2006 Motortrike vtx1800 is my next ride....

[Volkemon]

howdy!

Had 2 bikes with sidecars, 79 CB750 with a 1974 sidestrider car, and a 1997 Goldwing with a daytona 2+2. Now looking at a 2006 VTX1800 Motortrike. Gonna try having the back wheels lined up.

Went for a first look today. Pretty good for the age, minor paint issues, shiny bits shiny. When I put the rear brake on, via the foot pedal, it stuck on. Pedal travel normal, like the master was good, but was not wanting to move. Had to help push it back in. After fixing it, Seller told me it was a mis adjusted shoe and 'drum brakes are tricky' Yeah... as an air cooled VW restorer, I know drum brakes WELL!

I had a bit of 'Parking Brake?!?' hope in the first moments... Nope. But being that Mrs V was with, cut the visit short and let the seller 'fix' things. 1:30 PM

He called back at 3pm. Told him i was still in, and see him tomorrow.

So, going to do a 'due diligence' inspection tomorrow. Have gloves, light and back wheels off. Give her the complete underbelly look.

Todays peek under it looked like the rear end cover had been pulled. Might have been oily, or fresh black paint. Is this a narrowed car rear end? Solid axle.

The VTX1800 has 18K miles, don't know when the conversion happened. Will get DOT date off tires tomorrow FWIW.

The original VTX owners manual is with it and a bible. Do the rear drums use the stock VTX master cylinder? Going to consult the OM for all fluid check points.

Any tips on checking radiator fluid? Heck...cooling system?

Any other items should look at with extra attention??

A bit of web snooping I found a coil shock/air shock suspension is likely, OR a combination. There was a 'thing that looked like a switch with the toggle broken off' that the seller thought turned on the 'custom' led lights. It bled pressurized air... will know more tomorrow.

More snooping told me of a proportional braking system that applied front and rear brakes together... not sure if it applies to this model. I would bet the brake fluid was last flushed at the trike conversion, if ever... see what it looks like tomorrow.

My test drive today was around the warehouse complex in first. Bike seemed to idle a bit high, but very smooth. Fuel Injected, so good possibility it was not warmed up. Not much of a drive.

Guy probably has open title on the bike, and uptight about any road test. Gonna work that through. Need to have it 'at speed'. What top speed should I expect? My morning commute is normally 75-85 mph, and 90 is a fine top end with me. NOT going to do a top speed test tomorrow, just curious.

Well, thats about all the questions that come to mind... for now. Excited about this, and hoping to get some advice from those more experienced.

Oh yeah... $$... Seller asking $8500. That's in our budget. Again, web searches led to comparable results.. usually higher. THANKS!

Will be checking back early AM my time.

[rhino 2]

Randy.......Welcome to Trike-Talk..............

[trike lady]

Hello and to Trike Talk, glad to have U with us.

I hope everything works out and you can get the trike.

[Volkemon]

Thanks for the welcome!

Up early for work, will be looking at the trike in ~10 hrs!

[Burnerboy]

I'm also lQQking forward to your report(s)...............

Ronnie

[Volkemon]

Snooping around the forum, beats working...

Seems that Motortrike is not a 'do it yourself' friendly company? Am I getting the wrong impression? They have yet to answer my request about an owners forum on Facebook.

Looking here, they are also absent from the ""Trike Conversion Forums - Owner Reviews & Pics - Factory Support"" section.

I have dealt with other OEM's like that - if you didnt purchase it from them or authorized dealer....they have NO interest in you. Didnt know if I should assume 'factory support' from them will not be readily available.

Try bringing an ONLINE snap-on purchase to the truck for warranty, you will find out what I mean. Did that ONCE. Was not pleasant.

~4 hrs to go! tick......tick......tick....

[Volkemon]

Chatted with Josephina at Motortrike, and she sent me the list of parts for the rear axle. Regular ford 7.5 inch stuff. Available most anywhere.

Not to mention adding a parking brake shouldnt be rocket science. SWEEEET!!

Kinda funny that Joseph (male version of Josephina...) at the 'authorised dealer' did not know IF HE COULD GET PARTS. Then called back 2 hrs later, saying he could, but would need EXACT year of conversion, etc. Which I dont know, neither does the seller.

So... Motortrike is pretty friendly to the 'Do it yourselfer' in my book now! BIG relief.

Worked through lunch, outa here soon! Wish i brought my camera. Will try using the phone.

[Volkemon]

Alrighty!

The seller is a registered dealer, and went for a $8K offer. So 88 Benjamins with TTT.

Paying and picking up friday.

Apparently the trike conversion was done soon after purchase, the rear tires are dated week 24 of 2006. Excellent condition, however. Front tire a 2009 Avon, also looking good.

