DK Custom PROJECT TRI-GLIDE Report w/ Lots of Pics

[FuLong]

Hi Kevin, if you think about Suspension modifications, please don't forget the front. Sometimes, particular on small and bumpy roads and at hard braking maneuvres, I wish it harder on the front. On the other side, a harder fork costs some grip for the tire.
I am highly interested in your test results!

Thanks in advance for your work on perfecting the Tri Glide

[DK Custom Products]

Hi Kevin, if you think about Suspension modifications, please don't forget the front. Sometimes, particular on small and bumpy roads and at hard braking maneuvres, I wish it harder on the front. On the other side, a harder fork costs some grip for the tire.
I am highly interested in your test results!

Thanks in advance for your work on perfecting the Tri Glide

We will be completing our testing within the next month or so on a total suspension answer, to get the best possible ride out of the Tri-Glide & Freewheeler.

There were 4 different folks that rode my Tri-Glide out at the Texas Get-Together earlier this week. They were pretty impressed with how well it rode. (it has some of the suspension components that we are testing installed on it)

We do have the Pro-Action Shocks on our website. You can't get a better ride out of the rear suspension than you do with the Pro-Action. At $777 they are pricey, so we will also have another rear shock option soon.


For the front forks, there will be several options. We are still testing various components on multiple bikes/trikes, to come up with the best possible options
(we were scheduled to do 3 tests today, but it was storming all day, and we need to be focused on the bumpiness/smoothness of the ride, not on avoiding lighting strikes
Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

We've been steady working on testing out different front suspension options.
We spent another 7 hours Thursday testing various springs, adjusting for sag , different oils
Already finished with the Dyna's, almost done with the Sportster's, done a bit on the FLH's already...should be done with them in the next 2-3 weeks...we're over half done now!
Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

Photo of installing some Twin-Adjustable shocks in the driveway...Shop was full, other bikes on the lifts.Tomorrow we are doing more front suspension testing.Kevin

[Fozworth]

Looks like a regular floor jack is all I need for my Tri-Glide?

[DK Custom Products]

Looks like a regular floor jack is all I need for my Tri-Glide?

A floor jack, piece of wood, 2 jack stands and a way to secure the front tire (velcro around brake lever) is all that is needed to get both rear wheels off the ground and keep it safe/secure.

But as you can see from the pic above, you are then working on the ground/floor.

We only did it that way because there was another bike on the lift.

Normally I like to put it on the lift, then I can work on it standing up, or sitting on a stool.

Kevin

[Jack Klarich]

Enjoy reading your write ups, I learn that way

[DK Custom Products]

We have been riding the crap out of the Tri-Glide, and I just realized I never really finished up this Project thread.

I will be doing a synopsis of what all we did for the project and how it has all worked out.

The thing we've been enjoying the most is the hugely improved suspension, front and rear.

This project has been a ton of fun, and we are happier & more comfortable than ever putting miles on it.

Final update coming soon!

Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

Wrapping up the Project Tri-Glide Report

We started the Project Tri-Glide back at the end of November 2015. Since then we have done a ton to it, including logging about 30K miles on it.

It did not start out completely stock. I had already done a lot of basic performance and comfort mods to it. Those can be seen in this thread-

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threa...he-differences



We started out with the focus of doing upgrades in the following 6 areas-

• Performance/Power
• Longevity/Reliability
• Rider/Passenger Comfort
• Handling
• Safety/Security
• Looks

The biggest thing we spent a lot of time and thought on, that we did NOT do, was getting different wheels. In the end there was no benefit, other than looks, and I simply did not want to spend the $ on them.



The following is a synopsis of what we did do-


Performance-

We did a lot of experimenting with different exhaust.

2-1-2 Power Duals Headers coupled with some Hi Roller Slip-ons with Thunder Torques Inserts installed in them is what we ended up with. Very good power increase over stock, and a nice, deep mellow tone.

Side note on exhaust...we did modify the stock slip-ons and we were very surprised by how much power they generated...sounded good too. But they were a little loud for Mary on those 8 hour days.

Dual-Cool Oil Cooler- more on it in the Longevity/Reliability section. But it is also a performance enhancement. Anything to keep the Twin Cam in the 190-210 degree operating temperatures will increase performance.

