Motor Trike here we go again ..good news

[JaysGone]

As you guys know by now.
Im a cry baby.
I bought this bike knowing nothing doing no research and quite frankly not caring.
I just needed transportation.

Cowell Powersports in Lake Placid Fl and MT to the rescue once more.

A few days weeks doesn't matter.
Im getting on to the Interstate.
Im in 4th gear 3500rpm 60-65mph and merging into traffic getting up to 70and then all of a sudden it sounds like the worlds going to end.
All hell breaks loose.
Metal to metal clanging and banging.
Scared the crap out of me.
Squeezed in the clutch shifted into 5th all is fine.
Happened again last week, same reaction, brown stain.....a friend suggests its "Gear Clash".......look it up guys.

Anyway for the last few weeks the driveline has felt funny.
Slop as you rock the throttle when in gear.
And a bit more vibration then I though there had been.
But being diabetic Im sensitive to all vibrations.

So I cry wolf to MT about it.
As my warranty is up in October.
They, the women I spoke to had no real suggestions not that I expected one, except to take it to a dealer.
Same problem today.
Same as its always been for me 150 miles to the closet dealer.
Cowell Powersports is the closet but as of December the last time I had an issue<CV joints> they hadn't built a trike yet. So they couldn't help not fully set up as a dealer at the time.
Called them on Wednesday.
They are fully setup now to deal with MT issues.
So I told Cory my story, said Ill be at your door Friday when you open.

Leave the house at 7am this morning get there a little after 10.
Crowley Motorsports in Lake Placid Florida is a small Honda, Yamaha , Polaris dealer. Mostly ATVs as its in a rural area which is a good thing.

Greeted at the door: hello how can I help you???????
Directed to the service desk. Introduce myself to the young guy say HI Cory Im Jay we spoke on Wednesday etc etc.
So many thanks yous, and yes sirs from Cory.
Im not used to politeness any more especially from a young guy, its a lost art form.
Good Southern upbringing for sure.
Trikes pulled right into the back and looked at.
Chuck the warranty tech comes out and says your drive shafts shot.
I could have an eminent or sudden failure at any time. The front U-Joints falling apart.
Now why this hadn't happened while I was ridding??? You guys know, front of shaft falls down hits pavement bike flips....... Im history.
The man upstairs must still like me who knows why though???:Shrug:
So Im lucky I guess.
Chuck gives the part number to the shop foreman Bill.
Bill calls MT.
Richard who knows me by now tells them part will be there 2-3 days.
That means to me take my chances and ride it back home.
I cant leave it..
Hope I don't die:xszpv: and get it back to them next week.
Chuck then says to himself I guess, hes not riding this bike in that shape 300+ miles.
Between Chuck and the owner and maybe Richard I don't really know.
Chuck tells me he is going to take a new style drive shaft out of the trike they just built that's on the floor and put in my bike and send me on my way!!!!!!!!

You guys don't know how relived and unbelievable that was to me.
Try and ask a big city place hey help me out here.........
I didn't even ask, just sat in the chair holding my head and thinking to myself.
Ooh crap I better make it here and back and they offer me a driveshaft from a trike on the floor.
Again Guys Im shocked by the generosity and niceness of these folks.
Plus Chuck straightened out a few minor things from the original install he saw incorrect while he was there at it.
Nothing like that would happen in the Honda dealer near me, period, never
Heck they make you wait a week for a gasket near me.

A big thumbs up to the nice folks at GHC Motorsports in Lake Placid and Richard once again at MT. ThumbUp
Id be willing to drive 300 miles just to have these folks change my oil...........not really but you know what I mean.

So again long winded story.
But if it feels wrong, sounds wrong, it probably is wrong.
Have the trike checked out guys.

If anyone is ever in Lake Placid Fl and needs some bike work. These are the folks at GHC to have do it.
Makes me wish they were here and me not to have to go there.
Happy customer, great service from both.
These types of people just don't happen in my world anymore.
Good folks, good service and politeness to boot.
The way it should every where. But rarely is,,,,,,,,,,,,anywhere.

