What do you like about your Hannigan Trike?

[Ragtop69gs]

Yeah, what they all said.......Great conversion kit. Excellent quality.
My only change would be the trunk lid handle. I would prefer one that does not need the key every time to open. Not crazy about the T handles that are available though.

Take a look at the trunk handle I used, you may like it, Post #3 in this thread no need for a key everytime unless you lock it. CarbonOne used a different style that doesn't need a key to open.

 

[msocko3]

I am going to put a different twist on this thread about Hannigan. As a driver, and reading all the threads I can not add a single word that has not been already covered by other drivers, they have stated everything I needed to say.

So, we are going to cover the Hannigan kit from a passenger's view point. I spoke to Janice and she said the ride is excellent. Room to pack the " kitchen sink" is great. We have not put on the miles as some "iron butt riders" but we have gone 12 hours in the saddle as we traveled to the DC area from NH several times to visit relatives. We can not get over the fact that after 12 hours in the saddle we still feel like we can go and party, because the ride is so smooth and confie!

I am a believer that you can not get enough lights in the rear for night travel and Hannigan has that covered with the "Whale Tail" lighting.

You ask Janice and she will tell you, this trike is one of our best retirement investments we have ever made.

Regards,

Rosy & Janice
From NH

:Agree: One of the 1st things the wife commented on was how smooth the ride was. The last time we were out riding she fell asleep in the back seat.

 

[Rosy]

Janice falls asleep all the time, so you know the ride is very smooth.

Regards,

Rosy & Janice
From NH

 

[sirnasam5]

I previously owned an older Gold Wing and decided to trike it. One day after I made the decision a friend at work told me of a Yamaha Venture/Hannigan for sale. I bought it on the spot and sold the two wheel goldwing. I loved the look of the Hannigan, the massive amount of storage, the great brakes, etc.

But I missed the performance, quiet running, and availability of aftermarket accessories of the Gold Wing. So I traded it for a Gold Wing with a TriKing conversion. I do love the Gold Wing part of it, now comes the but part of it. I miss the wide stance, the weight supporting running boards,wonderful rear disc brakes, and most important my wife misses the smooth ride of the Hannigan.

It is just a matter of time until I find a Gold Wing/Hannigan I can afford to trade up to.
Best way to describe my situation is, If I had not had a Hannigan before I would not know the real difference but I sure miss it. My hat is off to the Hannigan people who certainly know their business.

 

[DennisT]

I have to agree with the rest great, great kit. At first I was a little leery of doing the conversion because of what I had seen around our area, but after the dealer let me test one out I have to say I was impressed. Took it to a parking lot and put it through some tests on turns then on to the road. Great handling trike and smooth ride. I plan on adding the bumper in the new year just wish they made a trunk handle to match.

The only issue that I have is the trunk lid, there is a couple of small pin marks looks like someone had taken a center punch to the inside, did not notice it at first but I guess I put it off too long as the dealer that had installed it was like a 5hr drive one way and it would have been more than two trips by the time all was said and done.

Would I buy another one ,you are dam right I would no question about it.

 

[rusty1018]

Getting older really sucks but when I realized that my 2008 RS Venture was getting to be too much for me to handle anymore I turned to Crossroads Trikes here in Salt Lake City. I spoke with Ben and was able to set up a plan to have the MC converted. Since I live here and am retired I was also able to view the conversion every step of the way and document it in photo's. All of the folks at Crossroads were very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable every step of the way. Even though I was probably a pain some(most?) of the time I was always welcome. I was able to observe the quality of material and components that were being installed on my new ride and was very pleased with everything I saw.

I picked up "Sweet Black Cherry" on 9-24-13 and was able to ride her until 12-1-13(only about 1000 miles), until the weather caught up with me. I found the ride to be everything that has been expressed here and so much more than I expected. I am looking forward to a full summer of riding in 2014 and many years beyond.

 

[curry]

I just got my trike in Sept 4, 2013. I rode my bike down to Ky. to the Hannigan Plant to be Triked, and stay in hotel and wait until done. Went in twice a day and take picture of the bike. The guy were great, they did a good job. John and the crew are very friendly. The ride back to IL. was super, Bike rode like a dream, for the 456 miles ride . LOVE IT.

