Motor Trike here we go again ..good news

[JaysGone]

Hi Jaysgone. I used to drag race for yrs growing up. There is a safety thing you can install on your Trike. Its called a DRIVE SHAFT LOOP. All it is . Is a U shaped piece of steel that bolts under the drive shaft to the frame. To catch the drive shaft if it breaks. So it won't fall and hit the pavement. It keeps it in the loop. It has saved a lot of Hot Rodder and a drag racers lives. You might want to check on this for you owners with drive shafts. Might be a little different on a Trike. R/TThumbUp

I know my trike has the drive shaft loop.
That's one of the things Chuck had to redo on my trike yesterday.
He said the original installer didn't even bother to center it. That might have been part of the banging I heard.
I don't know if it was MT or the dealer.
But they said if I had continued to ride it the way it was.
It might have also damaged the Honda transmission if it failed, also said my exhaust pipes weren't as far as he knows Motor Trike OEM???

 

[JaysGone]

Good report, Jay, enjoy those success stories, especially about a dealer. Think I was in that store once having been in Sebring many times......

Unfortunately good friendly dealerships and techs are becoming a dieing breed.

Many experiences are a hassles plus $90 an hour.

Yes they are about 20 - 30 miles from Sebring.
Again darn nice people. It was such a pleasure to be there compared to the SuperStore grab a number type dealerships in my area. Where no one knows what the heck is what from an apple to an orange.
I dislike going to the local place even for parts.

 

[JaysGone]

Richard said the first Adventure kits didn't come with driveshaft loops and cross members. Then added and retro kit were available to add to the first ones.

I knew something was wrong.
Being diabetic Im very sensitive to vibrations and had felt more then normal lately. Then it banging around under there 2x in the last 10 days.
The trike has had some to me slop in the driveline since Ive owned it. Rock the throttle in any gear and you would feel it snap a bit.
Since I cant get it up in the air on jacks.
All I could do was take off the side cover and reach in there. Ive always been able to twist the driveshaft a little maybe 3/8ths of an inch play maybe more when in gear. I don't know what is normal?? All I ever saw was the rear joint and where it goes into the pumpkin.
In all my cars over the years Ive built none had any movement in the driveline at all.
Randy my bike was built in October of 2010 or sold in December. If that's one of the 1st??
I don't know the dates.
Ive forgotten what the title had said.
So having never seen the bottom of my trike. I don't know whats even under there. I do know it had the loop. The tech said that was installed improperly too. A cross member??, Im assuming is also there.
Originally I described to them my problem. It was obvious to them once it was in the air. Some of the needle bearings had already fallen out of the front U joint according to Chuck.
He wouldn't let me drive it the way it was period, if it was up to him.

I also asked Chuck to give it a once over while they were at it.
Ive grown to like this trike the MT part of it anyway.
He may have adjusted some other things I don't really know.

 

[JaysGone]

Glad it's working out for you and you've been safe. Curious though, isn't that a bit hight on the MPH and RPM for shifting to 5 gear? I'm in 5th/OD by 40-45 MPH. Never any adverse internal sounds.
I'm glad the shop worked with you and went the extra mile!
cooltech

Sorry for the really late reply. Maybe I just missed your post??

As for shifting or running at these rpms??
I don't honestly know when or where to shift with this engine.
Coming from a V-Twin world you get your max toque at a pretty high rpm <3500>and lugging the engine isn't very good for anything. With my Yamaha RoadStar Im in 4th until I reach whatever my final cruising speed will be then shift into 5th as long as its over 50mph and at 50mph that's a measly 18-1900 rpm. 70mph is about 2300 rpm.

My Valk being basically the same high revving engine as the 1800. I used to shift at about 2800 to 3K rpm,
Although you could be in 5th at 35mph and it would still pull at any speed.

With the Wing.
I usually shift someplace between 3-3500K rpm. I do rev it up a bit.
Maybe that's the wrong way to go??
If Im around town 45 and under Im in 4th if its a steady speed.
But getting on the highway and to blend in at 70 mph Im still in 4th until Im in the right lane then hit 5th to cruise.
Ive yet to redline this bike or even come close for giggles.
Maybe Ive been going at this all wrong for almost a year already??
But I cant see lugging a high revving engine for any reason.
Basically Im shifting at about 33-3500 rpm each gear. If Im looking at the tach which I don't.
Can I shift at a much lower rpm say 2000k absolutely I can.
Should I be??
I honestly don't know.
Going back to my racing days<Cars> you ring out the max torque ThumbUpfor every gear, not rpm before shifting up. But back then 6700 was a heck of a lot of rpms and the redline for my 383,,,,stock it was 5600K
Not like the 9K+ V-8s do today.
The Wing redline is up there too.

What it boils down to is if you read the owners manual and its like pop,pop,pop,pop every 10mph shift, and your in 5th by 50mph.
Seems real wrong to me.:Shrug:

 

[ladyspot]

Thanks for the information on the great service in Lake Placid. We are in Golden Gate (Naples) Florida so that's only 100 miles from us. I will keep this in mind when we need service.