Prospective Tri Glide owner

[webkahuna]

Hi All

While I was at the local dealer’s parts counter, picking up an oil filter and oil, and whining about how my legs and hips were starting to want a life of their own. A 2013 Tri Glide started whispering to me from out on the showroom floor. Counter guy say “check ‘er out” So I took a closer look, walked around her, tried a couple times to mount and dismount as gracefully as I could. As I was sitting there trying to figure out what all the buttons were for, and thinking Wow, that’s a radio…wait, and a CB…and a CD player.. Neat! This isn’t too out of character for me because after owning an FLH standard for the last 13 years I just recently discovered it comes with a cigarette lighter tucked under the left side of the fairing. While I’m in the middle of my little dream state, a voice from over my shoulder says, ”Nice isn’t it”. I lumber off the trike as quick as I could, feeling a little like a 14 year old who’d been caught in the shower too long. As I creak into an upright posture, there to my surprise is Brian, one of the salesmen. I’m not sure, but I think the parts guy sic’d him on me.

I started with the obligatory “Just tire kickin” Blah, Blah Blah. He knew I was lying even before I did. I asked a few questions, Brian was real helpful, I said I was kinda interested but don’t count on it took his card and said I’d let him know either way. Well about a week later two or three more visits with more questions, Thanks to this forum and the people here. A credit union anxious to lend old working guys money and the support and approval of my better half “She who must be obeyed”. I’m just a test ride and a couple signatures away from being a Tri Glide owner.

I like this forum and have tried to read as much as I can. And I need a few posts so I can make a signature line. So I thought I ask for some feedback here. I’m most likely going to ride it stock for a quite a while. I like the T Glide lift kits and may consider the Clutch Wiz after I see how things work.

I think I understand the heat issues and once again I’ll probably wait a season to decide on any mods there. If anyone can throw some suggestions or links to info I may have missed for a new to trike rider. I do appreciate it. I apologize for being wordy but I’m already sporting a three wheeled grin and I haven’t ridden it yet

Thanks

Gary

 

[Sloufoot]

Hi All

While I was at the local dealer’s parts counter, picking up an oil filter and oil, and whining about how my legs and hips were starting to want a life of their own. A 2013 Tri Glide started whispering to me from out on the showroom floor. Counter guy say “check ‘er out” So I took a closer look, walked around her, tried a couple times to mount and dismount as gracefully as I could. As I was sitting there trying to figure out what all the buttons were for, and thinking Wow, that’s a radio…wait, and a CB…and a CD player.. Neat! This isn’t too out of character for me because after owning an FLH standard for the last 13 years I just recently discovered it comes with a cigarette lighter tucked under the left side of the fairing. While I’m in the middle of my little dream state, a voice from over my shoulder says, ”Nice isn’t it”. I lumber off the trike as quick as I could, feeling a little like a 14 year old who’d been caught in the shower too long. As I creak into an upright posture, there to my surprise is Brian, one of the salesmen. I’m not sure, but I think the parts guy sic’d him on me.

I started with the obligatory “Just tire kickin” Blah, Blah Blah. He knew I was lying even before I did. I asked a few questions, Brian was real helpful, I said I was kinda interested but don’t count on it took his card and said I’d let him know either way. Well about a week later two or three more visits with more questions, Thanks to this forum and the people here. A credit union anxious to lend old working guys money and the support and approval of my better half “She who must be obeyed”. I’m just a test ride and a couple signatures away from being a Tri Glide owner.

I like this forum and have tried to read as much as I can. And I need a few posts so I can make a signature line. So I thought I ask for some feedback here. I’m most likely going to ride it stock for a quite a while. I like the T Glide lift kits and may consider the Clutch Wiz after I see how things work.

I think I understand the heat issues and once again I’ll probably wait a season to decide on any mods there. If anyone can throw some suggestions or links to info I may have missed for a new to trike rider. I do appreciate it. I apologize for being wordy but I’m already sporting a three wheeled grin and I haven’t ridden it yet

Thanks

Gary

When you take one out for a drive keep in mind that the rear shocks aren't set optimal for your weight & the boss. It takes some adjusting to get the ride you want.

