Voyager VS American Trike Kit

[americanbadass]

OK gentlemen and ladies... I seek edumucated opinions on the following dilema: I can't seem to commit to a real kit on my Roadking-so I have been rolling over the idea of a voyager kit which costs 4500.00, it has the nice fenders and is an upgraded kit. I don't care for the looks of the tow pac, trigg or any of the other small wheel kits similar to the Voyager. I seem to like the idea that it is removeable, and some say it is more stable overall. I can get an American trike kit for 6000.00 plus paint & wheels, and a few other mods. The AT kit is an independant kit with a servi-car trunk body that is kinda cool looking. I would appreciate anybody who could talk some sense into me, because I am as flipp floopy as a teenage cheerleader on this trike thing. With my ankle and knee issues-I need to make a decision, because I feel like I am playing russian roulette everytime I throw a leg over my bike! Also, the riding I do is a lot of twisties as well as some distance trips of 500-1000 miles each way. I am hoping some of the experienced people will chime in on this!!!

[Nana]

My personal opinion is that the rake kit on a trike is too important to me -- I would not enjoy riding the twisties without it, and in fact would likely go out of my way to avoid them if I had no rake kit! That means I would find a way to have a traditional 3-wheel trike rather than the bolt-on Voyager or similar kit.

Have you looked into Frankenstein and Yelvington trike kits? They do not offer the storage and enclosed trike body, but are extremely well built and give a much lower-cost option to you. Yelvington is a sponsor here. I don't know if they are offering discounts to members, but it wouldn't hurt to see what they say. Call the number below their banner on the right of your screen and at least ask!

[ricle41]

I'm wrestling with the same decision as you, and am having the same questions and doubts. The full conversions available for my VTX are completely out of the question as far as cost is concerned (when you price them they don't sound too bad, but when you start adding the options you need, it becomes over the top very quickly)
I owned a goldwing with the csc conversion when I decided a trike was what I wanted, and although the conversion was fine, I couldn't get my short legs and bad knees to work around the big 6 cyl engine. It just did not have enough options of where I could put my feet. Also, after years of riding big twins, I just could not get happy with the goldwing experience.
I have been studying the Voyager and the Trigg, and am honestly leaning toward the Trigg as the lag between rear wheel axle and the Trigg axle seems to make sense to my warped and uneducated mind. The easy steer could always be added also, but to start with it is not required, just desired. For those who say "I cannot ever take the kit off", trying removing your full conversion. I do not see myself taking the kit off and on just to satisfy my whims of the day.
I want the added stability of 3 (or 4) wheels. AT 71 years old and years of riding that include 2 serious accidents, the safety is very important as I continue to ride.
Good luck with your decision, and I hope to get mine converted (or added) this summer.
Very interested in the responses you get to this question.

[americanbadass]

any other comments?

[adaptolife]

I love my Ghost Wheels

[ronchi]

i have a voyager and have no problems with the twisties ! its what you get use to. 1 more benefit of the voyager is you can put it on another bike if you were ever to change bikes. its all in the set-up. have fun and ride safe !! HAPPY EASTER !

[cscsonny]

One of the factors you mentioned was that you like to ride the twisties,a lot,and the milage you sometime do on trips.
My opinion and others on this board seems to be that the full conversions handle the twisties just as good and sometimes better than 2-wheelers.
I have rode behind 2-wheelers with the wheel kits added and observed on twisties one of the rear wheels leaving the pavement and the rider doing some wobbly actions to correct the situation and the rider friend of ours went to a full conversion and now always comments just how safe she feels in comparison.
My observations convinced me that if ever I triked,it would be a full conversion.
Another decision factor for us was just how much riding would we be doing (we were riding 10000-12000 miles a year on 2-wheels) and the cost of conversion which was nearly double what you mentioned for the 2-wheel kit.
I am turning the big "69" later this year and no leg,knee or ankle issues,YET.And if any of those issue should happen,I feel I am preparred a head of time.
The cost was another factor as it is with a lot of people in these times and being retired doesn't make for more available monies.
Our dealer that installed our kit sujested a finance company that they use and the rate was lower than anywhere which made for some very low payments that we could be comfortable with.
We now find ourselves riding this trike more than we ever did the 2-wheeler and are way more relaxed when we do.
Before the trike,my wife and I have traveled nearly 200,000 miles on 2-wheelers,now we are going to try and double that.
Just me sayin,hope it helps.

[Memnoch451]

Like you I find it hard to give up on the Two wheels all the time. My wife loves the ride of the trike and feels safe and it's truly a vacation for her on the back. The best thing about a trike for me aside from that is the storage you get when you have a trike body. While not as fast on twisty roads as What I am use to ( sport touring) It's fun in a whole new way and after a while you can scoot pretty good and it's just as fun because in my opinion you're not as beat up when you reach your destination. Take your time while choosing make sure it's not going to be a year of buyers remorse when you decide.

[Duffy]

I've got a Voyager on my 05 Vulcan Classic 1500 and it works pretty well. I can still play on the twisties (not quite a well as with two wheels) and the stability is nice. I found my kit on Craigslist (locally) for a real good price. If you do find a used kit I have the mounting hardware from an 01 Road King that is for sale. Good luck with the decision.

[DeathBySnuSnu]

I preferr the full conversion if you can afford it. Really like the hot rod frankenstien looks. But if you are going to do the miles then the body and storage are a must have.

