Size Matters!

[1550vt]

Get your minds out of the gutter....this is about tires. This could be helpful for those with kits, or considering tire choices in the midst of ordering a kit. All you TG owners are already right-sized, but there are a lot of kitted rides out there with a variation of rear tire sizes that may benefit from this.

I have and older Lehman Renegade and it came with the monster 245/60R15 tires. I later installed a Baker 6-speed and these two things combined geared the machine much too high. I did not want to spend the money or take the time to invest in a new primary drive sprocket or tear it apart and change either of the belt sprockets. I was considering new rear tires anyway, so I went to the box stock TG tire, which is a 205/65R15. Doing the math on these tires, the 205 is about an inch smaller in diameter at 26 where the 245 was closer to 27. I figured this would drop my RPM's buy around 170-or-so at any given speed....which it did. 170 doesn't sound like much, but it made a world of difference in my ride. I never could get comfortable in 6th. gear until I ran up above 75 and 80 was perfect. I can now run along at 2900-3000 in 6th. gear at 70 and can ride the 2-lanes in 5th. gear all day long without having it in a strain up the hills.

It hardly dropped my ride height by any measurable amount and it really, really did make the ride more comfortable and nothing really cost me a thing since I was getting new tires anyway.

[Dwight]

1550vt,
You are so right!
I guess it was just a looks thing to mount those huge tires. When I was building the Lehmans I hated those tires! Nearly impossible to get them under the wheel wells, and pretty damn dangerous in wet weather!! I went to 195's on my Hannagan/Honda trike when I replaced the OE tires. They were 205's which wasn't bad but the 195's got my speedometer closer to true speed and worked a little better in wet weather. So far I'm happy with the T Glide tires. Haven't had the pleasure of riding it in wet weather yet so don't know how it will work out but it should be ok.

Dwight

[1550vt]

Well Dwight..I only built one Lehman, which is the one I have now. I am glad to hear from an expert in the field. I had made some postings concerning handling issues I had. Raking the front end and changing to these 205's have greatly reduced any handling issues I had. I am having to learn how to drive the thing all over again.

I wonder what Lehman was thinking when they used those 245's anyhow? I understand some of the bigger kits offer the 245 as an option. I won't ever use anymore of those unless I purchase a school bus or an 18-wheeler.

[Mr.Wizard]

My Motor Trike has 225/60R15's and with my front belt gear reduction VT and I are running identical RPM's at 70 in 6th gear.

If anyone needs the info on a speedo re-calibration Here is a good one. I found one that Dakota Digital makes that works great. My speedo was about 6 MPH off.

[1550vt]

I think I was just lucky enough to have a model that came with the last old and ancient mechanical speedo. I have known guys that changed out tranny's and made other changes and never got the speedo correct again with anything they tried. I still have one of those old ugly cables running down my left fork feeding off the sender on the front wheel. It doesn't care what you do from the front axle on back.

Wizard...should we be concerned that we are now both operating at the same RPM'S? I don't mind if you don't.

[Mr.Wizard]

Wizard...should we be concerned that we are now both operating at the same RPM'S? I don't mind if you don't.

I'm in good company so I'm not concerned in the least.:no:

Oh.. Nana-the-Great changed my name here so it wouldn't confuse you too much. I know how you Southern guys are.

Hi Nana utergreet: thanks again.

[BinIdaho]

Get your minds out of the gutter....this is about tires. This could be helpful for those with kits, or considering tire choices in the midst of ordering a kit. All you TG owners are already right-sized, but there are a lot of kitted rides out there with a variation of rear tire sizes that may benefit from this.

I have and older Lehman Renegade and it came with the monster 245/60R15 tires. I later installed a Baker 6-speed and these two things combined geared the machine much too high. I did not want to spend the money or take the time to invest in a new primary drive sprocket or tear it apart and change either of the belt sprockets. I was considering new rear tires anyway, so I went to the box stock TG tire, which is a 205/65R15. Doing the math on these tires, the 205 is about an inch smaller in diameter at 26 where the 245 was closer to 27. I figured this would drop my RPM's buy around 170-or-so at any given speed....which it did. 170 doesn't sound like much, but it made a world of difference in my ride. I never could get comfortable in 6th. gear until I ran up above 75 and 80 was perfect. I can now run along at 2900-3000 in 6th. gear at 70 and can ride the 2-lanes in 5th. gear all day long without having it in a strain up the hills.

It hardly dropped my ride height by any measurable amount and it really, really did make the ride more comfortable and nothing really cost me a thing since I was getting new tires anyway.

Too late, my mind went straight to the gutter....damn, you're talking tires of which I know nothing about.

Barbara

[1550vt]

Don't worry about it Barbara...you can just keep your mind wherever it feels comfortable.

Wizard, takes one to know one...you know I am not that much farther south than you are.

[Ironhorsepilot]

Too late, my mind went straight to the gutter....damn, you're talking tires of which I know nothing about.

Barbara

LOL! Mine went there too! Was disappointed to see it was just about tires.

[1550vt]

I think the forum police are getting pretty close to intervention here.

[grimm]

1550vt,
You are so right!
I guess it was just a looks thing to mount those huge tires.....and pretty damn dangerous in wet weather!! Haven't had the pleasure of riding it in wet weather yet so don't know how it will work out but it should be ok.

Dwight

not arguing with what you said, but i've ridden in all sorts of weather. took a road trip from san antonio to atlanta and it poured from louisiana all the way to the georgia state line. my ride didn't waiver at all. those big ass tires held the road fine. the only issue i had was my electric shifter taking a dump on me on the way back. i feel confident in riding in any kind of weather. maybe it's the type of tires. i don't know enough about the subject but just thought i'd chime in.

grimm

[Baz]

not arguing with what you said, but i've ridden in all sorts of weather. took a road trip from san antonio to atlanta and it poured from louisiana all the way to the georgia state line. my ride didn't waiver at all. those big ass tires held the road fine. the only issue i had was my electric shifter taking a dump on me on the way back. i feel confident in riding in any kind of weather. maybe it's the type of tires. i don't know enough about the subject but just thought i'd chime in.

grimm

Hey Grimm , love the look of the Trike . I'd like to see more pic's from different angles if you'd care to post same ?? Baz.

[Nana]

Hey Grimm , love the look of the Trike . I'd like to see more pic's from different angles if you'd care to post same ?? Baz.

Baz, this link will take you to a few pictures in the GARAGE that Grimm posted a while back. I know he has a lot of new ones taken since then, but maybe this will whet your appetite!

'05 train -hd - grimm’s Photo Gallery - Trike Talk Forum

[Baz]

Baz, this link will take you to a few pictures in the GARAGE that Grimm posted a while back. I know he has a lot of new ones taken since then, but maybe this will whet your appetite!

'05 train -hd - grimm’s Photo Gallery - Trike Talk Forum

Excellent . Thank you Nana.

[JJTRIKER]

Can you turn those big meats? If so what kind of powerhouse is that?

[grimm]

Can you turn those big meats? If so what kind of powerhouse is that?

i was running it fairly stock with a simple stage 1, but it wasn't enough for it. it's recently been modified and running Andrewss H55 cams, S&S gear drive kit, 96" kit with a flow job on the rocker boxes, and Dyno tuned power commander. She's pushing 100hp and 100lbt.

yeah, she moves now!!!

grimm