Build a VW Trike

[vw driver]

[Doug D.]

Man, that takes me back! I dig that front end! And the saddle blanket ain't bad either...

[Bikerbozo]

Looks like a good deal. What year was that? Just need to fire up the time machine. For that little money, HD wouldn't even spit on you.

[kaddy42]

how do you hook up an altinator to a vw trike and does any one no how to hook up the idiot light, help

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Looks like a good deal. What year was that? Just need to fire up the time machine. For that little money, HD wouldn't even spit on you.

thanks bozo

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Most old bugs had a generator. Find a wiring diagram for the year model doner vw.

If you want an alternator then buy the conversion kit.

[cscsonny]

A friend of mine built that same kit somewhere in the 70's and boy was it a "hoot" to ride.Couldn't go from dead stop in 1st or 2nd gear,it would wheelie all the way up pointing at the sky! No wheelie bars though,that would have taken out all the fun.
Just love "back in the day" stories.

[Loner]

Those were the days that I loved. I was building VW trikes on a regular basis back then. I remember sourcing chrome springer and girder front ends to my specified length for a flat $100 each (customers never knew that, though). The first trike I built was fully tubular framed with a VW 40hp motor and a 14 over springer. I metalflaked the paint (silver, tangerine, blue) and had the custom seat covered with true leather. Pulled all shrouding, pedal assemblies, etc. and sent to chrome plating and for $150 had everything blinged out. My investment in that one was $850 out of pocket total for a show winner. In fact that one trike won First Place in the International World of Wheels show in 1974.

Alas my first left me for a man who a stack of cash in his pocket that I couldn't resist. But that's OK since I built (or managed builds) for hundreds of VW trikes since then.

Yea, nostalgia is a great thing. I have memories a plenty and mostly about motorcycles (got my first HD at 12 years old).

Been to Daytona enough times that it's become a 'been there - done that' type thing to me.

Sorry, I drifted away back about 40 years.

By the way, the prices on those and other kits were quite enticing, but quality was not a virtue included in many of them. There used to be muchos accidents with frames breaking, etc. Some guys were even offering kits made with electrical conduit frames! A man of girth could bend one of them just by sitting down. Poor, poor quality was rampant.