My Tow-Pac 14" InstaTrike Install on Ultra Classic Harley

[HarleyBob]

My Tow-Pac 14" InstaTrike Install on Ultra Classic Harley

I started this New Thread to do a Step by step build, so others can see how I did it.

The ups and downs, also to ask for help because this is my First crack at this.

My kit is just 50 miles away and should be here Monday or Tuesday.

Today is Saturday 11-4-2017. Tomorrow I turn the Big 70!

Here are pictures of my shop ready for the kit!

I cleaned out one of the bays for the room in case I have to roll on the floor

Fighting the parts! LOL

 

[HarleyBob]

My shop is 24 X 40' not including the 12 X 24' wash rack.

 

[HarleyBob]

Junk is in piles everywhere. My other bay can't be walked in! LOL

 

[HarleyBob]

Bike in shop ready. As you can see I have lots of room to lay the kit out before installation!

 

[HarleyBob]

I just had New Tires front and rear, New Drive belt, and a total service done! Oh I'm a U-Haul dealer and I didn't steal this appliance dollies! LOL! Sure came in handy to move stuff around!

 

[Tynker]

I just had New Tires front and rear, New Drive belt, and a total service done! Oh I'm a U-Haul dealer and I didn't steal this appliance dollies! LOL! Sure came in handy to move stuff around!

View attachment 50880

I put that kit on my buddy's Street Glide,2008, last year. 3,000 miles later he needed a new rear tire, and we installed a Car tire on it. He say's it stops much better and with 7,000 more miles on the new tire, it shows very little signs of wear.

 

[HarleyBob]

I pot that kit on my buddy's Street Glide,2008, last year. #,000 miles later he needed a new rear tire, and we installed a Car tire on it. He say's it stops much better and with 7,000 more miles on the new tire, it shows very little signs of wear.

3000 miles is not much. How many miles on the tire before the install? Also how did the guy drive?

I got 12,000 miles on my last rear tire and it was a Harley Dunlap. It still had rubber but in the rain my azz would try to pass me in curves.

I may have to go over to the dark side for my next rear skin change.

Not knowing anything about outriggers, it would seem to me that if they carry too much weight then the rear

tire would take a lot of abuse try n to stop! Fast take off's would also do this and not using the right amount of front brake!

The shipping weight is 330# not sure what the kit weighs???

I'm just throwing this out there, as I said " I know 0 about outriggers!"

Thanks for your input, got me thinking!

 

[Tynker]

3000 miles is not much. How many miles on the tire before the install? Also how did the guy drive?

I got 12,000 miles on my last rear tire and it was a Harley Dunlap. It still had rubber but in the rain my azz would try to pass me in curves.

I may have to go over to the dark side for my next rear skin change.

Not knowing anything about outriggers, it would seem to me that if they carry too much weight then the rear

tire would take a lot of abuse try n to stop! Fast take off's would also do this and not using the right amount of front brake!

The shipping weight is 330# not sure what the kit weighs???

I'm just throwing this out there, as I said " I know 0 about outriggers!"

Thanks for your input, got me thinking!

He had about 6/7 K miles on the tire before the kit. It was a Dunflop stock tire. After the install, he said his braking was very bad, and worse in the rain. Car tire cured all that. Makes sense, seeing as how the bike no longer leans, rear tire is always flat on the ground.

 

[dadztoy]

Your shop looks great Bob - love the floor!!! Mine is about the same size - 30'X36' and I can devote 2 bays to the bike if necessary... I'm guessing the weight of the 12" tire kit at just under 200 pounds... The larger tire kit, probably a bit more, but that is a guess, not a factual answer...

I run double darkside on my bike with a Yokohama Avid Envigor ZPS (run flat) on the rear and a Bridgestone Battlax BT-45 on the front... On my last tire change I had 17K on the Yoko with a bit of tread left on the edges but the center was worn flat, and the Battleax had 23K on it with a bit of tread left as well... I changed them both because I was leaving on a trip shortly after the change...

When running a run flat tire, TPMS is highly desirable and although my bike is equipped with the Honda TPMS system, I use a pre-production Tire Watch system that actually gives me pressure and temperature readouts using the bike's TPMS sensors... Unfortunately, this system never made it to market but works great... In any case, if your considering a run flat tire, think seriously about a TPMS system of some type...

I find the bike rides better with the car tire in the rear - a softer more supple ride, even the wife thinks so... It gets a bit twitchy on tar snakes and road seams but other than that handles well and is great in the rain too...

For what it's worth, I added a Traxxion 4.5 degree rake kit last year and the bike as a trike handles great - much less effort in the turns and the fatigue factor is greatly reduced... On 2 wheels the bike is still quite manageable, but there is a slight tendency to tuck in on the turns... So I now have the best of both worlds... The 4.5 degree rake kit works well on the Goldwing, but you would have to try it on the HD to see how it would be on 2 wheels, as I do not know the stock rake angle of the HD... As you may well know, these so called "rake kits" do not actually change rake angle, but rather actually change the trail angle, which can effect bike stability, so caution is advised if your considering doing this...

