installation instructions-american trike independant suspension on 1700 vulcan

[pcombe]

I am working on a ( 03 ?)Kawasaki 1700 vulcan with an american trike kit (independant suspension, with a body called the shadow that looks like a corvette)

The bolts are backing out of the drive shaft 0n the rear end and is stripping threads that i am going to have dress (or perhaps drill,tap, and replace with a heli coil) and a bolt fell out of the adjuster plates and the front end is out of alignment, if it ever was in alignment?

I can see how i should go about aligning it but i could sure use the installation instructions just to make sure i'm right.

I really could use a TORQUE CHART for the kit as the guy who built this trike is unknown to us and must not have had any clue what he was doing, and the bike came with no paperwork.
(once again proving that your builders integrity is the only protection you have against a bad trike!)

I went to the american trike website and they gave vague instructions for a belt type kit on a Harley and i can't find one for the drive shaft model independant suspension kit.
They also didn't give torque values on the instructions.
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[Papa Zook]

I am working on a ( 03 ?)Kawasaki 1700 vulcan with an american trike kit (independant suspension, with a body called the shadow that looks like a corvette)

The bolts are backing out of the drive shaft 0n the rear end and is stripping threads that i am going to have dress (or perhaps drill,tap, and replace with a heli coil) and a bolt fell out of the adjuster plates and the front end is out of alignment, if it ever was in alignment?

I can see how i should go about aligning it but i could sure use the installation instructions just to make sure i'm right.

I really could use a TORQUE CHART for the kit as the guy who built this trike is unknown to us and must not have had any clue what he was doing, and the bike came with no paperwork.
(once again proving that your builders integrity is the only protection you have against a bad trike!)

I went to the american trike website and they gave vague instructions for a belt type kit on a Harley and i can't find one for the drive shaft model independant suspension kit.
They also didn't give torque values on the instructions.
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Paul, I dont know much about the American Trikes conversions, but I do know Sam Camp of American Trikes and called him earlier. I sent him a link to this post and hopefully he will be along to answer your questions shortly. If not, give him a call at (847) 630-7707 and he should be able to steer you in the right direction.

[pcombe]

Paul, I dont know much about the American Trikes conversions, but I do know Sam Camp of American Trikes and called him earlier. I sent him a link to this post and hopefully he will be along to answer your questions shortly. If not, give him a call at (847) 630-7707 and he should be able to steer you in the right direction.

Ok thanks Randy. I talked to ABA and got some good insite from him on the problems assosiated with Drive shafts and independant suspension.
I drilled out the existing holes and went from a #10-1.5 metric to a 7/16-14 thread and i was able button the shaft housing down tight.

from info i have picked up from forum members they all suggest a spot weld to prevent bolt slippage, so thats what i have in mind.

After i get things all set and aligned i plan to use a small strip of 1/4" iron as a sacrificial peice and spot weld it to the frame so that the alignment plates cant move.
being a shaft drive, periodic adjustment won't be an issue.

If it were to become nessesarry the welds gould be ground off with no damage to the frame.

[pcombe]

I plan to call the number you gave me for american trikes tommorow and check with him on alighnment.

Thanks for your help Randy!

[Rmitchell55]

Paul
Kawasaki recommends cleaning and lubing the driveshaft and tranny output coupling every 15,000 miles so welding may not be a good idea. The torque spec on those 4 nuts that hold the rear gear and swingarm together is 25 ft/lbs. With the stress that is on those four bolts, to me using grade 2/5 all thread is not a good idea. On my '99 Kawasaki with the driveshaft, I had over .200 inch side to side movement on the swingarm with the shocks removed. I made and installed 2 .100 inch spacers to tighten up the swingarm and not put so much stress on the shocks.

The bike that is on American Trike website that is identified as a Kawasaki 1700 is actually a Kawasaki VN 2000.

Ray
2009 Kawi/Champion
Tijuana Border

[pcombe]

Paul
Kawasaki recommends cleaning and lubing the driveshaft and tranny output coupling every 15,000 miles so welding may not be a good idea. The torque spec on those 4 nuts that hold the rear gear and swingarm together is 25 ft/lbs. With the stress that is on those four bolts, to me using grade 2/5 all thread is not a good idea. On my '99 Kawasaki with the driveshaft, I had over .200 inch side to side movement on the swingarm with the shocks removed. I made and installed 2 .100 inch spacers to tighten up the swingarm and not put so much stress on the shocks.

The bike that is on American Trike website that is identified as a Kawasaki 1700 is actually a Kawasaki VN 2000.

Ray
2009 Kawi/Champion
Tijuana Border

ok, Thank you my friend.

So what did you do to the shaft mounting bolts to make them stronger and not pull out?

I don't have much choice other than re tapping and using a thicker bolt as the guy who previously had the trike either stripped the threads, or they have just pulled out of the threads themselves due to adjustment bolts coming loose.

I will try to figure out how much side to side play is in that swing arm?

I thought that bike on the web page must be the wrong one because it sure doesn't resemble the one i'm working on.

[pcombe]

I was in contact with forum member American Bad ass and he and jfingals gave me simular advice.

pepper I have it all repaired now and i too spot welded the nuts to the drive shaft housing.
Also on the other side I used a couple of sacraficial 3/8/" plates and tack welded them in two spots. One to keep the plate that marries to the swing arm and another on the plate that actually moves the kit.

I found two small barackets one one each side under the frame directly across from one another with very conenient holes in them, I straightend out a coat hanger and put two very small 0-rings, one on the end to go in those frame holes and and keep an exact depth, and the other i cenered on the lower mounting holes in the kit frame and adjusted the other o ring until it just touched the mounting plate.
That way i could use that rod to get an exact measurement on the other side.

I then used a nylon tie down strap to pull the kit into a perfect alignment and ciched it all down, Blue locktighted all the bolts and welded my sacrifical plates.

If it ever need come apart again (for cleaning the drive shaft every 15,000 miles) someone could grind the weld on one side of plate and take it apart with little hassle.

I actually got ahold of Sam at American trike and he was doing his best to help me with questions and has promised to e-mail pertenant papers on the kit for future reference.

Thanks to zook, jfingals and ABA for helping me get it all figured out!

The road test without the body on went smooth as glass and i can see no furter problems.

[pcombe]

I was in contact with forum member American Bad ass and he and jfingals gave me simular advice.

I have it all repaired now and i too spot welded the nuts to the drive shaft housing.
Also on the other side I used a two sacraficial 3/8" plates and tack welded them in two spots. One to keep the plate that marries to the swing arm from moving and another on the plate that actually moves the kit. (there is only adjustment on one side with this kit.)

I found two small brackets one one each side under the frame directly across from one another with very conenient holes in them, I straightend out a coat hanger and put two very small 0-rings, one on the end to go in those frame holes and and keep an exact depth, and the other i cenered on the lower mounting holes in the kit frame and adjusted the other o ring until it just touched the mounting plate.
That way i could use that rod to get an exact measurement on the other side.

I then used a nylon tie down strap to pull the kit into a perfect alignment and ciched it all down, Blue locktighted all the bolts and welded my sacrifical plates.

If it ever need come apart again (for cleaning the drive shaft every 15,000 miles) someone could grind the weld on one side of the sacrifical plate and take it apart with little hassle.

Attachment 8988

Attachment 8989

Attachment 8990

Attachment 8991

( I actually got ahold of Sam at American trike and he was doing his best to help me with questions and
has promised to e-mail pertenant papers on the kit for future reference.)

Thanks to zook, jfingals and ABA for helping me get it all figured out!

The road test without the body on went smooth as glass and i can see no further problems.
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