Motor Trike Level?

[tatco]

We took the trike in Friday and my wife followed me to the Honda dealership. She said she noticed that the trike seemed to be leaning to the right. Is this something I can adjust myself when I get the bike back? The dealer does do trike installs but not Motor Trike. Thanks.

 

[Big_Steve]

I don't know how to level a motor trike kit. But start with the simple stuff. Tire pressures, shock pressure. The shocks are adjustable. If you got the trike used, check that the previous owner didn't mechanically adjust the shocks to different mechanical stops. Is one shock weak or dead?<br />
<br />
I'm no mechanic, but that's where I would start before I started messing with all those adjustments in the kit.

 

[triwinggirl]

Had she riden the trike on that road before? Was she aware of road lean? trikes will lean a little to the right with the road surface.

 

[trike lady]

There is no mention of what bike the kit is on. There could be a leaking airbag, the body may even be lower on one side, mechanical shock not set in proper notch.

 

[John Luciano]

check it on the even garage floor first before you start twisting things .

 

[tatco]

All good advise. Thanks.

 

[Gorilla]

tatco be careful. If you find it off and start wrenchen you can screw up a Motor Trike alignment real quick. So do your home work first.

 

[tatco]

The Motor Trike is on a 2008 Honda GoldWing.

I found the Motor Trike Maintenence Manual and it has a detailed explaination of how to level bike. It includes makeing sure it's on a level surface.

Actually I was driving the trike and my wife was following me in the pick-up. I didn't notice any pull or lean.

So when I get the bike back from the dealer I'll check things out.

 

[Jimsjinx]

:yes: Be VERY careful here my friend! I got my MotorTrike finally set up properly, but it took MANY frustrating hours. Mostly, make an adjustment... go ride. Come back, readjust, go ride... and on and on!!!! All the Hiem-Joints had been fooled with by PO, and brother, it was almost impossible to correct, without taking the body off, and starting from scratch. MotorTrike was not at all helpful during this time, either. I even had one snotty person call me and bitch me out for my many E-Mails and phone messages. So write off any help from Texas!

Anyway, the trike is supposed to lean TOWARDS the LEFT, ON A FLAT SURFACE!!! this is to accomodate the "crown in the road in the SLOW lane". If the trike is dead level on a flat and level slab, then it will lean to the right, if there is a crown in the road for water drainage. (This crown is really noticable in Florida!) If you need any help, I HAVE done this, and I can save you alot of grief! Just drop me a PM, and I'll give you my phone #. Better to talk one on one! Do'nt worry, you can ride a MotorTrike fine, even if it is wacked! Hope this eases your mind. jimsjinx

 

[tatco]

Thanks Jumsjinx. If I do decide to wrench it I'll keep your number handy.

 

[Jimsjinx]

:yes: The job isn't complicated, it's just that those hiem joints are TIGHT, and have blue loc-tite on em, and there is no room for a decent sized wrench up in there. Also, you can't get any reference measurements without getting the body out of the way. Take care, jimsjinx

 

[allen0621]

I wouldnt do anything till i put it on a level surface. Maybe you could look while its in the shop on a level concrete slab. Maybe she just noticed it while following you. A road has about a 5 degree lean always to the outside for rain and water to run off. Maybe you have a friend with a garage or carport that you could check it on. They will be level!

 

[kj5ix]

The Motor Trike is on a 2008 Honda GoldWing.

I found the Motor Trike Maintenence Manual and it has a detailed explaination of how to level bike. It includes makeing sure it's on a level surface.

Actually I was driving the trike and my wife was following me in the pick-up. I didn't notice any pull or lean.

So when I get the bike back from the dealer I'll check things out.

If you downloaded the Maint Manual you will be in good shape...

 

[tatco]

Put the bike on my level garage floor, bounced it up and down a bit. The measure is 1/4" lower on right side. That's fine with me. Does not seem to hamper the ride or steering. Going to leave it be.

 

[Gorilla]

For a 1/4 inch I think you are making a good choice.

 

[Jimsjinx]

The manual states if ya get her within a 1/4 inch, it's perfect! I think you are making good sense to leave it alone. We figured it up, and we took about 60 hours to correct mine. The PO really did a number on it!:blush: Happy trails! jimsjinx

 

[Chumbly]

I gotta tell you guys- I had to take to body off my trike right after installation because of painting. What my wife was first to notice (even before me, which is odd), was, the back frame was not level... one side compared to the other. What I noticed, after closer inspection was that the rear axle was further to one side than it was to the other. This caused the air bag and shock-absorber mechanism to be tilted on one side so that the kit frame was sitting lower on that side. After suspecting more, I ran a couple of chalk lines, measured my angles, etc. What I discovered was that not only did the rear axle sit too far to one side (which I don't believe to be necessarily dangerous), but I also discovered that the rear axle was running untrue... in other words, one wheel was sitting further foreward than the other. This as well isn't necessarily dangerous either, I believe. I then trued up the discepancies I found.