Don't try & fight the steering. Just give the outside bar a push, and a small pull on the inside grip. Don't try & lean, maybe a little just to feel safe in the seat.

Enjoy keeping your feet up at stops !

I think you are correct about not doing much to the trike until you figure what is right for you ! You can sure drop a lot of money on extras, & not even want nor like them later.

You are probably going to notice a lot more heat from the trike than your older scoot, but it may be ok for you & yours. Many here have done a lot to lower that down, but that is a personal move.

There is also a body there to catch more heat so.....

The Clutch Wiz is definitely an improvement from stock, & some dealers are doing the install for the customers right off the floor. Along with the lift for the rear. Same story. Both in the first mods to look at or have the deal made with them included.

But go drive a trike first. If you can keep it for an hour or two. Give it a good ride.

Oh also make sure you keep away from things with the rear wheel what sticks out !

Ride Safe

Ride Often !

:Trike1:

 

[AZTriGlide]

The Tri Glide has allowed me to keep riding. Took a hundred or so miles for me to get used to the steering, different than a 2 wheeler. One of the best decisions I've ever made . Got mine last August and am dropping her off tomorrow for her 20,000 service!
When you make the leap enjoy!!

 

[trikermutha]

Hi All

While I was at the local dealer’s parts counter, picking up an oil filter and oil, and whining about how my legs and hips were starting to want a life of their own. A 2013 Tri Glide started whispering to me from out on the showroom floor. Counter guy say “check ‘er out” So I took a closer look, walked around her, tried a couple times to mount and dismount as gracefully as I could. As I was sitting there trying to figure out what all the buttons were for, and thinking Wow, that’s a radio…wait, and a CB…and a CD player.. Neat! This isn’t too out of character for me because after owning an FLH standard for the last 13 years I just recently discovered it comes with a cigarette lighter tucked under the left side of the fairing. While I’m in the middle of my little dream state, a voice from over my shoulder says, ”Nice isn’t it”. I lumber off the trike as quick as I could, feeling a little like a 14 year old who’d been caught in the shower too long. As I creak into an upright posture, there to my surprise is Brian, one of the salesmen. I’m not sure, but I think the parts guy sic’d him on me.

I started with the obligatory “Just tire kickin” Blah, Blah Blah. He knew I was lying even before I did. I asked a few questions, Brian was real helpful, I said I was kinda interested but don’t count on it took his card and said I’d let him know either way. Well about a week later two or three more visits with more questions, Thanks to this forum and the people here. A credit union anxious to lend old working guys money and the support and approval of my better half “She who must be obeyed”. I’m just a test ride and a couple signatures away from being a Tri Glide owner.

I like this forum and have tried to read as much as I can. And I need a few posts so I can make a signature line. So I thought I ask for some feedback here. I’m most likely going to ride it stock for a quite a while. I like the T Glide lift kits and may consider the Clutch Wiz after I see how things work.

I think I understand the heat issues and once again I’ll probably wait a season to decide on any mods there. If anyone can throw some suggestions or links to info I may have missed for a new to trike rider. I do appreciate it. I apologize for being wordy but I’m already sporting a three wheeled grin and I haven’t ridden it yet

Thanks

Gary

Please take it for a ride! And ride it as long as you can . Make turns, go over bumps,get it running up to temperature. etc.

That would be my suggestion before you sign anything. This way you will know for sure if a trike or a two wheeler is for you. Everyone has there own riding tastes.

Good Luck!!

 

[Rick Kay]

Pull the trigger and buy that sexy beast! Then post pictures! :Trike1:

The others have given you a lot of good advice. The best I can offer is to just enjoy it, take some time to get used to it, then personalize as you see fit. Enjoy!

 

[bobknife]

really enjoy mine have 3000 miles on it have left it stock for now maybe a little more heat on right side in town don't notice it that much on the highway enjoy your new bike and ride safe.

 

[eagle1]

i'd buy a late model ultra classic bike & have a franfenstein kit insstalled, before i'd buy a new t/g. because

1 its a-lot cheaper.