Cooling Deflector Wings- also in the Longevity/Reliability & Rider/Passenger Comfort sections. Again anything to help the Twin Cam operate in the optimum temp range is beneficial.

Installed the Outlaw 606 Air Cleaner with the 7 Spoke Chrome cover. Painted the metal mesh a contrasting black. Used the EBS with a chrome catch can.


409 Performance Plug Wires. These give a better spark AND better feedback to the ECM for timing management. I can tell a difference over the stock plug wires.



Longevity/Reliability

Dual-Cool Oil Cooler & Oil Filter Relocation- Keeping the Twin Cam from running too hot will increase the life expectancy of the engine. This unit also makes changing the oil Much Easier and No Mess.

We are super happy with how this turned out. It is the only oil cooler that works with the Twin Cam Twin Cooler engine.

We worked a long time on this to get it right, and the drop in temps are substantial, and the ease of filter changes are night and day from stock.

Cooling Deflector Wings- Helps in keeping the temps below the damaging heat level.

Tour-pak safety tether...just in case the factory one fails.




Rider/Passenger Comfort

Tour-Pak Relocation. We did a ton of work on a bunch of different designs for getting the Tour-Pak relocated further back. I think it was our 3rd or 4th design that we finally settled on. It was not just a matter of relocating it, but also making sure it was sturdy. We regularly overload the Tour-Pak by 4-5 times the rated weight, and we did not want a failure. It is 3” further back than the furthest stock setting.

Cooling Deflector Wings- These reduce the amount of air hitting the riders chest and causing helmet bobble. Also, by keep the engine cooler, less heat on Mary.

Extended & Lowered rear brake arm, along with an oversize brake pedal. Much more comfortable putting on the rear brakes, plus more floorboard room.

Passenger Cup Holder for Mary. No more having to stuff her drink into the pouch on the back of my backrest.

Replace my very comfortable Triple Trap Highway pegs with a completely new adjustable highway peg mounting kit, and some Fatty ISO pegs with heel rests. Very comfy.

Installed a 12 volt power point in the Tour-Pak for ease of charging devices while riding.


Trike Mid-Step is an awesome improvement in mounting and dismounting the bike, especially on long days where I am a bit tired. I do not like how it blocks the view of the X on my Power Duals, but the comfort benefit outweighs that.


Extended ISO Shift Pegs. These are far more comfortable than I imagined. I initially only installed them to match the ISO grips and Fatty ISO highway pegs. But, wow, they were an unexpected increase in comfort when upshifting. One of those things you don’t know can be an improvement til you try it.



Handling

Running a rear tire up front. Huge improvement in handling and braking. Also leaves less room between the tire and the fender, increasing likelihood of a rock getting stuck in the tire tread and denting the underside of the fender. Don’t ask how I know that.


AK-20 Cartridge suspension system in the front forks. The improvement in handling, bump absorption and reducing front end dive is substantial.

Twin Adjustable Rear Shocks literally transformed the ride. No more having to lean forward from the backrests when we see a bump coming up. It also stays very flat in the curves. We were running (and still are) the Comfort Lift, along with the MacAir (no longer) to keep the air shocks dialed into the perfect PSI, regardless of load or road conditions...which is as good as you can get with the stock shocks. These new shocks are a whole different universe of ride quality and high speed curve handling.



Safety/Security (SEE & BE SEEN was a big part of this)

White LED Running Lights/Amber Turn Signal combo. I really like these, and have gotten a ton of positive comments on them. That they help us BE SEEN is a big positive also.


Stealth LED Driving Lights. Very effective. Gotta try them to realize the difference. I will not ride without them. Really increases what I can see at night, but ALSO increases the likelihood of me being seen...day or night.


LED Running Lights/Turn Signals installed in the fairing vent and the Lower Fairing vents. I really like these. They are not really visible during the day, but at night they throw out some light, and help being SEEN from the front and the side.

Rear Fender Mud Flaps with LED Run-Brake-Turn lights. Really helps in being SEEN, day or night.

Replaced the bulky red tail lights with some Low Profile Smoked Tail Lights. Installed some bright LED’s in the new housings.

