New Champion and need some suggestions

[roadking2]

After 49 years on Harleys, and only 2 wheels, I finally made up my mind that 3 wheels was the way for me to go. I'm getting a Champion with IRS and reverse for my Roadking. I also went for the raked tree. What I'd really like to know from you guys is this. Can anyone give me some guidance on where I might find a rear bumper for it? I'd prefer something that attaches to the frame and not the body. Ideally, a nice plain simple tube type bumper would do it. I don't have to have lights or anything else, but I thought a nice simple bumper would dress up the rear end as well as offer some protection for the body. If I need to fab one up, and then get it chromed myself OK, but I'd really like some suggestions if there is anything at all already available. If anyone wants to give me their impressions of the Champion trike kit, I'll be more than happy to hear that to.
I also posted this in the Harley section, so my apologies if I've broken a rule.
Thanks.

 

[Champion Trikes]

Have you already purchased your trike kit? Let us know so that we can get you a sweet deal on a new trike.

 

[Champion Trikes]

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/general-discussion/18706.htm

 

[Nana]

Congratulations, roadking2! You will have a little adjustment period as you get used to steering the trike (no more leaning the bike and counter steering!), but you will love the trike once you are used to the change. And Champion kits are great. I'm on my second Fat Boy/Champion trike, and I love it.

I opted for the solid axle kit because I ride solo, but I have ridden IRS and it is very nice.

 

[roadking2]

Have you already purchased your trike kit? Let us know so that we can get you a sweet deal on a new trike.

Thanks, but it's already a done deal. Come up with a nice, plain, simple round rear bumper similar to the bumper available on the TG and get me a sweet deal on that.

 

[roadking2]

Congratulations, roadking2! You will have a little adjustment period as you get used to steering the trike (no more leaning the bike and counter steering!), but you will love the trike once you are used to the change. And Champion kits are great. I'm on my second Fat Boy/Champion trike, and I love it.

I opted for the solid axle kit because I ride solo, but I have ridden IRS and it is very nice.

I usually ride solo to, but the IRS seemed a better ride to me. The anticipation is killing me and it's only going to get worse because when it's finally done, it will probably be about Christmas time and in NE Ohio, as you probably know, that means very cold with a high probability of snow. I'll be looking, polishing, and dreaming for a few months before I'll be able to really give it a good go, but I'm ready for it. My last really good ride is usually some time around Thanksgiving and my first good ride of the following year is usually some time in (late) March. On days in between when the roads are dry, I usually manage to get in a few hops but I have to keep them short so my face doesn't freeze off.

 

[Champion Trikes]

Roadking thanks for purchasing a Champion Trike Kit! Hopefully I will see it getting built on the floor during the next couple weeks and we will take great care of your trike kit from start to finish. As for the rear bumper we are looking into making a round tube bar like the TG models but we currently have our hands full with other projects that will be ready to launch come 2014!

Thanks again for Choosing Champion!

Feel free to message me with any questions you might have and please register with us on our new website as well as your trike.

www.championsidecars.com

 

[roadking2]

Roadking thanks for purchasing a Champion Trike Kit! Hopefully I will see it getting built on the floor during the next couple weeks and we will take great care of your trike kit from start to finish. As for the rear bumper we are looking into making a round tube bar like the TG models but we currently have our hands full with other projects that will be ready to launch come 2014!

Thanks again for Choosing Champion!

Feel free to message me with any questions you might have and please register with us on our new website as well as your trike.

www.championsidecars.com

If you really are looking into making a tube type bumper, I'd like to suggest you make 2. A long full width bumper and a shorter, width of the trunk bumper. Another thing Champion could look into is shortening the wait time. I can't speak for others, but it's killing me. It's been a little over a week and it seems like a little over a month. ONE MORE SUGGESTION - leather fender bras like CSC offers. OK, I'm all done telling you what to do. Thanks.

 

[Lucky]

Roadking good luck with your trike kit.I think you will be well pleased.Great to see Champion responding here.RIDE SAFE

 

[roadking2]

Roadking good luck with your trike kit.I think you will be well pleased.Great to see Champion responding here.RIDE SAFE

I think I'll be happy. I test drove one, but it was on a Ultra. I found a picture on the internet of a Roadking, same color as mine, with basically the same set up I'll have so I have a very good idea of how it will look when it's done. I hate giving up 2 wheels, but it's either that or give up riding all together and I'm not ready to do that. I to am pleased they respond. I only hope they think of my suggestions as ingenious innovations that they need to get into production ASAP. That probably aint happening, but one can always hope. It didn't take me long to figure out that the end of riding season probably isn't the ideal time to do a conversion. It's a l-o-n-g time till the weather will allow me to enjoy it to the fullest, but hey, it will be a merry Christmas for me. What a gift.

