Lee H. Mann
Gone But Not Forgotten
I JUST WANT TO RIDE ON MY MOTORCYCLE AGAIN
I DIDN’T WANT TO SELL IT OR POSSIBLY BURDEN A FAMILY MEMBER WITH THE DECISION TO PURCHASE IT FROM ME JUST TO KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY, BUT MY MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS.
I HAVE KEPT IT INSURED AND TAGGED THROUGHOUT MY HEALTH BATTLES HOPING TO RIDE IT AGAIN ONE DAY. NOT KNOWING WHAT THE FUTURE MAY HOLD FOR ME AS FAR AS MY HEALTH IS CONCERNED I NEEDED TO MAKE A DECISION. AM I GOING TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PICK IT UP SHOULD IT FALL OVER ?
FOR MONTHS I HAVE BEEN DISTRESSED ABOUT WHAT TO DO AND AFTER MAKING A CALCULATED DECISION IT IS BEING CONVERTED INTO A TRIKE.
OVER THE YEARS I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO CONVERT ONE OF MY MOTORCYCLES INTO A TRIKE ONE DAY BUT AFTER SELLING MY ROAD KING 2 YEARS AGO THAT ONLY LEFT THE 1994 FXLRC THAT BELONGED TO DAD.
OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS I HAVE BEEN GATHERING PARTS SLOWLY TO BUILD A TRIKE ONLY TO THEN SELL THEM TO CUSTOMERS INSTEAD.
I WAS LOOKING AT TRIKE TALK FORUM WHEN A FELLOW MEMBER (Downtown Cowtown) SAID HE HAD JUST TAKEN TRADE ON AN OLD KIT AND HE WANTED TO SELL IT. BUT HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AND DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO LOAD PICTURES ONTO THE FORUM SO I COULD HELP HIM IDENTIFY THE KIT.
HE ALSO SAID HE HAD ADVERTISED ON CRAIGSLIST BEFORE IN THE FT. WORTH AREA. I SEARCHED CRAIGSLIST IN FT. WORTH, TEXAS TO SEE IF HE HAD PICTURES OF IT. THERE WAS A LISTING OF A KIT, SO I CALLED NUMBER LISTED. THE GUY THAT ANSWERED SAID HE HAD SOLD IT ALREADY, SO I THEN FIGURED THE GUY ON THE FORUM HAD JUST BOUGHT IT. I WAS RIGHT. AND BY THE PICTURES ON CRAIGSLIST I RECOGNIZED THE KIT.
IT WAS AN EARLY 1990'S LEHMAN TRIKE KIT FOR A SOFTAIL AND FROM WHAT HE DESCRIBED AND WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE PICTURE, I HAD ENOUGH INFORMATION TO KNOW THAT I NOW HAD EVERYTHING TO BUILD A TRIKE AT HAND WITH HIS REMNANTS OF A KIT ONBOARD. NEXT WAS SHIPPING IT HERE FROM FT. WORTH, TEXAS.
AFTER IT ARRIVED, THE WEEK AFTER THANKSGIVING 2017, I UNPACKED IT AND INSPECTED IT. THE KIT HAD MADE YET ANOTHER JOURNEY WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE. SINCE IT WAS AN OLDER KIT UPGRADES WOULD NEED TO BE ADDED AS I BUILT IT.
THE BODY IS A SPORT BODY REFERRED TO AS A BANDIT AND WAS TAKEN TO THE BODY SHOP FOR PREPARATION AND PAINT ALONG WITH AN AUXILIARY PIECE THAT SETS BENEATH THE PASSENGER SEAT.
PREPARING THE MOTORCYCLE FOR CONVERSION CAN BE A BRUTAL TASK
EVEN THOUGH THE MOTORCYCLE WAS SQUARE WITH THE EXISTING PARTS, IT WOULD NEED TO BE SQUARED SO THAT THE NEW SWINGARM AND AXLE WAS LEVEL TO THE MOTORCYCLE AND THE ENGINE WAS IN THE MOTORCYCLE SQUARELY FOR THE NEW PARTS. HARLEY-DAVIDSONS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR MIS-ALIGNED ENGINES.
NEXT I PREPARED THE SWINGARM WITH SOLID BUSHINGS AND NEW REAR ENGINE/TRANSMISSION MOUNTS. THE ORIGINAL BELT HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT AND I WAS CHANGING THE DRIVE PULLEY TO A NARROWER ONE SO A BELT CHANGE WAS IN ORDER. THIS NECESSITATED REMOVING THE PRIMARY DRIVE CHAIN AND INNER CHAIN CASE HOUSING.
ONCE I HAD THE BELT IN PLACE I INSTALLED THE SWINGARM AND SECURED THE REAR ENGINE MOUNTS. DOUBLE CHECKING THE LEVEL OF THE BIKE FRAME AND SWINGARM. I REPLACED THE BELT WITH A STOCK TOOTH COUNT AND IT BARELY FIT ON THE NEW SPROCKET IN THE REAR HOUSING. I PUT THE REAR AXLE TOGETHER AND ALIGNED IT SO THAT IT WAS SQUARE WITH THE BIKE FRAME.
