I Hate Reverse

[MikeyTX]

Mine popped the breaker yesterday backing out of the garage. Brand new, built 04/16. So we shall see. If it craps after the warranty is up, I have no qualms about having the Baker reverse kit installed. Cost be damned.

 

[Sloufoot]

Mine popped the breaker yesterday backing out of the garage. Brand new, built 04/16. So we shall see. If it craps after the warranty is up, I have no qualms about having the Baker reverse kit installed. Cost be damned.

If you will read your owners manual, It describes the reverse as a back up assist not a reverse drive or gear.. They don't really rate it as a full reverse.
It's cheaper that way. Otherwise it would have to work. Baker does have a nice kit, but there are mods that have to be done to the transmission. There are a couple others that work well without the modifications internally .
If you start out with an up hill grade it puts a big load on the motor. Try & have it rolling to hit the upgrade will help a bit. Don't touch the brake when you start reverse. Also a bit of RPM might help. Also let the Trike roll a couple feet after you let off the button to kick the drive gear out better.

EDIT: I just re checked Baker & they have their newer kit that just requires the trans to be taken apart & their components installed. Better features than before. But it looks like you can do your own install.
The side cover is deeper which might require a new header also to clear the trans. But a bit more spendy at $1895, but then again it is a Baker.

 

[MikeyTX]

Unlike many, I do read the o m. Not my first scoot with reverse being electric vs mechanical. I am well aware of it's limitations. That is why I made the statement as regards the Baker. I have more faith in them than H-D.

 

[headheaded]

i/ve only used my reverse one time and i'm missing a leg. i just back it up with my good foot or if i'm off the bike i walk it back.

 

[clint44]

If you will read your owners manual, It describes the reverse as a back up assist not a reverse drive or gear.. They don't really rate it as a full reverse. It's cheaper that way. Otherwise it would have to work.

Baker does have a nice kit, but there are mods that have to be done to the transmission. There are a couple others that work well without the modifications internally .
EDIT: I just re checked Baker & they have their newer kit that just requires the trans to be taken apart & their components installed. Better features than before. But it looks like you can do your own install.
The side cover is deeper which might require a new header also to clear the trans. But a bit more spendy at $1895, but then again it is a Baker.

Before our trike was built,I talked with Hannigan's tech dept about a Baker reverse unit. They recommended a Champion unit,at $1395.
I haven't had to use it every often but when I do,it works like it's supposed to. Money well spent,IMO.

 

[Mykneesbehurtin]

I have a 2016 Tri i think that the backup assist or reverse what ever you call it is pretty cheesy,for the price of the bike i would have thought they could have come up with something better.Have owned HD's since 1989 they were of a little better quality back then JMO. Havent ask the dealer yet if installing a mechanical reverse will void the warranty,HD is getting pretty funny about that,like installing a trailer hitch.

 

[Sloufoot]

Before our trike was built,I talked with Hannigan's tech dept about a Baker reverse unit. They recommended a Champion unit,at $1395.
I haven't had to use it every often but when I do,it works like it's supposed to. Money well spent,IMO.

Clint, Have you looked at the latest Baker unit? They have done things right this time.
They operate remotely where you don't have to reach down to shift it. It also has a lockout. The kit moves the reverse to a click forward of first gear all shifted by the foot shift. The lockout is to lockout from being able to shift past first to reverse. It uses a solenoid to lockout.
I don't know if the $1900 is worth all that. Like you said that Champion kit is a lot better price wise.

 

[clint44]

Clint, Have you looked at the latest Baker unit? They have done things right this time.
They operate remotely where you don't have to reach down to shift it. It also has a lockout. The kit moves the reverse to a click forward of first gear all shifted by the foot shift. The lockout is to lockout from being able to shift past first to reverse. It uses a solenoid to lockout.
I don't know if the $1900 is worth all that. Like you said that Champion kit is a lot better price wise.

Baker builds quality products but in this instance,I think I much prefer the simplicity of our Champion reverse.

If we were flush with funds,I would consider one of Baker's 7spd transmissions for our trike.

