Factory Trike Verses Converted Trike

[mgwtrike]

With the introduction of more Company's getting into producing trikes of various configurations, do you feel "assembly" line trikes direct from a manufacture are better trikes when compared to two wheel after market converted bikes?

I can see there's advantages and disadvantage to both sides?

Converted trikes from two wheels there's choices in styles, but your taking a gamble picking the right conversion people do the work.

On a ready made trikes straight of the assembly line, warranty's cover the whole trike.

What your idea on this subject?

Can you see complete trikes assembled from the factory put the conversion people out of business?

 

[Dude]

I would think that a factory trike would be better just for the reasons that you brought up, warranty, design and consistency added with the fact that the goal from the start was to be a trike. I would like to see the options for different styles from the same trike designers that there are now but I don't have any issues with the way it is now other than the trike manufactures should monitor the shops that sell and install there conversion, not sure if they have to be licensed or anything like that to install their equipment but they should be if not and the trike companies should be willing to stand tall by that installer.

 

[tfdeputydawg]

I'll take my Hannigan conversion over any "factory trike" available today. Tried the 2 factory trikes that were available prior to opting for the Hannigan.
Both rode much more "harsh" and one struggled to get out of it's own way.
Neither was, IMO, designed as good, nor showed the quality of the Wing with a Hannigan conversion!
Reliability of both the Wing and the Hannigan being what they are, meant warranty was of no concern!
IMO, the only way conversion companies will close their doors is if every popular make/model motorcycle becomes available as a "factory trike" and then they need to be IRS!!!!!

 

[paws]

OK - granted - I sure don't know about ALL the trikes in the world, but...just curious...

What other "factory-made" trikes, by major manufacturers, are out there right now besides the Harley Tri-Glide, the Spyder and the Sling-shot?

Thanks..

 

[ronc4424]

Harley Freewheeler.......FLRT

 

[JaysGone]

To me this is a non issue.
From dealer you have very limited factory built bikes.
Aftermarket the choices are many.
Most installers are fully backed by the respective kit maker plus most factory warrantees.:Shrug:

 

[mgwtrike]

Most installers are fully backed by the respective kit maker plus most factory warrantees.

But doesn't include the bike itself.........:Shrug:

 

[tfdeputydawg]

But doesn't include the bike itself.........:Shrug:

The bike does still have warranty. However, to temper that statement, coverage would be questionable if the failure mode was determined to be caused by the trike conversion being added.
For example, if there was a drive train component failure, most likely a warranty claim would be rejected by the bike manufacturer.
If a trike conversion manufacturer stepped up and offered a warranty, for a reasonable price, that covered the conversion + the drive train of the donor bike, I believe potential trike owners would beat a path to their door!!! Same goes for an installer business!

 

[3FOR2]

"What other "factory-made" trikes, by major manufacturers, are out there right now besides the Harley Tri-Glide, the Spyder and the Sling-shot?"

Boss Hoss, Rewaco.
I suppose you could also add Triumph/Motortrike. The Rocket III is sent direct to the Motortrike factory, triked, and then sent to Triumph dealers to sell, with full Triumph factory warranty.

All of them are different as day and night.

 

[Red Wing One]

The biggest advantage a manucturer of a complete trike may have over the Kit Manufacturers would be in the braking department.
They could engineer the brakes c\w ABS that should certainly be better than what's offered by the Kit Manufacturers.
That said, I wonder what the brakes are like on the Harley trikes?

 

[mgwtrike]

I feel with the population growing older, there will be more and more manufactures
offering a trike version including Honda.

Maybe not as Goldwing, but a reason for them to reinvent the Silverwing as a trike.

 

[FRR]

I'll take my Hannigan conversion over any "factory trike" available today. Tried the 2 factory trikes that were available prior to opting for the Hannigan.
Both rode much more "harsh" and one struggled to get out of it's own way.
Neither was, IMO, designed as good, nor showed the quality of the Wing with a Hannigan conversion!
Reliability of both the Wing and the Hannigan being what they are, meant warranty was of no concern!
IMO, the only way conversion companies will close their doors is if every popular make/model motorcycle becomes available as a "factory trike" and then they need to be IRS!!!!!

I'm with you 120%.

 

[Retired Army]

How bout we add something to the equation? What are the legal ramifications involved in operating a modified product? (This individual modified his motorcycle and hit my client's car, we are asking for $1,000,000.)

 

[mgwtrike]

How bout we add something to the equation? What are the legal ramifications involved in operating a modified product?

According to most insurance company's, nothing

 

[Sloride]

For me it came down to HD not making a Roadglide Trike. I prefer the Shark look and ride to the Batwing look and ride. So I bought a MT conversion

I am definitely a Harley Snob...But I do like the look of the MT Triumph trike...HMMMMMMM

 

[Lee H. Mann]

The biggest advantage a manucturer of a complete trike may have over the Kit Manufacturers would be in the braking department.
They could engineer the brakes c\w ABS that should certainly be better than what's offered by the Kit Manufacturers.
That said, I wonder what the brakes are like on the Harley trikes?

According to many on the forum, the 2009-2013 Tri Glide had poor brake life and poor performance. Harley changed the components.

 

[wobray]

According to many on the forum, the 2009-2013 Tri Glide had poor brake life and poor performance. Harley changed the components.

Yes, they changed IT after I sold the darn thing. Rode like a buckboard, would not get out it's own way without me spending 2K on it, then only marginally better.
MUCH prefer my goldwing trike !!!

 

[Retired Army]

How bout we add something to the equation? What are the legal ramifications involved in operating a modified product? (This individual modified his motorcycle and hit my client's car, we are asking for $1,000,000.)