I DIDN’T GET PICTURES OF THIS BECAUSE I WAS IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON PRIOR TO 1999 HAD INNER PRIMARY CHAIN HOUSINGS THAT WERE NOT VERY SUPPORTIVE WHEN IT CAME TO A TRIKE CONVERSION. IN EXTREME CASES THE INNER PRIMARY WOULD CRACK OR THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING WHERE THE SWINGARM PIVOT PIN IS LOCATED WOULD BREAK OFF. STIFFENING THE SWINGARM AND REAR ENGINE MOUNT BUSHINGS WOULD HELP.
BUT A CARLINI TORQUE ARM WOULD HELP STABILIZE THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL.
NEXT WAS AN UPGRADE FROM DRUM BRAKES TO DISC BRAKES. I HAVE BEEN DOING DRUM TO DISC CONVERSIONS FOR A OVER YEAR OR MORE SO I HAVE SCROUNGED UP ENOUGH PARTS TO PULL THIS OFF. IT EVEN HAS AN OPERABLE PARKING BRAKE. I DID FIND LATER ON THAT THE RIGHT CALIPER HAD A BAD O-RING AND WAS LEAKING SO I REPAIRED THAT PROBLEM.
CLOSED UP THE PRIMARY AND OILED IT UP.
THE KIT DIDN’T HAVE A BODY FRAME BUT I HAD ONE THAT HAS BEEN AROUND THE SHOP FOR OVER 15 YEARS THAT COULD BE MODIFIED TO WORK. AFTER MAKING THE MODIFICATION AND ADJUSTMENTS I INSTALLED THE SHOCKS. THE STOCK SHOCKS WERE TOO LONG SO I HAD A PAIR OF AIR-SHOCKS FOR AN ELECTRAGLIDE THAT WOULD WORK IF THEY WERE GOOD.
ONCE I HAD THE THE SUSPENSION MOCKED UP I STARTED IT TO SEE IF EVERYTHING WAS WORKING SMOOTHLY. NOW FOR THE EXHAUST.
IT HAS A SUPERTRAPPE 2:1 STAINLESS ADJUSTABLE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND WOULD NEED TO BE LENGTHENED ABOUT 18". I NEED AN “S” PIPE SO THAT THE PIPE WILL CLEAR THE REAR HOUSING AND UP-SWEEP FOR THE MUFFLER. I WILL ALSO NEED TO FABRICATE A REAR MUFFLER HANGER THAT WILL HAVE ADEQUATE MOVEMENT TO PREVENT VIBRATION AND HANGER FAILURES.
TO BE CONTINUED
I DIDN’T WANT TO SELL IT OR POSSIBLY BURDEN A FAMILY MEMBER WITH THE DECISION TO PURCHASE IT FROM ME JUST TO KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY, BUT MY MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS.
I HAVE KEPT IT INSURED AND TAGGED THROUGHOUT MY HEALTH BATTLES HOPING TO RIDE IT AGAIN ONE DAY. NOT KNOWING WHAT THE FUTURE MAY HOLD FOR ME AS FAR AS MY HEALTH IS CONCERNED I NEEDED TO MAKE A DECISION. AM I GOING TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PICK IT UP SHOULD IT FALL OVER ?
FOR MONTHS I HAVE BEEN DISTRESSED ABOUT WHAT TO DO AND AFTER MAKING A CALCULATED DECISION IT IS BEING CONVERTED INTO A TRIKE.
OVER THE YEARS I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO CONVERT ONE OF MY MOTORCYCLES INTO A TRIKE ONE DAY BUT AFTER SELLING MY ROAD KING 2 YEARS AGO THAT ONLY LEFT THE 1994 FXLRC THAT BELONGED TO DAD.
OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS I HAVE BEEN GATHERING PARTS SLOWLY TO BUILD A TRIKE ONLY TO THEN SELL THEM TO CUSTOMERS INSTEAD.
I WAS LOOKING AT TRIKE TALK FORUM WHEN A FELLOW MEMBER (Downtown Cowtown) SAID HE HAD JUST TAKEN TRADE ON AN OLD KIT AND HE WANTED TO SELL IT. BUT HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AND DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO LOAD PICTURES ONTO THE FORUM SO I COULD HELP HIM IDENTIFY THE KIT.
HE ALSO SAID HE HAD ADVERTISED ON CRAIGSLIST BEFORE IN THE FT. WORTH AREA. I SEARCHED CRAIGSLIST IN FT. WORTH, TEXAS TO SEE IF HE HAD PICTURES OF IT. THERE WAS A LISTING OF A KIT, SO I CALLED NUMBER LISTED. THE GUY THAT ANSWERED SAID HE HAD SOLD IT ALREADY, SO I THEN FIGURED THE GUY ON THE FORUM HAD JUST BOUGHT IT. I WAS RIGHT. AND BY THE PICTURES ON CRAIGSLIST I RECOGNIZED THE KIT.
