To Trike or Not to Trike (Help purchasing first Trike)

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Pull the heads and measure the bore.

1300 1500 1600 all had same stroke.

If it is a 66 1300 then it has been converted to 12v.

Distributor coil generator. The 6v starter holds up well on 12v. Cranks a bit fast.

Originally a 66 1300 was 6v.

And a 67 1500 was 12v.

 

[Gator Monroe]

Pull the heads and measure the bore.

1300 1500 1600 all had same stroke.

If it is a 66 1300 then it has been converted to 12v.

Distributor coil generator. The 6v starter holds up well on 12v. Cranks a bit fast.

Originally a 66 1300 was 6v.

And a 67 1500 was 12v.

I'm ok either Way (Most Trikers prolly have 1600 heavily breathed on dual port Power Plants ) and I'll show up with a Vanilla Single Port . I like the Idea of a Vintage Trike kept simple and kinda old school set up . It Runs & Drives and I will no doubt be refining it with the help of all you fine folks here ,thanks again ...:clapping:

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

O yeah....It is enough to put a big smile on your face.

Mine went a bit off the deep end......but anyway...

 

[Gator Monroe]

I have a feeling the UPS & Fed Ex Drivers will be saying "What Kinda Gun Parts are these ???" to me in the coming weeks ...

 

[Gator Monroe]

Rode SO around neighborhood this morning on the VW Trike and it really runs great (Pulls second gear starts very easily and seems stable up to 40 mph . I'm thinking about draining the front fork oil and seeing if I can get fork seals, and some bars that are not swept back so far (perhaps 4-10 inches less ) and that are a little wider .

 

[stinger608]

First, welcome to the Trike Talk forums!!!!!!

Second, that's a sharp looking ole dub trike man!

You got it for a great price from the looks of it.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Elvis dune buggy is an HO case single port 1500.

King pin front end. Short axle swing.

 

[Gator Monroe]

Chubby for the singleport 1500 engines now ... :qpnmt::Joker3:

 

[Gator Monroe]

Rode Trike with SO one more time around neighborhood and now its being breathed on . (Oil Change found sludge on Plate & screen ,not as bad as some I've seen on Youtube vids but lower to middle tier sludge (Oil was in black column ) . Cleaned the Screen and the plate & bolts and worked out sludge built up around Screen Plate Ports in Engine and installed new gaskets & washers and bolted it back together , cleaned some of the bottom of the motor and have 3 quarts of Valvolene Silver bottle 30 wt. Racing Oil to refill . On fence about doing Valve adjust myself but it must be figured out straight away as the dirty oil makes me wonder (lose sleep) Plugs seem good and a New Empi Pod Air filter is on now, How would I check or change the Gear/Tranny oil ???

 

[rhino 2]

Rode Trike with SO one more time around neighborhood and now its being breathed on . (Oil Change found sludge on Plate & screen ,not as bad as some I've seen on Youtube vids but lower to middle tier sludge (Oil was in black column ) . Cleaned the Screen and the plate & bolts and worked out sludge built up around Screen Plate Ports in Engine and installed new gaskets & washers and bolted it back together , cleaned some of the bottom of the motor and have 3 quarts of Valvolene Silver bottle 30 wt. Racing Oil to refill . On fence about doing Valve adjust myself but it must be figured out straight away as the dirty oil makes me wonder (lose sleep) Plugs seem good and a New Empi Pod Air filter is on now, How would I check or change the Gear/Tranny oil ???

Theres a book by John Muir.....;Titled How to keep your Volkswagen alive for the complete idiot.....Back in the 70's i kept two bugs and a buggy alive using that book....

Up till then i never owned even one metic tool...

 

[Gator Monroe]

[/COLOR]

Theres a book by John Muir.....;Titled How to keep your Volkswagen alive for the complete idiot.....Back in the 70's i kept two bugs and a buggy alive using that book....

Up till then i never owned even one metic tool...

There is a knowledgeable forum/board that has been very helpful (but yes I'm looking for my book stash still from the early 90s )

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

I can take pictures of where the fill and drain plugs are.

But.

It may be confusing as my trans is upside down and backwards.

It is not difficult.

Two drains on bottom.

Fill on the side.

Put oil in up to the side plug.

 

[Gator Monroe]

Remove the heater components ( Yes or no ???) But but they make the motor look bone stock and give Trike powerplant that straight outta a Beetle gravitas ...