2. the frankenstein kit is made in ks, & has several options.

3. kit has larger rear brake rotors!!!!!!! thats important.

kit rides a lot better than the t/g.

4,500 to 7,500 depending on options for the kit. easy to install yourself or a local bike shop will do it. here in peru,in its $500.00 to install one.

spend any saveings on a gear cam upgrade,tuner & exhaust.

 

[07BlueCSC]

You might want to try another Make of cycle. After riding a TriGlide, there is no way I would put out the cash for a loud, uncomfortable, underpowered vibrator.

 

[mpurkiss]

I must say all good advice. I have a 2011 Street Glide Trike. (yes, Harley made a Street Glide Trike up until 2011) I'm not sure of the heat problem others are talking about. Before the trike I had a 09 Street Glide. To me the heat issue is about the same. No big deal. Regarding a kit I have read issues about warranty. No one is sure about who pays when something goes wrong. Myself I would stay with the Harley made trike.

 

[lboos]

Gary,
Go with the Harley, it looks and sounds [thunder and rumble] like a real Motor Cycle, 110 years, USA, ThumbUp.

 

[rae2012]

Go take the test ride and take your better half with you . I did this a little over a year ago and came home that afternoon with never having to worry about hills , gravel on road , and hills with inclines . My better half and I go where ever we want and the thought of dropping another bike never enters our mind . The only problem is just getting more time to ride!!!

 

[webkahuna]

Thanks for all the great feedback. Took it for a test ride today. Have to say it was the most comfortable I've felt on an open vehicle in a couple of years. Nice ride, handled well, took a few turns in the lot and then out on the road, mostly city traffic. steering input differences wasn't to bad to adjust too. found some mild twistys and seemed ok. being aware of the rear end seems to be the biggest item so far. I think some time in the saddle will be the biggest help as all have said. Clutch feels same as glide, but may need a little adjustment. figuring out all the buttons may be the hardest part . hope to put a thousand miles or so on it, In the next few weeks, get a service check,put in some heavier oil and trailer to Sturgis with a dozen or so two wheeled challenged friends. Oh yea, guess that means my new friend Brian gets a commission starting tomorrow. Keep the advice coming if you like, and I'll try to post some pics in between my giggling like an 8 year old with his first fudgescicle
Thanks Again
Gary

 

[rap47]

You might want to try another Make of cycle. After riding a TriGlide, there is no way I would put out the cash for a loud, uncomfortable, underpowered vibrator.

There's another make of cycle??:Shrug:

 

[Bill Reber]

There's another make of cycle??:Shrug:

:xszpv: YEP

 

[Rainey]

I just broke in my new 2013 Triglide last week in the twisties up and around the Ouachita mountains in Arkansas. I had a passenger the whole trip. I got used to turning corners and curves pretty quickly. I had a Softail Heritage before this Triglide and so I did notice the difference in power of course; however, I use my shifter a lot and downshifting did just fine for me when I needed more power. I do have to say the heat did bother me one day quite a bit and I had to put on my chaps which alleviated the problem for me. My goal by next summer is to get a different exhaust system - that is a priority for me as far as changing anything on the trike. The parts manager at our dealeship told me that that would help a great deal with the heat and will give it a little more power as well. Here in Texas it gets very hot this time of year so we feel the heat from motorcycles doubly so than our northern friends I'm sure, but we also get to ride pretty much year 'round! I'm real satisfied with my Triglide so far. My first service is coming up and I'm hoping the synthetic oil they will be putting in will help with the cooling. Good luck with your choice!

 

[dano309]

not knocking Harley at all....love my 2010 ultra glide,but the heat issue for me is a real problem....I went to AJ cycles in jasper indiana & had a long talk with the good folks there about trikes.....I could trike my Harley,but the heat issue would only get worse if I did,as the rear fender will catch all the heat and hold more on the passenger....wife says" HAIL NO"......we both sit on a 1800 goldwing trike with drivers backrest & passengers armrests & she didn't want to get off the bike...lol SO,we are going back for a test ride soon, but I have already made up my mind, I am trading my Harley ultra for a new goldwing & AJ's cycle is going to trike it for me in january......they say the motor trike conversion is the best conversion out there & they are coming out with a kit with more storage area in a month or two.....I like the idea of the motor trike independent suspension, more over then the new triglide straight axle...also the goldwing 6 cylinder engine over the Harley twin cylinder engine...water cooled over the air cooled, since we will be riding alot in the mountains and so forth..........It's just a NO BRAINER to me to go with the goldwing trikes...........STILL LOVE MY HARLEY TOO.....

