| Author | Message | ||
     Skntpig |
A friend of mine is going to get a Frankenstein Trike kit due to a loss of mobility in the legs. He has a 2003 Harley Roadking. The trike shop wants to remove a front rotor and caliper so they can operate the front and rear with the hand MC. I would like to see him keep the existing rotors and calipers up front and find a better suited handlebar MC to link all three. | ||
| Etennuly |
I am of the same thinking. However he will probably double(or more) the rear weight of the machine and have six times the rear rubber on the road. I would think the stock motorcycle MC on the bars would be inadequate for car type calipers on the rear anyways. But hey, there are a lot of smart builders out there who have done handicap trikes. Maybe research some of them? | ||
| Hootowl |
Why can't they simply add another brake line to the front brake system and run it to the rear brakes? Hopefully through an adjustable proportioning valve. | ||
| Skntpig |
That's the idea, but they would remove a caliper so the MC would only push to 2 calipers like it is now. I think it would be better to find an MC to run all three. It would have to move more fluid. | ||
| 86129squids |
Here's a curveball- have your buddy do a reasonable comparison between buying a trike and buying a nice convertible car. Seriously. There was a reason Honda and the other offroad trike manufacturers stopped building 3-wheelers and instead went to building 4-wheelers- they're just not safe! I can understand the appeal of still putting on all the MC gear and having the HD rumble still going on, but for the HUGE $$$ it'll take to build/buy a trike, a schweeet 'vert car could be had- plus, SO many other advantages. On the back end of owning one or the other, I'd hate to see the asset depreciation of a trike vs. a convertible car too. What it boils down to for me is simply this: To lose the ability to lean into turns, plus the counter-intuitive way one has to "steer" a trike, makes it a HUGE deal-breaker. Whatever makes a guy/gal happy otherwise. Being here in Mur-vil TN, I see a crap-ton of these rolling through... and every time I see a trike AND it's pulling a trailer, hmmm, how much $$$ does that represent, and DANG if I couldn't work up a tricked out Honda S2000 or something. Just sayin'. Not to whiz on anyone's Wheaties, but I just had to throw $.02 in here... please carry on. | ||
| 86129squids |
Oh, one other thing- I remember a guy out in Washington state IIRC who was a mechanical engineer, he built a 2-wheel rig that bolts to the front-end of a regular FL type bike, looked to be easily reversible back to stock- PLUS, the contraption still allowed for pretty decent lean-angles! I was pretty impressed with the package, and that's coming from a guy who finds very little appeal in any of the Can-Am Spyder type offerings. (Wish I could provide better information, sorry...) Vern, I know you used to be into those ATC racers and such, so flame on! You've at least got the racer's AND mechanic's mind to understand how to safely (hehheh) ride the dang things... | ||
| Akbuell |
Something cable-to-second brake cyl; operated by the riders thumb? A La Foggy's race set-up? | ||
| S2t_bama |
It's no Road King, but what about triking a Burgman 650 or Honda Silverwing? It has all hand controls as is. I think the Tow Pac kits are available for them. | ||
| Strokizator |
If you get the brakes worked out, how's he going to shift gears? Mount/dismount the trike? There's a guy around here who built a flat-bottomed sidecar that he rolls right up on and operates all controls from his chair. You do a double take when you see a riderless sidecar rig go down the road. | ||
| Etennuly |
My Father-in-law had a GW trike built for his 80th birthday. He and the mother-in-law got out on it quite a bit in the three or four years they had it. Health reasons eventually had him sell it. I rode it a bit and was not impressed with the 'steer it like a truck' with no corner leaning. I know what you are saying Brad. I do understand getting back out on a bike after being off a few years. The father-in-law quit riding when he was 70 because he though at that time he was too old.  To the OP, I doubt you could find a hand lever actuated master cylinder with a large enough volume per stroke, of brake fluid, or the mechanical leverage to stop the trike with a single hand grip pull through two or three calipers. What they probably would do is use a single disc on the rear end with a motorcycle caliper unit. Maybe even put his front HD caliper and rotor back there. | ||
| Sifo |
What they probably would do is use a single disc on the rear end with a motorcycle caliper unit. Maybe even put his front HD caliper and rotor back there. Given the weight involved, a twin disk front system converted to the rear axle might make sense. There's a guy around here who built a flat-bottomed sidecar that he rolls right up on and operates all controls from his chair. I saw a rig like that on the Dragon a few years ago. I didn't get a good look at how it all worked though. It was set up to just roll in from the back and dock the wheel chair in riding position. Kind of cool, but I would consider the convertible option myself. What ever does it for you though. | ||
| Skntpig |
So it seems that most of you on here think it's ok to just use the rear brake. That is foreign in my thought process because as a track rider I never touch the rear. It just seems wrong to me but I guess with the extra rubber on the back it could work. He can walk with the assistance of a fancy brace from the thigh to foot on one side and a knee to foot brace on the other. He also uses 2 canes but can't walk any real distance. The left shifter ankle doesn't move enough to shift constantly. The trike place would set him up with a pingle air shifter. Getting on it wouldn't be an issue. Thanks for the ideas and keep them coming if you think of another brake solution. He's a rider and now looks at his RK in the garage where it's sat for a year and a half. A convertible car isn't going to be the same even though he looses the lean of motorcycling. | ||
