May be losing my mind but, I'm thinking about picking up another Trike

May be losing my mind but, I'm thinking about picking up another Trike

Post caught my eye in our local neighborhood web forum. Gentleman a couple of towns away has a 89 GL1500 Motor Trike conversion. Everything works except for the digital readout that tells you what gear you're in and what mode/channel you're on. No oil leaks, started right up, no major dings or tears.

Paint could use a good coat of wax and buff out, but overall is in good shape for a 30 year old bike. Owner is 75 is the second owner, and is retired military and a stickler for maintenance. He's ridden it the last 15+ years, but his wife can no longer ride and they are more into fishing now than riding.

If I remember the mileage correctly it was 45K but might have been 85K....neither of which would be excessive for a well maintained Wing. The only concern I have is it smoked some when first started but it stopped when it warmed up some. He wanted $7500 but will take $6500 for sure and I might get it down to $6K What are the negatives I'm missing?



Anyone with Classic GL1500 experience?

If one has room for it, good deal I think.

A little polish, a minor fix or two, a rake kit … lots of miles left in her, she's just starting.

What kind of LED readout gear indicator was it that died? Only thing they came with was a light for neutral, that would just be a bulb.

Larry why is it not in your garage. At that price it's a steal.

Miles

How many miles are on it?

OK i see it is either 45K or 85K which is quite a spread.

The only negative is that the 1500's have carbs ... and if they get out of sync ... it's a challenge to get them back ... but it's rare they do.

Good looking ride ... As has been stated ... if ya got room and don't mind to tinker ... it's a steal.

My only issue is when I have 2 rides ... I always feel bad when I leave one of them home :blush:

CrystalPistol said:

If one has room for it, good deal I think. A little polish, a minor fix or two, a rake kit … lots of miles left in her, she's just starting. What kind of LED readout gear indicator was it that died? Only thing they came with was a light for neutral, that would just be a bulb.

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It's a small 3"x 4" or so LCD top center of the dash, between the speedometer and tachometer (just under the windshield vent). Owner said it showed what radio channel, CB channel, or if the cassette player was in use, and what gear you were in.

If you look straight on it's just "gray"...from the side I could see some kind of data being displayed. That was really the only thing that didn't work. The right side cover has the pins that snap into the rubber grommets broken off and he has rigged some crude "latches" that hold it into place.

The passenger arm rests are pretty loose so he keeps a bungee running between them so they don't get pushed outward in the wind. Easy fix on that I'm sure. I could also mount some nice stainless steel hardware to replace his homemade latches for the side cover.

The wind deflector Plexiglas is cracked but I have some from a previous trade that may work or I could make some from some 1/4" or 3/8" acrylic sheet. I know a well maintained Wing is good for 200,000 miles...and this one "seems" well maintained.

If I had a skosh more room in the garage I would feel better...I guess it's time to put the V-Star and El Diablo (my barely new to me Trike) on the market and see what happens. Not really comfortable on two wheels, and with a solid rear axle and short(er) wheelbase on El Diablo, it can be pretty painful when hitting a bump with my back issues.

The Wing has nice cushy seats which I would probably take over to the upholstery shop and have them rebuilt/recovered. I don't think they would be fun to ride on if one was caught in a nice Texas thunderstorm and they got soaked. It comes with a brand new full cover, but that doesn't do much unless it's in place...:blush:

Thanks for the thoughts and keep them coming if you think of anything else I need to consider.

Larry

I couldn't make out latches on the side covers? The passenger arm rests may just need the thin plastic washers between the arms & brackets, I added some 1/4" SS washers there too between the arms & brackets and re-inserted the bolts and used nylock nuts to tighten just enough to secure.

As to seat with the "eagles" look like a seat cover a buddy has on his OEM seat … so that may (or maybe not) be a cover over OEM seat? Any GL1500 OEM seats will work. I've had cloth seat before, if I was on the trike when it rained I got just as wet but the seat not so much as I had it covered with "Me". Seat rain covers really only keep the seat dry if parked at a stop or motel and it rains, then you can dump the water after rain and have a dry seat.

