Getting ready to order a set, They sound like a winner.
Getting ready to order a set, They sound like a winner.
Just put on the airbags all went well, put 60 lbs and checked with soap and water no leaks put 20 lbs and took a ride a little rough so will have to play with that but all went OK.
I have a 2003 Honda VTX1800C with a Motor Trike kit. The progressive shocks are shot and the air bags leak. I see recommendations for the #800 Air Bags. Is this to be used with progressive shocks or will the suspension be sufficent with just the air bags. As you can tell, I know nothing about suspensions.
Dave the new air bags will only cure the leaking OEM air bag issue. You will still have to deal with the shocks.
A word of caution. I just replaced the air bags on an '03 MT solid axle conversion. Trike now rides better than new! The new air bags are much larger diameter so several guys have had tire rubbing on bags issues. One person destroyed the bags.
The trike I worked on recently had the rear tires replaced with a narrower size or I think there would have been a rubbing issue here. Something for you to ponder...
Here is a photo of the two different air bags and one of the new bag installed showing space to tire.
Jerry "Gold Rush" (aka: "SPOOK") San Angelo, TX
2015 GL1800/Roadsmith HTS1800
TOI - IBA #23804 (SS1K & BB1.5K)
I'm like an old race horse..... I can still run the race -- Just ache more at the finish line and need more rest between outings.
I know this is an older thread but still relevant to those looking for information about air bags on Motor Trikes. Thanks to this tread and some of those posting on it I now have new improved air bags on my trike. Total cost 90 dollars. I picked up the new air bags from a forum member who had a new spare seat. In changing the air bags out I soon discovered the air line fittings on the OEM bags are cheaply made and not very well made.
I decided to replace the fittings with new NPT 1/8 brass fittings. As you can see in the photograph the new air bags are substantially larger with metal tops and bottoms. The new air bags are industrial grade with greatly improved quality over the OEM bags. Even though the new bags are larger I haven't had a problem with the tire rubbing the air bags. While it took me some time to swap the bags I could do the next set in an hour or less. My Motor Trike is a Spyder body made 4/2007.
Handing and ride seems much improved, i'll add a ride report once I get a good ride in hopefully tomorrow.
Bill
I have a 2007 Honda 1300vtx with a motor trike kit on it. Will these air bag work on it. Thanks
Seeing as this thread has been revitalized a bit.
Does anyone know how many feet of air line would be needed if replacing the OEM lines on both sides??
2010 Motor Trike Adventurer kit.
Thanks
Jerry "Gold Rush" (aka: "SPOOK") San Angelo, TX
2015 GL1800/Roadsmith HTS1800
TOI - IBA #23804 (SS1K & BB1.5K)
I'm like an old race horse..... I can still run the race -- Just ache more at the finish line and need more rest between outings.
Jay,
I'm afraid GoldRush is correct. The fitment of the airbags on an IRS kit doesn't leave any room for a larger diameter bag with the mounting design. These bags would get torn up pretty quickly on your Adventure kit.
Just to let every one know that this air bags did work on my Honda 1300c vtx motortrike kit. I found them on ebay for 35.00ea. to my front door.
The air line needed to replace all lines would be 4 foot should be plenty. I'm going to change my current air schrader valve to a more convenient location. It currently is in the bottom box of my MotorTrike Spyder. I'm planning on moving it to the upper luggage box or elsewhere where it will be easy to get to.
Bill
I meant to add; I know this is an older post but it is still a useful thread and provides a lot of information. Because of this tread I found my new air bags from a forum member and felt comfortable enough to do the work myself. This is a prime example of forum members helping each other.
Bill
Rake...
Never had it....
Never will...
I found them on ebay for 35.00 ea. to my front door. They were 39.00 ea and 45.00 for shipping same people http://stores.ebay.com/Chassis-Tech-...p2047675.l2563
We strive for 100% customer satisfaction and are sure that you will be. Please feel free to leave positive feedback as this is helpful to our store. If you are not satisfied for any reason whatsoever, I ask you to email me at frontdesk@airbagit.com, or call me at 800-682-8789. Give us the opportunity to correct any mistakes we may have made. We know that you have a choice in companies and we appreciate you choosing ours. Please keep us in mind for any future product needs.
