Freewheeler "Chopper" Project

[trikejones]

No problem...

The sequence is:

Trike Wheel Hub ---> Concentric Ring ---> Wheel adapter---> 1/2-20 short length lug nuts ---> Turned ring ---> Cragar Wheel ---> Offset Washers ---> 1/2-20 Cragar S/S lugs.

Washers come with the lug nuts (got mine from JEGS). The adapter you use dictates the need for the adapter-to-Cragar ring. Mine needed it. An I wanted the offset of the Cragar to match the offset of the stock HD Wheel... so that was a design choice given available adapter options.

Hope that helps...

PS

Put just shy of 100 miles on the highway Sunday and I am guessing about ~30 in the city stop-n-go since I bolted them on. No issues holding torque or vibrations

Got it... thank you again. Great to hear about the ride. Any noticeable difference around tight curves from stock tires? I imagine you need to be aware of the extra width of the trike now also as compared to stock. I'm sure I'll bounce off a few things until I get used to it. Hubcentric rings ordered and hopefully won't take too long... they had to be made to size and I got the aluminum instead of plastic. Thanks for the updates!

[Free Bird]

I was just lookin at the pics again ... I'll bet the thing will fling some water in the rain .... hate to be riding behind you ... LOL

Yes.... I will win the rooster tail contest.... I actually am interested in how bad the hydroplaning will be. We have not had a serious rain since the tires were bolted on but I have a park nearby that is going to become a test track for driving and controlling the wide tires in the rain....(Thanks for the idea Kevin... saw the Tri-Glide snow video)

Oh, and before anybody says it ....

Yes... the best way to manage rain with those tires is to park it 'till the sun comes out

I am getting geared up for the next phase: The front end.

I reverse engineered the triple trees from a set of OEM ones. Don't let anyone tell you the Freewheeler has a Tour Glide or Road King front end... it does not. The dimensions, rake, neck geometry differ substantially from those and other models.

The triple trees are complete at this point. They are machined from 2" billet.... The tree design is similar to this (kind of a reverse-v wide glide) only a little beefier:



We kept all of the touring geometry except we added some rake vs the stock tree. The between trees tube covers and cowbells are similar to this....



The front end will be 4" over stock (the pic above is more like 6 over) so it will stretch the profile a bit and (if I did the rake and trail calcs right with the geometry changes induced by the front and rear wheel/tire changes) it should net out like a set of HHI 10 degree trees (I know they only make 9 and 12.... but I want to be my own person ) and the whole bike will be lifted 1.5" like the tail is now.

It will be crowned off with a set of 1.25 18" rise apes (of course) and braided steel lines all round. So that is the work plan for October.... Will keep you posted on progress......

[Free Bird]

Any noticeable difference around tight curves from stock tires?

Honestly no. Even reverse works well. I was trying to maintain the setback on the wheel to be same as the stock design so as to keep braking dynamics and moments the same (except for the extra weight) as the stock wheel. It corners really well, steering effort and response are not affected as for as my senses can tell. I was no more or less fatigued by the drive through the twisty turny roads in Calhoun County Illinois.... So unscientifically, I would say ... It turned out OK

You do have to be more mindful (very) of staying in the center of the road. I only have a foot on either side. Kinda like driving a dually pick up.

[MDO]

Man thats looking good. Make sure you enter DK Customs online bike contest for next year, I think you got it!

[DK Custom Products]

Yes.... I will win the rooster tail contest.... I actually am interested in how bad the hydroplaning will be. We have not had a serious rain since the tires were bolted on but I have a park nearby that is going to become a test track for driving and controlling the wide tires in the rain....(Thanks for the idea Kevin... saw the Tri-Glide snow video)

Oh, and before anybody says it ....

Yes... the best way to manage rain with those tires is to park it 'till the sun comes out

I am getting geared up for the next phase: The front end.

I reverse engineered the triple trees from a set of OEM ones. Don't let anyone tell you the Freewheeler has a Tour Glide or Road King front end... it does not. The dimensions, rake, neck geometry differ substantially from those and other models.