 

[rap47]

not knocking Harley at all....love my 2010 ultra glide,but the heat issue for me is a real problem....I went to AJ cycles in jasper indiana & had a long talk with the good folks there about trikes.....I could trike my Harley,but the heat issue would only get worse if I did,as the rear fender will catch all the heat and hold more on the passenger....wife says" HAIL NO"......we both sit on a 1800 goldwing trike with drivers backrest & passengers armrests & she didn't want to get off the bike...lol SO,we are going back for a test ride soon, but I have already made up my mind, I am trading my Harley ultra for a new goldwing & AJ's cycle is going to trike it for me in january......they say the motor trike conversion is the best conversion out there & they are coming out with a kit with more storage area in a month or two.....I like the idea of the motor trike independent suspension, more over then the new triglide straight axle...also the goldwing 6 cylinder engine over the Harley twin cylinder engine...water cooled over the air cooled, since we will be riding alot in the mountains and so forth..........It's just a NO BRAINER to me to go with the goldwing trikes...........STILL LOVE MY HARLEY TOO.....

So what you are saying is you wanted a three wheel motorcycle, but the wife wants a three wheel car!

 

[bobknife]

After riding in 100 degree heat for 200. Miles. I have decided to upgrade. To new exhaust and tuner there is way to much heat coming from the cat to be comfortable hear the 14s will be water cooled mine has 4000 miles on it now love the bike hate the heat problem. spend the money and get it cooled down you will enjoy it more just my opinion but mine goes in for the upgrade in 2 weeks enjoy your new ride

 

[webkahuna]

Picked it up Fri afternoon
Have about 300 miles on various roads
Heat.....jury's out but I see what you're saying
Thanks a bunch I'll keep reading I have a lot to learn
I'm grinning like a fool

 

[Gorilla]

the heat can be dealt with. they are a fine motorcycle(trike)

 

[JJHog]

Welcome to the world of the TG, Web. I see you're from Greensburg. I'm from Whitehall in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. There are three important modifications that you should consider making to your TG right off the bat. Two are for comfort and 1 is for handling.

The First Mod would be to get a SE Stage 1 Air Cleaner Kit installed along with the purchase of a SE Programing Module. One of the reasons the stock HD runs so hot is because it comes from the factory setup extremely lean. The SE Programing module will allow the HD mechanic to richen up the mixture after he installs the Se Stage 1 Air Cleaner. A future continuation of this mod would be to install a set of slipon mufflers and a final mod would be to replace the stock header pipes. Doing these four mods, Air Cleaner, Reprogram Ignition, replace mufflers and finally replace the headers will do the most to reduce the heat on the right side of the motor.

The Second Mod would be to install a TriGlide Lift Kit or a Comfort Lift Kit from DK Products. This particular Mod will raise the back end of the TG about 1 1/2" and will also improve the handling of the TG.

The Third Mod would be to install a Tour Pack relocation kit. TriGlide has a kit or you can PM me and there another kit offered that I have installed on my TG. The TriGlide Kit level out the Tour Pack and also moves it back an inch or so which will give your wife more room behind you, especially if you are using a drivers backrest.

If you decided to install the Lift Kit yourself I can help you. Either way, once you get it installed PM me and I'll let you know what tire and shock pressures I'm running which work the best for me as far as handling the PA Roads.

 

[Rick Kay]

Picked it up Fri afternoon
Have about 300 miles on various roads
Heat.....jury's out but I see what you're saying
Thanks a bunch I'll keep reading I have a lot to learn
I'm grinning like a fool

You guys look great on your TriGlide! Enjoy!