I also might add at this time that I had no luck trying to pry information out of both the installer or the kit manufacturer. I should also say that for a $900 installation fee, I would and do expect a better quality of job done. Whatever I corrected, I did on my own, without benefit of an owner's manual or such...just common sense and a good understanding of machanics and motorcycle repair. I've only a few hundred clicks on the rig since then, but given the proper grade in a corner, it seems to track 100% on. I only tell you my tale so that you can judge for youselves... to check out your installations for accuracy, or not, but don't always assume that it was done right. Chumbly-

 

[tatco]

When I took mine in to the shop that installed it for it's 5000 check-up I told Randy of Unique Rides, Inc. in Ft Collins Colorado what I had found. He leveled it, realigned it, and tightned the ladders, thereby eliminating a "bolts in a tin can" noise that I was experiencing. I've put 2k+ miles on since and it runs and tracks like it's on rails. Thanks Randy!

 

[jim peacock]

A lot of the problems people have with trikes is the installer.
Some of them do not know what they are doing.
The person who did mine has been doing it for several years.
He does lehman,csc,hannagan,champan,on harleys,hondas,and I think suzukis.
The one thing he told me is he wanted me to ride it for a thousand miles and then bring it back in so he could make sure every thing was all right and there would be no charge for it.
I did as he asked took it in one morning and picked it up the next morning.
I have never had any problems.
This is on a 96 1500 with a 06 lehman kit.
:yes::yes::yes:

 

[Gorilla]

Jim truer words were never spoken (or written in this case). The quality of the installers work is the most important part of the conversion, be it a professional or owner built.

 

[Jimsjinx]

Chumbly is dead on, with what happened to me. I was under that trike for days trying to get the geometry right. My differential was also crooked, the left side pivot point was barely tight, and brake guts were rolling around inside the left drum. Getting help from the manufacturer was useless. jimsjinx

 

[bud]

I'm having the same problems as Chumbly, I have the solid axle motor trike. The right wheel is ahead of the left. I also found some bolts and nut finger loose. The heim joints have to much play in them. Took the trike back to where we bought it also complaining about a noise we hear when going arround a right hand bend or turn with a little power on the throttle, when I let off the throttle in that same bend rattle or noise goes away. After the tech did a test ride he pulled it inside his shop. That was when I saw the bike leaning to the right. He reached under the bike and said the heim joints where worn out and that they would replace them under the warrentee.

So I left the shop with the bike rode 25 miles to home. The next day I lifted the bike off the ground and placed it on 6 inch blocks so that I could get right under the bike for a look myself. I found both frame tubes right behind the drivers foot rest broke off with a gap of almost 2 inches between the tubes.....not good at all. I called my dealer, motor trike and let them know what I found. The dealer came two days later picked up the bike tore it down and set it to the welder. Motor trike called me back today and said if I bring the bike to them in Texas they will repair it free. I live in mass. not a short trip or an option for me of course they already knew this because of the email I sent them.

I have to tell you all this: I have learned more information from all of you about this then from any dealer arround and trust me I have called all arround.....even motortrike in texas. I joined this message board when all this happened, I also started a thread called frame failure if your all interested. I'm not trying to blame anyone company or dealer I'm doing this to alert all us trikers to watch out for these problems. I love the trike it's been fun up to now however after reading all these threads it makes me wonder how long are these kits good for before we all start paying out lot's of money in repairs and or injurys.

I've rode 30,000 miles in the last 2 1/2 years. In the future I will inspect the frame weekly for my own piece of mine and safety. Thanks for reading...
By the way I've been actively riding for 40 years now......... first trike Later...

 

[Papa Zook]

Its my opinion that the addition of a trike conversion has little to do with early GL1800 frame cracks. Installing a trike kit may exacerbate an already cracked or weak frame, but the design itself was the problem and was known to have occurred on a small percentage of early GL1800s that were never converted to trikes. Thats why Honda issued a service bulletin and offered to pay for cracked frame repairs and the gusseting up on the ones that had not yet cracked. Tiny hairline cracks are very hard to detect and are often not discovered until they get serious.

Re: MotorTrike - Due to the design of the original (pre IRS) Motortrike conversions there are more adjustments available on their conversion than others, and therefor more opportunity for installation error than most other kits out there. There is an adjustment for right to left alignment that consists of a 3/4" thick by approx 12" long hex shaped bar threaded on each end that sits above and in front of the rear drive axle. Turning the bar one way moves the axle left, the other way right. Measure the distance from the tire to the body on each side and adjust until properly aligned. There are also ladder bars with adjustable heim joints that will set the tracking.