[denviola]

I have been using the voyager kit for 2 years, and it is good in some respects and not in others. I had a small stroke in 2009, and although I'm OK on 2 wheels I feel much more safe when carrying my wife with the kit installed. The selling dealer was great and worked with me to find settings for preload and air pressure that made it easier to use. As mentioned above you can lift a rear wheel in turns, although there are still three on the ground. This type of kit is hard on the center rear tire (more wear) because it drags through turns as the outside tires rotate. This requires more effort to steer, and takes a while to get comfortable. Takes some time to get comfortable in the twisties, and it is all in the entry to the curve. Since the kit becomes part of your suspension and does not have as much travel, the ride is a bit more rough. Again, takes some practice to understand what bumps feel like. <br />
At $4500 it was an easy way to keep riding my glide until my son finishes college in a couple years.

The steering could be improved with a rake kit, and I'm not doing that as I still like being able to take the voyager off in 5 minutes and ride on 2 wheels. The lower bracket takes away about 1 inch of ground clearance so you have to be careful at speed bumps and security barriers. Wife is getting up in years too and does not ride her Honda as much as before so we are going to check out a can-am for her. Bottom line - when I installed the voyager myself and rode it the first time, thought I made a huge mistake! Some tuning and practice made it worth the money. I do ride the twisties gently with the kit installed due to increased steering effort (push-pull instead of lean). If I had to do it again would probably get the kit with rear shocks instead of rubber bushings for a softer ride. I do believe a real trike with independent suspension and a steering kit is the best option, and I believe the voyager is an acceptable option for the price.<br />
Hope this helps.<br />
Denny

[Woolie]

I have a Voyager kit I should sell that has everything needed for a 2001 HD FLHT, I think it should fit a Road King, Electra Glide or Ultra Classic. It was actually on a 2002 Ultra Classic but I bought it for my 2001 Electra Glide. The axle bolt on a 2001 and 2002 are a different size, I purchased some parts with the bolt that fits a 2001, I don't think I have the bolt for a 2002 or later but that item can be purchased from Voyager. The bolt is longer than the OEM bolt. Voyager is very good to work with for technical support whether you buy a new kit or a used kit, I have called them several times about parts and fitment, this isn't my first Voyager. I never installed it on my bike, health problems just didn't let me get it done. I have had cancer surgery on both kidneys and my thyroid, not any at the same time, and that slowed me down a bunch. My HD had black Thunderheader 2 into 1 exhaust without heat shields and my wife and I both got burned pretty good with that and she wanted it GONE before the grand kids got hurt on it so I got to get a GoldWing. It is the B kit that fits wider bikes with saddlebags. I don't know what it would take to make it fit a VTX but you can call Voyager and tell them what it fits now and they will tell you what you need to order from them to make it fit whatever you want to put it on and what the cost would be if it will work.

They told me the shock towers were the same for 2001 and 2002 FLH and all I needed was the axle bolt. I also bought an installation manual for the 2001 and have that around here somewhere. The fenders are steel and need to be stripped and painted.I want $2500 for the kit and all parts. Using Microsoft streets and trips as the estimator I would deliver it to SLC for $200 to cover gas one way. If you are interested I will send pictures or post them somewhere.

[denviola]

Also the advice from Nana above may be valuable. I had not seen the Yelvington kit before, and the ability to keep your storage compartments (if any) would be a plus. The width would not be much wider than the voyager. If possible ride as many of the options as you can, even if you have to travel to do it. Try calling the manufacturers for referrals and post on here for demo rides.

[jfingalls]

I would go with the full conversion and American Trike is not a bad kit for the money. It sounds like you will never take it off for a two wheel ride agian so a conversion is not such a liability. As for the costs, I realized that our enjoyment was worth every penny of the conversion kit and that has proven out to be true. Interestingly, if I were making the decision today, I would select one of our sponsors because they have proven to be loyal to our Forum. Good luck and remember to not shortchange your number one enjoyment.

[americanbadass]

UPDATE. Thanks Guys for all the comments...I dropped my bike again last Saturday- have decided to go with the American Trike kit. It is only going to cost about 2500.00 more than a Voyager kit, and I really like the body style as well as the IS on the kit. I did consider the Champion, Motortrike, and several others on this forum. It just seems to me to be the simplest DIY kit, and like I said, the servi-car body appeals to me.<br />
<br />
In a perfect world I would have gone with Motortrike's Gladiator kit, but my funds are not plentiful at this time, and it is not DIY. <br />
<br />
I will try to learn how to post pics, and show you guys my build progress, as well as the finished product!! <img src="images/smilies/trike 1 smilie.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Trike1" class="inlineimg" /><img src="images/smilies/grin.gif" border="0" alt="" title="big grin" class="inlineimg" /><img src="images/smilies/AGGGH.gif" border="0" alt="" title="AGGHH" class="inlineimg" />Thanks Again

[Gorilla]

congrats on making the decision. good luck with the build

[oldladytriker]

I have Tow-Pac kits on two bikes and a Cass County conversion kit on a third. You just need to decide if you are one of those bike traders that like to trade bikes often or intend to stay with what you have for the long haul. If you trade often, then choose an on/off kit like Voyager,Tow-Pac, etc.; if you have THE bike that you love and will stay with it for a long while, then you may prefer the full conversion. A lot depends on what kind of LOOK you want to for for as well. Probably didn't help to make up your mind, but that's my thoughts.

[skuuter]

Having "by now" participated in the World of Triking for a coupla' years (43 years of Motorcycle/Scooter Riding), many thousands of miles on my Trike, my Wife's, and the Many Friends/Dealers that have let me Demo Their Trikes...."personally", I still very much prefer the Full Blown Trike/Fork Rake Kitted Versions. I had Fun on the Voyagers, and a Lota' fun on Can Ams, "but", I gota' go with the above choice. Always Great if You can get in a few Demo Rides somewhere also....GOOD LUCK on Your Choice...