triking out my 09 Ultra

[joelin5386]

Due to a minor stroke this past Aug. I have decided to trike out my 09 Ultra I just bought in Mar of this year. Probably going with the motor trike kit and have my dealer do the install. I do need advice on the front end. Do I keep the stock front end or go with the tri-glide triple trees. What is the advantage of doing this.

Thanks
Joe

[Nana]

Hi Joe, First off--WELCOME ABOARD!!!!

The raked front end is definitely optional, but almost everyone who does it is VERY glad they did because it makes the steering so much easier. The EZ steer kit from Champion is an excellent option, but there are other options including the TriGlide parts (take time to read Ultraboy's article about using them:
http://www.triketalk.com/forum/dave-...html#post19128 ).

There are also several previous discussions on here that would be worth your while to read through. Look in the mechanical section of the forum.

Myself....I have the raked front and wouldn't be without it! But whatever you decide, you are going to love your trike and I can't wait to hear all about your rides!

[Mr.Wizard]

Sorry to hear about your stroke Joe but you will love the Motor Trike. :yes:

The best part of converting is you can do a little at a time or all at once. Take your time and test ride a rake, look at the reverse to see if you really need it, on board air compressor to me is not an option. I like to change my suspension pressure on the fly when the road conditions change from straight to curvy.

Take lots of picture before and after so you can enjoy the new birth of your trike.

Welcome aboard.

[joelin5386]

Thanks, I have also been told that raking the front end will make it feel to responsive at highway speeds. What does the air compresser do. I haver't ridden three wheels since I was about 4 or 5 years old. Bt I do remember they flip over pretty easy. Is tht a problem with these trikes

[Gorilla]

Welcome Joe. I have a raked frontend and swear by it. The pressure necessary to stear is so much easier.

The compressor is used for the rear shocks/airbags, depending on which is installed in your selected kit. You can change the pressure for the load and road conditions if so desired.

Yes you can really work very hard and make it flip, but normal to agressive riding would not. They are very stable.

[Nana]

Thanks, I have also been told that raking the front end will make it feel to responsive at highway speeds. What does the air compresser do. I haver't ridden three wheels since I was about 4 or 5 years old. Bt I do remember they flip over pretty easy. Is tht a problem with these trikes

Joe, Mike and I used to have those old Honda 3-wheelers, and they certainly did tip over very easily. These trikes are an entirely different thing--VERY stable and solid on the ground even in corners. It takes a lot of effort to even lift a wheel slightly. To flip it you would have to be really trying to do so.

As far as being too responsive on the highway... I am very petite and have no problem at all with keeping it steady and on track. I consistently ride 5 - 8 mph over the limit and have had no problem handling the trike.
(Don't worry Ted, in the Keys I'll keep it in check...Don't want you to have to arrest me! LOL)

[1550vt]

Joe; I suffered with what I considered an ill handling trike for years. I would have gotten rid of it had it not been for my wife. I tried everything I could to fix it, except rake the front end. I did not want to invest another dime in something I truly hated to drive. Finally, I decided to perform the TG rake upgrade and discovered a brand new riding experience. As a general rule, if you just obey the speed limits posted on the roads you travel, including the mountain roads, you will be in no danger of flipping and will soon be carving the curves with the 2-wheelers.

Welcome over here from the "other forum" and you will find this to be a very helpful triker family. If you have any questions or problems...you will find someone over here to help you.

[joelin5386]

Thanks to all of you, and I am sure there will be more questions to come.

[Greydog]

Welcome Joelin....glad to see you made it over here!!! You'll get the answers you need here and meet some great folks.

[ultraboy]

I'll add my welcome to the board joelin! Like many here, I rode my FLH after conversion to the Motor Trike for 1000 miles without raking the front end. It was hard to steer, and generally, like 1550vt says, a pain. The Tri-Glide triple trees are, IMHO, the only way to go on an FLH trike. After I installed them, and posted the article here, 1550vt was the first one hare to give it a shot, and it worked out for him. Since I did mine, I passed the info on, not only in the article here, but to Motor Trike and Harley themselves. No one seems to have a problem with it at all. The three H-D Tri-Glide reps I met with in Branson this past August were very pleased with the results. The article has been copied many times, and I have received several calls from people not even associated with TT. So far, I have done a few more for people who, like 1550 and me, thought that spending several hundred dollars less than what the EZ steer costs, for the same result was the way to go. Again, IMHO, an FLH Harley needs the trail reduced, period. Reverses, air compressors, cup holders, GPS, and the like, are all personal choices, but reduction of trail on an FLH will make the trike much more pleasurable to just get out and RIDE! After all, aint that what it's all about?
Once again, welcome to the madness!

[Gorilla]

Gee Nana only 5 to 8 over????? You'll get run over down here. If I enforced 10 to 15 over I would be one stop after the other without end.

[joelin5386]

Finally got her home. Now if it will just quit snowing and warm up a bit, cant figure out how to post a pic

[Nauga Mok]

Joelin -- Did you get the TG trees put on? I completed the conversion of my '06 Ultra with a Roadsmith kit. I had gotten the TG tree, but rode it a few days with stock rake. What a handfull! Swaped out to the TG tree & what a difference! I still need to lengthen the tubes because right now, I'm 3" too short. I'm thinking there'll be another improvement in handling when I get it setting the way it should be. As Ultraboy pointed out, we're adjusting "trail". By increasing the rake of the tree, it decreases the trail. While most of us refer to it as changing the rake, it's really decreasing the trail that we're after.

Congratulations on getting it home!!<br />
<br />
NM

[bdn56]

Finally got her home. Now if it will just quit snowing and warm up a bit, cant figure out how to post a pic

I sent you a PM on posting pictures.

[bdn56]

I almost forgot, congratulations on the conversion.

[Gorilla]

Congrats on the new arrival.

[ultraboy]

Congrats of getting it done! Now, we'd LOVE to see some pictures of the new arrival!

UB

[bdn56]

Finally got her home. Now if it will just quit snowing and warm up a bit, cant figure out how to post a pic

Check out Joe's bike.

[Nana]

Very nice, Joe!!! and the car isn't shabby either.... looks like it is a fine collector's item too!

[Gorilla]

Another NICE Harley Joe