The triple trees are complete at this point. They are machined from 2" billet.... The tree design is similar to this (kind of a reverse-v wide glide) only a little beefier:



We kept all of the touring geometry except we added some rake vs the stock tree. The between trees tube covers and cowbells are similar to this....



The front end will be 4" over stock (the pic above is more like 6 over) so it will stretch the profile a bit and (if I did the rake and trail calcs right with the geometry changes induced by the front and rear wheel/tire changes) it should net out like a set of HHI 10 degree trees (I know they only make 9 and 12.... but I want to be my own person ) and the whole bike will be lifted 1.5" like the tail is now.

It will be crowned off with a set of 1.25 18" rise apes (of course) and braided steel lines all round. So that is the work plan for October.... Will keep you posted on progress......

Wow, this is gonna be an amazing Trike. I am fighting temptation looking at it. haha

As you know, it will hydroplane easier...only testing it out will let you know how much slower you will need to go to prevent it. Very bad-ass!

Man thats looking good. Make sure you enter DK Customs online bike contest for next year, I think you got it!

Yes, we'll be opening up the 5th Annual IBC in the next few weeks. Big difference this year...Winners will be determined by Public Voting!

Kevin

[Free Bird]

Yes, we'll be opening up the 5th Annual IBC in the next few weeks. Kevin

I am not sure I will be finished with it in a few weeks.... it has been slow going (lots of personal learning curve issues... this ain't no mid-70's shovel ). But we'll see where we are when the day comes.

[DK Custom Products]

I am not sure I will be finished with it in a few weeks.... it has been slow going (lots of personal learning curve issues... this ain't know mid-70's shovel ). But we'll see where we are when the day comes.

Are they ever really finished?

In a few weeks is when bikes/trikes can start entering. But the IBC will be open for new entrants all the way thru the end of the year.

Kevin

[Free Bird]

Are they ever really finished?...IBC will be open for new entrants all the way thru the end of the year. Kevin

Thanks Kevin. I should have the front end on by then for sure. Paint and seat and stuff.... That will be next years upgrades

[Tucci]

Fantastic. Are leaving the floor boards on or going with forwards?

[Free Bird]

Fantastic. Are leaving the floor boards on or going with forwards?

I replaced the stock floorboards with CycleSmith Banana Boards & Matching Brake Pedal and the stock passenger boards with Supreme Legends Floorboards. The Controls are a Kuryakyn Extended Brake Pedal and a Baker Custom Extended Shifter Arm & "Old No7" Extended Shifter Peg. Very comfortable ride

[Tucci]

I by no means have the expertise that you do. I "used to" do rebuilds on the "old" stuff when all you needed was fuel,spark and oxygen, no modules, ecm, sensors, maps, maff, cats etc. plus oil lines were external. I stuck on mine extended brake,shifter, floorboard mounts,cobra slip ons, mustang seat and some other no brainers. I truly miss the days of switching cams and different lifters, push rods, carbs in the morning and he riding that afternoon.

[Free Bird]

I by no means have the expertise that you do. I "used to" do rebuilds on the "old" stuff when all you needed was fuel,spark and oxygen, no modules, ecm, sensors, maps, maff, cats etc. plus oil lines were external. I stuck on mine extended brake,shifter, floorboard mounts,cobra slip ons, mustang seat and some other no brainers. I truly miss the days of switching cams and different lifters, push rods, carbs in the morning and he riding that afternoon.

I don't know my backside from a barn door on any of that either.... that is why I got into this forum. Any expertise I am developing is from guys and gals on this site posting things that help me make sense of the service manual (which is really expensive and not like the old FLH/FX ones... (Remember when Harley Big Twins only had 2-3 letter names). It is a great place to get an education and advice on all the crazy stuff these new bike have.... my favorite "What the Heck" moment in getting this bike was when the dealer asked me what I wanted my PIN number to be.... Cracked me up.... really..... I was laughing loudly

Like I have said before... when I was a teenager, my first bike was a rusty 47 G-Model Servicar basket case I got for a few hundred bucks and brought back to life. I did not even have a key...let alone a PIN number....

Anyway.... I relate completely to what you are saying.... and I love bikes put together with a gas ax, rattle can paint, and cobra seats....

