Article: Cut N Shoot Customs RoadGlide Hannigan Transformer Build

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

RoadGlide Hannigan Transformer Build

Here is Will & Katy Orr's 2011 Road Glide before being transformed into a trike using Hannigan's Harley Transformer conversion. Will (member Fireman Will) brought his bike to our shop directly from the Kerville Hill Country Gathering. He wanted to see how a Transformer looked, rode, and handled the twisties in person before he ordered so he met up with Clint44 at the Kerville gathering to get a close up look at 'Barney', Clint's beautiful purple 2011 Street Glide Transformer that we had built for him earlier in the year.

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Will's bike before starting. This was the first Road Glide Transformer ever built.






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I hauled Will's bike to the Hannigan factory for paint and install in our enclosed Ultimate Trailer. This was the first trip of any distance using the trailer and have to say I'm loving it, super quick and easy to load. Flip a switch and the top raises, flip another switch and the air-ride system lowers the deck for loading and unloading. Also has a drive-in locking wheel chock and four built in ratchet straps so its a breeze for one person to load and secure. I'm spoiled already.

 

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

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After a month of discussing paint scheme options while the kit was being built, Will and I came up with the stripes shown above. They are similar to the stripes Timmy did on Parrot HD's orange Transformer trike, but different. I know I drove Timmy crazy on the last three Transformers we've ordered because I have been on site for all three and directed the stripe layout on every one, taking pictures and emailing them to the owners during the process for their final approval. All were changed and tweeked a bit before final paint to get the perfect paint job and all turned out phenomenal. A big thanks to Timmy and Hannigan for putting up with my perfectionism.

 

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

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Timmy does good work. Clear is on, now it bakes for a while. Tell me what you think?







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Paint cured, water sanded and buffed.







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Pictures really dont do this paint job justice. You have to see it in the light to appreciate it. The color match is dead on.







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Paint all done, now its time to start building a trike.

 

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

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Now the fun starts. Installed one of our 9 degree (+5) rake kits, trike kit is ready, about to tear the bike down.








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Bike torn down and ready to become a trike...no backing out now Will









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The only required cutting on the bike is the removal of a small pencil eraser sized corner off of a factory tab on the right side for clearance. It looks worse than it is so I didn't send Will this picture as I didn't want to freak him out...LOL

 

[Sully]

Thats looking great, and the paint is epper:

 

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

Kit is on, now to do final alignment of the body and side panels.

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Tour Pack mounts installed, starting to look like a trike now. The side panels are custom Hannigan parts and replace the stock side panels. These panels really give the Transformer bagger trike a very unique custom look as the reach up and hug the gas tank and exactly fit the lines of the body. Very custom and very clean!

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Side panels and body adjusted, time to tighten everything down. Grade eight bolts and nylock nuts used throughout and all fasteners are witness marked with a white paint pen on every single nut and bolt after tightening. Attention to every detail is the difference between a good trike build and a bad one.

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Sat the seat in place, now have to mark and trim the flat top part of the body to allow the seat to fit down into the body and onto the replacement stub fender. This part requires skill and patience to get just right. We don't rush installs, we get them right the first time. Those big volume dealers who brag on a one day paint and install scare me. I have seen some and they are not what I would want, they look good at 20 feet away but get up close and you will see what a one day paint and install looks like.

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[Cut N Shoot Customs]

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Brad marks and trims the body for seat fitment. Hannigan purposely leaves this part of the body extra wide as different seats require different sized openings, otherwise there would be a large gap. The Corbin seats for an example are narrower than the stock tour seats. This method produces a perfect custom fit no matter what seat is used.

 

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

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This is the seat before trimming the upper body which will allow the seat to drop into place. When it rests on the fender below it is in the same position as stock.







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After careful trimming, the rear of the seat now sits down snug on the rear fender which is no longer the stock Harley fender as it is replaced with a thick fiberglass stub fender supplied by Hannigan. The seat attachment is the same and uses the stock Harley bolt to hold the seat in place.







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See how much lower the seat fits than before? Perfect fitment for a clean professional look. This picture shows the Fast Back option installed. The tour pack can be removed and the Fast Back cover installed to give the trike two distinctly different looks. I love this option.

 

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

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This is how trike shops align the rear wheels using two 8 foot fluorescent light tubes measuring to the front wheel rim. Strange huh...but it works.