 

[captdanwh]

i like the clean lines that the champion kit has and do not ever want to put a bumper on the rear of mine. i have had mine for 4 years now and have never needed a rear bumper but i guess if you feel safer with one you will have to have it made for you out of 1 1/4" round stock metal and then get it triple chromed. any good fabrication shop that has a good welder should take care of it with no problem. if you look under the rear of your trike it would be a easy process.

 

[roadking2]

i like the clean lines that the champion kit has and do not ever want to put a bumper on the rear of mine. i have had mine for 4 years now and have never needed a rear bumper but i guess if you feel safer with one you will have to have it made for you out of 1 1/4" round stock metal and then get it triple chromed. any good fabrication shop that has a good welder should take care of it with no problem. if you look under the rear of your trike it would be a easy process.

Thanks for the tip. I thought the rear looked fine, but a little "jewelry" on the back would dress it up a bit. I really don't think (hope) I'll need it, but I thought it would look good having a nice, simple one there. I'd hoped for something a little larger diameter than 1 1/4. I was thinking more along the lines of 2 1/2, but we'll see. My thought was something the width of the trunk and not full fender width, but again, we'll see. I'm still a little up in the air on it. What I liked about the looks of the Champion is that it has a similar look to the TriGlide which in my opinion is what a trike should look like. I guess it's because I've seen that general style forever. Also the IRS doesn't put the wheels all the way behind the passenger seat like for example, the CSC kit does. I know the longer wheel base of the CSC probably gives a better ride, but I don't care. Those with a real long wheel base just don't look right to me.

 

[Champion Trikes]

We actually have a fender bra available for our trike kits. It will be a few weeks before we have these finished and up for sale.

 

[captdanwh]

i agree with the other guy about the shorter rear bumper. i personally do not like the looks of a full rear bumper but if they made a set (two) of real short bumpers like the old hot rod style nerf bar bumpers i might really think about buying them and nobody else has them. so get going Champion and lets see what you can come up with and if you need any help give us all a ring, we will be waiting.

 

[captdanwh]

my wife has the CSC kit on her Harley with the IRS suspension but i personally like the solid axle on my Champion kit and after driving both i do not see a big difference between the two. i think that if someone would fabricate a rear bumper that was split in two pieces like the nerf bars on the old hot rods i might think of getting a rear bumper , but not just anything that will fit.

 

[roadking2]

For those that were curious as to how it all turned out, here are a couple before and after pictures.

 

[pcombe]

If you really are looking into making a tube type bumper, I'd like to suggest you make 2. A long full width bumper and a shorter, width of the trunk bumper. Another thing Champion could look into is shortening the wait time. I can't speak for others, but it's killing me. It's been a little over a week and it seems like a little over a month. ONE MORE SUGGESTION - leather fender bras like CSC offers. OK, I'm all done telling you what to do. Thanks.

Champion actually got my kit to me ahead of the forcast schedule, and even found a way to save me money on the shipping cost.

I built my own trike and i love the champion product.
In my opinion it is the best looking and straight forward (installation wise) kit out there.

The IRS suspension will be a lot smoother in town but i like the solid axle for cornering on the highway and in the mountains, the ride on mine smooths out as soon as i get it out of town.

You will find pre-drilled holes in the trike kits FRAME to mount a bumper on so fabricating your own is a fairly straightforward proposition you need only to consider placement so your trunk opens all the way.
I re-fabricated the trailor tow bar on my Tour glide to mount on my kit and it was easy.

Be careful what you ask for in a leather bra for the fenders, no matter how tight it fits it may eventually dull your paint through rubbing,
You may want to consider having champion coat it with a clear protectant instead?
Perhaps you could do it yourself with the 3m product but if Champion still has your kit? do the math.

For pics of my conversion google-pcombe library/photobucket

 

[Champion Trikes]

If you really are looking into making a tube type bumper, I'd like to suggest you make 2. A long full width bumper and a shorter, width of the trunk bumper. Another thing Champion could look into is shortening the wait time. I can't speak for others, but it's killing me. It's been a little over a week and it seems like a little over a month. ONE MORE SUGGESTION - leather fender bras like CSC offers. OK, I'm all done telling you what to do. Thanks.

We are already in the process of making the vinyl/leatherette fender bras for the Champion Trike Kit. We are making some considerations on what our customers would prefer better. A Velcro type of fender bra or using metal snaps to secure them onto the trike.

- - - Updated - - -

For those that were curious as to how it all turned out, here are a couple before and after pictures.
View attachment 16927

View attachment 16928

View attachment 16929

Can I have your permission to use this photos on our Facebook and Website?

 

[pcombe]

We actually have a fender bra available for our trike kits. It will be a few weeks before we have these finished and up for sale.

Please give us information on price and models.
I have am 89 tour glide ultra-champion.

P.m. if you wish.

 

[roadking2]

Can I have your permission to use this photos on our Facebook and Website?

Sure, go right ahead. It's OK with me. If I had any notion of keeping them to myself for any reason at all, I would have never put them on a public forum in the first place.