The Piranha III - New & Improved

A new standard...

The original Piranha set a new standard for easy to build high performance off road buggies. After nearly two decades of success the Piranha III raises the bar again with an all new chassis, overhauled front suspension and a high power capable rear drive unit.

Improved Performance...

Underneath the new looks and improved performance is the same ease of construction and solid reliability that has made the Piranha a standard in off road buggies.

Completely Redesigned...

The all-new chassis is styled off Edge’s successful Barracuda buggy while simplifying the build process. The original Piranha’s sturdy single A arm front suspension has been revamped with longer shock absorbers to improve damping response and handling over the roughest terrain.

Double A arm front suspension is offered as an upgrade for the cutting edge in handling.

S1 Rear Driveline...

The S1 rear driveline retains the high horsepower durability perfected in the Barracuda while simplifying the build process and reducing costs. The rugged design and 930 CV drive shafts harness the raw horsepower of large capacity motorcycle engines, delivering traction over any terrain.

Equally at home on sand dunes, rocky trails and forest tracks, the Piranha’s latest iteration continues to put exciting off-road performance within the reach of homebuilders and professionals alike.

Check out some of our customer Piranha III builds
(You can also see customer Piranha I and II projects)

Plans

The Piranha III plans include over 190 pages of detailed drawings and build instructions derived from our latest CAD models for ultimate accuracy and clarity. The plans include parts lists, material lists and fastener lists while the drawings feature 2D and 3D diagrams. To make the process easier for the home builder construction follows a step by step format as listed below:

1) Chassis Frame
2) Gear Shifter
3) Pedals
4) Front Suspension
5) Steering
6) Fuel Tank
7) Nerf Bars
8) Radiator
9) Body Panels
10) Wheels
11) S1 Rear Suspension

Many of the components are broken up into further sub assemblies for ease of manufacture.
The Piranha III plan set includes the full S1 Rear Suspension plans.

Specifications

Chassis

RHS section floor frame, tubular space frame roll cage structure

Steering

Quick-turn racing rack and pinion.

Motor

Road motorcycle engines, water cooled chain drive type, 600cc-1000cc

Transmission

Motorcycle gearbox and chain drive to 930 CV axles

Front Suspension

Single “A” Arm independent with coilover shocks, 350mm travel, (Optional Double A arm front suspension within plans).

Rear Suspension

S1 Double “A” Arm independent, rod end adjustable camber with coilover shocks, 260mm travel

Brakes Front

180mm disc on each wheel with twin piston hydraulic caliper

Brakes Rear

Single centre mounted 315mm disc with twin piston hydraulic caliper

Front Wheels

25x8x12” tyres on 12x5” rims

Rear Wheels

26x12x12” tyres on 12x10.5” rims

Overall Length

3050mm (outside of tyre to outside of tyre)

Overall Width

1790mm (outside of tyre to outside of tyre)

Overall Height

1585mm (ground to top of rollbar)

Track (rear)

1420mm (hub face to hub face)

Track (front)

1490mm (hub face to hub face)

Wheelbase

2380mm

Approx. Weight

400kg (880lb) depending on engine

Ground Clearance

Minimum 385mm, 600mm at nose

Top Speed

150 kph

Acceleration

0-100kph in 5.5 seconds

What does it cost to build?

Buying the raw materials, fabricating and welding the Piranha III parts yourself to the plans will cost approximately $5,500 to $7,000 Australian dollars minus motor depending on how much of the componentry you produce yourself.

 

Suitable Engine Types

The Piranha III is best suited to motors between 600cc and 1000cc depending on budget, desired performance and the intended driving terrain. All motors must have a chain drive from the gearbox to the rear wheel, and the chain must be on the left side of the motor.

A water cooled motor is strongly recommended as an air-cooled model can be starved of cooling airflow when mounted in a buggy.

Air-cooled engines will also usually produce less power than a water-cooled engine of a similar size.

Single and twin cylinder engines such as the Honda XR650, BMW F800GS, Yamaha TRX850 or Suzuki TL1000 offer lots of low RPM torque, providing a more driver friendly power delivery.

These characteristics are ideal for sandy or boggy terrain such as beaches and dunes where traction is limited and control is as important as power.

Four cylinder engines have plenty of high RPM power with a race like delivery. On dirt, rocks and firm terrain this power can be put to the ground giving excellent performance. Some examples include the Yamaha YZFR6, Suzuki GSXR750, Honda CBR1000, Suzuki GSXR1000, Kawasaki ZXR1000, Aprilia RSV1000 and Yamaha R1 are a small selection.

Keep Your Plans Up To Date

The plans for sale above are the latest edition of the Piranha III plans. For customers who purchased earlier Piranha III plans the following amendments bring older plans up to date with extra building tips and revised details.

S1 Housing Masking for Powder Coating
[Download amendment] - 11th October 2016

Front Shock Mounts
[Download amendment] - 20th December 2016

Pedal Mounts
[Download amendment] - 5th January 2017

S1 Lower Arms
[Download amendment] - 12th January 2017

We recommend customers check back periodically to ensure you benefit from the latest available files.