These all need to be setup correctly during installation and checked periodically AND lubed (heim joints) with silicone spray so they do not bind (per MotorTrikes maintenance procedures) Also, the air-ride suspension is prone to leaking and should be aired up to 90 lbs PSI every few months and left overnight then deflated to 25-30 lbs to maintain a proper seal on the lines and o rings.

If the leaks persist, spray soapy water on the airbags and fittings to detect the leaks and repair. Motor Trike builds a good conversion but they can be problematic if not properly installed and maintained, as can any conversion.

Another common problem that can be easily overlooked on the MT kits is the top front conversion frame mount holes on either side is approx 1/16" larger than the bolt that holds it in place on some models. If you didn't install the kit you'd never know the "too oversize hole was there and an inexperienced MT installer may never notice it either. I assume its designed this way to allow for the trike conversion frame to be shifted up or down slightly on either side to allow for leveling. If the installer is not paying close attention to the rear trike frame level, it can be miss-aligned enough to have as much as a 1/2 inch tilt to either side. A 1/4" tilt at the top of the frame where its narrowest, can equate to as much as a 1/2 inch or more when projected to the furthest and widest point, which is the bottom of each rear tire.

This can happen in the case of improper installation via an inexperienced installer, or hitting a pot hole (seen it), especially if the top frame bolts are not washered and really torqued down tight and Locktited (blue) during installation. This oversized hole may be there to adjust for an imperfect body mold that produces a body that is not truly leve out of the mold. If you question this, take a look under your GL1800 MotorTrike trunk at about the exhaust exit and tell me how many large flat washers are shimmed between the frame tube and the body. There are normally five to eight washers required on the left side and zero to three on the right side to achieve contact with the frame. These washers are provided by MT with all their kits because the bodies aren't built straight, some molds being worse than others. I will say that the newer bodies don't seem to have this problem.

I'm not posting this to disrespect MotorTrike, just giving MT owners information that may help you in assessing how to level your trike the RIGHT way and to let you know that the presence of shim washers does not mean your installer has necessarily "rigged" your trike. It may take one, two or three of these procedures to get your trike level, tracking straight and riding as it should once and for all.

 

[Cycleguy]

Its my opinion that the addition of a trike conversion has little to do with early GL1800 frame cracks. Installing a trike kit may exacerbate an already cracked or weak frame, but the design itself was the problem and was known to have occurred on a small percentage of early GL1800s that were never converted to trikes. Thats why Honda issued a service bulletin and offered to pay for cracked frame repairs and the gusseting up on the ones that had not yet cracked.

You're right about the fact that two wheelers crack too. But there are a couple of real problems for trikers.

One is that all the Honda service bulletins/recalls specifically exclude trikes. I've never heard of Honda doing frame work on a trike.

The second is that cracks on the tubes where Bud had them aren't covered by any service bulletin/recall. Only at the main frame junction. Honda has replaced some cracked frames in this new area on two wheelers, but owners generally had to work hard to make that happen. Once again, have never heard of Honda doing it for a trike.

Cracks don't happen to a lot of people but they happen. Always a bad situation, and when it's a trike, an awful one. Whether the trike "caused" it is only a theoretical issue, dealing with the repair is very hard. It's far from an easy task to weld and strengthen the aluminum frame, a replacement (with Honda's changes that strengthen the trouble area) is $2000 for the part, and about the same for labor.

 

[coloradogreg]

I have a 1997 Motortrike conversion. And it definitely leans. I measured the edge of the left floor board (referenced from sitting on the trike) and get 9 inches. On the other side I'm slightly over 8 inches. When I put a magnetic level on the disc brake, the bubble is outside the line to the right. I think this is too far out. Am I worrying about nothing, or do I need to get this worked on? It also pulls slightly to the right. I have checked the air pressures and steering head bearings.

 

[Lucky]

First since this looks to be your first post I would like to Welcome you to TRIKE TALK.Greg I am almost sure this has been discussed here before,but I do not remember the remedy.You might try calling Motor Trike.Good luck.RIDE SAFE

 

[Gorilla]

welcome aboard MT should be able to help you get it level.

 

[coloradogreg]

Actually Motortrike's response was to refer me to one of their dealers. I did find a maintenance manual on line that gave quite a lot of information. I moved the lower helm joint two turns back and got the bubble on the level to only half a bubble off. I'll know if it helped as soon as it stops snowing and freezing here in Colorado.