 

[Ohio Eddie]

Good looking Trike.

 

[OlBandit]

Hi Web, I am from just north of Allentown, PA and have had my 2011 T/G for 2 years now and 30,000 miles. I have gone through the upgrade process since day 1 of owning the T/G. What is the right sequence of putting upgrades on is really up to you, but I agree with JJHOG. If I remember correctly the first thing I did was change the mufflers and air cleaner. After taking a trip to Maggie Valley July of last year, I decided that the heat issue had to be dealt with and called California and ordered a new headpipe without the cat (wont mention who I ordered from, if you want that info just PM me).

Of course the big decision you will have to make is what tuner to buy, there are many different tuners and everyone here has an opinion on which is the best. Unfortunately there is no one here locally that has a dyno to tune a trike, closest trike tuner is 4 1/2 hours away, so I had to take matters into my own hands to get'er done. Just remember that if you just change the mufflers you really dont need a tuner, however, if you change the air box you will need a tuner and get it tuned!!! Also, if you wait and change the headpipe out later you will need to get it tuned again, so I would recommend that you change the mufflers, headpipe and air box at the same time, then you only need to tune the bike once.

After deciding on what tuner to use and tuning the trike, I was lucky enough to attend a TrikeTalk Rally and won a set of trike lifts which I installed promptly and very happy I did, steering is easier and no more bottoming out.

Just recently I purchased the Tourpak relocator from Dennis and installed that mod, wife enjoys that little mod because it moves the tourpak back and gives her more room.

I am now looking at Lowmount Fan-assisted Oil Cooler Kit, at right around 400.00, this will be the next mod I install to reduce heat.

For power, some cams might be in the future too, but at the moment my triglide seems to have plenty of power unless I'm pulling my trailer, it is a little doggish climbing hills with the trailer, right KW!!!!!

Congrats on your new bike!!! If you need any other info you can PM me anytime!

Oh yea, forgot after 7,000 I needed rear brakes so I changed them out with a different brand of brakes, got 21,000 on the rear brakes and they still look good.

Enjoy your ride and be safe!!!!!

 

[JJHog]

For power, some cams might be in the future too, but at the moment my triglide seems to have plenty of power unless I'm pulling my trailer, it is a little doggish climbing hills with the trailer, right KW!!!!!QUOTE]

Bandit, I haul a trailer too. Got an Excel model from Komfot Kamper out your way. Great Trailer. I upgraded my clutch spring to the SE Heavy Duty Spring and that did the trick as far as being sluggish going up hills. If you find the clutch pull to be too much after you change out to a heavier clutch spring then consider installing the ClutchWiz.

 

[OlBandit]

I got a bushtec, weighs 125 lbs empty and it is air ride, it can be seen in my photo album here on the site. Unfortunately the sluggishness is not from the clutch but from the engine itself, right now the clutch pull is fine to me, I have never had a problem with it.

The bike was really sluggish right out of the dealer, but after changing the headpipe and mufflers and tuning it myself it pulls like a raped ape on hills without the trailer, but new cams would greatly help it along even more

 

[GoSlo]

You might want to try another Make of cycle. After riding a TriGlide, there is no way I would put out the cash for a loud, uncomfortable, underpowered vibrator.

If you hate them so much, why are you in this section? Only to bash Harleys?

 

[webkahuna]

Don't mean to bump my own thread. I wanted to thank everyone for posting and offering their advice. It's helped a great deal with some planning and my enjoyment of the new machine. I hope I'll be able to return the favor to someone new after I grow up, nah! make that get more experienced, growing up's for kids
Thanks Again
Gary

 

[FRR]

You might want to try another Make of cycle. After riding a TriGlide, there is no way I would put out the cash for a loud, uncomfortable, underpowered vibrator.

Very good advice. Check out different brands and different kits. There are many options out there, many that require much less work and modification.

 

[rap47]

You might want to try another Make of cycle. After riding a TriGlide, there is no way I would put out the cash for a loud, uncomfortable, underpowered vibrator.

So you want a quiet, comfy, powerful and smooth machine? Are we talking about cars or motorcycles here?:xzqxz: