Why Did Lehman Go Belly Up?

[Baldy_54]

May be an old question. I thought that Champion bought them?? If they did, wouldn't they be able to provide parts? Or did they go out of business also??

[Papa Zook]

May be an old question. I thought that Champion bought them?? If they did, wouldn't they be able to provide parts? Or did they go out of business also??

Craig Arrojo, Champion Trikes owner, did buy what was left of Lehman in 2012, after HD started, then ended their short-lived business relationship with Lehman. Craig widened the Lehman body molds, probably built new ones, to fit their slightly wider Champion IRS running gear and sold quite a few Lehman branded conversions. Craig still owns and operates Champion Sidecars and Champion Reverse.

Lehman Trikes Sells To Champion

[Baldy_54]

Craig Arrojo, Champion Trikes owner, did buy what was left of Lehman in 2012, after HD bankrupted them. He widened the Lehman body molds, probably built new ones, to fit their wider Champion IRS running gear and sold quite a few Lehman branded conversions. Craig still owns and operates Champion Sidecars and Champion Reverse Companies.



https://www.bhpioneer.com/local_news/lehman-trikes-sells-to-champion/article_acfbe9d4-c072-11e1-b56d-001a4bcf887a.html

Thanks Randy

[Jack Klarich]

When HD starting doing in house builds, Lehman could not compete, They were acquired by I believe

CSC

[Jack Klarich]

Good thread with great info here

[Rmitchell55]

John Lehman, co-founder of Lehman Trikes passed away in Jan. 2012. Eventually Lehman trikes shutdown and was bought by Champion Trikes in Garden Grove, CA. Champion produced Lehman trikes for a few years and somewhere around 2018 Champion Trikes closed their doors and were eventually sold to the owner of D & D motorcycle in Tempe, AZ and around 2020 Champion was reborn as Champion of Arizona.

When I bought my Champion Kit in 2013 champion was owned by some big investment company, which the original owner of Champion was part of. The owner of Champion was a big Corvette and car collector. Sometime around 2017 I was at Champion talking to one of their salespeople and asked him if he had a piece of scratch paper to write the answer on what I was asking about and he walked over to his desk and picked up a sheet of paper and gave it to me. I took some notes and folded up the paper and stuck it in my jacket pocket and came home.

When I took it out of my pocket and looked at it and on the back side was a receipt for a New Harley Road King and a side car that had been bought and the sidecar attached and was shipped to Shanghai, China for a total cost of just over $78,000.