Mary Reed.
I got it from Motortrike...
It is standard equipment now, but there was a time where it was an add-on option
It adapts the up and down switches on the left console that used to be the adjust shock, to now control the airbags
With a digital pounds/sq-inch readout and a volt meter
Rake...
Never had it....
Never will...
Hey 3W lonerider just ran across your post on airbags. I think I got the same problem with my airbags. Read where some of the guys messed up there tires or the new airbags because the tires were to wide. So what size tires do you have mounted on your trike ? I have P225/60/R15 on mine and have fairly decent thread on them. Don't like the idea of having to buy narrower tires just to mount new airbags. Am thinking of replacing all plastic parts with brass fittings also. I ride a 2008 gl1800 Goldwing trike. Can't tell what kit it has. Maybe spider but won't swear to it.
I dropped my tire size down to a 215 i had 225. And they never rubbed the tire but just wanted alittle more clearance. Just keep in mind. If you have tires that have raised lettering and the letters are facing in. The tires will make contact with the bags. Also not sure how much clearance you have at the bottom of the bag and the rear end. But i had to expand that mounting hole to get the bag away from the rear. When the bag was compressing in dips the lower portion of the bag was barely making contact but just enough to rub.
Last edited by 3W-lonerider; 02-23-2018 at 06:03 PM. Reason: Add more
Anyone else besides Plummer try to mount these air bags to a VTX 1300? I bought a set and when I tried to mount them, the right side rubs on a break line attached to the axle housing and on the left side it rubs on the axle housing. When I first got the trike for my wife and was trying to find parts I called MT and was told the kit I had was the same one that fit Vtx 1300, 1800, GW and the Val. Mine is a 2006 VTX with a 2005 MT kit. Any help please.
unless they moved the brake line on your's, don't know but my brake line is on the front of the axle and the bag is on the rear side.
then moves to the top of the rear 2 inches from the drum.
as far as rubbing on the rear, I had to grind the bottom hole out away from the rear 1/4 inch to allow the bag to get away from the rear.
Thanks for the info. To make them work on my 1300 I would have to cut and weld the brackets. I don't have that type equipment. So I called MT and they told me where I could order the shocks through. I only have one leaking and at 75 bucks each I will only order one.
My compressor stop working any trouble shooting sugestions
Hello, I have a VTX 1800S with American Trikes conversion on my trike, in it there are 4 standard coil-over shocks seems to work OK.
Do you think I should switch over to air shocks?
Thanks so much.
David Hilton Ret. USN ETC/SS
SubDude, thanks for your service, always admired you underwater sailors. Old Korean War Destroyer sailor here. Chased you guys around many times on ASW exercises, I must admit it was rare we ever got a hit. By the way, welcome to TT.
Hello,
Thank you, My Dad was a tin can sailor (Bosun's Mate then went Warrant Officer), My Grand father too he was a Hard Hat Diver you know the old round headed type w/ round port holes.
The whole trike thing is still very new to me, just got mine a couple of weeks ago, I posted in introduce yourself (Howdy from San Angelo Texas).
Be safe out on the road,
David Hilton Ret. ETC/SS
I replaced the airbags on my 2003 motor trike solid axle trike. they are a good bit better than the OEM shocks, however, the air compressor runs and automatically pumps up the airbags to about 18psi. I cant set it lower than that. is there anything I can do to adjust the pressure that the air compressor automatically pumps up to ??? also, I think i have a slow leak because overnight the bags deflate. however, during a ride, the pressure stays around 18psi, so I'm assuming the compressor is automatically keeping the airbags pumped up.
any help is appreciated !!!
Got a set of Firestone bags new off ebay for mmmm, 90 bucks for two, i can pic them and post later if necessary, got the info off this site to make the buy
I run my air bags at 12 psi with just me on and 21 psi with the wife and me togather. Have never had a problem with running them that low of air pressure. Been running them that way for a couple of years now.