The spline by the front Ujoint has more play than I like. Called Motortrike again, got a different VERY polite and helpful lass, (ok...didnt get name.. ) and asked about another. I had read that the updated drive shaft was green, this was not. $380 for a new green one. Not too bad, I couldnt make one for less.



STILL no highway ride, evidently todays insurance nightmares make even a dealer skip those. Oh well. Gotta have faith sometimes.

VERY pleasantly surprised by the help from Motortrikes. Gonna 'sing a song of praise' to everyone. Will update.

Rear suspension is coil over shocks and tiny airbags. All look good. There is an air compressor (for the airbags) mounted somewhere in back, found the button to use it.

There is an air bleed for the bags near the keyswitch.

Look forward to changing the post title from 'might be my next ride' to 'is my new ride'

Then I am taking off the leather trunk and cuttingboard (!) tray bolted to the luggage rack.

[rhino 2]

Alrighty!

The seller is a registered dealer, and went for a $8K offer. So 88 Benjamins with TTT.

Paying and picking up friday.

Apparently the trike conversion was done soon after purchase, the rear tires are dated week 24 of 2006. Excellent condition, however. Front tire a 2009 Avon, also looking good.

The spline by the front Ujoint has more play than I like. Called Motortrike again, got a different VERY polite and helpful lass, (ok...didnt get name.. ) and asked about another. I had read that the updated drive shaft was green, this was not. $380 for a new green one. Not too bad, I couldnt make one for less.



STILL no highway ride, evidently todays insurance nightmares make even a dealer skip those. Oh well. Gotta have faith sometimes.

VERY pleasantly surprised by the help from Motortrikes. Gonna 'sing a song of praise' to everyone. Will update.

Rear suspension is coil over shocks and tiny airbags. All look good. There is an air compressor (for the airbags) mounted somewhere in back, found the button to use it.

There is an air bleed for the bags near the keyswitch.

Look forward to changing the post title from 'might be my next ride' to 'is my new ride'

Then I am taking off the leather trunk and cuttingboard (!) tray bolted to the luggage rack.

--................

[Motorcycle Mike]

Welcome to Trike Talk.

I would get ride of those 13 year old tires no mater what they look like.

[BillR]

Welcome, and enjoy the ride.

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Welcome to the Gang from Western Colorado.

Congrats on the new ride.

[radismukes]

To the Trike Talk Family! FROM SOUTH Angleton, TX

Howdy Randy!

[Volkemon]

Welcome to Trike Talk.

I would get ride of those 13 year old tires no mater what they look like.

Oh HELL yes gonna get ride. Then replace...... But they have a couple miles left... Driveshaft first. That would possibly render the drivetrain FUBAR.

I will be driving like a grandfather. Plenty of time for the first crash.

Mrs V will be on back. NOTHING more precious to me. Safety first.

Then probably regret flushing the brakes and clutch. Seems to be there devils behind that task in my experience.

[Sully]

Welcome from North Ga. .

[Diablo]

Alrighty!

The spline by the front Ujoint has more play than I like. Called Motortrike again, got a different VERY polite and helpful lass, (ok...didnt get name.. ) and asked about another. I had read that the updated drive shaft was green, this was not. $380 for a new green one. Not too bad, I couldnt make one for less.



STILL no highway ride, evidently todays insurance nightmares make even a dealer skip those. Oh well. Gotta have faith sometimes. VERY pleasantly surprised by the help from Motortrikes. Gonna 'sing a song of praise' to everyone. Will update. Rear suspension is coil over shocks and tiny airbags. All look good. There is an air compressor (for the airbags) mounted somewhere in back, found the button to use it. There is an air bleed for the bags near the keyswitch.

Look forward to changing the post title from 'might be my next ride' to 'is my new ride'

Then I am taking off the leather trunk and cuttingboard (!) tray bolted to the luggage rack.

Glad to hear your experience with MT was a good as as I just acquired my first trike (2003 Shadow 1100 Sabre conversion)...Of course I have the luxury of showing up at the factory which is about 75 miles from the house...

[CrystalPistol]

Welcome to Trike Talk.I would get ride of those 13 year old tires no mater what they look like.

Likely it's been stored inside & out of sun when not ridden. Our trike has probably 13 year old rear tires on it, they look new aside from wear on tread. They are car size tires running maybe 22-25 psi with maybe 250-300 pounds resting on them.

Nice looking trike there, the idea of test rides got me to thinking of times I sold or bought bikes from owners, not dealers. I never asked a private seller for a test ride, and I never offered test rides of one's I sold. I did "start" my last Triumph and rode it a very short ways when I arrived in Vermont to take possession after money changed hands so it was mine by then, and I was close friends with seller of the trike so I bought it with no ride but I knew the trike from when it was a new bike anyway. My Norton Commando was the same way, I bought it from a cousin and I learned on it. The 1200 I bought in '95 sight unseen from a distant co worker on the other side of the state, just drug a trailer to go get it. Others I just looked close and made sound decisions.