That LCD display you describe is replaceable, even offered on Ebay. To be truthful, not sure what all it might show, but mine on a '97 shows time in lower part, and radio station in top & if AM or FM as I recall, & cassette info (I never use cassette player & I use presets and 88.1 is a FM frequency for my XM modulator). I know that it does not show gear (as I bought an Air-Rider gear / volt indicator to do that in 2004, it has red LED, but I doubt it's available new now, in one picture it looks dim but that's just exposure of a cheap digital camera, the Air-Rider is still sharp but it auto dims in low light).

Below are a couple pics, you'll see you really haven't lost a lot with it. I only had the one showing radio station too.

In the picture in neutral at fast idle, that green light is the neutral. There is a reverse light and a OD light too, but no OEM gear indicators. I had looked at the first picture, thought my OD bulb was out, but it and the cruise set and cruise on lights are lit, it's just that the camera made them look dim with Air-Rider gear indicator & volts?

Motor Trikes did use a ladder bar with heim joints ... rear axle suspension set up, periodic inspection & sometimes adjustment. I have friends have those same vintage MT trikes, they love them.

CrystalPistol said:

I couldn't make out latches on the side covers? The passenger arm rests may just need the thin plastic washers between the arms & brackets, I added some 1/4" SS washers there too between the arms & brackets and re-inserted the bolts and used nylock nuts to tighten just enough to secure. As to seat with the "eagles" look like a seat cover a buddy has on his OEM seat … so that may (or maybe not) be a cover over OEM seat? Any GL1500 OEM seats will work. I've had cloth seat before, if I was on the trike when it rained I got just as wet but the seat not so much as I had it covered with "Me". Seat rain covers really only keep the seat dry if parked at a stop or motel and it rains, then you can dump the water after rain and have a dry seat. That LCD display you describe is replaceable, even offered on Ebay. To be truthful, not sure what all it might show, but mine on a '97 shows time in lower part, and radio station in top & if AM or FM as I recall, & cassette info (I never use cassette player & I use presets and 88.1 is a FM frequency for my XM modulator). I know that it does not show gear (as I bought an Air-Rider gear / volt indicator to do that in 2004, it has red LED, but I doubt it's available new now, in one picture it looks dim but that's just exposure of a cheap digital camera, the Air-Rider is still sharp but it auto dims in low light). Below are a couple pics, you'll see you really haven't lost a lot with it. I only had the one showing radio station too. In the picture in neutral at fast idle, that green light is the neutral. There is a reverse light and a OD light too, but no OEM gear indicators. I had looked at the first picture, thought my OD bulb was out, but it and the cruise set and cruise on lights are lit, it's just that the camera made them look dim with Air-Rider gear indicator & volts? Motor Trikes did use a ladder bar with heim joints ... rear axle suspension set up, periodic inspection & sometimes adjustment. I have friends have those same vintage MT trikes, they love them.

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Thanks for all the pictures! The "latches" for the side covers are really just coax cable guides like the phone/network installers use to attach coax to the outside of the house...single screw on the flat part and a half round shape where the coax runs...They aren't really noticeable unless you are standing right next to the trike on the right side. washers and nylocks for the arm rests was my plan, and the seats may be OEM...I've seen them before I believe.

If not, I live on a lake and there are plenty of shops around that do upholstery for boats that could rebuild them if needed. I't not really a "priority"...I've ridden hundreds of miles through severe weather (think tornado warnings and thunderstorms) and while getting thoroughly soaked sucks, it just goes with the territory sometimes. Summertime in Texas might have me glad I do have cloth seats!

The LCD isn't terribly useful to me if all it shows is time...which I really don't care too much about when I'm riding, and radio stations mean jack if they aren't playing what I'm in the mood for......I bet I can find a MP3 player that will work from the cassette player, or I'll find a nook somewhere for a small amp that will play MP3's.

I'll have to take for service and I don't think Motor Trike will work on it without going through the dealer network. Troup is only about an hour ride from the house. Thanks for the input....Hmmmmm?...I think I talked myself into pulling the trigger

Larry

I love my 99.....sounds like a great deal. I pray you have miles of smiles

That display is also your air pressure readout for the rear suspension.The only downside I see is there are some things that are specific to 88-89 models.Probably not anything that can't be worked around but you need to aware of it.

