Roadsmith Trike Conversion 2018 Gold Wing

[Roadsmith Trikes]

Guess what's showing up today? And it's plural, not singular.......

 

[bikerbillone]

Wow Jim, tells us it's the 2018 GW, right? OK, you'll be getting everyone in the shop looking at it for all the right reasons. I wonder how well the DCT will perform with your conversion?

 

[Roadsmith Trikes]

Wow Jim, tells us it's the 2018 GW, right? OK, you'll be getting everyone in the shop looking at it for all the right reasons. I wonder how well the DCT will perform with your conversion?

Yes, you are right. Just hoping the weather holds for a couple days so we can get a couple test rides in before the engineers take over! We can handle the cold, it's the snow that causes problems riding 2-wheelers

Couldn't be more excited for the DCT - everything we have read, and viewed, points to it being a "game-changer"!

 

[bikerbillone]

Good report, keep us good folks on Trike talk informed, I know you will. By the way, keep those costs over runs under control.

 

[Roadsmith Trikes]

Good report, keep us good folks on Trike talk informed, I know you will. By the way, keep those costs over runs under control.

 

[Papa Zook]

Yes, you are right. Just hoping the weather holds for a couple days so we can get a couple test rides in before the engineers take over! We can handle the cold, it's the snow that causes problems riding 2-wheelers

Couldn't be more excited for the DCT - everything we have read, and viewed, points to it being a "game-changer"!

Jim, did you get a DCT and a a 6 speed manual? What colors? We need to know these things...

:Excited:

 

[Roadsmith Trikes]

Jim, did you get a DCT and a a 6 speed manual? What colors? We need to know these things...

:Excited:

Manual in WHITE

DCT in RED (airbag)

Gotta cover all bases!

 

[Roadsmith Trikes]

Hey guys - we'll have more updates soon on the progress of our 2018 conversion design. We have made some significant strides, to say the least. Stay tuned for updates. Most of our design work has taken place on the manual bike, leaving the DCT daring us to take it out for a ride.

I did get a chance to ride the DCT the other day. It was cold, but at least the roads were dry. First impression? Really weird. No clutch lever, no shifter, just roll and go. I must say that I was SUPER impressed! Under normal to even slightly aggressive throttle, the shifting was almost imperceptible. Super quick and smooth.

Unfortunately we were unable to do more than a couple runs up and down the street as there is just too much sand and ice to tackle the twisties. Overall this bike will be a game-changer, especially as a trike!

 

[mgwtrike]

The good people at Roadsmith have to approach this new conversion redesign with caution

and leave nothing to guess to be able to uphold the quality product of the past.

Especially when the cost, plus installation, is roughly 1/2 cost of a Goldwing.

 

[Roadsmith Trikes]

The good people at Roadsmith have to approach this new conversion redesign with caution

and leave nothing to guess to be able to uphold the quality product of the past.

Especially when the cost, plus installation, is roughly 1/2 cost of a Goldwing.

You are so right. There definitely needs to be a proper balance of "speed to market" and "quality of design and manufacture". We have a pretty good reputation to uphold and we will do the 2018 right.

 

[mhgoldwing]

I will be anxious to see what Roadsmith feels is necessary, if anything, to modify the front for trike use. Hope it involves a car tire.

 

[Ozarkryder]

The design and mechanical are, I would think, the easy part. It is integrating all the new electronics and making them work with a trike conversion I am interested in seeing. Things like the traction control and electronic adjustable suspension and all the sensors that go with would seem to be the hard parts to make work smoothly on today's machines, unlike, say, the 1500 where everything was mechanical. It must have been much easier to design a conversion kit for the older bikes.

 

[Red Wing One]

I will be anxious to see what Roadsmith feels is necessary, if anything, to modify the front for trike use. Hope it involves a car tire.

I’m kind of wondering how they will rake the front forks?

 

[Hot Rod 1]

I’m kind of wondering how they will rake the front forks?

​+1

 

[Ozarkryder]

I’m kind of wondering how they will rake the front forks?

On the thread "Wow...we have a new Goldwing I posted this a while ago, thinking about the easiest way to rake the front end. As an add to this post I showed this to an engineer friend and he seend to think this idea would be the simplest way to work it.



Looking at the picture I'm thinking in order to rake the new front end the part marked "Front Fork" would be replaced with one that is lengthened to keep the ride height the same and modified to increase the angle. In order to keep the wheel travel unchanged, (straight up and down as opposed to back toward the bike as on telescopic forks) everything up from the bottom of the "Front Fork Holder" would stay the same.

That may be completely off - I am not in any sense an engineer, nor do I play one on TV, but just looking it that seems to be the simplest way to rake the front end. The front fork is a major piece of the suspension, and if it is lengthened brake lines may have to get longer too. I have a feeling rake kits for the 2018's and up will be more than a little spendier.