Before and After

I thought I might post a couple pictures here for you guys who don't get to the motorcycle section. I can't ride my bike anymore because of my health so I converted my bike into a trike. Yesterday was the first ride on it. I have a few things to finish then its going to be my everyday transport.
now I can get back working on my 47 Ford truck. if your interested I have a thread in the motorcycle section of this conversion.
This conversion took 35+ new parts fabricated[ and 14 or so original parts modified to complete. it was a fun and a fitting end to my custom bike building that started when I was 17yrs old and continued till now 69 yrs old
in the 52 yrs between I have built or chopped as we use to say 26 registered and running Harleys and owned many more but only count the legal ones. been pulled over by the cops hundreds of times[ddd 99% of the time for equipment violations...long front end, no front brake, loud pipes,high bars the list goes on forever. but I outlived the laws, they never pull you over for that type of stuff anymore here. Its been a good ride and I look forward to many more years on this bike.

A saying I like......


Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body,
But rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out shouting,
Holy S***......What a Ride

author unknown

That is one sweet looking trike!

What they said. Enjoy the hell out of it. [cl

like it !!!!!!!

That is very cool!

Doug, I've never owned a bike. Figured I'd tip it over or some idiot would run be down. So I've never been that interested in them. But, I'd be proud to have your trike and ride it everywhere.
The style hits me just right. Looks like Dog agrees too.

Gorgeous! I love the look of a well proportioned trike.

Nice work on the trike! I still have a 55 servi-car and that will probably be my next project. It's whole and all there except for a later style box, just been sitting for 17 years in my barn.

Yes they are fun. I'm messing with the trail on mine now as the longer front end has changed the handling. need to return the trail to a proper dimension.

I'd be happy to hear about the trail angle, and what not.
I'm starting a project (at least in my head) trike.

I would have thought the extended front end would make it a little better on the handling. What are you feeling with it like it is?

Dirtyrat said:

I'd be happy to hear about the trail angle, and what not.
I'm starting a project (at least in my head) trike.

Click to expand...

What I meant to say is Trail distance and the steering head angle, and if its offset on angles, etc...

There is some info online about trail on springers. I will try to explain it as I have dealt with it over the years.The more you rake a a bike the more you change the trail. the trail is a line through the neck in the centerline of the bearings to the floor then a line at a 90Deg through the axle. the distance between the 2 lines on the floor is the trail. the trail should be between 2.5 and 5 inches. this number is not set in concrete. to much trail it will be hard to turn at slow speeds, also a tendency to wobble. this is why most trikes have extended rockers. to short a trail will cause a wobble at various speeds. that why converted trikes especially sporters have trouble. and need to increase their trail. on springers with long front ends the long curved rockers aren't for looks they correct the trail and place the axle Above the pivot point of the rockers which makes the steering easier some say "like power steering. ALL of the dimensions are unique to a given bike, doing the math doesn't always work. you need to experiment with your bike. what works for one bike doesn't always work for others. hope this helps.

Took saturday off from caring for my Daughter to blow off steam. I and my son-in-law and one of my sons went to Dixon, a few miles below Sacramento for a biker bash. lots of bikes and girls. had fun and got a maiden run in on my trike. it was great and my legs didn't cause me trouble. looks like going the trike route will give me many years of riding ahead. sure got the looks from other riders.....that always feels good when you roll out a new project for the first time.

It looks great among the other bikes. I see you had a serving of buns.[dr

The trike and the buns look great (hers, not yours)!