 

[Russell Carter]

I Love my HANNIGANS !! I bought a double wide sidecar in 1985, and I ran a body shop, so I was worried about the coler match. IT WAS PERFECT!! I now own a 1998 GW Tricar conversion, has 71,000 miles and I still LOVE it. Have won many trophies and it has been to Dragon twice. Ride, Handling,Quality, all are TOPS! Dave & Ruth Anne are awesome people who Shine at customer service.

All the posted comments are true, YOU CANNOT BEAT A HANNIGAN !!!!
Thanks, Dave & Ruth Anne!
Russ Carter

 

[nomad06]

I have kawasaki 2006 with a hannigan kit things i like very easy steering smooth ride and stable. I put 9500 km. on this past summer yukon and alaska. including top of the world highway no problems .was also towing a less ure lite tent trailer. i have seen newer models see improvement in area that I had questioned.

 

[papatop49]

I have a 2005 Royal Star Venture. Had a Hannigan kit installed in the summer of 2013. The weekend after I picked up my trike my wife and I joined our Star chapter for a 539 mile ride through some twisties in NC & TN. After the initial 200 or so miles I got use to the handling. I can say without a doubt that I wish I had done the conversion sooner. At 62" wide and 112" long (with steer lite), independent suspension and plenty of storage we plan to enjoy many miles on the road. Besides the comfort, the stress level has been a lot less. Looking forward to riding the Blue Ridge Parkway on 3 wheels. I would definitely recommend and purchase another Hannigan conversion should I ever need another trike.

 

[adventurer 08]

I had my 08 RSV converted to a Hannigan trike this past summer and the time I had to ride it befor having to put it away was great. The conversion was done by Coach Rice Trikes in Ga. The bike looks great, rides like a go cart and is a blast to ride. My wife loves it. Look out summer of 2014!!!!:wave4::wave4:

 

[Deadeye]

I would have a hard time adding to the praises(so far) of Hannigan because all of the great points mentioned by the other posters are exactly what I have experienced with my current and prior gl1800 Hannigans. In addition to the smooth ride,which my wife loves,the outstanding handling,which I love,there is one more thing.

These things are tough! Rode my first one to Alaska from Ohio-those of you who have also done that will understand that when I mention the stretch of highway between Destruction Bay and Beaver Creek in the Yukon as no problem for this trike.Also ate up the Cassiar highway in British Columbia and miles of gravel road construction without complaint.We rode 14,000 miles on that trip with zero problems. Last summers trip was from Ohio to Newfoundland ,Canada. Lots of road construction and some pretty rugged back road driving as I don't ride four lane highways unless there is no choice...Once again the Hannigan was flawless.

And that word describes our Hannigan experiences--Flawless!!

 

[kenwimer1]

Very difficult to come up with any new praises for the terrific Hannigan product. I have a 2002 K1200LT, converted in 2010. My nearest installer was in Colorado, so I had a nice 4 day road trip from Oregon. Monty and Cindy, owners of NECE, in Windsor, Colorado are very hospitable, and Monty worked nearly around the clock. He began Thursday night after dinner, and at 10:30 Saturday morning, I arrived at his shop to find him gone! His was test-riding it. Cindy gave me a 20 minute riding how-to course, and I was on the road to Oregon by noon.

My wife loves all the comfort that this big bruiser offers. Smooth and stable ride, and when you hit the brake pedal, it feels like you've dropped anchor (with a 6 foot chain)!!!

I still own a two wheeler, as well, so mileage is split between two rides. Combined is around 20K per year. I pull a HF cargo trailer, for camping and resort trips, don't even know it is back there. I did borrow someone's hint and replaced the trunk latch with the "T" style latch. Very handy for long trips, where you're in and out of the the trunk often. Plus, once the key for the original almost broke off while unlocking. Yep, that's my only complaint.

