Hello from the open Road

[pddgm]

My wife and I are full time RV'ers and are in the process of purchasing a 2002 Road Hawk to either replace or go along with our 2005 HD Ultra Classic (2 wheels). We are suppose to finalize the deal next week, so for now am only a maybe trike owner. We retired 2 yrs ago and have really enjoyed our travels. I am retired from the Missouri Dept of Safety and Home Depot, the wife is retired from 31 yrs working for DoD. Have a tow dolly that we tow the car and Harley on now, but am guessing will be upgrading to a car trailer to either take the trike or car, depending on destination,etc. Would be nice to take both, but would take a 28 ft trailer to haul both and that would be a nightmare in some gas stations and campgrounds. Looking for any info on the Road Hawk with the 2235 engine and auto tranny..




Smitty

 

[Bikerbozo]

From the open road are my favorite greetings. So, welcome to Trike Talk and greetings from Long Island.

 

[Ohio Eddie]

Welcome to Trike Talk.

 

[pcombe]

I'm assuming the road hawk is a VW trike?

The difference between a good trike and a bad one is entirely dependent on the integrity of the builder.:AGGHH:
Have it checked out professionally before you buy it.ThumbUp

 

[pddgm]

I'm assuming the road hawk is a VW trike?

The difference between a good trike and a bad one is entirely dependent on the integrity of the builder.:AGGHH:
Have it checked out professionally before you buy it.ThumbUp

That is why I am buying a manufactured trike vs a home built one or conversion. Road Hawks were manufactured by the Trike Shop for several years. I am looking for tips from Road Hawk owners that know the trike..thanks for the tips..


Smitty

 

[Ed Hobgood]

Welcome to Trike Talk from SE Missouri. I'm sure you will hear from some of the Road Hawk trike owners on the forum. I can't help you but ride safe and have fun.

 

[skuuter]

WELCOME to TRIKE TALK...GOOD LUCK on Your Trike Purchase, and post some Pics.....ThumbUp

 

[bustedwing]

Hello and welcome to the website from the U.P. of Michigan. I am glad to hear that your wife is getting her own trike to ride with you, that is fantastic. I don't know anything about that particular brand, so sorry I can't help you out there. I believe someone in trikeland should know about them, so hopefully you will hear from them soon. Ride safe.

 

[Ozarkryder]

We (Well actually Gloria) had a Trike Shop Runabout. The Roadhawk is a foot longer, and has swoopier bodywork to bring it into the '90's (when it was designed), and a front brake.

We had the 1600cc VW engine bumped up to 1835cc, 2 runner intakes, a 40mm dual throat DRLA Dell'Orto carb and an automatic transmission. You most likely have 2 Weber carbs, one on each side if you have the dual carb set up. No problem with the Webers - they are easy to tune and the parts are widely available. The VW engine is a very simple beast, easy to maintain, but there are just a few items to attend to. Check the valve clearance and set them every 3000 miles or so to keep the clearance correct. Very easy job, the 3rd time you do it you'll be an old hand at it. The #3 valve seems to get tight quickest because of the airflow around the engine, and tight valves lead to burnt valves and burnt valves lead to a lighter wallet. As it is air cooled, oil is a big part of the cooling system. The Trike Shop adds a filter kit, which adds about a quart of oil and an oil filter, a good thing.

I have seen a guy get up out of the seat and lean forward as he stood up. Not good. He banged his nose on the windshield. May or may not be a problem with you depending on the pilot's height. You'll hopefully only do it once if at all. A guy I know in our little town trained in Germany at the VW main facility. He said the key to a good running VW is keep the oil up and clean, keep the valve clearance in spec, warm it up for a minute before taking of after it sat for a while and drive it like you are slightly mad at the vehicle. Don't baby it too much in other words.

We, especially Gloria, wish we could have kept the Trike Shop trike. It was a hot rod, very cool, got a lot of attention, (Gloria says if we had $1 for every ride we gave we could have retired a few years ago) and fun, We wanted to tour, so we got a Goldwing. Our Trike Shop trike was good for 200 - 300 or so miles in a day, but for real distance riding of 600 - 700 miles a touring machine instead of a hot rod was in order. We really wish we could have kept it. If we get a chance and find a good deal, we will think long and hard about picking up a Trike Shop Road Hawk or Runabout to add to the garage.

 

[Big Juice]

Welcome from downtown Central Texas! Be sure you post up some pictures when you get the trike. Ride safe and post often!