like. Fasteners are standard fayre, though some had been replaced with cap screws (Allen bolts), which can be a bit more convenient than Hex headed ones. This includes the rear wheel bolts. Allen keys for 20mm bolts are huge, some 17 mm A/F and I’m not sure if this change is a good one, they are certainly straight, but two wheeling is something that this bug is incapable of doing, so I see no risk from impact damaging them. At least these cap screws certainly look better than the huge Hex heads of the normal bolts.

The fork assembly is clever in its simplicity. Two aluminium yokes use recessed cap screws as pinch bolts to grip the fork legs, a central hole allows a simple through bolt from the bottom up to hold onto the quite small ball raced head set bearings. These rectangular section yokes mean that by simply having another pair made with greater spacing I can use the existing fork legs to allow fitment of bigger wheels, I’ll get back to that. This will be considerably cheaper than having a complete new set of forks like most buggies.

The bottom of the forks has a plate on the front side with three holes to permit adjusting the wheel height. There is little to be gained by using these normally, I guess it would be possible to maintain the steering head angle with respect to differing positions of the down tube, but marginal differences. A more likely explanation for their presence is to allow the fork legs to be used for different wheel sizes. I can fit a Big foot in there if I wanted to with the appropriate change in yokes.

The foot pegs are simple aluminium round bars held in place with split claps around the fork legs. Small rectangular plates on the peg ends prevent your feet from sliding off. There is no readily apparent facility for the fitting of foot straps.

The down tube is secured using that standard clamping action of many buggies of this type. Nothing more than a crude but apparently effective way of joining things together, at least the strength of the down tube is not undermined by the presence of through holes like the Flexis. I don’t know if I’ve got long legs or what, but this bug is only right for me with the down tube at full extension, same as my Flexis, as I’m of average height I either differ from design intention or I’m a weird shape!

The side rails are where the difference between Flexis and race bugs start to become apparent. They rise up form the seat front at a steep angle to a height halfway between my elbows and my shoulders, at least where I have the seat adjusted to. The padding o these is not good, I have not removed them yest, but I suspect some inadequately sized pipe lagging resides uvder the covers because it’s not quite big enough to get around the tubing properly, plus they are far too hard a material. Moving to the added backrest I first thought that it was far too far forward, but I’ve changed my mind on this after some decent use as you do feel better being upright when holding all of that power.

The Libre seat is a piece of classic ‘didn’t quite think about that then!’ design. There are numerous overlaps of piped hems which are about 20 mm deep. I can guarantee that after a good pressure wash a decent wine glass full of sand will still appear after its all dried out. Silly! I’m also not sure what the straps are all about, the length of them would allow the seat to be adjusted down to the floor if it has wheels of a tractor on the bug! The resultant foot and a half of spare strap when it’s adjusted to where I want it is a mess, and that thing of loads of seat straps dragging along the ground is not something I like, so they are coming off. These straps are fitted with cam lock buckles, which at least allow the surplus to be doubled up and locked down to make it look a bit neater for now. Comfort wise the seat is nothing special, I’m too skinny to fit into it comfortably, so some increased sidereal padding diameter is needed to get some security in there, the seat feels like a crude hammock. Libre have sensibly fitted two stainless eyelets to allow water to drain out, or in, depending on your point of view. It’s a pity that they are too far forward, so a puddle at the rear of the seat results anyway. Nice try. If this seat was fitted as an improvement to he original, then that one must have been a howler!

There’s a desperate need for a splashguard on this buggy. I’m fitting a belly pan, but only to act as a stiffener for a full length splashguard, and who knows mabe a race number. The previous owner fitted ‘Crud catcher’ does a lot to stop the worst of water and sand, but it is not enough by a long way. After my first decent beach session I looked like Kalimna on Tiree!

Diverting onto the retro fitted crossbar/backrest, 7/10! The welding is really nice, carried out by ‘wind welder’ from the Flexi forum I understand. There’s a bit of tungsten inclusion in there, but tolerable. The down side is that the backrest tube is crudely cut, with coarse linished ends, and the welds still bear the rainbow colours of oxidisation. Some acid etch would have been dead easy to solve that.

The side rails continue back to the rear axle terminating in ‘T’ Plates which fit onto the standard flat centrally positioned plates welded to the axle. Allegedly this axle can be reversed to place the plates on the underside when fitting bigfoots to retain the chassis height. But I found that with the brackrest on top the seating position really was leaning too far forward in spite of the downtube jacking the front up through being fully extended, so on the underside it is even on standard wheels. At least when I do fit bigger wheels goodness only knows I’ve got enough scope of movement on the seat straps to keep the weight as low as it is.

And so to the wheels. Standard barrows all round, but a weird front tyre which is somewhat smaller than the rears, which are fitted with the same boots as the Flexis.

So that’s the physical bits, on to the running:
Ahh, now it all makes some sense! In spite of it being run on barrows the side grip on this thing is quite different to the Flexis. I’ve found that my local beaches will allow me to get away with barrows in most places, but the best all rounders are the 16” Kenda ‘wides’ fitted to my Flexi WA. At first I though of getting some of these for the Viper, but I’m going to head for 18” versions as I’ve tried a Hardcore fitted with these, at that increased radius is noticeable as being a tad smoother.

The best measured speed I’ve achieved in the Flexis was 38 MPH on grippy grass, on the first decent outing with this one I had 36 MPH on firmish but shifting sand, so I’m looking forward to getting this better as I introduce the bigger wheels and some siderail extensions maybe, readily achievable stuff first.

A good move.

Thanks to Jerry Hill for submitting this review.