Trike Owners Manual

[Bronson512]

I just finished reading a post under the brand specific trike section on this forum. The gentleman had a wiring problem he was dealing with and needed wiring information (diagrams) concerning his trike.

Do any any of the trike manufacturers include a so called owners manual with their trikes. Something with wiring diagrams, fuses, fluid levels etc. I know many on this very forum have wondered which type differential or transfer case came on their trike if a switch was made

during a model year.

I bought my Trike used so if indeed there was supposed to be a manual included an I didn’t receive it I apologize, my post wasn’t meant to offend anyone.

I know CSC has a lot of the stuff on their website but to me it’s just not the same

I like to set down with something in print.

[CrystalPistol]

I know CSC has a lot of the stuff on their website but to me it’s just not the same I like to set down with something in print.

Have you tried to "copy " and then "paste" into a rich text document and saving as such? If the info is "copy & paste-able?', then print at will.

[Lee H. Mann]

Dennis,

Generally speaking, Trike Conversion Manufacturers build a plug-n-play type system.

The Conversion body containing the lights just plugs into the stock motorcycle wire harness. If there are add-ons on the original motorcycle that are transferred, they may be wired differently depending upon the initial installer.

In the defense of the Conversion Manufacturing Companies, they may make many differing models covering many years of OEM production motorcycles. Usually a factory OEM manual is a good thing to have on hand as well as the OEM owners manual.

A generic owners manual for a Trike Conversion just covers the basics on a non-accessorized motorcycle.

[Gold Rush]

Could not have said it one bit better Jim!

Would be nice sometimes but I agree that it's not real practical from the conversion company stand point. Good thing most of them are willing to help us sort out those information requests.

[Bronson512]

Gentlemen you can say what you want and I understand your opinions and thoughts. However when someone spends the type of money to purchase a kit he should get something with schmetics and wire colorsthey use to the brake, tail, turn etc. Your kit serial number xxxx was assembled with a ???? Differential and a drive shaft, this type brake caliper and pads and any other accessories that were installed at that time. It should include part numbers even if they are proprietary and mean nothing to my local parts store. It is something that might tell my mfg. what year it was made etc.

I do feel the trike mfgs can help themselves with many less phone calls for help by helping us up front. Thanks

[trike tech]

Opening myself up for a good bit of ridicule here, but I'm going to pitch in on this one from the "other side" of the coin.

I am by nature a "wrench" and work on everything from my own vehicles, bikes, tractors, farm equipment, house repair & electrical, etc (this will make sense later i hope). I'm also speaking based on experience with the company I'm associated with & not speaking for any others.

One primary reason on NEW trikes is liability -

The great majority of trike accessories & components offered for current builds are plug and play & don't require any cutting/splicing, etc into the systems. If kit instructions, wiring diagrams, part information, etc is provided that often opens the door for customer to "tinker" & possibly damage wiring or components accidentally (I know it happens, I've done it more times than I care to keep up with over the years of my life). If that does happen, who bears the responsibility for replacement, the manufacturer or the end consumer who was "tinkering"? Some components are VERY expensive.

If a customer "dives in" and replaces or removes parts on a new trike & makes a mistake that causes a failure or accident who is liable, the customer doing the work, or the shop/manufacturer that provided the customer the information to do said work?

This is a HUGE grey area & have seen it many times first hand. I also get it being a wrench & general handyman myself and I also know first hand how frustrating it can be at times & when there is no question of warranty I really see no issue with providing information (as company policies allow). BUT, the other side is "what if"... Is it worth potentially voiding a warranty on a new product that you spent all that money on? For me the answer is no.

Do I like it? Nope! But this is the world we live in today, look at all the insurange that dr's and hospitals from potential mistakes created by human error. Most dealers have similar policies for the exact same reason.

I know I'm opening myself to be "blasted" on this one, but sometimes it helps to see the other side of that coin as well & figured it couldn't hurt to bring it up. Now I'll line up to get run over.

[Lee H. Mann]

Gentlemen you can say what you want and I understand your opinions and thoughts. However when someone spends the type of money to purchase a kit he should get something with schmetics and wire colorsthey use to the brake, tail, turn etc. Your kit serial number xxxx was assembled with a ???? Differential and a drive shaft, this type brake caliper and pads and any other accessories that were installed at that time. It should include part numbers even if they are proprietary and mean nothing to my local parts store. It is something that might tell my mfg. what year it was made etc.

I do feel the trike mfgs can help themselves with many less phone calls for help by helping us up front. Thanks

Dennis,

Did you get an owners manual, parts manual or a repair manual for your motorcycle ?

If you did, you should consider running for an elective office.

I don't know of any manufacturers that include part numbers in a standard owners manual, or offer a repair manual with the sale so that the un-skilled owner can perform his own troubleshooting repairs.

And, fortunately for the manufacturers, many of the parts are proprietary in nature and not generally available.

[Bronson512]

Gentleman, it seems I’ve picked a fight with 3 fellows who appear to be close to the industry. I want to break down some individual comments you made by quoting a paragraph and then making a reply to that paragraph. This forum has never been iPhone friendly for me and won’t allow me to do that. I’ll have to wait till I get the computer fired up again. Don’t run off! Cheers

[Lee H. Mann]

.... in passing ... my neighbor was manicuring his lawn when I noticed he just got a NEW ZO6 Corvette.

