(This is also posted on another forum)
Saturday May 25th on a STAR chapter 424 ride to Little River Canyon near Fort Payne, AL I had a potential major problem with my trike. We stopped for soft drinks and comfort calls at a small mini-mart near Dogtown (that's what the lady behind the counter said). As we left my wife and I hear a clunk clunk sound. As we decelerated to turn onto the roadway we hear it again. I thought it might be a fender strut that was loose. About a 100 yds later we decelerated to turn onto another highway and we again heard it and I could feel an accompanying bump (very minor). I told a fellow rider we needed to stop and check it out. Fortunately there was an old unused service station almost directly across from the stop. We pulled in, I checked the fender struts and they were solid. I lay down and started looking under the bike and found the problem. The U-joint! Of the four bolts making the connection only one remained! It was about a turn and a half from being completely gone also. A fellow chapter rider came back and shortly afterward the rest of our chapter missed us and came back. Mr Bill, our chapter VP, took a look at the problem, said he could get us home. He rode to a nearby Lowes, got replacement bolts and shortly we had the trike ready for a test ride. The rest of the ride home was uneventful.
I periodically check the bike as we all should, but I never even considered checking for that possibility! Hopefully the Hannigan warranty will replace the temporary bolts and we'll be ready for our next ride!
Addendum: I had just the day before given a test ride of the trike to "papatop49". Sure glad we got him and Cathy back to our house safely.
Saturday May 25th on a STAR chapter 424 ride to Little River Canyon near Fort Payne, AL I had a potential major problem with my trike. We stopped for soft drinks and comfort calls at a small mini-mart near Dogtown (that's what the lady behind the counter said). As we left my wife and I hear a clunk clunk sound. As we decelerated to turn onto the roadway we hear it again. I thought it might be a fender strut that was loose. About a 100 yds later we decelerated to turn onto another highway and we again heard it and I could feel an accompanying bump (very minor). I told a fellow rider we needed to stop and check it out. Fortunately there was an old unused service station almost directly across from the stop. We pulled in, I checked the fender struts and they were solid. I lay down and started looking under the bike and found the problem. The U-joint! Of the four bolts making the connection only one remained! It was about a turn and a half from being completely gone also. A fellow chapter rider came back and shortly afterward the rest of our chapter missed us and came back. Mr Bill, our chapter VP, took a look at the problem, said he could get us home. He rode to a nearby Lowes, got replacement bolts and shortly we had the trike ready for a test ride. The rest of the ride home was uneventful.
I periodically check the bike as we all should, but I never even considered checking for that possibility! Hopefully the Hannigan warranty will replace the temporary bolts and we'll be ready for our next ride!
Addendum: I had just the day before given a test ride of the trike to "papatop49". Sure glad we got him and Cathy back to our house safely.
