[Scooter1]

Maybe I'll take top honors here for most drops in 24 hours as I lie here icing down my pulled hamstrings. Yesterday I mentioned in the Raise Your Cup thread about dropping it in the deep sand in the curve of my half mile dirt road from hell to my house. Got a minor leg gash on that drop and today dropped in sand again and pulled left hamstring. Dang it if I didn't get it back up and couldn't pull out of the rut in the road and dropped it into the ditch. Both times crash bars protected bike but second drop pulled right hamstring. A dozer operator was working nearby and flagged him down as I couldn't lift the bike anymore with hamstrings burning like hell. Don't ever drop one in a ditch as we had to motor it out going up hill while I wasn't mounted, feathering clutch, gas and front brake. What a handful that was. Nope, I didn't throw in the towell and ride the bike back to the house as I rode onto my construction bid and into town to Brady's Coffee for a cup of java. I nearly couldn't swing my leg over the saddle because of the pain but I figured it was best to get back in the saddle when the bull throws you off.

Hired the dozer operator to re-grade my awful road next week and make it safer for the Wing. I've been up and down what looks like an off road trail a hundred times and had never dropped. Coming back home today was without incident. So, hopefully this nonsense will stop otherwise I'll need to trike the Wing. This is our retirement home so we're not moving and 2500 ft. of driveway was 30k 10 years ago to asphalt. If this continues to be problematic, triking will be my cheapest alternative to be able to access the hard top from my cabin in the woods. Can't afford the full meal deal like a Motor Trike conversion but might look at a Tow Pac or Voyager so I can still have access to 2 wheels if I win the lottery and pave the road or move. Anyone have any thoughts or experiences with Trike kits?

 

[trike lady]

I have the Voyager on my GL1500 and like it. Try to find a used one that came off a GL1500 and look for an older model with shocks.
If you buy a Trigg Trike it is a similar unit and nicer.

 

[GWTrike]

I have the Voyager kit on my GL1500 as you can see. The Voyager kit that fits the GL1500 also fits Harley Tourers, but you need a new belly bracket and associated hardware. Point being that you might be able to pick a used one up cheap from a Harley guy, leaving you about another $800+ for the new brackets to fit your GL1500.

The ride isn't as smooth as on 2-wheels and worse over rough terrain at more than 15-20mph. But it is safe; in the rain you can overbrake - even lock'em up and you'll maintain a straight trajectory. A passenger can squirm all they want and you won't notice. Your MPGs will go down about 15%. It's worth it, imo for the stability the kit offers at a way lower price than a permanently mounted trike kit. An d it comes with a tow kit; you need to add a 4-flat connector to your bike for lighting, which some UHaul shops may be able to do for you.

With the kit installed, the bike grows to nearly 10' feet long and 5' wide, which offers a larger profile for cagers to notice.

Here are some pix:

 

[Chopin]

Grace under pressure. We have had a bit of that here lately. Been one hell of a week for Wings.

 

[BEVMAN]

WOW Dan,
Sorry to hear you are having such trouble. For the most part (and I know that you know this) sand/dirt roads and street motorcycles just don't mix. Have you been going down this road the entire time with the Wing and never had a problem until yesterday??
Has the road or lack of road surface gotten worse for some reason? I had a lake lot one time and made a driveway with a sand base and 2 inches of "cleache" rock? Not sure about the spelling but it was much cheaper than asphalt or concrete. I bought it from a company in Yantis not too far from you. After it packs down it becomes very hard almost like asphalt.

Take it easy for a while and heal those sprains, I still want to make that ride to Texoma with you and Will.

 

[Scooter1]

My what a purdy bike you have Val. Somehow I knew you'd be the first to respond. Reading a user reviews, the only concern I read about the Voyager is that it mounts low and therefore has less ground clearance. Having irregular road surfaces on my driveway wondered if it might bottom out. Has this been a concern for you. The Trigg is a nice one too but I hear not as user friendly for that quick disconnect. Of course I'd probably leave it set-up as a trike as long as I have these treacherous road conditions.

 

[Scooter1]

GW and Val ain't nothing shabby about your trikes. They both look marvelous. Never thought I'd even be thinking about this until I became geriatric (which I feel like right now).

Steve, hills are the hardest to keep from eroding as running water is relentless and has washed out all the road base I already installed. The flat sections have stayed in good shape. I've had culverts installed under the road, bar ditches dug to keep water off road in flat sections and many thousands of dollars in road base bladed with a dozer. The access to my property begins as a 500 ft long steep hill that bottoms and follows a sharp curve to the right and a half mile through the woods to the house. It's the curve that gets me everytime. Yes, I've ridden this hill/road a hundreds of times on both Wings and scooters and only dropped the scooter once last year. And yes the road has de-graded from winter rains so it's time to do some more work on it. Lee, I have greater empathy tonight for you guys too on the Tail of the Demon.

 

[Scooter1]

I suppose if this turns into a trike thread I'll start a new thread but I had one more question; with the trike frame bolted to the bike can one access the rear wheel to change the tire? I realize the trike has to be removed but there's a trike frame that's installed with u-bolts and that's what I wonder if it as to be removed?

