Front of drive shaft How do you get at it??

[JaysGone]

On several occasions Ive wanted to get to the front U-joint on my Motor trike kite bike to grease the front U-joints.
Ive been able to get to the rear u-joint easily enough.
How in heck do you guys raise the bike high enough up front to get under there??
Besides using ramps. Those I don't have, Ive never felt safe with them as Im by myself here.
I have a few different types of jacks but also have full length running boards.
Ill go to a dealer if must. Im at the 5K+ mark since getting the newest MT drive shaft as a replacement. I do believe its due for some new grease.

[howardg]

I think you have to drop the shaft to get to the front one.

[Gold Rush]

On several occasions Ive wanted to get to the front U-joint on my Motor trike kite bike to grease the front U-joints.
Ive been able to get to the rear u-joint easily enough.
How in heck do you guys raise the bike high enough up front to get under there??
Besides using ramps. Those I don't have, Ive never felt safe with them as Im by myself here.
I have a few different types of jacks but also have full length running boards.
Ill go to a dealer if must. Im at the 5K+ mark since getting the newest MT drive shaft as a replacement. I do believe its due for some new grease.

Good News Jay!!

If you do indeed have the latest version of MotorTrike's driveshaft on you 2010 then you can get to the front U-Joint zert fitting by removing the right engine side cover. See the green in the lower part of the picture... BINGO!!

Honda made a change to the transmission output shaft in late 2005. Bikes with the older style still have to pull the entire drive shaft to lube that front U-Joint. I have a friend that installed the new generation driveshaft on his '03 MotorTrike conversion. He sure was bummed to find out he'd still have to drop it come lube time.

[JaysGone]

That's all there is to it Jerry??
Thanks for the picture.
Ill take another look today.
I didn't notice it when I was doing the oil change.
As Woolie the poster in the newer drive shaft post said, the body is getting just a bit too old to work on this thing.
Plus the heat. 106 in the garage the other day.

[Pegasus1300]

106 in April?!?! Its time to get a portable air conditioner in there.

[Woolie]

Jay, I added some more to my post on the new drive shaft, check it out. I raise mine by backing onto ramps. Then jack up the front by placing a jack where the front aqua shields support brackets fasten to the motor, I raise the front about 9 inches. I then jack up the back with the jack under the differential, I put a block between the jack and the frame, and place stands at the very end of the trike kit frame. Then I jack up the front and add whatever support blocks I need. In the picture the front is raised 15 inches. I roll around under the trike with a mechanics creeper, getting up and down to get tools is the tough part. Raise it and lower it a little at a time, don't go up or down the full amount at one time on either end or side. When you put it back down on the ramps make sure it is in 1st gear so it doesn't try to roll. That is very important, I learned that the hard way and was lucky I didn't tear something up.

I think I could have greased the front U-joint from underneath. I tried but my grease gun is the type that is held in one hand and pump the handle with the other. I got the hose on the fitting but it was so crooked all the grease came out around the fitting. I bought a new gun at Wal-mart that can be operated with one hand and I could have held the hose straight with the other but I replaced the shaft before I tried it. Only 1 way to grease the splines and that is remove it, and I read somewhere it should be done at least every 2 years or 20 to 24000 miles, probably more often according to the kind of weather you ride in. If you have the shaft with the blue front yoke maybe this picture will help you locate the fitting. I think it was on the back of the joint, the long end goes to the transmission. I wasn't too worried about remembering, only 1 end will fit onto the shaft. I hope this helps some.

[JaysGone]

I took care of it yesterday Woolie and appreciate the advice on an A/C.
Which I do have. Its a 1 1/2 ton unit but it will only lower the temps 6-8 degrees compared to whatever it is inside to begin with. No fan power to speak of with this unit.
And to get that, I have to run it for 4 hours prior.
Its a LG 18000 btu 220 volt unit that obviously sucks. It would be fine inside, but my garage is 20x30ft cinderblock with the attic above. Its a heat sink if there was one. No way to insulate anything.
Im affraid to try a larger unit. It being just wasting money more then likely.
I find myself doing less and less as you pointed out. We aren't as young as we think we are.

Anyway good pics. I do have one question regarding the front wheel.
How do you lift the front high enough using a floor jack??
My bike would fall over if I tried doing that????
I have the appropriate floor jacks and a platform jack along with a regular bike jack.
The fact that I have running boards is the problem for me. In order to get anything under the front. I have to use a scissor jack from my car just to get it all started in the front.
Lifting the rear isn't an issue.
As Im alone most of the time. I have no faith in my ability to use ramps and not fall off them too.

[Trikerbobbilly]

In order to get a jack under the front of my trike ( I also have running boards) I drive the front wheel up onto a couple of 2X4s first this gets it up high enough to get the jack under it.