About 25 or 30 years ago I worked a wreck, a nearly new, maybe 2 year old HD, in a uphill right handed curve, wrong side of road (bike had drifted left), head on into a Volvo which was near stopped and partially off the far side of the roadway as driver had seen the fast moving bike drift, bike's rider was deader'an 4 o:clock. No tags, ID of rider via license, not MC licensed. Ran vin # of bike and found owner wasn't rider so after the road was cleared, I drove to owner's home, he was wanting to know where his near bike was. I told him about the wreck, he cried some (for the HD I think), I found out he had no insurance either. I told him rider's name and unlicensed status, he said he figured the guy could ride because he was wearing a HD tee shirt. Yep,he had let a total stranger test ride his unlicensed and uninsured still near new HD bike. He (the deceased rider) did have a tee on, and jeans as I recall, and sneakers, and he did have a brain bucket 1/2 helmet on. Man & daughter in Volvo were OK, but the not new Volvo was likely totaled. Wreck was less than a mile from my home, not that it matters.

[Volkemon]

For many tires, the last 4 digits of the DOT number is the date code - 2406 means 24th week of 2006, 1218 is 12th week of 2018 etc. SOME tires have it coded, easily found on the internet.

Handy thing to know when buying, as you can use the replacement cost as a bargaining chip.

Of course I have the luxury of showing up at the factory which is about 75 miles from the house...

Have you tried to purchase factory direct? They told me all sales are through authorized dealers, no factory direct sales. Lucky I have 3 in the state, first one didnt do so well. Gonna try #2.

[trike tech]

Alrighty!

The seller is a registered dealer, and went for a $8K offer. So 88 Benjamins with TTT.

Paying and picking up friday.

Apparently the trike conversion was done soon after purchase, the rear tires are dated week 24 of 2006. Excellent condition, however. Front tire a 2009 Avon, also looking good.

The spline by the front Ujoint has more play than I like. Called Motortrike again, got a different VERY polite and helpful lass, (ok...didnt get name.. ) and asked about another. I had read that the updated drive shaft was green, this was not. $380 for a new green one. Not too bad, I couldnt make one for less.



STILL no highway ride, evidently todays insurance nightmares make even a dealer skip those. Oh well. Gotta have faith sometimes.

VERY pleasantly surprised by the help from Motortrikes. Gonna 'sing a song of praise' to everyone. Will update.

Rear suspension is coil over shocks and tiny airbags. All look good. There is an air compressor (for the airbags) mounted somewhere in back, found the button to use it.

There is an air bleed for the bags near the keyswitch.

Look forward to changing the post title from 'might be my next ride' to 'is my new ride'

Then I am taking off the leather trunk and cuttingboard (!) tray bolted to the luggage rack.

I think she may have misunderstood when you talked to her & I do hate to have to be the bearer of bad news, but the "green" driveshaft assembly will NOT work on a VTX. The driveshaft design with the green front knuckle assy that came out in 2013 was designed for the GL1800 & GL1500. The output spline on the back of your transmission is a completely different size; because of the size difference it won't work.

On the smaller bikes (750,1100,VTX 1300 (old style VTX) & VTX 1800) we still use the OEM front u-joint from Honda on these bikes. I will add that the limited amount of splines inside the front yoke does cause the shaft to "wiggle" when you grab it by hand & move it. Easiest way I've found to determine if the u-joint or splines are an issue is to remove the left side cover & ride the bike on a road with no traffic. At 40ish mph you can move your left leg out a bit & look down and actually see the front joint/driveshaft engagement point to see if it's spinning true or has an out of round rotation to it.

[CrystalPistol]

For many tires, the last 4 digits of the DOT number is the date code - 2406 means 24th week of 2006, 1218 is 12th week of 2018 etc. SOME tires have it coded, easily found on the internet.

Handy thing to know when buying, as you can use the replacement cost as a bargaining chip.

When I had my '85 GL1200A up for sale, it was a really nice bike with some great extras at a low price to move as I was having some serious balance issues turning or looking to left (still do). One guy showed up with trailer and soon started "bargaining". Hell, I knew it needed new tires & told him so (told him my next were to be Avons if I had to keep the bike) before he bent down to look at dates, then I politely hinted for him to leave (I really just gave him directions back to main road so he didn't have to turn around with his trailer as I walked back into my house) after parking my 1200 back on the center stand in my carport and putting my keys in my pocket. And to think, I had even offered him and his buddy a cold soda when they first got here (it was a hot day). He called me one evening a couple weeks after the bike was gone, I guess he "slept" on it after all, just too late.