New to Me Trike Checkover/mod

[First_N_Last]

Here I go...

New to me Trike & now I need to Check it over, setup & add-ons:

1) Get out the Mecury Carb-Sync - checked OK - no need to adjust
2) removed stock ignition & replaced with DynaTek 3000 - set on performance profile 3 with red line of 7,500 rpm
3) removed stock clutch pressure plate - installed/converted to Barnett Clutch Spring Conversion plate (good old purple)
4) checked out HID headlight kit - decided against it
5) ordered Signal Dynamics Diamond Star headlight modulator
6) ordered Diamond Star Plug & Play harness
7) ordered Hella H4 100/80 Halon watt bulb for headlight
8) ordered qty.4 NGK DPR8EIX-9 Iridium IX Spark Plugs
9) one passing lamp failed so I checked out converting to lens & H3 Halogen bulbs - decided against it & needed rewiring
10) ordered qty.2 Passing Lamp Bulbs - Bulbrite HX36PAR36WFL 36-Watt Halogen/Xenon Sealed Beam PAR36
10) ordered 5-layer felt lined Trike cover - using/covering Trike with my old cover used on my Z4
11) ordered custom license plate GhostR

Now I'm preparing to move add-ons from old bike to new bike when these parts get in & I have a nice weather day.

I'll continue this as I progress.
JohnB

 

[Nana]

Congrats!

 

[Carbon_One]

Nice list so far. My new to me bike also came with a HID headlight system. and like you haven't really decided yet if I want to keep it or switch back to a set of Piaa lights.
I want to add driving lights too but really don't care for the OEM spot lights and teir mounting system. So the search is on for alternatives or a complete ground up system.
Larry

 

[rmrc51]

Your fun is just starting! Here's to many happy & safe miles ahead! ThumbUp

 

[First_N_Last]

RSV-Hannigan Trike fender-light bar clearance

Well the checks of my Trike have revealed its first problem.
When I picked it up, I was told that a small dent was discovered in the front fender which was believed to be caused by the light-bar falling on the fender during a performed repair.

After driving it home I discovered that the small dent is now a crease in what was my beautiful fender. Sooooooo...

Anyone who has had their Venture converted with a Hannigan kit & EZSteer - Have you had problems with your light-bar hitting the front fender on hard bumps due to reduced clearance between the bar & the fender?

The problem of the reduced clearance may have been from the EZSteer install. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. Anyone know where I can get fender damage repaired like I have?

Thanks as always - here are some photos.

show two dents & ridge mark across fender

shows small clearance problem

More info -------
The previous owner graciously contacted me & provided info.

He had noticed that first fender dent about 3 years ago. The additional increasing denting appeared to be the result of hitting bumps on the way home (caused by the clearance issue). At least the mystery of the 3 year old dent is over.

Now for the real problem of the clearance.

The previous owner has not lowered the front end.

The front end lowering had to have been done during the Hannigan conversion.

Monday morning I'll be contacting Hannigan for their comments, etc.
- Today I'm sending this thread & photos to Hannigan

more info----
Some have suggested that the light-bar spacer may be causing the problem...

The light-bar extension was on prior to conversion & the light clearance reduction is a very minor contributor to this problem.

Initially, I'll add air pressure to the front forks, then wait for Hannigan suggestions.

more info ----
many on another web site forum have suggested to change the fork springs, but...

What I have to fix first is the clearance problem.

My 2008 Royal Star Venture has 3 3/4" between the light-bar & the front fender.
My problem 2002 Venture-Hannigan has just 1 3/4" between the bar & fender.

Just 1 3/4" clearance is the main problem. If I have to disassemble the forks to fix, I probably should upgrade the fork springs also.

Argh!
Why is it never easy????

Note to others buying a bike - be sure to check clearance of front end fender to mounted devices. Be sure there is at least 3" of clearance.

JohnB

 

[First_N_Last]

Here is an update I'm sharing...
---------------------------------
The previous owner did encounter a clearance problem light-bar hit which put a small dent in the fender.
With me riding it at high speeds across states & with a little more weight than him, the clearance became a BIG issue.

So after doing quick research in the Tech Library, I found http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=939 (Lowering the Front End - by Freebird).

I think that by following this tech info & adjusting the forks down, I should solve the problem.
Before I get started on this, has anyone done this without removing the lower part of the Front Fairing completely?
I have no garage & will be doing this in the driveway. Damn I hate not having a garage!

Of course I'll check all other measurements that I can to be sure that the problem is not something other than my planned fork adjustment.

For the adjustment, I plan to adjust the forks to have 3 3/4" of clearance minimum.
If that goes alright, I'll change out the fork oil to 15 weight while following this procedure http://www.venturerider.org/forum/sh...ad.php?t=57207 (Changing the Fork Oil).

Please????
Anyone with TIPS, SUGGESTIONS, WARNINGS, ANYTHING to share, please do.
I just want to get this done & fixed so I stop the damage, save money, save time & can finally ride again.
I did not expect this type of repair was needed when I bought & all my planned money has been spent.

Thanks in advance;
JohnB

 

[First_N_Last]

No garage? I'll use my hatchback to store dis-assembled parts!
----------------------------------
Today I'll dodge the rain drops & start tearing down the front end.
Hopefully, the problem will end up just being lose bolts holding the fork rods in the fork tubes. The only pain is the dis-assembly of a full fairing motorcycle to get to the forks. Argh!

 

[First_N_Last]

No garage? I'll use my hatchback to store dis-assembled parts!
----------------------------------
Today I'll dodge the rain drops & start tearing down the front end.
Hopefully, the problem will end up just being lose bolts holding the fork rods in the fork tubes. The only pain is the dis-assembly of a full fairing motorcycle to get to the forks. Argh!

