On the Road Again... kinda

[brucemarcille]

I was apprehensive... I've been on two wheels for a whole buncha years.. but the time came to go three wheelin. I bought a 1989 Venture Royale basket case partially converted homegrown trike. I wasn't sure I was going to like it so I clung to my antique Goldwing like a pacifier. It has been in the hospital nearly three years and now it is out. I <u><b>LOVE</b></u> IT!<br />
I am having a serious problem though, the front end nearly tears my arms out of their sockets on secondary roads... bumps and potholes. It is a dream on the highway though.<br />
Front suspension is bad. Shocks bottom out, handlebars shake side to side with a force to be reckoned with.

A local suspension expert won't even discuss working on it. Sigh. Anyone have any ideas? I'm partially disabled, on disability so we live on a shoestring. Any ideas would be <i>greatly</i> appreciated!<br />
Bruce<br />
<a href="http://www.triketalk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20625&d=1402971630" title="Name: my red trike.jpg
Views: 50
Size: 59.3 KB">my red trike.jpg</a> <a href="mailto:brucereflections@aol.com">brucereflections@aol.com</a> please put trike in subject line

 

[Ragtop69gs]

If the fork springs are shot, I'd start there, rebuild the forks along with torquing the neck bearing to about 20 lb/ft and see how that feels. Does the trike have a rake kit on it?

Will your expert give you some advice on what he thinks it needs?

 

[Carbon_One]

Considering what you've said on the steering and handling issues I'd venture to say the bike has the stock neck rake. To really benefit riding the trike you really need to invest in a set of raked trees. Be forewarned thou, they're expensive. <br />
One thing you do in the meantime is to tighten the steering head bearing to about 25ft lbs. That alone will help reduce head shake going over rough roads.<br />
Good luck, Larry