 

[trikermutha]

Bike is sharp.. Brad be careful cutting I see no safety glasses being worn..:AGGHH:

 

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

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All finished now and ready to go home to Oklahoma.

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Here is Brad holding out the keys to Will's new Hannigan Transformer. Thanks Brad for another fine job. The finished trike looks, rides and handles phenomenal. I think we did good. Now y'all tell me what you think?

 

[tfdeputydawg]

Looks great. One question, how about a rear view pic? Thanks

 

[56Elwood]

Very unique! Nice work.

 

[Sunman]

That is one fantastic looking trike. Thanks for posting all of the photos.

Sunman

 

[Keystone]

That is a sharp looking Trike! I've often said that HD should have the Shark-nose as an option on their Factory trikes.

 

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

Very unique! Nice work.

Thanks

That is one fantastic looking trike. Thanks for posting all of the photos.

Sunman

Glad to. I know I enjoy seeing trike build threads, hope y'all do too.

That is a sharp looking Trike! I've often said that HD should have the Shark-nose as an option on their Factory trikes.

I agree but doubt that will happen any time soon.

Looks great. One question, how about a rear view pic? Thanks

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Here are a couple of rear pics, not the best but all I got.

 

[graygoat]

Very nice looking trike, one of a kind for sure!

 

[irmagoo]

that's one fine look'n trike!!
I would say the time and care taken in the process shows in the results!! I really like the different look you can get by removing trunk- like a different trike!!... great job done by all!!
magoo

 

[Lucky]

GREAT LOOKING RIDE! Thanks for the write up and Pics.

 

[trikermutha]

Those look like LED tail lights?? Is this correct and how do they look powered up?

 

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

Those look like LED tail lights?? Is this correct and how do they look powered up?

They are LED lights. I wish I had taken some pictures of them in the dark, they are super bright. I don't remember the exact number for sure but there are about six or eight LEDs per enclosure and they can really be seen.

 

[56Elwood]

They are LED lights. I wish I had taken some pictures of them in the dark, they are super bright. I don't remember the exact number for sure but there are about six or eight LEDs per enclosure and they can really be seen.

Hope this helps:

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[J.T.M.]

Another great looking Transformer.

 

[KWSchin]

Awesome Trike, Awesome Thread!

Wow! Awesome Trike. Really enjoyed the thread. Great info, great work!

 

[Zammy]

A gorgeous looking conversion, something to be proud of and enjoy for a long time.

 

[clint44]

I loves construction threads like this one. It's just great to see these beautiful trikes coming together. I've never been a big fan of the Road Glide bikes but man,do they make awesome looking trikes!

Kinda wish now I had kept our 2014-later Chopped Tour Pak that I bought to put on the SG bike.

 

[Cut N Shoot Customs]

Hope this helps:

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Thanks for posting.

Another great looking Transformer.

I know you are enjoying your Transformer.

Wow! Awesome Trike. Really enjoyed the thread. Great info, great work!

Keith, your Champion conversion will be here soon. Cant wait to see it going together.

A gorgeous looking conversion, something to be proud of and enjoy for a long time.

Thanks for your comment Zammy. Will's wife Kathy is more excited than Will. She was the one texting me for pictures the whole time I was in Kentucky...lol.

I loves construction threads like this one. It's just great to see these beautiful trikes coming together. I've never been a big fan of the Road Glide bikes but man,do they make awesome looking trikes!

Kinda wish now I had kept our 2014-later Chopped Tour Pak that I bought to put on the SG bike.

Clint, if you decide you want to get the tour pack brackets let me know. P.S. I got your T-Shirts and will get them in the mail.

 

[FLTR2008TRIKE]

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This is how trike shops align the rear wheels using two 8 foot fluorescent light tubes measuring to the front wheel rim. Strange huh...but it works.

I like to use a triangle measurement. I measure from the outside of the rear axle hub to a known center on the front of the frame.

Trike looks awesome!!!

 

[tbear]

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All finished now and ready to go home to Oklahoma.

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Here is Brad holding out the keys to Will's new Hannigan Transformer. Thanks Brad for another fine job. The finished trike looks, rides and handles phenomenal. I think we did good. Now y'all tell me what you think?

Beautiful Trike.
my only question is - are those Stock Handlebars, if not, what kind? THX.