I am using a 1977 350 engine from a 1/2
ton pickup and the 350 auto transmission. The rear-end is out of a 1986 Lincoln
with a 2.73 gear ratio and has disk brakes.
This page is still under construction
just like the trike.
This
is a piece of aluminum plate
I started with when making the
triple tree. One piece was 3/4 inch thick and one was
1/2 inch thick. I cut it using my band saw.
This
what it looks like before polishing
it and with standard 3/4 inch bolts
holding it together.
The
tree is not a very high one but the
bottom of the tree is about 20 inches
long.
Instead
of using handle bars here I cut
another piece of aluminum to
accommodate the steering rods. My
handle bars are going to be mounted
on the rear single tree. I do not like the long handle bars
that a lot of trike builders use. I later changed this aluminum bar
to a steel bar because the aluminum was too soft and was showing
to much wear the tie rods were fastened on.
A
side view from the rear shows how
I am building the frame.
Another
side view of the rear of rear
of the trike. I am using square tubing
instead of the round like most other builders use. Most of the square tubing is 120 and some was a little
thinner and some a little thicker depending on where I used it
This
picture shows the auto shifter
I am going to use. It is setting in
the approximate location that it will
be mounted. I bought a master cylinder from a hot rod place and am
not using any kind of power or vacuum power booster on the brake
system. I do not think a power booster is needed on something this
light.
This
is the left side of the trike DUH
The
frame is not finished yet and as
you can see I used 2 X 3 inch
rectangular tubing for the A frame
and the two rails.
I
have not done anything to the engine
as of yet. Do not know if I will rebuild it or
not. Everything checks out good so might
just wait and see how it runs.
This
picture shows the springs I added to the front forks to make them
stiffer. The Harley front-end just did not have what it took to hold
this engine. I had cups cut out of steel and put them right over the
dust covers and an aluminum bar on top to hold the springs and also
took care of my light bar problems. The springs really helped
because after putting the full weight back on the forks it only
settled about an inch and a half
I
tried running the trike with no fans on the radiator but it did not
work and the engine was heating up in just a few minutes.
I
added fans to the radiator and it really helped the problem I was
having with the engine heating up. I used dual fans and put each fan
on a separate switch and later I might fix a electronic fan switch
so the fans will come on automatically when needed.
This
a side view of the trike without the back seats on it.
I
ended up taking the spring loaded shocks that I was using on the
back and replaced them with air shocks. It helped stabilize the back
but still getting a lot of side role on corners. I am going to build
a pan hard bar and play with that a little to see if I can stop the
rocking and rolling.
I
did not build or use a pan hard bar but did buy a torsion bar
through a hot rod shop and it did stop the rocking and rolling. It
only took about a day of work to put it on and make it work right.
Well worth the extra trouble because it does ride a lot better now.
I am getting a lot of positive feedback from other
bikers and also non bikers young and old. They actually stop me on
the street and want to take pictures of the trike. Many people are
saying how awesome of a bike and can I go and look at it closer? The
other day I was riding down the street and I heard some one yelling
so started looking around and finally found guys working on a roof
top three stories up waving and giving me the thumbs up and yelling
awesome.
You
can probably see the mirrors I have added and it really helps see
behind you. You are probably saying what the heck has he done put
truck mirrors on a motorcycle? The answer is yes but have some fine
tuning to do on them because now it blocks me from turning very
sharp.
This
is my dash board showing all the gauges and switches. I still might
make a lot of changes to that because I am going to use a different
set of handle bars and they have the switches where they belong on a
motorcycle.
Just
another view of the dash board.
My
insurance company said I had to have a front fender so I built one
out of diamond plate aluminum. Not like a factory job but does not
look too bad
I
have changed the linkage setup for the steering and also changed the
rake of the front end. I now have a 23 degree rake and it does make
it steer better. As you can see I have reversed the triple
tree that the handle bars mount to and also put the steering rods
under the front steering arm. This in turn makes the steering arms
almost level.
The
reason I changed the angle of the rake was one day I was backing up
and the front wheel dropped in a small hole in the ground and jerked
the handlebars sideways and it bent the front forks so had to
replace them. The hole in the ground was only about 2 inches deep so
from now on I will be a lot more careful when I am backing up out of
a parking lot. If this happens again I will scrap this frontend and
go to a home made set of springers. You can buy springers but none
of them will guarantee they will hold up a Chevy v8 engine.
People
ask me if it will light up the tries now and the answer is still no
because all it wants to do is jump out there and be first off the
line. I think it is too light to be able to light up the tires which
is OK with me because rubber costs too much money.
Changed
the handle bars and put on ape hangers instead of the short ones and
i think it makes it look cool.
I
added the other two seats behind and it really balances it out a lot
or at least I think so.
I
have also changed the carburetor and bought a new Eldobrock
carburetor and it really helped the power off the line.
Every time I ride this trike I come home and go back to the
drawing board and make some more changes. My drawing board is in my
head so do not really know what or how change something when I
start.