Marc H said:

That display is also your air pressure readout for the rear suspension. … etc … .

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Oh yeah, I guess so. I forgot that part.

You mentioned the solid axle trike you have is hard on you... I would think a trike kit of this vintage might also be solid axle???

I may be the only one with this opinion, but I'd pass on this one. Too old. Too many potential issues.

paws said:

You mentioned the solid axle trike you have is hard on you... I would think a trike kit of this vintage might also be solid axle???

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The Wing is solid axle as well, but a bit longer wheel base, and way more comfy saddle. After 16 years in Utah I've had my fill of running through the twisty's and see most of my riding here on out to be two up on the highways and byways. The Shadow is like a Corvette...lower to the ground with a rugged suspension...The Wing I'm hoping will be more like an Escalade...ThumbUp

Larry

Marc H said:

That display is also your air pressure readout for the rear suspension.The only downside I see is there are some things that are specific to 88-89 models.Probably not anything that can't be worked around but you need to aware of it.

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What kind "things" are specific to those model years?

Larry

I would pass. For what you'll have invested in the two older MT trikes you could have one newer nicer trike with less headaches.

Papa Zook said:

I would pass. For what you'll have invested in the two older MT trikes you could have one newer nicer trike with less headaches.

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If you aren't gonna keep the "Diablo", there's a lot to what Papa Zook says. I didn't know that keeping "Diablo" or not was up in the air? You do reach a point where one becomes the favored one.

The MT is a solid axle and while it uses ladder bar locating links that are more compliant due to wear points, it's still not gonna be an "Escalade like" ride, they just lean out a little in turns as clearances in heim joints stack up. No trike is gonna ride but so well as whether IRS or solid axle, there are three points on the road and like a tripod, they will all three find earth. You will feel bumps, dips, pavement seams, pot holes. IRS might soften the transitions but they will lean outwards in turns. Here, in Va. I prefer more rigid swing arm & SA, but if I was riding open spaces in Ut, I'd probably want IRS.

CrystalPistol said:

If you aren't gonna keep the "Diablo", there's a lot to what Papa Zook says. I didn't know that keeping "Diablo" or not was up in the air? You do reach a point where one becomes the favored one. The MT is a solid axle and while it uses ladder bar locating links that are more compliant due to wear points, it's still not gonna be an "Escalade like" ride, they just lean out a little in turns as clearances in heim joints stack up. No trike is gonna ride but so well as whether IRS or solid axle, there are three points on the road and like a tripod, they will all three find earth. You will feel bumps, dips, pavement seams, pot holes. IRS might soften the transitions but they will lean outwards in turns. Here, in Va. I prefer more rigid swing arm & SA, but if I was riding open spaces in Ut, I'd probably want IRS.

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Well open spaces in Texas...I know I can't get completely disconnected from the road...and right now everything is up and open to discussion. I have a dealer in Dallas that's got a 2008 Wing...not sure what conversion yet, or if I'm really interested since I've not seen it. We'll see what kind of deal he's really willing to make other than "it's priced right"

I really appreciate all the comments and input. When it pulls at my heart and says buy "ME" I'll know.

Diablo said:

What kind "things" are specific to those model years?

Larry

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I believe the ignition box was changed for 90 as well as carbs.Also for instance mine is also an 89.An early production 89.The throttle cables on mine were only used on 88 and early 89 models.The switch on the throttle to shut the cruise off different.Stuff like that.There are no bad years to have as far as one against another 1500 but if thats what you are looking at 97- 00 would the pick of the litter.Trans is supposedly beefed up a bit and the bugs were more worked out by that time.Like Zook said sell Diablo and take that money and what you would spend on that and by a nice one.

Diablo said:

Well open spaces in Texas...

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Where did I get Utah?

I know Texas well, born @ Lackland AFB, we lived in Del Rio, many trips back in years since. I see you are up near Dallas now, in the humidious part, Comancheria, etc.

Now I live a couple miles from Sam Houston's birthplace. Monument is pink granite imported from Texas. Located on east side of US Rt 11 off north east side of I-81 @ Exit 195 @ Timber Ridge, Va.