Out west, I have only seen one other BMW / Hannigan trike. Makes it stand out, being so rare in these parts. Many people have commented that they didn't know that BMW built trikes. It certainly looks as if it came right off their assembly line.

 

[Hooker 6]

I can't add too much more to what has already been said. I bought a 2008 Goldwing in 2009 with less than 800 miles on it with the intention of having it triked. I rode if for about 300 miles and stared having second thoughts because I loved the bike so much, but finally got it tried in 2010 at Coach Rice (RIP) Trikes in Loganville, GA. They did a masterful conversion and my wife and I love the trike. We've been to Rolling Thunder three years running and will be back this year. We've been on a 10 day trip down the west coast of Florida to the Keys and back.

The Hannigan conversion is the ultimate cruiser. Handling is superior with the 4 1/2 degree rake. The only noise from the drive train is the Honda transmission, and the drive train is tight and response instantaneous. The Cherohala Skyway and the BRP was some of the most enjoyable riding on the Hannigan one could have. This past summer I added the only accessory I thought the Hannigan was missing and that was the chrome bumper. Although the chome ws top notch jig fitment on the first bumper was not good. Hannigan turned a new one with perfect fitment around in just a few days. Great customer support and service - can't ask fro more than the Hannigan package.

 

[michbiker1]

I like just about everything about my Hannigan Trike. My trike has just about every option and the bike is a level 3. What surprised me the most is the handling. Once I got used to it, I found that it actually handles better than when the bike was a two wheeler. The quality of the kit seems to be very good so far. If I could find a fault with it, it would be the paint. It seems to chip very easily. I like the large lower trunk, but it would be nice if the door opened farther. I have had a lot of comments about my 2012 Goldwing/Hannigan Trike and they have all been very positive. I can't tell you how many people have stopped and told me it is the best looking trike they have ever seen.

 

[bikerbillone]

Good post Mike, good testimonial....

 

[FlaWinger48]

I purchased my 2013 Hannigan trike last May from a dealer and added a color matched Hannigan Sierra trailer in July. The quality and craftmanship are outstanding on both the trike and trailer. When I picked up the trike from the dealer there was a gap between the trunk and the body of the trike. I contacted Hannigan and Jim Gooch, at Hannigan, immediately responded to my email request with detailed instructions about how to correct the situation. He asked me to send follow up photos after home repairs to make sure I had obtained the desired results.

I took a 4700 mile western states trip last fall and the trike/trailer combo performed flawlessly. It was a real head turner and we had to add some extra time to our travel plans each day, to accommodate the many questions and comments we received. There were many a "thumbs up" flashed at us by passing motorists.

What I like best about the kit is the stability. I tracks straight and true with absolutely no wandering. I researched all of the kits before deciding on the Hannigan and discovered that it had the widest base available in the industry. It also uses Honda Civic brake parts and pads which are easily obtained when replacement is necessary.

All the folks I have dealt with at Hannigan have been extremely helpful. I can recommend a Hannigan kit without any reservations

.

I will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Jim

 

[Missouri Charley]

I can't type fast enough to list all the things I like about my Hannigan Trikes. But we'll try anyway. Start from the beginning I suppose, in the summer of '08 due to health reasons I was forced to have the upper half of a lung removed. After the surgery my doctor ( BMW rider ) tells me I can no longer hold up a two wheel wing, too much damage to my muscles....so Becky and I started looking at trike kits and looked at darn near all of them. But we went with Hannigan because of the rear suspension, its wide trailing arms are set up for a smooth ride and easily adjusted. I liked the fact that there is no air lines to leak and no pump or switches to quit. The hand layed fiberglass is much stronger than chop gun fiberglass and a more uniform thickness. Every part of a Hannigan kit is made to FIT.