Tour-Pak Filler with Run-Brake-Turn LED Lights. This REALLY helps being SEEN, day & night.



Looks

2-1-2 Power Dual headers. I have always really liked the look of them. Really happy to have them on this ride.

Hi Roller Slip-ons. The Billet End Caps are a great look...but they do take a little work to keep them clean.

Extended front fender mudflap. Thank you Richard!

Rear fender Mud Flaps. I installed these more for the extra LED RBT lights, but really like the look of them too.

Extended & Lowered rear brake arm, along with an oversize brake pedal. Besides being more comfortable, I really like the look of them.

Removed the Tank Badges and had Pin-striping done on the entire Trike. There are a few spots that are not symmetrical, but overall I am very happy with the improved look.


I like the look of the Outlaw 606 Air Cleaner with the 7 Spoke Chrome cover. For a bit of a contrast look, we painted the metal mesh black. Used a chrome catch can.


Replace my very comfortable Triple Trap Highway pegs with a completely new adjustable highway peg mounting kit, and some Fatty ISO pegs with heel rests. They look Much better and are 95% as comfortable.


Had some front Turn Signal Lenses custom made with the DK Logo in them.


Replaced the bulky red tail lights with some low profile smoked ones. Huge improvement in looks.


On the Trike Mid-Step I initially used the TMS floorboards, but switched to stock passenger floorboards to better match the rider and passenger floorboards.


Tour-Pak Filler with Run-Brake-Turn LED Lights. Fills in that blank spot left by the TP bracket.


Shorty antennas for the Tour-Pak. Simply of two short ones more than 1 taller one.


Chrome fork legs replaced the stock ones when we did the front suspension swap. Much nicer look.


Chrome & Black Mesh Cowbell Horn Cover. Just because I like the look better than the stock Cowbell cover.




I just counted up, looks like 34 final changes in this project, and quite a few more that were thought about, but never done, or tried out and removed.

Of the 34, I would do every one of them again. It would be difficult to say which are the top, or most important mods. But a few stand-out from all the rest.

The Ride Improvement and Handling Improvement from the Rear Shocks is amazing.

The Dual-Cool for bringing down the temps, along with the CDW's for doing the same, are musts.

I run a lot of miles, so end up doing a lot of oil changes...the Oil Filter Relo has made that so Much Easier.

All of the LED's which help me SEE & BE SEEN, might be the most important!

It has been a great year for making the Tri-Glide even more of a joy to ride and travel on.

There may be other little things I do here and there, but I can't think of anything I would want different right now.

Even more than before, I feel more comfortable in the saddle of the TG than I do in my office chair.

Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

Have not done much to the Tri-Glide other than piling the miles on it.

Whether for a daily rider or long trips, it is set-up how we like it.



Here is a video from earlier this year



Kevin

[desertclassic]

Getting the trike to a point that you are satisfied with everything is a major accomplishment. Jim

[consitter]

Getting the trike to a point that you are satisfied with everything is a major accomplishment. Jim

I'm getting close. Things left I'd like to add are the oil cooler filter relocate kit, mechanical reverse, and the external breather kit.

[dcarter13]

I worked with both Dwayne and the owner of DK, Kevin. I ordered my new front and the newest of the rear shocks. They are being installed by my dealer today and can't wait to pick it up and see the difference. Thanks for the help in getting this far Dwayne and Kevin. You both help a great deal.

[DK Custom Products]

I am finally updating this thread with some work that we've been doing for the last several months....

Many of you may know that for years (and over 100,000 miles) I have been obsessed with getting the best possible ride out of the HD Tri-Glide/Freewheeler platform.

Fundamentally, with the straight rear axle, the design does not lend itself to a smooth plush ride.

Still, we have developed, & discovered, several ways to get an improved ride... smoother and plusher rides that can be felt in the real world.

Standard Lift Kit

Comfort Lift™ Kit (that is now being copied...a compliment is how we take it)

MacAir to easily dial in the sweet spot on the OEM air shocks

13" Twin Adjustable Shocks and 13" Pro-Action Shocks.

Each of the above improvements are significant, and make for an improved ride.

The combination of a Comfort Lift™ and either of the 13" shocks is a huge improvement over stock, and until recently, the best possible rear suspension available.