I will be following your install and will offer any help I can, even though yours is an HD and mine a Honda... I'm sure there are more similarities than differences...

Les

 

[Gorilla]

sound like you are ready have fun

 

[HarleyBob]

Your shop looks great Bob - love the floor!!! Mine is about the same size - 30'X36' and I can devote 2 bays to the bike if necessary... I'm guessing the weight of the 12" tire kit at just under 200 pounds... The larger tire kit, probably a bit more, but that is a guess, not a factual answer...

I run double darkside on my bike with a Yokohama Avid Envigor ZPS (run flat) on the rear and a Bridgestone Battlax BT-45 on the front... On my last tire change I had 17K on the Yoko with a bit of tread left on the edges but the center was worn flat, and the Battleax had 23K on it with a bit of tread left as well... I changed them both because I was leaving on a trip shortly after the change...

When running a run flat tire, TPMS is highly desirable and although my bike is equipped with the Honda TPMS system, I use a pre-production Tire Watch system that actually gives me pressure and temperature readouts using the bike's TPMS sensors... Unfortunately, this system never made it to market but works great... In any case, if your considering a run flat tire, think seriously about a TPMS system of some type...

I find the bike rides better with the car tire in the rear - a softer more supple ride, even the wife thinks so... It gets a bit twitchy on tar snakes and road seams but other than that handles well and is great in the rain too...

For what it's worth, I added a Traxxion 4.5 degree rake kit last year and the bike as a trike handles great - much less effort in the turns and the fatigue factor is greatly reduced... On 2 wheels the bike is still quite manageable, but there is a slight tendency to tuck in on the turns... So I now have the best of both worlds... The 4.5 degree rake kit works well on the Goldwing, but you would have to try it on the HD to see how it would be on 2 wheels, as I do not know the stock rake angle of the HD... As you may well know, these so called "rake kits" do not actually change rake angle, but rather actually change the trail angle, which can effect bike stability, so caution is advised if your considering doing this...

I will be following your install and will offer any help I can, even though yours is an HD and mine a Honda... I'm sure there are more similarities than differences...

Les

Les

Thanks for all the info. and all your help now and in the pass!

I'm glad you like the floor, looks good and cost about 2K, I designed and did it myself.

But you can't weld and cut on it without a welding blanket! I do most of the welding, cutting and sandblasting out on the wash rack, I don't do much of that now. But plan on it when I retire in a year.

I'm adding a 12 x 24' lean-to for stuff like a lawn tractor, tiller, 4 welding machines that all weld different stuff, cutting rig, plasma cutter, Air compressor, sandblaster, pressure washer, wood working tools etc.

 

[dadztoy]

Sounds great Bob... I only have a small 130amp Mig setup and I'm not all that good at it but I can usually manage to stick 2 pieces of metal together... You have a few more toys in the shop than I do and I'm a bit jealous!!

Will anxiously await your first pics on the TP setup...

Les

 

[HarleyBob]

It came in today. I found the Kit to be well built out of heavy square stock, better than expected. All the parts are heavy. The finders are beefy and pictured on a

4' x 8' sheet of plywood sitting on my bike trailer. also better than expected.

It was well packed, despite the freight company's very effort to destroy it with the forklift at every dock!

Even made it out of the New Orleans dock! LOL!

 

[HarleyBob]

Everything except the finders was bolted to a 1/2" x 4' x 4' board on top of a pallet in a cardboard Box. Finders well packed in another box!

 

[HarleyBob]

Reverse

 

[HarleyBob]

 

[HarleyBob]

 

[HarleyBob]

14" polished aluminum rims.

 

[dadztoy]

Hey Bob,

Looks good and a bit different than mine... I see you bought the reverse option - good move IMO - you won't regret it... My Wing of course already had reverse so not needed for me...

I will be interested to see how TP treats the parallel wheel adjustment on your kit... On mine, there are 2 large plates that can be moved about for adjustment - see below



The kit looks good - bet you can't wait to get started... Be sure and keep us updated with plenty of pics...

Les

 

[HarleyBob]

Up date, I'm working on it. The installation manual is a manual in the sense of the word only, that is it has pages and pictures and has manual written on it! Other than that it is closer to toilet paper! Very Very Very vague to say the lease! It was apparently written for another kit! None of the brackets look like anything in the manual and none of the bolt kits are numbered and match nothing in the manual!

They did tell me this was the latest, grates best kit. But they failed miserably on updating the manual for the New kit! I understand they sell kits for many different bikes but this is sad!

It is as thought they want you to go to a dealer for the install!

Going to take some time to figure this puzzle out!