I got permission from my doctor to start riding after the first of the year (2009) and in 4 years Becky and I traveled over 100,000 miles and NEVER put a wrench on the Hannigan kit. The first year we had the trike I was still farming and didn't have a lot of time for long trips so we just put 10,000 miles that year. The second year we both retired, me from farming and Becky being a federal trained gun packing Juvenile Officer, leased the farm out for cash rent, sold all of our equipment and hit the road. Fast forward, November 2012 we decided to trade our trusty trike for a new one so what did we do, Called our dealer said get us a new ALL WHITE, no two tone Hannigan trike. Lets talk about it for a while, much, much larger brakes, automatic adjusting shocks, beautiful body style that matchs the new 1800 design, fantastic rear lighting, and on and on.

Becky and I didn't get to travel much in '13 because of her cancer but watch out 2014. One of the reasons we chose Hannigan is it's just an hour ride from our home in case we had problems. Now we are over at Hannigan's factory a lot but NOT BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS, we just never had any problems. So why are we there a lot, it's simple, Ruth Ann, Dave, John Lee and the rest of the staff have become family to us, we'll ride over to break bread or just shoot the bull that's what you do with family.

I know the question is "What do you like about your Hannigan Trike" well I got side tracked a little (imagine that) but my first thought was what is there not to like, we've had a lot of enjoyment from our Hannigan's with zero, ziltch, nada problems. Let me add, in my shop/garage area is my Hannigan, my BILs CSC, and a friends Roadsmith, 3 good trikes but my personal favorite is guess what? Hannigan.

If you want to own the best there's just one choice.....Hannigan. The fit and finish is second to none plus...Dave, Ruth Ann and John Lee are great people and treat you like family!
After reading all these great posts I wanted to add a little more.......................but what can I add that hasn't been said, Thanks Hannigan

 

[Brewster]

When we decided to go to a trike, I said that I didn't want a Hannigan because I didn't like the looks of them. So what did we buy, a Hannigan. I absolutely love it. We are constantly getting compliments over it and our Hannigan Sierra trailer.

I love how it hugs the road and grabs the asphalt in the corners. I am forever seeing just how fast I can go around corners with it. The craftsmanship is second to none and above all, the customer service.
We bought are bike already triked and I had several questions about it. One call to Hannigan and they answered all of my questions, sent the merchandise that I ordered in a timely manner, and acted as if they had all of the time in the world.

Would I get another Hannigan? You bet. But I am sure that it's going to be a long time before I wear this one out.

 

[msocko3]

If you want to own the best there's just one choice.....Hannigan. The fit and finish is second to none plus...Dave, Ruth Ann and John Lee are great people and treat you like family!
After reading all these great posts I wanted to add a little more.......................but what can I add that hasn't been said, Thanks Hannigan

Maybe you didn't have much more to add, what you did add you said it well ThumbUp. I can't wait to get my 2012 Hannigan back out of storage and start riding, come on spring!

 

[bikerbillone]

I must say, Hannigan reads this forum and responds. That is good PR and good for business......I'm saying, and I ride RS.

 

[tfdeputydawg]

If you have your Hannigan conversion done by an installer, you are not restricted to the 4.5* rake!
IMHO, the longer wider conversions do well w/the 6* rake, while the shorter narrower units do well w/4.5* rake.
+ Zooks, kits are less expensive!

 

[FRR]

When I decided to trike my 2004 Wing a couple of years ago I tried to evaluate all the different conversion kits that were available and at the time went with CSC. I was not unhappy at all with their customer service but I quickly learned there is IRS and IRS. My installer in Louisville told me if I came down and looked at the Hannigan that he had just installed on a 2012 Wing I would buy it. Well, he was right. Nothing in production today looks like that Gen II Hannigan kit. AND, the IRS is truly great. It takes bumps like they aren't even there, much smoother than my previous kit. They have excellent customer service and I like the fact that I can post questions right here on their forum and get answers the next day. It does appear to "lean" more than my previous ride, but I've been assured I will get used to that. I've only owned it a month or so and only been able to put about 1700 miles on it but I really like it. It might have cost me more than my first home did, but that is what we work for in life, right? I plan on riding it like it was stolen, and if it continues to impress as much as it has, I'll get another one if this one wears out.