 

[coronetracer65]

I have a 2014 and so far haven't had a problem , we have 31,000 miles on it and it is backed in my pole barn every time I ride it ( 50 feet). Have I popped the breaker ? Yep one time when it was new and another when I forgot parking brake was on , lol ! I try to park smart also , but don't go out of my way about it . My $.02 . Ebert

 

[prariepilot]

When you've installed the mechanical reverse....

....did you leave the stock H-D electric motor in place? If not, are there any circuits that need completed to keep the TG operating normally?

 

[airborneone-1inf]

REVERSE

my 2012 wont back over a 2by4, what a pricey joke on me from Harley, they can kiss my :kpzxvq: :kpzxvq:

 

[screwball]

I bought my first Harley in November of 1970. By December of 1970 I learned to NEVER park it downhill unless I could drive straight out. A friend taught me "Look before you park" Here we are 46 years later and I still remember that. 2nd Trike, never had any problems with the reverse with either.... mostly because I rarely use it.

 

[HDB0B]

I'm with screwball .... I use gravity 99% of the time and reverse 1%. Think before you park.

NEVER use brake and reverse at the same time.

2014 with 19K+ miles and no reverse problems.

Bob

 

[Peter A.]

Reverse

+1 here. - knock on wood, have not had a problem with reverse on my 2010 Harley YET.......66 thou. carefree miles (use it when I need to, but RARELY).
Wife and I LOVE OUR TRIKES!!!

 

[Zammy]

I guess I've been lucky, we've had our glide about 1 year now, 6,000 miles and I use it all the time, never had the breaker pop.

 

[Mykneesbehurtin]

I asked my dealer today if putting in a manual reverse would void the warranty,yep you guessed it of coarse it will

 

[J.T.M.]

I asked my dealer today if putting in a manual reverse would void the warranty,yep you guessed it of coarse it will

My dealer installed my motor trike mechanical reverse, said no problem with warranty.

 

[rhino 2]

I asked my dealer today if putting in a manual reverse would void the warranty,yep you guessed it of coarse it will

Just asking if something will void the warranty will Void the warranty.....
I'll bet if you ask that same dealer if you can use his restroom, He'll say that will void the Warranty....

Don't ask' Don't tell.......:cxtv:

 

[MikeyTX]

I asked my dealer today if putting in a manual reverse would void the warranty,yep you guessed it of coarse it will

I do believe I'd be sourcing a different dealer. Not only will mine be happy to install it, they will order it for me along with a 10% discount. What's not to like.

 

[cdculbertson]

Out of curiosity, what are dealers charging to install these mechanical reverses? I guess when one is spending $1400 or so for the device, the installation is just incidental. I mean, if the electric reverse fails after the warranty expires, and the dealer is going to charge $1400 to fix it anyway, it would seem that you might as well go with the mechanical reverse?

 

[rhino 2]

Out of curiosity, what are dealers charging to install these mechanical reverses? I guess when one is spending $1400 or so for the device, the installation is just incidental. I mean, if the electric reverse fails after the warranty expires, and the dealer is going to charge $1400 to fix it anyway, it would seem that you might as well go with the mechanical reverse?

About 1400 for the motor, And i'm guessing two hours labor... My Mechanical was about 18 hundred total........ And worth every penny...ThumbUp

 

[cdculbertson]

About 1400 for the motor, And i'm guessing two hours labor... My Mechanical was about 18 hundred total........ And worth every penny...ThumbUp

Thanks Rhino. I guess that's something else to put on the to do list on down the road.

 

[Mykneesbehurtin]

What is the problem? I back up a slight incline with me and the wife on the trike. I always back into the garage. When new it would brake the breaker but after using it over time That doesn't happen any longer. It maybe slow but while backing I am not in a speed race. I can back up over a curb with no problem. Maybe u should get it checked.
Maybe I should add I weigh over 270 and the SO about 150.

