Instructions for Mountain Trike Driveshaft modification for CSC trike kit

[Counselor52]

Hello all,

I'm new here, but, in reading through the posts it seems that I already am in need of some help. I just bought a 2004 GL1800 with a CSC Trike conversion kit on it. The bike has 9,000 miles on it and it was triked at 900 miles. It seems that the driveshaft is a problem waiting to happen. after reading about the options I think I would like to install the Mountain Trike kit to take care of things. It would be very helpful If I could see a copy of the installation instructions. If anyone has a copy they could email me it would be much appreciated.

Frank Lambert

frankslambert@gmail.com

[Solidbob]

Hello all,

I'm new here, but, in reading through the posts it seems that I already am in need of some help. I just bought a 2004 GL1800 with a CSC Trike conversion kit on it. The bike has 9,000 miles on it and it was triked at 900 miles. It seems that the driveshaft is a problem waiting to happen. after reading about the options I think I would like to install the Mountain Trike kit to take care of things. It would be very helpful If I could see a copy of the installation instructions. If anyone has a copy they could email me it would be much appreciated.

Frank Lambert

frankslambert@gmail.com

Website : http://www.mountaintrikes.com/

[jaxbobg]

Have you emailed Mountain Trikes? Ask them for the installation instructions.

Meanwhile, these videos may help for installation ideas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXlv...ature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebg-...ature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymJa...ature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdCY...ature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-pe...ature=youtu.be

[ROAD DOG]

Hello all,

I'm new here, but, in reading through the posts it seems that I already am in need of some help. I just bought a 2004 GL1800 with a CSC Trike conversion kit on it. The bike has 9,000 miles on it and it was triked at 900 miles. It seems that the driveshaft is a problem waiting to happen. after reading about the options I think I would like to install the Mountain Trike kit to take care of things. It would be very helpful If I could see a copy of the installation instructions. If anyone has a copy they could email me it would be much appreciated.

Frank Lambert

frankslambert@gmail.com

Does your trike have the gear box on the front of the differential ? If it does go with the csc driveshaft that you have to remove the gear box , it cost the same money as the mountain driveshaft , its a lot more work , I bought a mountain driveshaft it worked great no problems , but with the play in the gear box & drive train I could roll my trike back & forth it seemed like two feet mine shifted really hard into second gear , I pulled the gear box out it weighed 27 pounds & has 22 pounds of rotating gears & shafts in it, I put in the CSC replacement driveshaft it rolls better, shifts better & is a lot smoother a little better on gas . I did it myself had to pull the body off , pull the complete kit off , it was a lot of work but I think it was worth the time . I think CSC told me about $900.00 to do the job with the driveshaft.

I have a mountain driveshaft has about 8000 miles on it I will sell you for a $100.

[Counselor52]

Road Dog
Can I just get under my Trike, pull out the original drive shaft and bolt your Mountain Trike shaft in, using simple hand tools and without any modifications? Obviously, I'm looking for a simple solution?

I sent an email to Mountain Trikes for instructions, but have not heard back from them and the videos posted here talk about cutting a shaft.

[ROAD DOG]

Road Dog
Can I just get under my Trike, pull out the original drive shaft and bolt your Mountain Trike shaft in, using simple hand tools and without any modifications? Obviously, I'm looking for a simple solution?

I sent an email to Mountain Trikes for instructions, but have not heard back from them and the videos posted here talk about cutting a shaft.

Theres about A 1"1/2 nub ,piece of pipe sticking out of the front of driveshaft flange that you have to cut off , I used a cut off wheel its kinda of a pain in the ass to cut but no big deal . the videos show everything to do . Did you call CSC just to see what they say about replacing it with there replacement driveshaft ?

[Counselor52]

Theres about A 1"1/2 nub ,piece of pipe sticking out of the front of driveshaft flange that you have to cut off , I used a cut off wheel its kinda of a pain in the ass to cut but no big deal . the videos show everything to do . Did you call CSC just to see what they say about replacing it with there replacement driveshaft ?

Not yet, I just started looking into this. can you send a photo of your shaft? does it show any wear?

[ROAD DOG]

Not yet, I just started looking into this. can you send a photo of your shaft? does it show any wear?

When I get home from work I can get you a photo, no wear that I see, its dirty

[Counselor52]

When I get home from work I can get you a photo, no wear that I see, its dirty

I got under the trike as much as I could without jacking it up to take a few photos of my current driveshaft. Perhaps it has already been changed. Does this look like original equipment?

[ROAD DOG]

I got under the trike as much as I could without jacking it up to take a few photos of my current driveshaft. Perhaps it has already been changed. Does this look like original equipment?

YES its been changed , & you do not have the gearbox. from what I can tell it looks like a mountain driveshaft to me, whats the picture with the rub mark on the drive shaft ? I do not understand how these things get so greasy & ****ted up underneath ?

[insdan]

It appears to me that you don't have the aux gearbox and yours is like my '05 CSC Cobra. It has the funky driveshaft with the rubbery feeling. Mountain Trikes kit will not fit on yours per Stan at Mountain trikes since you don't have the aux gearbox.

Here's a post I just put on GL1800 riders.

As I posted b4, I had the 2012 driveshaft installed on my 2005 CSC Cobra trike and the results are great. My 05 Cobra came with no aux. gearbox but had the driveshaft with the Rzeppa joint on it. My complaint was a pretty good vibration at about 65 mph. I felt it in my butt and the pegs plus the mirrors got really bad.