 

[msocko3]

When I decided to trike my 2004 Wing a couple of years ago I tried to evaluate all the different conversion kits that were available and at the time went with CSC. I was not unhappy at all with their customer service but I quickly learned there is IRS and IRS. My installer in Louisville told me if I came down and looked at the Hannigan that he had just installed on a 2012 Wing I would buy it. Well, he was right. Nothing in production today looks like that Gen II Hannigan kit. AND, the IRS is truly great. It takes bumps like they aren't even there, much smoother than my previous kit. They have excellent customer service and I like the fact that I can post questions right here on their forum and get answers the next day. It does appear to "lean" more than my previous ride, but I've been assured I will get used to that. I've only owned it a month or so and only been able to put about 1700 miles on it but I really like it. It might have cost me more than my first home did, but that is what we work for in life, right? I plan on riding it like it was stolen, and if it continues to impress as much as it has, I'll get another one if this one wears out.

:Agree:They nailed it on the styling, that was one of the things which drew me to the Hannigan. The other is quality, I was told by other folks that Hannigan is the Cadillac of trikes, one ride is all it took for me to want one.

 

[FRR]

Rode my new Hannigan from Cincinnati to DC yesterday. For those of you that have ridden it, you know the road on RT 50 between Grafton W Va and Romney W Va is kind of like the Deals Gap of West Virginia. 88 miles of curves, and thee mountain passes including Mt Storm which is always a real challenge. Came across it yesterday in fog, rain and cold. Fog was extremely thick, ( it usually is for some reason) and visibility was poor. I've been over that mountain about 8 times and always seem to get wet, even when it is sunny and warm on each side of the mountain. The road is extremely rough in many places and poorly maintained. Holes, bumps, ridges, and lots of curves.

That Hannigan performed wonderfully. It held the road, cornered like a dream and was very kind to the rider with all the roles and bad pavement that I encountered. I had recently installed a BT-45 on the front so traction was no problem. and in the rain it handled much better than I ever imagined. I was anxious to see how it would perform on wet roads and this was a great test. It passed with flying colors. I sure felt safer than many of the 2 wheelers I followed across those mountains.

 

[craiglarmon]

My wife and I are 65. My wife rides a Goldwing Motor Trike and I was riding a Victory CrossCountry. Late last year I decided to trike my Victory with a Motor Trike. While the Victory Cross Country is a great bike, I quickly learned the difference in the performance of a V-Twin trike versus a 6 cylinder Goldwing trike. So, I went shopping for a Goldwing trike.

My wife and I have attended several motorcycle rallies and would visit with trike vendors. (I had heard of Hannigan but don't recall visiting a Hannigan vendor). I liked what I saw in the Roadsmith and when I triked my Victory, Roadsmith was second in line to Motortrike (influenced in part because there was a Motor Trike dealer in Lincoln, Nebraska).

My Goldwing trike shopping took me to Nishna Valley Cyclein Atlantic Iowa to test ride a 2014 Goldwing Roadsmith. The dealer is also a Hannigan dealer and the sales rep encouraged me to test ride a 2013 Goldwing Hannigan they had in inventory. I was surprised to find a noticeable difference in the handling of the Hannigan over the Roadsmith at both slow speeds, and particularly at highway speeds. The comparison made the decision an easy one. Hannigan clearly handled better. Also, the Hannigan floorboards were much more solid than the Roadsmith and I liked the look of the Hannigan Gen II. I did some more research and found Hannigan owners extremely well satisfied.

My wife, who is a die-hard Goldwing MotorTrike owner, is equally impressed with the ride of my Goldwing Hannigan. We will be riding our trikes from Nebraska to the Pacific Northwest (Seattle) in August. I am really looking forward to the trip on my Goldwing Hannigan (assuming my wife does not persuade me, as only wives can do, to let her ride the Hannigan).

Thank you for making a quality product.

 

[3rdwheel]

It’s been a really long time coming!