[Solidbob]

I use this flat scissor jack and place a piece of 2x4 or 2x6 between the jack and the engine case so the weight is distributed...

I also use it in the rear with the two adapters that came with it.... bought it on Ebay works well!!

[JaysGone]

I have a similar flat jack.
But it still wont fit under the front supports for the floor boards. I have to use a scissor jack from my car then I can slide it under there and get the front off the ground.
Next time I might just try riding it up on a 2x6 1st.
Oil changes are a PIA too as my oil catch pan doesn't fit under it unless I jack up the front also.
I only have about 2 inches of clearance under there. The floor board support tubing must be at least a inch in diameter tube.

[Gold Rush]

I have a similar flat jack.

But it still wont fit under the front supports for the floor boards. I have to use a scissor jack from my car then I can slide it under there and get the front off the ground.

Next time I might just try riding it up on a 2x6 1st.

Oil changes are a PIA too as my oil catch pan doesn't fit under it unless I jack up the front also.

I only have about 2 inches of clearance under there. The floor board support tubing must be at least a inch in diameter tube.

That 2 X 6 trick works great Jay. I've used it for years. My jack also won't go under the front until the front tire is on some timber.

[Solidbob]

I have a similar flat jack.

But it still wont fit under the front supports for the floor boards. I have to use a scissor jack from my car then I can slide it under there and get the front off the ground.

Next time I might just try riding it up on a 2x6 1st.

Oil changes are a PIA too as my oil catch pan doesn't fit under it unless I jack up the front also.

I only have about 2 inches of clearance under there. The floor board support tubing must be at least a inch in diameter tube.

My Roadsmith has about 5" and the drain pan goes right under. Of course I have the Traxxion AK20 front end which raises the front end back to full level ..

2" I would be hitting stuff on the highway, lots of dodging debris...

[JaysGone]

2" I would be hitting stuff on the highway, lots of dodging debris...

Trust me I dodge anything in the road and cant go over any speed bumps. Took a nice gouge out of my left front floor board the 1st week I owned it. I was making a left over a "normal" speed bump in my parking lot.
My biggest complaint with this trike. No clearance up front.

Jerry had basically the same trike so he knows what he's talking about.
Ive learned to listen to him. What a change from day 1 huh Jerry................

[Gold Rush]

Trust me I dodge anything in the road and cant go over any speed bumps. Took a nice gouge out of my left front floor board the 1st week I owned it. I was making a left over a "normal" speed bump in my parking lot.

My biggest complaint with this trike. No clearance up front.

Jerry had basically the same trike so he knows what he's talking about.

Ive learned to listen to him. What a change from day 1 huh Jerry................

Yes it is quite a learning curve. I agree the ground clearance with the Aqua Shields leaves something to be desired. Every time I go over a speed bump on the 2015 Roadsmith I get a smile on my face. I must have the Wing Guards (Roadsmith's name for running boards) so I can put my feet down on them. Same was the case with the '06 MotorTrike I use to have. No running board = no riding.......

The really cool thing about this dilemma is that there is a work around.

Usually there is....

BTW, Thanks for the vote of confidence Jay. I try real hard not to steer anyone wrong.

[JaysGone]

Yes it is quite a learning curve. I agree the ground clearance with the Aqua Shields leaves something to be desired. Every time I go over a speed bump on the 2015 Roadsmith I get a smile on my face. I must have the Wing Guards (Roadsmith's name for running boards) so I can put my feet down on them. Same was the case with the '06 MotorTrike I use to have. No running board = no riding.......

The really cool thing about this dilemma is that there is a work around. Usually there is....

BTW, Thanks for the vote of confidence Jay. I try real hard not to steer anyone wrong.

Jerry when I 1st joined this board we got off to a bad start.

I don't honestly remember why but I didn't have a good feeling about you.

But over the years you have been probably the main reason I ended up keeping the GW as I wasn't very happy with it in general.

My feeling of course have changed over time. Your information and no how has been the most helpful of anyone here for me. For that I say to you.

Thanks

[jaxbobg]

Running boards are definitely a problem when trying to do an oil change.
Didn't have them on the Suzuki Lehman trike. But I sometimes ride in wet weather and was getting splashed on legs.

BMW Hannigan trike had boards and it was a royal pain to do oil changes.

Now with the Goldwing Roadsmith am back to no running boards. Did an oil and filter change last week - easy peasy. (Still had to lift the front end a little to get the drain pan underneath).

As for road splash, rode through a bit of a downpour yesterday and didn't get much at all. Maybe it's the design of the Wing that helps keep it down. I'm not for sure.