coverting a Trike Glide to independent suspension

[Sloufoot]

Ok my bad.... I thought they both operated the same.

[rwwracing70]

Still waiting on the long apartment to do paper work Thanks for all your inputs mybe next week i will have it home.still learning on harley

[Texan]

$6K for parts and installation.

Visited with DFT yesterday. The IRS (that's NOT what they call it) retails for $7900 plus installation. Said install was about 12 hrs, so figuring another $12-15,000 for install.

There are NO installers anywhere near me. They are sending me some FUD and a installation DVD so I'll know more soon.

Just Courious

8~\o

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Said install was about 12 hrs, so figuring another $12-15,000 for install.

They get $1,000-$1,250 an hour??

Or did you ad an extra 0 ... if the get that, I want a job installing these kits.

[GARYD]

I tested both the IRS and a stock TriGlide a few years back at a dealers
"Trike Days" I rode both on the same route. The IRS was great on the bumpy section and no difference at all on the good roads. At the time it was a $6K + install price - waaaaay more then I would ever pay. And since I only travel on mostly good roads 95% of the time, I would be crazy to convert. Now if you have a bad back or just want to throw away your money - by all means go for it.

[Texan]

They get $1,000-$1,250 an hour??

Or did you ad an extra 0 ... if the get that, I want a job installing these kits.

Yep, shore 'nuff the "0" finger got stuck. Dang Parkinson's anyway.

Should be $1,200-$1,500 to install.

8~\o

[GARYD]

I just saw this in Rider magazine. I don't know if this company is new or not, I haven't heard the name before.
L.A.T. Enterprises has a IRS conversion kit for the TriGlide called Power Arm Suspension.
Cheap - only $7900 plus install.
They are in Addison, Il.

lat-enterprisesinc.com

[Gorilla]

Dime to donuts this is a sub company DFT also based out of Addison. Larry was selling a conversion for the TRI through DFT.

[Texan]

I just saw this in Rider magazine. I don't know if this company is new or not, I haven't heard the name before.
L.A.T. Enterprises has a IRS conversion kit for the TriGlide called Power Arm Suspension.
Cheap - only $7900 plus install.
They are in Addison, Il.lat-enterprisesinc.com

This is the conversion they've been talking about. I visited with them last week. Today I received installation instructions and a DVD. Seems pretty straight forward but initially I can see you have to do a cutting and welding. This is the same setup I referred to last week. As you said $7900 for the complete unit. Installation is about $1,500.00

8~\o

[chiefski76]

I tested both the IRS and a stock TriGlide a few years back at a dealers
"Trike Days" I rode both on the same route. The IRS was great on the bumpy section and no difference at all on the good roads. At the time it was a $6K + install price - waaaaay more then I would ever pay. And since I only travel on mostly good roads 95% of the time, I would be crazy to convert. Now if you have a bad back or just want to throw away your money - by all means go for it.

I live in Illinois too; where do you find "mostly good roads.....95% of the time"? And, yes I do have a bad back - probably due to the Illinois roads! $6K I could probably justify but I understand that the current price is more like $8K + 12 hours labor makes it about a $10K proposition. That's insane and waaay out of my reach!

[clint44]

Converting a TG to IRS doesn't make much sense,financially.

[GARYD]

I live in Illinois too; where do you find "mostly good roads.....95% of the time"? And, yes I do have a bad back - probably due to the Illinois roads! $6K I could probably justify but I understand that the current price is more like $8K + 12 hours labor makes it about a $10K proposition. That's insane and waaay out of my reach!

I haven't found a bad road yet - except every street in the city of Chicago....which I do not go to. If I do find a bad road, I will go around it in the future - a no brainer. Our chapter rides every weekend and so far they haven't found a bad road either.

I just got back from Rolling Thunder. Trip was 2450 miles round trip - other then the streets in DC we didn't encounter any bad roads. I don't know where all these bad roads are that would require an IRS. I'm glad I can't find them.

Clint44, I agree with you 100% - for me even $500 would be too much.