I sent my 2007 Ultra Harley to Coach Rice Trikes in mid-February and just got it back last Saturday 6/21 (late for a lot of reasons – no one’s fault, 2,800 miles one-way). First of all, I have to say you can read all of the articles and other’s experiences on this forum, but riding your own is something different, and worth waiting for. I am pleasantly surprised at how well this Hannigan rides. For lack of a better word, I tell people it kind of “floats”. The suspension and Ultimate seat are going to serve my wife Jane well, where the 2 wheel bike and Mustang seat didn’t. I have put on about 500 miles so far; about 150 with her, and I really like it a lot more than I thought I would. I thought to myself when I started looking at options; “NO WAY” I’ll ever ride a trike! But I also used to say 30 years ago that I’d never own a Harley either, now I’ve owned 3 of them. I didn’t have access to ride any trikes where I live, so this was a “leap of faith”. Oh yeah, Harley would let me demo one for 10 miles, if I was SURE I would buy it, and I did ride a Can-Am. Jane hasn’t completely endorsed it yet because on the longer rides (on the 2 wheeler), her legs would fall asleep. Her rides so far on the trike are not long enough to assess that. I did get an AirHawk-R cushion, so I think she will be doing okay when we go to Glacier National Park in 2 weeks.

My son who is a machinist had to lie down on the ground and look up under it at all of the mechanical components. He was very impressed, and he rides a Kawasaki Ninja, usually over the speed limit. The one thing he wanted to make for me though is an elevated tow bar that will have a 5” lift on it since the straight tow bar I have makes the trailer slope down substantially.

I opted for the mechanical reverse, floorboards, extra fuel tank, hitch and rake kit for this conversion. The bottom line is, I wouldn’t have done anything different, it looks classy and rides nice. I LIKE IT!!

Now the bad news; It is 75* outside and I’m working…but at least I have a view of the trike in the parking lot!

 

[Rollin Thunder]

Keith: Can you show a couple of pictures of the back of the trike ? Say from different angles ? From what I see it's a BEAUTY ThumbUp They did a NICE job. Congrats on your NEW Toy ThumbUp

 

[msocko3]

It’s been a really long time coming!

I sent my 2007 Ultra Harley to Coach Rice Trikes in mid-February and just got it back last Saturday 6/21 (late for a lot of reasons – no one’s fault, 2,800 miles one-way). First of all, I have to say you can read all of the articles and other’s experiences on this forum, but riding your own is something different, and worth waiting for. I am pleasantly surprised at how well this Hannigan rides. For lack of a better word, I tell people it kind of “floats”. The suspension and Ultimate seat are going to serve my wife Jane well, where the 2 wheel bike and Mustang seat didn’t. I have put on about 500 miles so far; about 150 with her, and I really like it a lot more than I thought I would. I thought to myself when I started looking at options; “NO WAY” I’ll ever ride a trike! But I also used to say 30 years ago that I’d never own a Harley either, now I’ve owned 3 of them. I didn’t have access to ride any trikes where I live, so this was a “leap of faith”. Oh yeah, Harley would let me demo one for 10 miles, if I was SURE I would buy it, and I did ride a Can-Am. Jane hasn’t completely endorsed it yet because on the longer rides (on the 2 wheeler), her legs would fall asleep. Her rides so far on the trike are not long enough to assess that. I did get an AirHawk-R cushion, so I think she will be doing okay when we go to Glacier National Park in 2 weeks.

My son who is a machinist had to lie down on the ground and look up under it at all of the mechanical components. He was very impressed, and he rides a Kawasaki Ninja, usually over the speed limit. The one thing he wanted to make for me though is an elevated tow bar that will have a 5” lift on it since the straight tow bar I have makes the trailer slope down substantially.

I opted for the mechanical reverse, floorboards, extra fuel tank, hitch and rake kit for this conversion. The bottom line is, I wouldn’t have done anything different, it looks classy and rides nice. I LIKE IT!!

Now the bad news; It is 75* outside and I’m working…but at least I have a view of the trike in the parking lot!

That's a sharp looking ride, I love my 2012 GENII Hannigan and wouldn't think twice about having them trike my 06 Ultra Classic if I ever decide to do it.

 

[Hannigan Motorsports]

Glad it meets and exceeds your expectations Charley ThumbUp
Many thanks for your continued trust and All here wish you and Miss Becky the best!