I thought that was as good as it would get. But about 6 months ago Devin and I had an idea. We did not know how it would work (we have had plenty of ideas that did not pan out ), but we wanted to give it a try.

We teamed up with Pro-Action Suspension and, together, we co-developed a 14" shock, designed from the ground up, specifically for the HD Trike Platform.

Lot's of testing and tweaking later, we have the 14" Trike Series Shocks™!!!

Something I have only verbalized to a few people, but have thought about thousands of time, I want my Tri-Glide to float over all bumps just as smoothly as my Softail does.

The reason I did not talk about this much was because I did not think it was a realistic goal.

The reason I constantly thought about it was because I wanted the smoothest ride possible...and I was constantly comparing how it felt to hit bumps on my Tri-Glide compared to the same bumps on my Softail.

I am very pleased that our little idea grew into the 14" Trike Series Shocks™, because some bumps are even better on the Tri-Glide than the Softail, and all bumps are at least as good.

It has been a long "trip" to get to this point, and the end result is a bit on the expensive side, but I am more pleased with the ride quality than I ever thought would be possible!

Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

I think there is a strong probability that the frames on the Touring Models, including the Trikes, will change in 2019 or 2020.

With the frame change to the Softails for 2018, it does not make any sense for HD to Not carry that "common core" frame over to the Touring line.

I think 2019 is more likely than 2020. But either way, I have decided what I am going to do.

I'm going to keep my 2014 TG, waiting to see if the frame change occurs on the 2019's. If it does, I will sell the '14 and get a '19.

If there is no frame change in 2019, I will add one year to my extended warranty on the '14 and wait to see if there is a frame change in '20. If there is, that is when I'll get a '20.

If not, then I will get a leftover '19 at that time. By then the 2014 will probably have well over 100k miles on it.

In the meantime, it is myself, Mary and the '14 for upcoming trips!



Kevin

[Dave59]

Hey Kevin, you probably have it in here somewhere but who's handle bars do you have on your Tri Glide?

Thanks

[DK Custom Products]

Hey Kevin, you probably have it in here somewhere but who's handle bars do you have on your Tri Glide?

Thanks

They are the factory bars with 9" sections welded into them to make them taller.

Here's a pic before they were powdercoated and installed.



Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

Even though we've been "done" with the "Project" for a while now...still doing little things here and there.

Latest was changing over to the Stealth External Breather System. I like the clean look of it.

Thread on the install at this link- http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threa...ernal-Breather

I like how the chrome breather tubes disappear up under the tank.



Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

My rear bumper has close to 100k miles on it, including a lot of rough roads up in the Yukon and Alaska.

It has held up fine until someone was standing on it, and actually bouncing...one of the brackets cracked, so I removed it for some repair.

TG looks naked without the bumper....plus the crookedly mounted slip-on really shows now! :icon_denk:



Other than that I've been riding and enjoying it. When my brother was here last week we went on an afternoon ride, myself on the TG, Devin on his Stage IV SGS, and my brother Greg on the Softail.

We tore up a lot of back roads. Really pushed the TG in a lot of the curves. It was a blast, and pretty close to the max of mine and the TG's capability.



Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

Update 4-2-18

I've been riding the TG all winter...lots of rain, snow, slush and cold weather.

We are starting to think about our upcoming summer trip. We leave on May 23rd.

I've started putting together a list of things I need to do before leaving out.

I already put a zerk fitting into the primary case for my shifter shaft. It has quieted it down quite a bit. Although I did wait too long to do it and the bushing is pretty worn.

1. Replace heim joints on the pan-hard rod (they're getting loose and HD no longer wants to cover them under warranty like they did for me in the past)

2. Fix my bumper and re-install

3. I'm pretty sure all 3 tires will have enough tread left for the 10k mile trip, but will check again a couple of week prior to leaving out

4. Since we'll be doing a lot of riding at high elevation, where it will still be cold, I'm probably going to leave the winter windshield on

5. Good cleaning and yearly wax job

6. Normal fluid changes and preventative maintenance

7. I was thinking about updating the maps in the NAV system, but at $150, I'm probably going to pass

8. ????

Not only is this TG very comfortable to ride, it has been a stone reliable method of transport, and a blast to ride.

Kevin