Motor trike rear end locked up on interstate!

[Chappy KC]

I got my new MT on 4/15/15 with 70 miles on the bike. On 5/24/15 with just under 3,100 miles on the bike the right rear axle siezed up and sent me on a 602' skid down the interstate. It's in the shop to determine what has happened. Has anybody else out there ever had this happen?

[Keystone]

Please keep us updated as to what/why/how ect. Glad you are OK.

[Steve on 3]

I am interested in the reason it seized as well but I really want to know about the 602 foot skid. How fast were you going? that is two football fields. wow

[wehrme]

I got my new MT on 4/15/15 with 70 miles on the bike. On 5/24/15 with just under 3,100 miles on the bike the right rear axle siezed up and sent me on a 602' skid down the interstate. It's in the shop to determine what has happened. Has anybody else out there ever had this happen?

What model? and more importantly, who was the dealer that did the installation?

I'll be following this post...

[Chappy KC]

Got a call from my dealer during lunch today and he said they removed the wheel and the hub. Then something else and they are sending the "knuckle" in to MT for examination and they are sending back new parts. Including a new tire. Since I am not a mechanic and the salesman is not either then I am guessing the item is the axle with the CV joint welded to it. I don't think I will see this trike again before 12 June. This was nothing to do with the assembly by the dealership. It was a failed part from the factory. Not yet determined why. But at least it was not in the differential.

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What model? and more importantly, who was the dealer that did the installation?

I'll be following this post...

The bike is the Kawasaki Voyager and the kit is the Challenger with IRS. The dealership is Spark's and Sons out of Oblong Illinois. They are being very helpful but they are following the directions of MT as required.

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I am interested in the reason it seized as well but I really want to know about the 602 foot skid. How fast were you going? that is two football fields. wow

I was going about 75mph according to the speedo which is usually off. I know this because I had just put it in OD and set the cruise control. When it happened I thought I had a blowout so I did not use any brakes. I just steered it to the shoulder and let it slide on its own. Only 1 wheel locked so really there was not any slowing down in a quick fashion. It happened pretty fast so I did not know how far I had skid until a friend of mine measured it. He is a financial adviser so I guess he is pretty good with numbers.

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Okay ... I wanna know ... did ya need clean shorts ... I would of.

Glad you came out of it okay.

[6X3]

Okay ... I wanna know ... did ya need clean shorts ... I would of.

Glad you came out of it okay.

I don't litter, but I'd leave my shorts by the side of the road.

[Gorilla]

Glad all is well with you. We all have to remember nothing is perfect sometimes defects happen and we hope the outcome is just to fix it and enjoy.

[Veritas44]

Wowzers

Glad you're OK and no worse for the wear and the scare.
The rest will get worked out.

602' eh? Well, since documented by a true Numerical Professional, would definitely say you are the Official Trike Talk World Record holder in the Interstate Trike Slide Category. An inaugural Award and Precedent.

Think you should receive a Certificate and special Edition pair of clean Armored Boxer-Briefs at the TT Rally in Eureka Springs

Serious though, great to hear only the Trike is in need or repair

[Chappy KC]

To all concerned for my laundry....it was fine in the end. I will say that this experience has shown me more stability in the trike world than I had expected. It did start bucking and pulling to the right but I had no problems locking my right elbow and keeping it under control. Skidding along the rumble strips added to the bucking and excitement but steering was still fine. I'm just glad I was on 3 wheels instead of 2. Also that it was not raining and the roads were dry. Also that I was not doing curves in the Smokies. Also that traffic was at a minimum. It was basically a perfect time to experience this type of failure. I've never had a blowout but I would think that it would not necessarily be as terminal as I once thought. Oh, and if you actually measure out 600' you will see it is not really that far if you are traveling at that speed and you will cover it very quickly. In a panic stop with all brakes and tires and dry roads and all I would expect it to be accomplished in under 200'. Still providing room for terminating your existence. Just sayin'.

[Chappy KC]

On 15 June the dealer called and said my trike was all ready to go again. MT sent them a new axle, bearing, knuckle, cv joint, hub and tire. Some of the above may be the same but I have no idea. I told them to be sure they fixed the rear flashers because they did not work unless the bike was running for some reason. He though it was the module and they would change that. I also told him to make sure the rear brakes worked since they had not since I bought it. Pedal to the floorboards with no results. I told him to take it to 40mph and slam on the rear brakes to see if they would bring it to a halt. Call me when that was accomplished. Today is 17 June and I have not heard anything. I have a loaner bike so I'm sure they are working on it. 24 days down and counting.