[Tucci]

In my 64 years on this earth (through Jesus Christ) I've become very cynical of someone's purported expertise. Some of the info on the internet is actually frightening. If some hapless person attempts to do what some whack job is telling them the only outcome is disaster. I've seen you tube videos showing automotive repairs that will ruin a major component. Guys randomly splicing into electrical wires to get power for lighting, using low grade metals (bolts etc) in high stress areas. Making a part fit.

[Jack Klarich]

In my 64 years on this earth (through Jesus Christ) I've become very cynical of someone's purported expertise. Some of the info on the internet is actually frightening. If some hapless person attempts to do what some whack job is telling them the only outcome is disaster. I've seen you tube videos showing automotive repairs that will ruin a major component. Guys randomly splicing into electrical wires to get power for lighting, using low grade metals (bolts etc) in high stress areas. Making a part fit.

This is exactly what is wrong with the information age we are caught up in

Anyone can post a you tube how to video, we have to sift thru a lot of good and bad info some times

[trikejones]

I don't know my backside from a barn door on any of that either.... that is why I got into this forum. Any expertise I am developing is from guys and gals on this site posting things that help me make sense of the service manual (which is really expensive and not like the old FLH/FX ones... (Remember when Harley Big Twins only had 2-3 letter names). It is a great place to get an education and advice on all the crazy stuff these new bike have.... my favorite "What the Heck" moment in getting this bike was when the dealer asked me what I wanted my PIN number to be.... Cracked me up.... really..... I was laughing loudly

Like I have said before... when I was a teenager, my first bike was a rusty 47 G-Model Servicar basket case I got for a few hundred bucks and brought back to life. I did not even have a key...let alone a PIN number....

Anyway.... I relate completely to what you are saying.... and I love bikes put together with a gas ax, rattle can paint, and cobra seats....

I have to laugh. 3 years ago I decided to get back in the saddle after almost 20 years and when I went to the dealership the salesman sat me on a bike and said "start her up". So I reach down on the left side of the tank searching for a while... and the salesman asked what I was doing. Told him I was looking for the fuel petcock and he turned his head like a curious dog and said " how long has it been since you rode?.... Fuel injection!" What do I know??

[Free Bird]

I have to laugh. 3 years ago I decided to get back in the saddle after almost 20 years and when I went to the dealership the salesman sat me on a bike and said "start her up". So I reach down on the left side of the tank searching for a while... and the salesman asked what I was doing. Told him I was looking for the fuel petcock and he turned his head like a curious dog and said " how long has it been since you rode?.... Fuel injection!" What do I know??

Ha! I know.... every time I get back from a ride shut it down I am reaching for the petcock!!! That is funny awesome!

[dannymax]

This is exactly what is wrong with the information age we are caught up in

Anyone can post a you tube how to video, we have to sift thru a lot of good and bad info some times

[MDO]

This is exactly what is wrong with the information age we are caught up in

Anyone can post a you tube how to video, we have to sift thru a lot of good and bad info some times

I have learned the most from John Maxwell (HD Tech.) & the guys at Fix My Hog. It cost me $3 to join for a year, but they have videos on every item for the new M8 as far as maintenance & when I 1st got the trike it helped a lot. Now that I have the 1650 page service manual on PDF, I can figure most routine maintenance items out (so far). It answered questions I could not find anywhere else, like the exact procedure/order to bleed/flush the linked brake system.

Step by step directions in a Betty Crocker format I can't screw up, I like that!

[Free Bird]

I have learned the most from John Maxwell (HD Tech.) & the guys at Fix My Hog. It cost me $3 to join for a year, but they have videos on every item for the new M8 as far as maintenance & when I 1st got the trike it helped a lot. Now that I have the 1650 page service manual on PDF, I can figure most routine maintenance items out (so far). It answered questions I could not find anywhere else, like the exact procedure/order to bleed/flush the linked brake system.

Step by step directions in a Betty Crocker format I can't screw up, I like that!

Signing up tomorrow.... Thanks Mike

[Free Bird]

Finished working out the paint details. Tearing it down Thanksgiving week and sending it out to Crazy Horse Painting...JoAnn Bartles is an awesome flame paint artist