| Sifo |
I can speak only for myself. Rear brake only is a compromise solution. Keep in mind that just going from a track bike to a cruiser the rear brake becomes more effective. By the time you add the weight of turning it into a trike, you have added even more weight to the rear. It's not just more rubber on the road. To me the alternative would be a dual disk front brake set up. That might be better in some situations, it might be worse in others. A lot depends on exactly what the trike design is. I'm just not aware of any set up that is capable of operating 3-4 brakes off of a single hand brake. It's not an ideal situation, but if he really wants to be on something like that, compromises will be made. It does change the risk calculus of riding. Perhaps a hand lever brake system could be done (suicide brake?), but that seems like a bad idea on a trike conversion. BTW, as I understand it, trike conversions take a good deal of upper body strength to even turn unless the steering geometry has been modified correctly. I've been told that the HD trike conversions that were done for so many years suffered from this problem. Bike geometry is designed to lean through a turn and is very different from what a trike is doing. If not done correctly it will fight the driver through every single turn. I got this from a HD trike owner who told me that if he had ever test ridden a trike, he would never have bought it. I do understand wanting to scratch that riding itch though. Tell your buddy to really do his homework. | ||
| 86129squids |
Tom, that tough steering issue should be properly addressed by modifying the headstock to increase steering rake. If you look at a stock 2 wheel FL, then the new HD trikes from the factory, the trikes all will have that change done. Lots of folks found out the hard way that NOT doing that rake change makes things kinda sucky. Those bolt-on kits for the rear won't help much, although they DO lean a little- the WRONG ways through turns! Once I ran through the Gap behind a couple on a FL with a bolt-on kit, and they were scootin pretty fast...  | ||
| Sifo |
Tom, that tough steering issue should be properly addressed by modifying the headstock to increase steering rake. If you look at a stock 2 wheel FL, then the new HD trikes from the factory, the trikes all will have that change done. Exactly why I brought it up. The guy I talked to bought his as a NEW vehicle and it was not modified correctly. There are many of those on the road today. It wasn't some cobbled together kit. It's just how they were doing them. Pretty sad state of affairs IMO. Steering geometry has to become more car like to make it work. Most of the parts you are dealing with are anything but car like in their designed geometry. It may not be rocket science, but it is precision manufacturing. Hopefully the builder in question knows his stuff. It's worth raising the questions with him IMO. Then again, I have told my wife that if I ever say I want a trike, she should put a bullet in my head. I wont however suggest that advice should apply to all.  | ||
| 86129squids |
You, on a trike?  I'd euthanize ya too. Gotta say though, there are a LOT of folks who DO enjoy them. Not enough is said about the psychology of being a "biker", I'd guess. I do remember many regular guys showing up almost daily on theirs, of course wearing all the "biker" regalia, patches, pins, blahblahblah. One old man got his built, and he decided to start riding around with some giant bunny or something in the passenger seat... where's the emoticon for "huge facepalm"? | ||
| Sifo |
You, on a trike? I'd euthanize ya too. I appreciate the sentiment!  Different strokes for different strokes though. I certainly can appreciate the desire to modify machines to accommodate various disabilities. My dad had to modify a snowmobile to accommodate his prosthetic leg. A leg that BTW he held patents on how it was built. He never did try to profit from the patent though, it was just a way to document for others an advancement in prosthetics. | ||
| Fotoguzzi |
my first car in 24 years. got it a year ago. less fun then a motorcycle but more fun than a trike..  I might have to try out the Slingshot, that looks like a trike with sports car performance.  | ||
| 86129squids |
Dayum! Nice wax job! I tried to convince the GF to trade her Solara to a guy who had a Mazda like that- we could've gone on vacay to FL with it had the stars aligned- but she shot me down. Even had the hard-top...  Oh well. Whatever makes Momma happy. | ||
| Skntpig |
Yeah. The kit he is looking at includes too and bottom neck trees to rake the front. The builder is very experienced so I guess we will try the one rotor in front and one in rear linked to the stock MC. | ||
| 04xl1200c |
This may not be of help to the original poster of this thread, but Tilting Motor Works offers a trike conversion that could be of help. I have no connection to the site, but if I am ever able to ride again I think this would be the way I would need to go. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I'd get a Morgan 3 Wheeler with the S&S motor. | ||
| Patches |
These Guys might be able to help. http://queenscustomcycles.com/ | ||
| Desertdan |
I have seen the Slingshot , for the $23,000 its as good as it gets but , I called up the Insurance agency and it is $2500 a year to Insure ! yikes ! but for Your friend maybe its worth it, next question is what can He get into or on top of ? that will also limit His choices |