BTW - This is what Jim from Hannigan believes the problem to be.

 

[First_N_Last]

Had I known about this clearance issue,
I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT
this bike. Why me? ARGH!

Well, we learn & go on.

 

[First_N_Last]

This thread is becoming overwhelming & frustrating for me.
It is in full expanded fashion on the VentureRider.Org forum

As such, do the TrikeTalk members want me to continue posting all the info here for reference also?
I'd be happy to if someone would benefit.

Let me know please;

JohnB

 

[leo3wheel]

Watching on the VR forum. Thanks!

 

[Carbon_One]

Your call John. I frequent and read here and at Venture Riders.org.
You might get a Yamaha triker here that isn't aware of the VR site and whom may benefit from this topic.
Larry

 

[First_N_Last]

Well here is a summary to date:
(all references to right or left are from rider view)

- left top nylon locking nut for the fairing mount frame was missing (most likely left off or never tightened during Rake install)
- during dis-assembly it was discovered that left fork tube was all the way up in the top triple-tree & 15 degrees turned counter-clockwise - right fork tube was about one inch higher than it should be
- after removing top triple tree the left fork tube was found to be completely free in the lower tree bracket - you could spin it & move it down & up with one hand - the right fork tube was firm - IMHO, the fork tubes were not tightened properly after raking - they should not come loose like this
- because the previous owner had the dent occur over three years ago, it is very likely that the left fork has been loose & jammed all the way up for years - that meant the right fork spring has been handling all the shocking & load bearing for years - it is likely damaged & I need to replace the springs & check the fork for damage

I paid top dollar for the bike & am not prepared for this extra cost. The inspection disassemble effort will continue until all needed parts are determined. My repair will have to wait until I have the money after Christmas. No HO HO bike riding a bike I just bought until next year now.

I'll report back again with more discoveries in a few days. three hours of nice weather are needed & then I'll have things fully apart & the final damage will be known. Stay tuned. All pictures & complete details will be on the RSV dedicated site. The Hannigan Trike rake issue just appears to be one install that slipped through without a double check on tightening the front end after install. My bad luck - however after I get the lisr of parts needed to complete the repair, I will contact Hannigan & the previous owner to see if either will help with the parts costs. Parts are cheap compared to the hours of checking, inspection & repair.

Stay tuned????

 

[First_N_Last]

Well it is a bright sunny morning...

I spent 15 minutes & did the last front fork checks & here are the notes:

• both left & right top Triple tree fork tube locking bolts were not socket wrench tight. They could easily be loosened with one hand & a normal allen wrench.
• left bottom fork tube locking bolt was snug, but easily turned with an allen wrench & two fingers
• right bottom fork tube locking bolt was socket wrench tight like it should be - I have to go buy the socket/allen bits just to loosen it.
• I pulled the right fork spring & measured it. it should be 22 1/2" long. it was a little compressed to a little over 22 1/4". I'm replacing them with progressive springs, for safety. The internals of the fork seem to be ok (lucky).

My opinion is that both bolts for the left fork & the top bolt for the right were hand tightened & never torqued to spec. The nut holding the fairing bracket to the top left bolt was also left hand tight & forgotten which is why it fell off. The only properly tightened bolt was the right lower bolt.

Latter today I'll have the steering bearings re-greased & trees re-assembled. Then the final front-end parts list for final repair will be completed.

JohnB

 

[First_N_Last]

Status <br />
<ul><li style="">greased steering stem bearings & reassembled Triple Trees</li><li style="">slid forks in place & lightly tightened for storage</li><li style="">determined parts to finish repair with replaced fork springs</li><li style="">emailed Hannigan (copied previous owner) my check/issues list, parts list & asked if they could help - especially to be sure that Triple Tree was correct.</li></ul><br />
<br />
Now I wait & save up to buy the repair parts, etc. to finally finish & maybe ride again before the end of the year (or world 12/21).<br />
<br />
<img src="images/smilies/AGGGH.gif" border="0" alt="" title="AGGHH" class="inlineimg" /><br />
<br />
JohnB

 

[lazyace]

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<img src="images/misc/quote_icon.png" alt="Quote" /> Originally Posted by <strong>First_N_Last</strong>
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<div class="message">Status <br />
<ul><li style="">greased steering stem bearings & reassembled Triple Trees</li><li style="">slid forks in place & lightly tightened for storage</li><li style="">determined parts to finish repair with replaced fork springs</li><li style="">emailed Hannigan (copied previous owner) my check/issues list, parts list & asked if they could help - especially to be sure that Triple Tree was correct.</li></ul><br />
<br />
Now I wait & save up to buy the repair parts, etc. to finally finish & maybe ride again before the end of the year (or world 12/21).<br />
<br />
<img src="images/smilies/AGGGH.gif" border="0" alt="" title="AGGHH" class="inlineimg" /><br />
<br />
JohnB</div>

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</div>John, you are a very talented tech writer. I have enjoyed reading your diary of trials and tribulations. Damn! Makes me appreciate my garage setup all the more. Sounds like someone took a few shortcuts or wasn't using a checklist. Good luck and hope you get a good ride in before we all get flung into outer space on the 21st. Regards, Ace

 

[Cougar]

NOTE: Keep in mind that the is the only and first Hannigan that has had this issue so far. also, did Hannigan do this build? Or was a vendor for them?

Mine was the first one done right after the shop I used that they did.
they had just got out of the 2 week training from Hannigan. Sure there
was a couple issues but nothing like this. (4 years now) mine was done
4 months after Gunny's.

As like some of you I keep reading this to keep updated.

As far as Gunny he would have no way sold this if he knew anything
about this problem as well. He always kept his stuff in great shape.

Keep posting. and good luck.

Jeff