Mine would pop the breaker with little effort when new now its about a month old and it seems a lot better.:clapping:

 

[airborneone-1inf]

reverse

I have a 2012 triglide, and I really like it, but the reverse issue need's to be looked into by the moco,it seems like there are a lot of triglide owners not happy with reverse, mine sucks, wont back over a two by four, I think a class action suit is in order , I have a lawer who is willing to do just that,harley needs to own this prob, I need owners of any year triglde to respond to me ae at mickey_iseman@yahoo.com, we need numbers to pull this off, not sure just how many, so there you have it, will keep all informed on this thread, thanks.

 

[rhino 2]

I have a 2012 triglide, and I really like it, but the reverse issue need's to be looked into by the moco,it seems like there are a lot of triglide owners not happy with reverse, mine sucks, wont back over a two by four, I think a class action suit is in order , I have a lawer who is willing to do just that,harley needs to own this prob, I need owners of any year triglde to respond to me ae at mickey_iseman@yahoo.com, we need numbers to pull this off, not sure just how many, so there you have it, will keep all informed on this thread, thanks.

I don't know if your on other Tri-Glide. Forums, If you are then you'll see there is many problems with the reverse over there also...Occasionally someone will post that they never had a problem with their reverse, ' And maybe there right... But that doesn't mean that the ones that are having problems are wrong...

 

[MikeyTX]

I don't think the MoCo envisioned peeps trying to back over a 2x4. It was designed to back out of a parking space when one could not go forward or, out of one's garage. If you need to hump a 2x4 maybe you should have bought a Jeep. Having owned several GW's too, I can tell you that their electric reverse does not do any better than Harley Davidson's.

 

[rhino 2]

I don't think the MoCo envisioned peeps trying to back over a 2x4. It was designed to back out of a parking space when one could not go forward or, out of one's garage. If you need to hump a 2x4 maybe you should have bought a Jeep. Having owned several GW's too, I can tell you that their electric reverse does not do any better than Harley Davidson's.

Could be right, Harley's is made by Hitachi... Maybe they also make it for Honda.....

 

[MikeyTX]

Do not know other than neither of the mgfrs. designed it to do more than back out of a parking space on basically level, unobstructed ground. Be it one's garage or at the store. In addition, I do not believe it is wise to use it with a passenger on board. That extra bit of weight might be the brake over point for the system.

 

[rodekyll]

I did some heavy, backwards thinking for a long time when I designed my trike. The electric reverse was not an option because I have a fluid drive instead of a mechanical connection to the rear wheels. Ditto with most mechanical reverses that attach to/within the transmission. Since I have no gearbox, there is no option. I solved the problem with a simple transfer case that uses a planetary gear to reverse direction. it is the actual drive shaft. In forward (my only forward gear), two half-shafts are locked up 1:1. When I pull the lever for reverse (the only backward gear), the shafts part and a planetary gear cluster reverses the spin of the tail shaft section with a 1.5:1 reduction. I can back up a staircase as easily as go forward, and almost as fast. It has no limitations for distance (except fuel on-board), doesn't understand the concept of either a 2x4 or a basset hound as an obstacle, and has never, ever either popped a breaker or run the battery dry. In theory you should be able to run your gears in reverse.

I designed an IRS rear section similar to a Motor Trike ADV that is a rigid part of the frame triangle -- no heim joints or other bolted/adjustable points. So the CV-jointed driveshaft (in addition to being on a straight shot down the freaking centerline of the trike where it ought to be) has a constant, fixed angle. This makes engineering an inline reversing box relatively simple, and the cost is comparable to what you folks are saying these miserable, reverse "assist" (REALLY?) run you. I'm surprised the mega-manufacturers haven't figured that out.

The transfer case is marketed as a 'reversing gearbox' by a fella named Jack, who has an outfit called roadstercyle(.com). I don't know if it's proper to do direct links from here, so you can find it from those clues. Jack is a small operator who's quite good with the email and phone chats both before and after the sale. He says it's good for 500 forward HP. I have no affiliation with him or his business other than to have purchased and used his product.




The CV joint bolts to the differential pinion. The splined end engages the torque converter. The little splines sticking out the side on top is where the shifter lever goes. Very simple. The only drawback is that since I have no clutch I have to shut the engine down, shift, and restart.