It has been a long time since I have been around anyone with an exotic and expensive car, so my neighbor having one was a total shocker to me.

He must be mortgaging his children's inheritance.

Anyways, while making pleasant conversation, I casually asked him if he got an owners manual with the car. Of course he did, and proudly showed me the well packaged manual. I said for that price he should have gotten his own mechanic .....

and then it hit me .....

...... remembering this thread, I asked if he got a parts manual or repair manual with his NEW car............................................... ......

He looked at me like I was insane, and I about fell over with his response ...........

"The car only cost $120.000.00, do you know how much more it would have been if they included a repair or parts manual ?"

[Bronson512]

Lee, you are the one who mentioned repair manual. I was hoping for a more simple owners manual with some sort of parts list. ie: Honda Kit number 123456 with a parts list as assembled an a wiring diagram giving wire colors used. This would assist the owner and mfg. in getting out the proper parts when needed.

These trike kits are not Honda’s, Harley’s, BMW’s they are a aftermarket kit installed by a third party with parts of their choosing. Most of the trike dealers have that info in their files.

Fellows you’re reading more into this than is intended to be.

[trike tech]

If I'm not mistaken most trike conversion manufacturers follow Honda color code (since we're talking Honda) so the wire colors match Honda. Also, since the vast majority of options, add ons, and accessories are designed to be a plug & play connection there is often no wiring required.

With that being said, I have never "trusted" any wiring diagram or "pinout" on anything I've ever worked on or done troubleshooting on. I have always used a multimeter (or test light if I don't have one) to verify specific wire function before I tie anything in; doesn't matter if it's a tractor, truck, motorcycle, or trailer. I'm a firm believer in this for a few reasons, trailers biggest reason. I can't count the number of trailers I've seen that don't follow "traditional" wire code & have blown many fuses & even damaged wiring because I made the assumption it was & wired incorrectly.

Some mfg's offer a "parts list" on request for the common parts that aren't proprietary to their system while others don't have anything of the sort & if needed past the warranty period you have to call or email them to get the information for the part in question.

It's not a perfect system I know and understand, but in many cases it's simply the way it is (for lack of a better descriptive term). Can't speak for others, but I'm not trying to over complicate or over think it, but often times many don't think about the other side of it & shedding a bit of light can help provide further insight from the side that the consumer public rarely sees.

[Bronson512]

Trike Tech my father was involved in trucks and his father before him. Although he didn’t own many new trucks he did buy a couple new ones way back in the 60’s. They were on the lot trucks and not special order, actually about as cheap as you could buy a 2 ton in those days. Those trucks came with a line setting ticket as part of the paperwork. That line setting ticket came through the assembly line with the chassis of that truck as a build sheet I suppose. For example It told the engine size, type of air filter system, in those days you had a choice of filter cartridge or oil bath type, also the type of oil filter system, cartridge or spin on. It told every part of that truck and brand name of who manufactured it ie New Process transmission.

He had one truck sent to have a lime & Fertilizer spreader bed installed before he took delivery and upon my dad taking possession of the truck all the info on that spreader bed was also enclosed. He would dig it out of the file cabinet every time he needed to do repairs. L

i purchased a high pressure washer from Home Depot it included complete paperwork on the pressure pump and the Honda engine running the system as well as a manual for operation of the high pressure washer.

I also bought an Earth quake tiller that gives part numbers and complete breakdown of internal gears, bearings etc. they also included a book on maintaining the 5 HP Briggs & Stratton engine on board.

I guess I'm too thick skulled to throw in the towel! Ha!

[Saammi]

...

[CrystalPistol]

I was lucky …. our '97 SE / Lehman GTL was converted in 1998 and when I bought it, I was given one book full of receipts for every add on and even the original papers on the "bike" when first purchased, all parts / saddle bags / etc left over after conversion, and the manual detailing the conversion. I did once pull a few things loose and replaced every blue splice device & replaced with a good splice …. and back then I recall most all trike kit manufacturers had the books on line.

I did once download them for MT & Champion for friends … and I believe I d-loaded a CSC book for a buddy but I can't find it …. so not so sure on that one.

I'm also thinking most of the wiring is Honda and not a lot is added by a conversion, pretty easy to trace an unknown wire's function.

[Wingrider55]

Well I'm not sure what they are doing now but when I had my 1800 converted in 2015 by Roadsmith, I got a owners manual that list the parts used in the conversion as well as part numbers. Most of the parts are standard automotive parts that I can get at any autoparts store. I was also able to download a kit install manual from Roadsmith's web site.

[dedawg]

I have to agree with Bronson. I have an older Lehman conversion without any documentation, and I wrench on my own vehicles when possible . The Harley part is easy, but life could be a lot easier if there was a listing of what automotive parts were used on the trike . Rear brake shoes are a prime example, since I don't know what they are off of I will have to disassemble, take to an auto parts store and hope I find an employee, who feels sort for the old guy , and goes in back to compare parts till one matches....