I spoke with Stan at Mountain Trikes and his CV joint would not fit on mine since I didn't have an aux. gearbox.

I then spoke with Will at CSC who was very helpful and offered to do the retro fit driveshaft on my trike at the factory for $500, the cost of the parts. Since I live about 800 miles from CSC, I asked Will if he thought my dealer, Niehaus Cycle, could do the install, and Will said they thought they could since they are CSC installers.

So I evaluated the cost of the 800 mile trip, hotels, meals, gas and the nervous feelings about the current driveshaft and perhaps breaking down on the road and I called Niehaus and asked them is they thought they could do the job and they said they could. Will had said they could do the job in around 8 hrs at the factory and I told Niehaus that.

CSC shipped the parts to Niehaus and we made the appointment and a week later the job was done. I dropped it off on a Tuesday and picked it up on Thursday.

My report is that the bike is very smooth now with no vibration at all up to 85mph (didn't try any faster) and it's what it's supposed to be.

The new driveshaft is what they are putting on the Viper. It's a one piece with auto U-joints on both ends good for 100,000 miles.

You guys with Rzeppa joint driveshafts know that little bit of rubbery feel when you first let the clutch out in 1st, That's gone now.

It's not a cheap fix because they have to take the trike body off to roll the rear axel back to replace that heavy alum plate that bolts to the bottom of the diff.

Service Mgr at Niehaus asked why I just didn't buy a newer trike and I told him I finally got this trike set-up they way I want it-Corbin, CB, pegs, XM radio, spoiler, rack, etc, etc, etc.

Anyway, you guys that have the early CSC with the rubbery driveshaft, I highly recommend this conversion.

Dan Moore
St Charles, MO

<div class="postfoot"><!-- -->

[Counselor52]

It appears to me that you don't have the aux gearbox and yours is like my '05 CSC Cobra. It has the funky driveshaft with the rubbery feeling. Mountain Trikes kit will not fit on yours per Stan at Mountain trikes since you don't have the aux gearbox.

Here's a post I just put on GL1800 riders.

As I posted b4, I had the 2012 driveshaft installed on my 2005 CSC Cobra trike and the results are great. My 05 Cobra came with no aux. gearbox but had the driveshaft with the Rzeppa joint on it. My complaint was a pretty good vibration at about 65 mph. I felt it in my butt and the pegs plus the mirrors got really bad.

I spoke with Stan at Mountain Trikes and his CV joint would not fit on mine since I didn't have an aux. gearbox.

I then spoke with Will at CSC who was very helpful and offered to do the retro fit driveshaft on my trike at the factory for $500, the cost of the parts. Since I live about 800 miles from CSC, I asked Will if he thought my dealer, Niehaus Cycle, could do the install, and Will said they thought they could since they are CSC installers.

So I evaluated the cost of the 800 mile trip, hotels, meals, gas and the nervous feelings about the current driveshaft and perhaps breaking down on the road and I called Niehaus and asked them is they thought they could do the job and they said they could. Will had said they could do the job in around 8 hrs at the factory and I told Niehaus that.

CSC shipped the parts to Niehaus and we made the appointment and a week later the job was done. I dropped it off on a Tuesday and picked it up on Thursday.

My report is that the bike is very smooth now with no vibration at all up to 85mph (didn't try any faster) and it's what it's supposed to be.

The new driveshaft is what they are putting on the Viper. It's a one piece with auto U-joints on both ends good for 100,000 miles.

You guys with Rzeppa joint driveshafts know that little bit of rubbery feel when you first let the clutch out in 1st, That's gone now.

It's not a cheap fix because they have to take the trike body off to roll the rear axel back to replace that heavy alum plate that bolts to the bottom of the diff.

Service Mgr at Niehaus asked why I just didn't buy a newer trike and I told him I finally got this trike set-up they way I want it-Corbin, CB, pegs, XM radio, spoiler, rack, etc, etc, etc.

Anyway, you guys that have the early CSC with the rubbery driveshaft, I highly recommend this conversion.

Dan Moore
St Charles,

Thanks Dan!

[carbco]

Road Dog

Can I just get under my Trike, pull out the original drive shaft and bolt your Mountain Trike shaft in, using simple hand tools and without any modifications? Obviously, I'm looking for a simple solution?

I sent an email to Mountain Trikes for instructions, but have not heard back from them and the videos posted here talk about cutting a shaft.

Well just to let you know I've had the Mtn. TRike coupler on my 2010 Cobra XL now for over two years and 25,000 miles. Before I installed it I couldn't push my trike around the garage without much difficulty now it moves almost by itself. My mileage went from 34/35 to 4l now. I live at 3500 feet elevation in Central Oregon. It was great dealing with Mtn Trikes. They were very helpful.

CSC should have installed their coupler when developing their trike kit rather than the rubber coupler. My rubber coupler was cracked in several places when I removed it. I had less than 5,000 miles on my trike when I installed the mtn. TRike coupler. I was fearful that it would let go 200 miles from home and leave me stranded. The coupler eased my fears. I pull the driveshaft every season and moly coat the splines that go into the transmission and reinstall the driveshaft. You'll have great luck with their modification. Carbco in Central Oregon