Let me rephrase, Sir when you purchased your motorcycle did it come from the factory with linked brakes to improve stopping distance? Did adding a trike kit unlink the brakes and what did that do for stopping distance?

 

[ptgb]

A bit from Column A and bit from Column B, as there are no factory built Valkyrie trikes.

But, when we had it triked, took it to California Sidecar headquarters in Virginia and had it built by factory techs. Figured they had much more experience then a trike kit dealer.

Worked out great... never had a problem in the four years we have had it.

 

[Lee H. Mann]

Pros & cons of factory conversions

My own experience as a builder tells me this about Factory conversions:

The factory assembles conversions experimentally.:AGGHH:

The average trike owner does not put 5,000 miles a year on his or her trike so any potential problems may not manifest themselves for many years down the road. Some trikes get less than 1,500 miles a year while there are those lifestyle trike riders that may put 30,000 or more on theirs. That means that most trike conversions, although tried and true, have not been subjected to the same road tests.

Your local dealer/installer sees these trikes from time to time and may make adjustments and repairs to a high mileage trike that it's lower mileage counterpart might not have yet experienced. These repairs, adjustments, modifications and tweeks are unbeknownst to the factory since they very seldom see a trike they have built for a service problem. Dealer/installer usually alert the factory to a persistent issue but unless the factory sees that there is a definite problem they may or may not respond. After all, who is the dealer to be telling the factory engineers that they may have overlooked something.

As far as uniformity in construction, I agree that the factory is the best place for a conversion that is perfect. The dealer/installer does not always work with perfect circumstances or conditions and the contents of the kit may exclude items needed and further delay construction. Cookie cutter trikes built by the factory may contain engineered deficiencies that at one time or another will affect their entire fleet. This is not usually the case with the trike built by an experienced field dealer/builder whose product is locally used and serviced and whose reputation is usually reported to others in his general geographic area. The factory reputation can last many times longer simply because of their geographic area is ever encompassing (worldwide sales).

Support of a local builder/installer is important to those who travel as well. It is not easy to find someone to fix or repair your trike when you are out of town. People usually rely on a motorcycle shop that may have no experience at all with a trike (this includes a lot of Harley dealers).

Since most trike factories offer trike conversions direct to the customer, a dealer/installer is at a disadvantage with on-the-shelf parts and is also in competition with the very Factory he is supporting.

Your local dealer/installer repair shop might not be there when you need them.

 

[DPK]

How bout we add something to the equation? What are the legal ramifications involved in operating a modified product? (This individual modified his motorcycle and hit my client's car, we are asking for $1,000,000.)

I would implead both the bike manufacturer and the kit manufacturer especially if it was a popular high number conversion, i.e., GW / CSC. Grounds would be known design incompatibility, foreseeability of conversion, numbers of that particular conversion, failure to warn of defect /incompatibility.... It would be really interesting to do a thorough workup of any compatibility problems of particular combinations. Most likely, for example, Honda sells a significant number of GW's that are mated with CSC kits and the numbers are sufficient to charge Honda with foreseeability of certain happenings. (There may or may not be anything to this. As a biker/triker/amateur mechanic, I think the major-company conversions are very good and that 99.9% of the accidents are caused by Human negligence. As a lawyer, I either love or dread multiple defendants pointing fingers at each other)

Getting serious, the time is past for the bike manafacturers to pretend they have no relationship with the trike industry. During the past year we have began to see major trade publications carry full page ads of particular bike/trike kit combinations. (I'd like to see how the bills for these full page ads are being split)

The trike industry is maturing and is becoming a more integral part of the Motorsports world and I seriously doubt that HD will long continue as the only OE trike manafacturer in the business.

Just st my opinion. The ball game is getting better.

Dan

 

[tfdeputydawg]

I would implead both the bike manufacturer and the kit manufacturer especially if it was a popular high number conversion, i.e., GW / CSC. Grounds would be known design incompatibility, foreseeability of conversion, numbers of that particular conversion, failure to warn of defect /incompatibility.... It would be really interesting to do a thorough workup of any compatibility problems of particular combinations. Most likely, for example, Honda sells a significant number of GW's that are mated with CSC kits and the numbers are sufficient to charge Honda with foreseeability of certain happenings. (There may or may not be anything to this. As a biker/triker/amateur mechanic, I think the major-company conversions are very good and that 99.9% of the accidents are caused by Human negligence. As a lawyer, I either love or dread multiple defendants pointing fingers at each other)

Getting serious, the time is past for the bike manafacturers to pretend they have no relationship with the trike industry. During the past year we have began to see major trade publications carry full page ads of particular bike/trike kit combinations. (I'd like to see how the bills for these full page ads are being split)

The trike industry is maturing and is becoming a more integral part of the Motorsports world and I seriously doubt that HD will long continue as the only OE trike manafacturer in the business.

Just st my opinion. The ball game is getting better.

Dan

Interesting you would pick CSC as an example in your post! Remember the CSC drive shaft failures?
IMHO, it would do no good to enjoin the bike manufacturer in any law suit concerning a non-manufacturer approved modification made to their bike.
Since the manufacturer has no control over what is done to one or more of their bikes by the consumer, how could they be sued for a problem with said modification?
What is very interesting to me is knowing warranty coverage is usually voided on any problem that can be attributed to the conversion, why would the manufacturer allow their dealerships to install trike conversions?????

 

[Lee H. Mann]

What is very interesting to me is knowing warranty coverage is usually voided on any problem that can be attributed to the conversion, why would the manufacturer allow their dealerships to install trike conversions?????

It helps sell $25,000.00 motorcycles !!!

 

[mgwtrike]

It helps sell $25,000.00 motorcycles !!!

Makes sense to me..........