Just joined

CrosseyedDragon · Feb 17, 2009

Just joined what looks like a terrific site. I currently own a 2002 Harley Davidson Sportster 883 Hugger that my husband bought me so I could ride in the Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride this year with my 79-year-old dad who rides a Goldwing Trike.
I've ridden an ATV for a few years but am just learning to ride my Harley. I'm thinking about buying a Tow-Pac trike conversion for it since I was riding down the road and my drive belt broke, resulting in my dropping my bike and not being able to pick it up.
Looking forward to hearing from trike riders.

FBTRIKE · Feb 17, 2009

Welcome and your right, it is a terrific site. What a wonderful thing to be able to share riding with your Dad. Be sure to post some pics when you get your bike done and include some of your Dad on his Goldwing.

Juju · Feb 17, 2009

Welcome aboard, from the Florida panhandle!

DH and I would like to ride the Trail of Tears sometime. Notice that there's an album feature on your user profile page, so you can set up an album of pix from your ride. Also whatever other pix you want to include.

saybel · Feb 17, 2009

Welcome to the site. I think you'll like triking.

katfish16 · Feb 17, 2009

Welcome to the site, jump right in and post some pictures. Let ur Dad know about the site and if he don't compute, post some pictures for him on here. 79 and still riding that is outstanding and the best part is being able to ride with family. Hope U enjoy the board and if we can help let us know.

Nana · Feb 17, 2009

Welcome Dragon (I love your handle <img src="images/smilies/grin.gif" border="0" alt="" title="big grin" class="inlineimg" />). So glad you found us! And I agree you and your dad have something special if you can ride together! Can't wait to hear more from you...and him!

rmrc51 · Feb 17, 2009

Welcome Dragon. As others have already said, this is a great site. You're very fortunate that you're able to share riding with your Dad!!! Thats great!!!!

Gorilla · Feb 17, 2009

crosseyedragon welcome aboard. The sportster makes a fine trike. The tow pak is a good start. Ted

Ozarkryder · Feb 17, 2009

CrosseyedDragon - welcome to the board! Beware! I have seen both the Voyager and the Tow-Pac, for a lot of people they are like an entry drug on the slide to a true trike.

Seriously, I know people that really like them.

I too have had a belt go on the Harley. Luckily it just shed and didn't get mixed up with anything, just revved up and I coasted to the side of the road to call the wife to bring the trailer.

BTW, picking up a bike is 90% technique - at this last years Bikes, Blues and Bar-B-Que we had a gal that was all of 5'2" and maybe 110 lbs bringing a Victory Vision up off it's side. She was surprised how easy it was once she got the technique down. A woman named Skert has a website about it. Here it is:

Pink Ribbon Rides

Of course if you have to pick up a trike there is a lot more going on than just laying it on it's side.

I have had to pick up the Harley, (FLHS electroglide Sport, 850 lbs unloaded) I sure don't want to have to pick up the trike!

go forthe extra wheels if you feel more confident - it's not what you ride, it that you ride.

CrosseyedDragon · Feb 18, 2009

Thanks everyone for the welcome! 
 
I plan on taking lots of pics when I go on the Trail of Tears. I have a picture of my dad on his trike that I will try to post soon. It was something of a shock when he told me he had bought it, as he absolutely refused to let any of us kids have a motorcycle. <img src="images/smilies/grin.gif" border="0" alt="" title="big grin" class="inlineimg" /> He got it about 10 years ago and last month it registered 100,000 miles. He's been all over the country on it, following the Mississippi River from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, has went up the East Coast to Niagara Falls, as well as to Mt. Rushmore, Texas, and Arizona. He and his companion Miss Millie have patches all over their vests from their rides and belong to a Goldwing club. I think it has kept him young. <img src="images/smilies/grin.gif" border="0" alt="" title="big grin" class="inlineimg" /> 
 
Ozarkryder, thank you for the tip on how to pick a bike up. When I dropped mine, there was next to no shoulder on the road and it fell on its right side into a ditch when I tried to put the kickstand down.

<img src="images/smilies/frown.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Frown" class="inlineimg" /> I couldn't get any leverage under it to pick it up. Luckily the belt broke off cleanly. 
 
Besides making me feel safer, I also want to trike my bike so I can take my very spoiled Jack Russell terrier along with me. <img src="images/smilies/grin.gif" border="0" alt="" title="big grin" class="inlineimg" /> She loves to ride my ATV, so she should like riding the Harley. I am looking into modifying a luggage carrier so she will be able to ride in it. I think having a trike will make it safer for her.

Trikerjim · Feb 18, 2009

So Glad to have you with us Dragon! You're way ahead of the curve if you plan on a trike in the future. All that ATV riding will make you feel right at home. Alot of people ask how a trike drives compaired to a bike, and I tell them it's more like an ATV. Tell your dad to join right in also, we love "experianced" riders....

ultraboy · Feb 18, 2009

I'll add my hearty welcome to Trike Talk! It's fantastic that you can ride with your Dad, something I was never able to do.
You might want to check out this site for a Trike kit for your Sporty. This is a decent kit that covers 1995 to 2003 models.

Sportster Trike Kit

Where in Indiana are you? I'm in Wanatah, 7 miles East of Valpo.

John Luciano · Feb 18, 2009

That is a very cool trike kit. seeing how there are so many sporsters out there for sale, great idea . around here the papers are full of low mileage 883's for cheap money. Looking at that kit. It is only a little more than the /tow pack is gona cost and 100% better investment and ride. Tow pack and Voyager kits are not cheap and are hard to sell used .