IT WAS AN EARLY 1990'S LEHMAN TRIKE KIT FOR A SOFTAIL AND FROM WHAT HE DESCRIBED AND WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE PICTURE, I HAD ENOUGH INFORMATION TO KNOW THAT I NOW HAD EVERYTHING TO BUILD A TRIKE AT HAND WITH HIS REMNANTS OF A KIT ONBOARD. NEXT WAS SHIPPING IT HERE FROM FT. WORTH, TEXAS.
AFTER IT ARRIVED, THE WEEK AFTER THANKSGIVING 2017, I UNPACKED IT AND INSPECTED IT. THE KIT HAD MADE YET ANOTHER JOURNEY WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE. SINCE IT WAS AN OLDER KIT UPGRADES WOULD NEED TO BE ADDED AS I BUILT IT.
THE BODY IS A SPORT BODY REFERRED TO AS A BANDIT AND WAS TAKEN TO THE BODY SHOP FOR PREPARATION AND PAINT ALONG WITH AN AUXILIARY PIECE THAT SETS BENEATH THE PASSENGER SEAT.
PREPARING THE MOTORCYCLE FOR CONVERSION CAN BE A BRUTAL TASK
EVEN THOUGH THE MOTORCYCLE WAS SQUARE WITH THE EXISTING PARTS, IT WOULD NEED TO BE SQUARED SO THAT THE NEW SWINGARM AND AXLE WAS LEVEL TO THE MOTORCYCLE AND THE ENGINE WAS IN THE MOTORCYCLE SQUARELY FOR THE NEW PARTS. HARLEY-DAVIDSONS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR MIS-ALIGNED ENGINES.
NEXT I PREPARED THE SWINGARM WITH SOLID BUSHINGS AND NEW REAR ENGINE/TRANSMISSION MOUNTS. THE ORIGINAL BELT HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT AND I WAS CHANGING THE DRIVE PULLEY TO A NARROWER ONE SO A BELT CHANGE WAS IN ORDER. THIS NECESSITATED REMOVING THE PRIMARY DRIVE CHAIN AND INNER CHAIN CASE HOUSING.
ONCE I HAD THE BELT IN PLACE I INSTALLED THE SWINGARM AND SECURED THE REAR ENGINE MOUNTS. DOUBLE CHECKING THE LEVEL OF THE BIKE FRAME AND SWINGARM. I REPLACED THE BELT WITH A STOCK TOOTH COUNT AND IT BARELY FIT ON THE NEW SPROCKET IN THE REAR HOUSING. I PUT THE REAR AXLE TOGETHER AND ALIGNED IT SO THAT IT WAS SQUARE WITH THE BIKE FRAME.
I DIDN’T GET PICTURES OF THIS BECAUSE I WAS IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON PRIOR TO 1999 HAD INNER PRIMARY CHAIN HOUSINGS THAT WERE NOT VERY SUPPORTIVE WHEN IT CAME TO A TRIKE CONVERSION. IN EXTREME CASES THE INNER PRIMARY WOULD CRACK OR THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING WHERE THE SWINGARM PIVOT PIN IS LOCATED WOULD BREAK OFF. STIFFENING THE SWINGARM AND REAR ENGINE MOUNT BUSHINGS WOULD HELP.
BUT A CARLINI TORQUE ARM WOULD HELP STABILIZE THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL.
NEXT WAS AN UPGRADE FROM DRUM BRAKES TO DISC BRAKES. I HAVE BEEN DOING DRUM TO DISC CONVERSIONS FOR A OVER YEAR OR MORE SO I HAVE SCROUNGED UP ENOUGH PARTS TO PULL THIS OFF. IT EVEN HAS AN OPERABLE PARKING BRAKE. I DID FIND LATER ON THAT THE RIGHT CALIPER HAD A BAD O-RING AND WAS LEAKING SO I REPAIRED THAT PROBLEM.
CLOSED UP THE PRIMARY AND OILED IT UP.
THE KIT DIDN’T HAVE A BODY FRAME BUT I HAD ONE THAT HAS BEEN AROUND THE SHOP FOR OVER 15 YEARS THAT COULD BE MODIFIED TO WORK. AFTER MAKING THE MODIFICATION AND ADJUSTMENTS I INSTALLED THE SHOCKS. THE STOCK SHOCKS WERE TOO LONG SO I HAD A PAIR OF AIR-SHOCKS FOR AN ELECTRAGLIDE THAT WOULD WORK IF THEY WERE GOOD.
ONCE I HAD THE THE SUSPENSION MOCKED UP I STARTED IT TO SEE IF EVERYTHING WAS WORKING SMOOTHLY. NOW FOR THE EXHAUST.
IT HAS A SUPERTRAPPE 2:1 STAINLESS ADJUSTABLE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND WOULD NEED TO BE LENGTHENED ABOUT 18". I NEED AN “S” PIPE SO THAT THE PIPE WILL CLEAR THE REAR HOUSING AND UP-SWEEP FOR THE MUFFLER. I WILL ALSO NEED TO FABRICATE A REAR MUFFLER HANGER THAT WILL HAVE ADEQUATE MOVEMENT TO PREVENT VIBRATION AND HANGER FAILURES.
TO BE CONTINUED
