Champion Trike Build - Sportster

[Darth]

Finally got the Champion trike kit delivered, so now the fun begins! My wife had a hip replacement last year and was having problems handling her bike after the surgery. She doesn't want to give up riding, so she decided to go with a trike kit. The Champion kit is a well made unit, and comes pretty much ready to bolt on, and also comes with a 5 degree rake kit for the front. I will post updates here as the conversion progresses, although my wife is having a second surgery on the hip next week, so I won't get much done for at least a couple of weeks.

First step... inventory all the parts.

Swing arm, shocks & fenders (fenders being sent out for paint)...


The tires (205/70/15's)...



Right side axle...


Left side axle with drive pulley and differential...


Bike on the jack and ready for tear down!...

 

[Papa Zook]

Love to watch trike builds! ThumbUp

 

[DK Custom Products]

Cant wait to see pics once everything is all done!!!

 

[captdanwh]

gotta treat our women right. i think it's great for what you are doing for your wife as i have done the same for mine. i just love the champion trike kits for sportsters and she is just going to love it also. the only problem with them is that there is no room for all the stuff a women likes to carry. we have a back rest and a leather bag attached to it for her stuff and now she is even happier, again gotta treat them right as we do have to live with them and if momma ain't happy nobody's happy.

 

[pcombe]

If you don't mind a couple suggestions?

When you install the front rake kit you probably remove the lower neck race?
Harley makes a tool for the purpose but it's costly. It's a pain in the ass to try and drive it out with a chisel, and forget grinding and splitting it.
The best and easiest way is to put a spot weld on the bearing race. This will shrink the race and give a place to set your chisel and it will practically fall out.

The other suggestion for you wife's comfort is to look into a set of air shocks perhaps from a dresser?
It will make all the difference in the world.

I re-manufactured my batt. box to more easily mount my switches and elect. contacts.
Google- pcombe library/photobucket to see some of what I did.ThumbUp

 

[Darth]

gotta treat our women right. i think it's great for what you are doing for your wife as i have done the same for mine. i just love the champion trike kits for sportsters and she is just going to love it also. the only problem with them is that there is no room for all the stuff a women likes to carry. we have a back rest and a leather bag attached to it for her stuff and now she is even happier, again gotta treat them right as we do have to live with them and if momma ain't happy nobody's happy.

One of the reasons we chose the Champion kit over the Frankenstein is the way the fenders mount. They mount such that there is a lot of open space between the original fender and the trike wheels/fenders, and I am hoping to mount some narrow saddlebags in the open space... stay tuned once I get the trike built. On top of that, she already has a tour pak!

 

[Darth]

Finally got some time today to work on the bike. Removed the V&H Double Barrels, right side footpeg, brake pedal, passenger pegs, sprocket cover, belt guard, rear wheel, rear brake assembly, shocks, swing arm & drive belt.



Since I had it apart, I inspected the rear motor mounts and swing arm assembly... this bike only has 3K miles on it, so everything is still intact and good. The 2004 & up rubber mounted Sportsters tend to have some issues with the rubber isolators and the swing arm mounting assembly, so a good time to check it all out.


I put new heim joints (bushings) in the new swing arm, but just as an FYI, if you ever need to remove the bushings from the stock swing arm , a Craftsman 1 1/6 socket fits right on the meat of the bushing and just clears the hole in the swing arm... you can drive them right out with a hammer.


Champion trike axle and shocks mounted...




Next step will be to assemble the rear axle and differential on the bench, then it will get bolted to the swing arm.

 

[Lucky]

Thanks for the pics. Gonna make a good ride. RIDE SAFE

 

[skuuter]

GREAT Pics.....Please continue.....nothing better at TRIKE TALK.com than an actual step-by-step Trike Build......THANKS.....ThumbUp

 

[TouringOn2]

In August of 2012 I had a Champion kit delivered for my 1800 Goldwing. My son and I built it. I really enjoyed the work. It came out great. Took 26 days last summer and the wife and I went to the west cost, headed south into Old Mexico, then worked our way back to Ohio. We are leaving in June this summer heading back to Alaska. Life is great on 3 wheels. Good luck with your build. Be safe and enjoy the ride. Larry

 

[skuuter]

Having rode one of these a couple weeks ago, even more enthusiastic about this build....I really enjoyed my ride on one.....ThumbUp

 

[RdKnB]

I am going to enjoy watching the build. good luck

 

[Frozenshrimp]

Great photos keep them coming!!!! Got to keep the better half happy!! ThumbUp

 

[slick rick]

ThumbUpThumbUp,,,Same here keep those pics coming I too enjoy a build . Rode my first Sportster a couple months ago after my son bought one . Now not really made for a big 'ol boy like me but I was impressed by how nimble it was , easy scooter to ride .ThumbUpThumbUp

 

[skuuter]

My Wife keeps "eyeballing" the Champion/Sportster Conversion with a lot of real interest...... ThumbUp

 

[Darth]

Finally got a chance to work on the trike again today... got the axle assembly put together and on the bike. It went smoother than I expected. I assembled the axle, brake lines & mounting clamps that attach the axle to the swing arm. Next I mounted the tires to the axle and rolled it up to the rear of the bike, lined up the clamps, and installed the mounting bolts. Next step was to put the rear of the bike on jack stands and remove the tires so I could align the rear end... had to center it side-to-side for proper belt deflection and also front-to-back for proper belt tension. The belt is centered on the pulleys and per the spec has 3/4 inch of deflection. Next step is to bleed the brakes, re-install the exhaust system and passenger pegs, then put the tires back on and install the rear fenders.

 

[skuuter]

Looking Nicer by the Day.....ThumbUp:10:

 

[Rick Kay]

Looking good! ThumbUp

You'll be riding before you know it! :clapping:

 

[skuuter]

Are Those the shocks You already had on the Sportster, or did they come with the kit.....?????...Thanks.....ThumbUp

 

[Darth]

Are Those the shocks You already had on the Sportster, or did they come with the kit.....?????...Thanks.....ThumbUp

Those are the shocks that came with the kit.