 

[Bikerbozo]

Sounds like oil change might be a good excuse for a ride.

 

[saab9k]

You don't see that very often.. Your lucky year.

 

[JaysGone]

Sounds like oil change might be a good excuse for a ride.

Well before the next trip.
A new seat is in order.
That might be my next question here after searching first.
Ive been using the trike to commute daily to work.
Its all of 14 miles each way.
Today was my 1st real trip with it and the OEM seat nearly crippled me after about an hour to 90 minutes I was extremely uncomfortable.
I need to make that my next change.

 

[JaysGone]

You don't see that very often.. Your lucky year.

Some times it works out but most times not.
I was in my mind jumping up and down in joy.
Big relief.
Best part...........back to zero vibrations.
The trike rides as smooth as glass now at 40 or 75mph.

 

[Lucky]

Great story Jay.Always good to hear about the good people/service that is still available.RIDE SAFE

 

[Rod69]

How lucky can you be to have a dealer like that. I'd be riding to that dealer for everything. Congrats and ride safe.

 

[Gold Rush]

Glad that all worked out for you!!!!! I bet you'll really be pleased with the new driveshaft. MotorTrike did a SUPER job with this one.

 

[cooltech]

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

 

[JaysGone]

Great story Jay.Always good to hear about the good people/service that is still available.RIDE SAFE

I guess this is what makes every day different and its good to know great people are still out there.

 

[JaysGone]

Glad that all worked out for you!!!!! I bet you'll really be pleased with the new driveshaft. MotorTrike did a SUPER job with this one.

Its so smooth now.
After time you take for granted that's the way it should be.
Vibration seems to creep up over time.
Minor vibrations that is.
Im just glad I decided to not listen to a friends reasoning and accept it was a transmission issue.

 

[JaysGone]

What a great report on a great dealer!!! Thanks for sharing . And thank God you are ok and nothing serious happened while you were on the highway.

Nana
There are still some good people out there.
Renews my faith in humans again for now.

After Chuck described the front u joints condition to me, and what could have happened made me feel pretty lucky to still be here.
For me to be 75mph + on the highway is normal down here.
Ive heard the horror stories of others about shaft drives before.

 

[RRSCOTT]

I got my new driveshaft almost 2 weeks ago. Works great! Mine didn't have the cross member with driveshaft loop. One came with the new driveshaft, so there is one on there now.

 

[Judge Judy]

"You guys know, front of shaft falls down hits pavement bike flips....... Im history."

Has this ever happened to any one? You just scared the bejezus out of me!

 

[Gold Rush]

"You guys know, front of shaft falls down hits pavement bike flips....... Im history."

Has this ever happened to any one? You just scared the bejezus out of me!

Don't know if it actually happened but Motor Trike thought it enough of a possibility that they added the safety loop. I thought all Adventure conversions had it. Maybe Randy's installer skipped a step????

 

[JaysGone]

Glad that all worked out for you!!!!! I bet you'll really be pleased with the new driveshaft. MotorTrike did a SUPER job with this one.

It is pleasant, smooth as glass now.
It must have had some issues from day one of my ownership and was getting worse.
When you ride it daily you know its different but its so subtle you don't know why.
Then the banging and all hell breaking loose not once but twice days apart then its OK again.
I was doing 70-75mph almost 3 hours straight going there.
The folks at the dealership could not have been any better.

Now for a seat......first long ride and the OEM seat was crippling me.

 

[JaysGone]

"You guys know, front of shaft falls down hits pavement bike flips....... Im history."

Has this ever happened to any one? You just scared the bejezus out of me!

Cant say its happened or not. But that was the thought going through my mind.
Ive lost a driveshaft before in my road racing days.
Leaves a nice gouge, but as was said you have to have a loop in order to race.
Ive never seen the bottom of my trike. I have no idea whats there actually.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

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

 

[bikerbillone]

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.

 

[RRSCOTT]

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.

 

[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.