[GARYD]

Just returned from Rolling Thunder, boy have TriGlides really taken off. 4 years ago when I got my first TG there were very few there, this year they were everywhere and in packs. LOL. Goldwing trikes too.
On the way home instead of doing the Cherohala Skyway, we left the Blue Ridge Parkway, and headed to the Dragon. I wanted to see if I could repeat my challenge to debunk the myth that TG's can't handle. A couple years ago I reported on my quest to ride and keep up with some rice rockets on the BRP. I succeeded. Now I wanted a real challenge and decided on the Dragon. I waited for some bikes to come by and jumped behind 2 Harley Limiteds. No problems - kept up with them for about a third of the length of the Dragon (they were not riding sedately either - I think they were trying to escape from me - fat chance - ). I had to pull over to wait for my traveling buddy to catch up. I did get a good workout on that ride. Thankfully, going to the gym every other day really helped. It was invigorating. LOL
If someone says TG's can't handle, they don't know what they're talking about.<!-- google_ad_section_end -->
Don't know if an IRS would have made any difference or not.

[chiefski76]

I haven't found a bad road yet - except every street in the city of Chicago....which I do not go to. If I do find a bad road, I will go around it in the future - a no brainer. Our chapter rides every weekend and so far they haven't found a bad road either.

Gary you need to ride more on the secondary roads of "Crook" (Cook) County - then you'll find them. There are times when it isn't an option to avoid stretches of rough road.
I believe you made an earlier comment about test riding a trike with IRS and found it smoothed the bumps out as compared to a straight axle trike.
The biggest negative factor that I can see with the IRS conversion is the extremely high cost.
When you consider how much Harley gets for a Tri Glide Ultra you'd think that they'd put a smoother riding rear suspension on it; not an old Servicar design.

[clint44]

Gary you need to ride more on the secondary roads of "Crook" (Cook) County - then you'll find them. There are times when it isn't an option to avoid stretches of rough road.
I believe you made an earlier comment about test riding a trike with IRS and found it smoothed the bumps out as compared to a straight axle trike.
The biggest negative factor that I can see with the IRS conversion is the extremely high cost.
When you consider how much Harley gets for a Tri Glide Ultra you'd think that they'd put a smoother riding rear suspension on it; not an old Servicar design.

Please do not interrupt Gary when he's ranting about IRS. He is so entertaining.

[chiefski76]

Please do not interrupt Gary when he's ranting about IRS. He is so entertaining.

I can understand why he rants about IRS. I went from a Road Glide to a Tri Glide and wound up trading bad knees for a bad back. And that's not to mention head shake which is another great trike feature. Certainly keeps my self-winding wrist watch wound!

[trikermutha]

Well I know the roads in the Chicago area are not the best..Drive south down 55 sometime and hope you don't hit any of those large pot holes. They patched most but still have to cross lanes at times and have to drive over a ruff surface.
Not sure who they contracted to resurface 55 at the time but never seen that much damage after one winter.

Or my favorite is your driving and don't see that pothole until the last second it sure jars the bones.

[GARYD]

Like I said, I stay away from Cook county/Chicago. 95% of our riding in west and north and some south - I stay away for going east as much as possible.

Yes, I did say the IRS was better on bad bumpy roads (no one disputes that fact) - I also said I stay away from bad bumpy roads as much as possible.

You are absolutely right about the cost as being the biggest negative for IRS.

I bet if people stopped buying the TG and telling the dealers it's because of the solid axle, Harley would put in an IRS immediately, but since that's not the case, the TG will continue with the solid axle, and they will sell every one.

Clint, How does giving my opinion on the IRS/solid axle make you say I'm yelling angrily, loudly and wildly???

Am I not aloud to have an opinion? I give both pros and cons on it.

[clint44]

Like I said, I stay away from Cook county/Chicago. 95% of our riding in west and north and some south - I stay away for going east as much as possible.

Yes, I did say the IRS was better on bad bumpy roads (no one disputes that fact) - I also said I stay away from bad bumpy roads as much as possible.

You are absolutely right about the cost as being the biggest negative for IRS.

I bet if people stopped buying the TG and telling the dealers it's because of the solid axle, Harley would put in an IRS immediately, but since that's not the case, the TG will continue with the solid axle, and they will sell every one.

Clint, How does giving my opinion on the IRS/solid axle make you say I'm yelling angrily, loudly and wildly???

Am I not aloud to have an opinion? I give both pros and cons on it.

Of course,you have a right to your own opinion,Gary. Sorry you thought that wasn't the case. If you or anyone else were offended,I apologize.

[Fireman Will]

I can understand why he rants about IRS. I went from a Road Glide to a Tri Glide and wound up trading bad knees for a bad back. And that's not to mention head shake which is another great trike feature. Certainly keeps my self-winding wrist watch wound!

I have the best of both worlds, RoadGlide with IRS! just saying it can be done!