 

[Scooter1]

I suppose if this turns into a trike thread I'll start a new thread but I had one more question; with the trike frame bolted to the bike can one access the rear wheel to change the tire? I realize the trike has to be removed but there's a trike frame that's installed with u-bolts and wonder if it has to be removed?

 

[trike lady]

There is a main mounting hardware that comes off the engine mounting point and where the center stand once was, this remains in place. There are axle brackets fitted to the back of the bike, there are bearing receivers that the Voyager unit suspension arms fit to and to large bolts that hold the Voyager to the main belly bracket. Once the Voyager is removed no frame is present.

 

[GWTrike]

I suppose if this turns into a trike thread I'll start a new thread but I had one more question; with the trike frame bolted to the bike can one access the rear wheel to change the tire? I realize the trike has to be removed but there's a trike frame that's installed with u-bolts and that's what I wonder if it as to be removed?

I'm not sure about changing the tire, but to get the entire rear brake assembly off my bike for a rebuild, my local mech unbolted the trike itself (2 nuts) and removed one of the mounting brackets.

Greg

 

[GWTrike]

My what a purdy bike you have Val. Somehow I knew you'd be the first to respond. Reading a user reviews, the only concern I read about the Voyager is that it mounts low and therefore has less ground clearance. Having irregular road surfaces on my driveway wondered if it might bottom out. Has this been a concern for you. The Trigg is a nice one too but I hear not as user friendly for that quick disconnect. Of course I'd probably leave it set-up as a trike as long as I have these treacherous road conditions.

Dan, the docs for the Voyager also tell you to avoid speed bumps. I've never bottomed out over speed bumps, which my city fathers in their wisdom installed on 25 and 35mph roads in my neighborhood.
Greg

 

[trike lady]

We need a good trike thread.

 

[DreamWeaver]

Why not just haul in some Base material and mix it in with the sand. It'll get hard as a rock when it mixes and gets dry. Whole lot cheaper than paving.

 

[Scooter1]

There is a main mounting hardware that comes off the engine mounting point and where the center stand once was, this remains in place. There are axle brackets fitted to the back of the bike, there are bearing receivers that the Voyager unit suspension arms fit to and to large bolts that hold the Voyager to the main belly bracket. Once the Voyager is removed no frame is present.

Thanks Val. I guess I thought it mounted like the Tow Pac that does have a frame mounted that stays permanent. Ok, I'll start a Trike thread but if I end up buying one it's all your fault.

And GWTrike, I suppose one just has to watch the bumps in the road.

 

[EFINREF]

I suppose if this turns into a trike thread I'll start a new thread but I had one more question; with the trike frame bolted to the bike can one access the rear wheel to change the tire? I realize the trike has to be removed but there's a trike frame that's installed with u-bolts and wonder if it has to be removed?

Thats how it goes....Drop your bike 3 times in 1 day and its time for a pack of Depends and a Trike.
One week your riding all over Western Texas and planning a journey to Maritime Region and the next.......This is definitely a what have you done for me lately thread

 

[detdrbuzzard]

my buddy gerald had a simular problem to yours dan and one day he was over to my house looking at my parking slab but i didn't connect the dots at the time. my parking slab is next to the pine tree in the back yard. to make the slab i went to home depot and bought about 16 of their 12" by 12" paving slabs and layed them isde by side to make my parking area. gerald made a small driveway with his so what happened to you wouldn't happen to him ... again. he has since removed the patio blocks and re-did it with quick crete. the new bike drive is about 2 1/2 feet wide and i'm gussing 1500 feet long

 

[Scooter1]

Thats how it goes....Drop your bike 3 times in 1 day and its time for a pack of Depends and a Trike.
One week your riding all over Western Texas and planning a journey to Maritime Region and the next.......This is definitely a what have you done for me lately thread

I guess I had that coming Phil. I think some serious road work is in order first. One of my big lessons here is learning more about feathering the clutch in low speed off road situations. Sometimes even idle speed is too fast in some situations. Handling nearly a thousand pounds off road can get very dicey. Next time you roll thru on your bike I'll lead you down my road from Hell.

 

[Scooter1]

my buddy gerald had a simular problem to yours dan and one day he was over to my house looking at my parking slab but i didn't connect the dots at the time. my parking slab is next to the pine tree in the back yard. to make the slab i went to home depot and bought about 16 of their 12" by 12" paving slabs and layed them isde by side to make my parking area. gerald made a small driveway with his so what happened to you wouldn't happen to him ... again. he has since removed the patio blocks and re-did it with quick crete. the new bike drive is about 2 1/2 feet wide and i'm gussing 1500 feet long

I hear ya Doc. Road work is first priority. Triking is last.

 

[EFINREF]

I guess I had that coming Phil. I think some serious road work is in order first. One of my big lessons here is learning more about feathering the clutch in low speed off road situations. Sometimes even idle speed is too fast in some situations. Handling nearly a thousand pounds off road can get very dicey. Next time you roll thru on your bike I'll lead you down my road from Hell.

I will pass on that invite....guess I will have to meet you at Brady's