[wehrme]

I think the 4-ways only work when the engine is running. I may be wrong though...

[Phu Cat]

Chappy, I can see why you had no undies problem. My posterior would have slammed shut so tight nothing could have gotten thru there for the next couple days.

Way to keep a cool head 'under fire'!

PC

[Chappy KC]

Phu Cat; I blamed the smell on the dead deer in the ditch.

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I think the 4-ways only work when the engine is running. I may be wrong though...

That seems strange to me. If I break down on the hiway and leave my trike I would need to leave it running so nobody would hit it? Oh well. If that's true then they will let me know. This is day 2 of no calls about the brakes though. I'm getting real curious now.

[Rod69]

Hey Chappy, was that Kaw white? I was looking at a couple at Sparks, but its been a while back. The white one was sure a sharp looking trike. Sorry you had problems, but glad your ok. Hope you get it back soon.

[Chappy KC]

Hey Chappy, was that Kaw white? I was looking at a couple at Sparks, but its been a while back. The white one was sure a sharp looking trike. Sorry you had problems, but glad your ok. Hope you get it back soon.

Yes Rod69. It has silver accent.

[skuuter]

Glad this was completely taken care of. Motor Trike completely paid to fix my Trike a couple of years ago after a driveshaft failure proceeded to destroy lots of other parts on the Gold Wing Trike. My personal dealings with Motor Trike have been very, very positive.....

[CSCguy]

Motortrike uses the same differential as several other trike makers - from Midwest Truck aka Richmond gear. It is a sealed unit that is intended to be packed with high tech grease. The simplicity allows you to simply bolt a sprocket on it and install. Done. These diffs were inadequately lubed and the spider gear cross pins don't have lubrication reliefs cut in them. CSC did all of the root cause and fixed the issue for their parts in mid 2014, but I'm sure the other guys got the parts already warehoused (made in China). The other guys are probably just discovering the issue as it hasn't shown itself much. A spider gear welds itself to the shaft from the heat, the roll pin shears, and the cross pin begins spinning in the housing. It can go like that for years with one spider gear no longer on the cross shaft at all.

The one issue that CSC didn't figure out was servicing. Grease is hydroscopic... absorbs water. Trike differentials for belt drives are a terrible design but it won't change until some people die.

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Just noticed you said right rear... could still be the differential if the lose spider gear finally tipped... which would explain why it took so long to figure out. Best of luck

[Chappy KC]

On 18 June the dealer called and said the brakes were fixed! They offered to meet me half way but I wanted to ride. I got to the dealer and there was a real trike tech there. He explained that the outer wheel bearing failed. When he took the hub off the bearing pieces fell out in his hand. So both bearings and associated parts were replaced and the tire. He wants it back in 1000 miles for a checkup. The flashers will work like I want when he disconnects an orange wire and connects it to the battery. That will be done when I get my checkup. I must say my brakes are working better the more I use them. Apparently the calipers were not lined up correctly to the rotors. So...I think a confligration of poor assembly process and training by MT and a manufacturing defect all contributed to this adventure. But my dealer and MT have treated me well and all costs are covered. Now my dealer is trying to see if MT will pay for my fuel expenses to tow my trike to my dealer. BACK ON THREE AND FREE!

[Chappy KC]

Motortrike uses the same differential as several other trike makers - from Midwest Truck aka Richmond gear. It is a sealed unit that is intended to be packed with high tech grease. The simplicity allows you to simply bolt a sprocket on it and install. Done. These diffs were inadequately lubed and the spider gear cross pins don't have lubrication reliefs cut in them. CSC did all of the root cause and fixed the issue for their parts in mid 2014, but I'm sure the other guys got the parts already warehoused (made in China). The other guys are probably just discovering the issue as it hasn't shown itself much. A spider gear welds itself to the shaft from the heat, the roll pin shears, and the cross pin begins spinning in the housing. It can go like that for years with one spider gear no longer on the cross shaft at all.

The one issue that CSC didn't figure out was servicing. Grease is hydroscopic... absorbs water. Trike differentials for belt drives are a terrible design but it won't change until some people die.

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Just noticed you said right rear... could still be the differential if the lose spider gear finally tipped... which would explain why it took so long to figure out. Best of luck

Thanks CSC Guy. Is this differential called a "chunk"? If they all use the same one then why different brakes? Seems the axle would dictate standardization. I don't know the mechanics or challenging you. Just trying to learn about this thing.