Craigslist trike....Unsafe at any speed!

[Bwchase]

Great looking trike. 96 Heritage nostalgia, very low miles, voyager kit. Good price, 2 hours away, what could possibly be a major problem?

Owner said could ride it home! He only put 300 miles in three years.

Towed my trailer just in case, enlisted help from my good friend, and made an adventure road trip.

It was everything I hoped for, great looking, started right up, only needs a few things and ready to ride.

Took it out on the road and anything above 10 MPH the front end wobbled so bad I stopped and looked it over.

Tried a few times to get it over 10 MPH but the wobbles were too severe to continue. So much for online reviews!

Finally got it back in the drive way. Called Voyager 800 number and got to talk to a guy named Frank.

He gave me several possibilities to check on. Priced out parts that may need to be replaced.

Owner dropped the price way down.

Got it into the trailer.

Been two weeks and after many hours of study, tinkering, preload, torque, bushings, pressures and talking again to Voyager. Today took a 75 mile ride with my wife on the back.

What a great riding trike. Solid platform, absolutely no wobble, does require a bit of strength to turn those bars, but may put a rake kit to help that out.

Learning to like this, unfortunately just about out of riding weather for this year, and my 2 wheel Road King is lonely.

 

[Jack Klarich]

Good to see you got a better price and got the bugs worked out. This should bring miles of smiles to you:clapping:If you have not already done it, adjust and lube your clutch cable and change and flush the brake fluid for performance improvement

 

[Gorilla]

glad it worked out

 

[Bwchase]

Thank you.

In the shop getting a new clutch cable and a general once over.

Getting cold so may be into storage when she gets back.

Have electric harness for vest and gloves, really helps.

I don't see many trikes here in central Oregon. A few Spyder Can-Ams.

 

[Bwchase]

Follow up to having my trike serviced. Local independent Harley mechanic checked the bike over.

Could not change the transmission fluid with kit installed.

I asked to have the steering head bolt torque checked.

He refused with the kit installed, said even with lifting the front off the ground, the kit would make it impossible to adjust or torque it.

I don't think he wants to have anything to do with the trike kit.

 

[rhino 2]

Follow up to having my trike serviced. Local independent Harley mechanic checked the bike over.

Could not change the transmission fluid with kit installed.

I asked to have the steering head bolt torque checked.

He refused with the kit installed, said even with lifting the front off the ground, the kit would make it impossible to adjust or torque it.

I don't think he wants to have anything to do with the trike kit.

I guess he really is inderpended......Time to start looking for another ''Not so inderpended Mechanic''.............

 

[Ray Paige]

Glad you got the Voyager bugs worked out. I had some minor problems when I first mounted my kit, mostly with pre-load. Tire pressure was the gremlin - added 5 psi all around - problem solved. Ride Safe!

 

[Bwchase]

Update to update

Found a great mechanic that doesn't have a problem with trike, he lubed the head bearings, and torqued to 45 ft lbs.

Much easier to steer through the corners since the grease, even with the increased torque on the bearing.

Hope this will help others, really is a good trike platform, but needs to be within specs. Unfortunately no installer/dealer in the northwest anymore.

 

[rhino 2]

Update to update

Found a great mechanic that doesn't have a problem with trike, he lubed the head bearings, and torqued to 45 ft lbs.

Much easier to steer through the corners since the grease, even with the increased torque on the bearing.

Hope this will help others, really is a good trike platform, but needs to be within specs. Unfortunately no installer/dealer in the northwest anymore.

The grease helps ........But its the torquing down on the head bearing that did the trick...:clapping:...

 

[Bwchase]

Glad you got the Voyager bugs worked out. I had some minor problems when I first mounted my kit, mostly with pre-load. Tire pressure was the gremlin - added 5 psi all around - problem solved. Ride Safe!

I am running 20 lbs in the kit and 40 lbs on the bike. Ride seems a little harsh with just me, softer with two of us.

What pressure do you run?

 

[bear1953]

interested to know what adjustments u did and what helped

 

[rhino 2]

interested to know what adjustments u did and what helped

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