If i were to run them over 20 psi with just me on. The back of my trike would bounce all over the road.
Last edited by 3W-lonerider; 04-30-2019 at 05:31 AM. Reason: Add more
I'm interested in the reason why the airbags shouldn't be inflated to less than 20#.
Also -- my airbags (adventure) abraided and leaked. One wore a hole rubbing on itself. The band around the base has a knobby bit. The bit ends up inside the accordian pleat of the baggy part and rubs. You might want to check yours.
The other one got to rubbing on something close to it. I made a sheath for them out of old inner tube. The folks with tire clearance problems might benefit from that.
The airbags are there to trim out the ride. I had coilover shocks that came with the conversion that were stupid-badly specd. Whoever chose them should be slapped smart. I don't know if they simply moved the units from the 2-wheel donor over or if some point-and-grunt expert deliberately chose them. With them I was pumping the airbags up to 60# to handle some situations. Less than 40# and the suspension sagged past half travel -- couldn't get a floor jack under it. The springs would bind on bad roads. The problem was that I was undersuspended and undersprung. Compensating with airbags is like overhopping bad beer and passing sloppy craftsmanship off as "IPA".
So I weighed the rear corners and got the correct shocks -- rated almost 160#/inch/each more than what I removed. What a difference! I've got
travel and the spring rate is almost perfect with no air in the bags. I trim out wonderfully @18#, and run them up to about 22-24 for the tar snakes and frost heaves.
So I have little confidence in the kit's rear shock selection, and I scoff at the notion that a properly suspended trike requires high airbag pressure to ride and handle well. I'd urge folks to look up their shock and spring numbers to be sure they've got a good baseline to work from.
$0.02
I agree with your assessment on shock selection. But i have found thT the puny little air bags that came with my motortrike kit would do 2 things. Either cave in the dips or send your lower spine up threw the bottom of your neck. The bigger air bags that this thread is about are 3 times the size of the originals. So even though you don't have to carry as much pressure in them. They hold more air as far as volume. Which makes them act totally different than the small ones. When i installed the bigger ones. I extended them out but never seen a band around the bottom. Only the top.
I've had some unusually wear on my back tires. The inside tread on the tire wearing much more than on the outside. I never paid much attention to the air pressure till my wife tells me to turn it up because she can feel it bottoming out. I was told by MotorTrike and a dealer that the unusually tire wear was due to improper inflation on the air bags. When not aired up properly the tires "lean" in a little.
The tire wear could well be negative camber. That's because the rear suspension is inadequate. See my comment above about overhopping crap beer. Your airbags are the hops. Your suspension is the beer. They're covering for crap coilover decisions by blaming ride and handling issues on the airbags
Another way to think of it is recommending a louder stereo to fix a bad engine noise.
Again, my opinion.
The bags I installed in our 2006 GW1800 Motortrike are the same as you ordered. They solved the problems and worked great. I would also suggest you change out the air lines and fittings to commercial grade instead of the cheap Mickey Mouse fittings Motortrike used at the factory. Most automotive suppliers sell air lines and fittings.
Bill
See if ya can break Ur neck, i added bigger lines, and such to get to the air gauge i bought an so forth, $100 bucks almost on eBay. Sometime back.
Did the air bag conversion on my Valkyrie Motortrike conv with a solid axle.
I have a faint amount of rubbing on the inside of the left rear tire.
Current tires are 225/60R15s, I ASSUME I am going to need 215/60R15s to fix the issue?
Thanks in advance
PS Makes a MAJOR difference in the ride for the passenger per the wife.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Yep. I'd say go down to a 215. But i would also check to see if that rear is actually centered and not shifted to 1 side. If you rubbing on one side and have alot of clearence on the other side. Deffinatly check center. How i do mine. Is I don't measure from the body to the wheel because the body can be off to. I take a staight edge and put it up against the tire and measure from the staight edge to the bike frame under the rear foot peg.