 

[stinger608]

Remove the heater components ( Yes or no ???) But but they make the motor look bone stock and give Trike powerplant that straight outta a Beetle gravitas ...

I have the heater boxes taken out of mine. No need for them. I am running a 4 into 1 header. Works great.

 

[Gator Monroe]

I have the heater boxes taken out of mine. No need for them. I am running a 4 into 1 header. Works great.

I purchased the exhaust tubes & chrome plugs to remove heater boxes & hoses , will wait until after Showing the trike at Big Bike Weekend judged show & shine to make changes , and I will see if the straight outta the Beetle power plant:Joker3: Homebuilt One -Off configuration gives my rig extra gravitas (compared to the Money pit & Vintage Gel Coat & Chrome Trike Kit /Showroom new glamorous 21st century offerings ...:qpnmt:

 

[Gator Monroe]

Trans oil draining now ,there was some metal sludge & shavings on the Plug Magnet :blush: (But not much more than my 1978 Maico Magnum 250 after half a season of hour long off road GPs in the Vintage/Bomber Class)

 

[Gator Monroe]

Put in STP 80 / 90 and buttoned it back up . Gotta get entry for Big Bike Weekend judged Show & Shine that Sunday (20.00$ day of show ) and find out if I should not only enter Trike in Trike Class but also how much it is for second Bike ( 1975 Replica of Harley Baja 500 Winner) for Novelty Class ...

 

[Gator Monroe]

Put in STP 80 / 90 and buttoned it back up . Gotta get entry for Big Bike Weekend judged Show & Shine that Sunday (20.00$ day of show ) and find out if I should not only enter Trike in Trike Class but also how much it is for second Bike ( 1975 Replica of Harley Baja 500 Winner) for Novelty Class ...

They asked me to display the Harley Racer (No Charge) at the Show and said if I want the Harley entered it would be 15.00 for it to be Judged in a class in the Judged Show & Shine) . Still not sure if they will have a Novelty or Trike Class , so it may be "Special Construction" or "Motorcycle Pre 1970"

 

[Gator Monroe]

They asked me to display the Harley Racer (No Charge) at the Show and said if I want the Harley entered it would be 15.00 for it to be Judged in a class in the Judged Show & Shine) . Still not sure if they will have a Novelty or Trike Class , so for VW Trike it may be "Special Construction" or "Motorcycle Pre 1970"

Make America Trike Again

 

[Winger1955]

Gator,

Post a pic of your 78 Maico. Here’s my 78 400. I bought it new in 1978 for $2800. That was alot of money back then. Lots of great and painful memories from those days.

 

[Gator Monroe]

Gator,

Post a pic of your 78 Maico. Here’s my 78 400. I bought it new in 1978 for $2800. That was alot of money back then. Lots of great and painful memories from those days.

Love the look of your very original 400 , I vintage raced mine from 97-2000 then retired it to the Game Room for display , Mine has a lot of Wheelsmith things going on for it and a pair of Works Performance "Gil Gassers" Gas Shocks rebuilt by Gil Vallaincourt himself (Pioneer of Motorcycle High Performance Suspension ) as he was a Friend from our Culver City Days . He has since passed and I was lucky enough to have known him and attend his memorial . Parts for these beasts are getting scarcer ( Mine was a full Resto with Help of 'Maico Bill" Maico Guru Bill Leonardo of Simi Valley and I was Sponsored by Beverly Hills Mercedes Benz and Vinny Mandzak (The Car Guy) another Famous Vintage Race Promoter (Revived the Catalina GP) and Racer (Two Time D37 Vintage GP #1 Plate Holder) who also has since passed on .

 

[Gator Monroe]

So far I have changed Engine Oil , Changed Transaxle Oil , Adjusted Valves , checked Carb settings , adjusted belt ,changed Air Filter (EMPI Pod) and added a few chrome bits ( Coil strap , dip stick , Oil Cap , Vintage Goldwing Headlight (Big & simple with shallow chrome bucket & takes H4 Automotive bulb)

 

[Gator Monroe]

 

[Gorilla]

NICE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gator Monroe]

Trike is still running strong and I’m going to do a few “ Period “ parts upgrades . I still have not removed heater boxes lol and am very interested in nicer front end eventually...