Trike is self destructing.

Aug 9, 2011
85
23
Baltimore, Maryland
Hi all, let me give you a brief rundown on my situation. Lost a leg in 2010 in a bike accident. So, I got a trike in the fall of 2011. I got a 2001 Harley FLHTCUI with 9000 miles on the clock. From what I could tell, It was converted in 01 or early 02. So I start having issues with the left top motor mount. Bolts start working their way out. Lock tight took care of that. So instead of getting loose, I snapped one clean off. Replaced that, and soon after I broke the top motor mount clean off the frame. Not once, but three times. I had the front motor mount replaced along with the top linkage. This has been an ongoing issue since I had the bike. So, I'm getting set to go to North Carolina for my annual month long vacation, and I wanted to be sure that everything was good to go and avoid any mechanical issues with the bike. I had new lifters, cams, pushrods, bearings, well you get the idea. along with that I had new bearings installed in the rear, as well as a a new swing arm pivot shaft, and bushings. A few months before all of this I had a new belt installed. So, I'm down in NC enjoying the views and I start to get this shimmy in the front end of the bike. We stop by Wheelers, (BTW if your ever in Robbinsville NC and need something, these guys are good.) to have a look see at what could be causing this issue. When I had the bike serviced before my trip, head bearings were also installed...I forgot that part. Come to find out the swingarm pivot shaft was snapped in half. I called and had another sent in ASAP and had it installed. less then 100 miles after that, the whole thing was loose again. I parked the bike and rented a couple of bikes from Wolf Creek Rentals for the duration of the vacation. On a personal note. The owner of Wolf Creek was insistent that I give one of the Honda automatic bike a try. After 3353 days of not riding a two wheel bike, I was out riding the Dragon on a two wheel honda automatic motorcycle. Awesome feeling. But I digress...Back to the trike. I dropped it off at my local lehman dealer only to find that every part of my lehman trike is worn out, including the swingarm. Now, I've always been good about preventive maintenance on my bike, but this being my first trike I'm guessing I must of missed things. I changed wheel bearings, greased the axel every 3000 miles, changed the belt when it got some age on it. I'm just wondering if other owners had any trouble like this. My bike has just under 90,000 miles now, and the estimate to fix is going to be around $4000. I'm going to get it fixed, and come spring I'm going to sell it. Not because I think it's going to fall apart, but I'm going to move back to two wheels again.
 
Wow .. sorry to hear of your issues ... never heard of that kind of failure, but, I'm kind of new to trikes.

On the other hand ... you did realize that 2 wheels is where your heart is. Got Luck.
 
This is the kind of thing I worry about in converting my Indian. It will cost about what the bike would sell for and I'd be in this pointing fingers mode as to what might cause problems. But man I'd love to get mine converted. I've held off so long on two wheels that now I question every time I go out if I can keep it up. So I've stopped riding as much and will take any excuse not to ride. So I really wish Randy had this thing in his shop right now converting it. I've become my own loser.:blush::blush::blush:
 
… etc … I got a 2001 Harley FLHTCUI with 9000 miles on the clock. From what I could tell, It was converted in 01 or early 02. So I start having issues with the left top motor mount. Bolts start working their way out. Lock tight took care of that. So instead of getting loose, I snapped one clean off. Replaced that, and soon after I broke the top motor mount clean off the frame. Not once, but three times. … etc … Come to find out the swingarm pivot shaft was snapped in half. .… etc …
Dang! Sounds like just plain vibration. I had a buddy who's HDs broke mounts. I've seen the swingarm pivot shaft broken on a two wheeled HD too.
 
Dang! Sounds like just plain vibration. I had a buddy who's HDs broke mounts. I've seen the swingarm pivot shaft broken on a two wheeled HD too.

What happens with the the motor mounts....[Tie link bolts] Harley uses shoulder bolts Ie; Not fully threaded........And they tend to loosen a little, So if you hit a good pothole the tie link Guillotines /shears the bolt clean off....After they kept on loosening and shearing one off i used #8 fully threaded bolts with # 268 stick loc-tight.....Never had a problem after that....
 

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