• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Wanted - Info on triking out a Wing

Forums New posts
Hmm

Hmm

0
Joined
Jun 16, 2005
Messages
314
Reaction score
169
Location
The Woodlands, Texas/Pipe Creek, Texas
I'm in the process of doing research on a trike conversion kit for my Goldwing and would like to know opinions on what conversion kit to buy if any members have any experience with this modification. I am reading that it is good to stay away from kits with solid axles and also to lean towards independent suspension. What about a recommended installer? (I hear that this is a very important decision.) On learning to ride - any suggestions that would get me competent on trike riding?

Also, would I get kicked out of Two Wheeled Texans and have to find a Three Wheeled Texans website?

Any information would be appreciated.
 
Why do you say that? They still let BemerlessBob hang around. :shrug:
 
Do a google search for California Side Car and contact one of their dealer's.
Reese
 
I just did all the head scratching wondering what to do as well. In the end I just bought a Can-Am Spyder. It is more stable than a trike or a sidecar rig. I have had both in the past. The Spyder is a great ride and has all the bag/trunk space I need, plus it pulls a trailer as well. The wing is a great ride, but the conversion and the results are not what I was looking for. Hope you take a ride on a Spyder and see what I mean. The more you know the better the results.
 
I have a trike, so what information are you looking to get? Opinions on the best conversions is like asking what is the best oil to use in your bike.

My opinion is the CSC is the best, but I am sure someone else would disagree.
 
This is a trike with all the Gold Wing Things. The trike kits are $16G installed or close to it. The tricycle I rode as a kid tipped over pretty easy so I sort of shy away from that configuration. Good luck and don't forget the "pitchers":mrgreen:

2010-CanAm-SpyderRTRoadsterb.jpg
 
Trikes stick to the corners pretty good. There are a couple riders on the Goldwing Trike forum that are pretty hard to keep up with.

One bad trait they do have is breaking in corners.

I still prefer two wheels...
 
DaveC The E-Trike is only for the goldwing. Mine is very stable. Takes about 500 miles to get used to it. Price 2,995.00 much cheaper than most.I am not very good at postin pictures. Go to towpacowners yahoo. You should get all info you need.There are many choices out there.Ride safe!
 
BlueWingBill said:
I'm in the process of doing research on a trike conversion kit for my Goldwing and would like to know opinions on what conversion kit to buy if any members have any experience with this modification. I am reading that it is good to stay away from kits with solid axles and also to lean towards independent suspension. What about a recommended installer?

Any information would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Bob Whitney of Austin is the BEST Wing expert around. He has built lots of trikes and was the main mechanic for Georgetown Honda before they closed doors. He has done lots of police bike upgrades too and knows the Honda line very well.

If you Google his name, you'll find the contact info. I think you might find his contact here, on the GL1800 Docs site.

RB
 
At this point, I have only ridden a couple of trikes, both by Motor Trike. One thing that I noticed was how rough the things rode compared to my Wing. It seemed to be kind of like going fast on a riding lawn mower. Maybe riding some that have longer wheelbases may smooth things out a bit. It's my understanding that Motor Trikes are the same wheelbase length as the Wing but CSC and Roadsmith have longer wheelbases. I think that I might also want to try a Spyder trike too.

Thanks to everyone for your input and information.
 
BlueWingBill said:
At this point, I have only ridden a couple of trikes, both by Motor Trike. One thing that I noticed was how rough the things rode compared to my Wing. It seemed to be kind of like going fast on a riding lawn mower. Maybe riding some that have longer wheelbases may smooth things out a bit. It's my understanding that Motor Trikes are the same wheelbase length as the Wing but CSC and Roadsmith have longer wheelbases. I think that I might also want to try a Spyder trike too.

Thanks to everyone for your input and information.
Click to expand...

Trikes do ride a bit rougher than their two wheel counterparts. Motor Trike did have a solid axle and short wheel base, and that will make for a rougher ride. I thought that I read somewhere that you can now get a Motor Trike with independent suspension, but I am not sure about that.

It takes a while to adjust to a trike. When I first triked my bike I though I had made a big expensive mistake. A friend of mine, who had the same model of trike told me to just ride it and it will change. He was correct, it took some time to adjust, but the more I rode the trike the better I liked it. It is a different riding experience from two wheels, and I felt it was kind of fun.

I never gave up two wheels, the reason I triked mine was for my wife to be able to ride with me more, but because of health issues she is unable to ride. I still hung onto the trike because I liked the change of pace. I now have it for sale because with my other two bikes, it was just sitting in the garage to much.

The CSC is a longer wheel base and has independent suspension. It is rougher compared to the two wheel Gold Wing, but if you get too soft of a suspension you can have too much sway in the curves.

If you get a tike conversion from one of the major companies, you will find they are very stable bikes. It is a different riding style, nothing like riding a tricycle, and it is amazing how well a trike can take a curve.

As for comparing a Spyder to a traditional trike, in my opinion it is like comparing apples to oranges. They both do have three wheels, but the handling and ride is totally different. My personal preference is a traditional trike over a Spyder.
 
I do know from what I have heard is that you want one with the independent rear suspension and axles. For the cost of a trike kit today you would probably be better off selling your bike and buying one complete with all the changes done. I have heard that you need to change the triple clamp angle to get the bike to handle correctly, more dollars to spend. Dealers have demo rides on Spiders all the time, I would give one a test ride before I went with the Goldwing trike kit. Used Spiders are all over the place, not because the riders don't like them, most are sold to the uppity riders that add them to their collection and like everything else it's a toy. After having a couple of Goldwings it would be hard to give up the fun of riding one, just because of how nice they are, but an added Spider in the garage is a thought that has entered my mine several times. I have purchased several bikes from Central Texas Power Sports in Georgetown and the dealer tells me his number one selling bike is the Spider, I would have never have guessed it, would you.

John
 
Fort Bend - Thanks a lot for the guidance. Your detailed information is a help. I did get to ride a Motor Trike with a solid axle and a rake kit and also one with independent rear suspension and no rake kit. I think that I would want the IRS and the rake kit. The dealer I went to let me putz around in his parking lot to get comfortable and then even locked up his shop and went with me on the test ride so I could ride both trikes.

Trainman - I think that if I go with a trike kit, I'm gonna keep my wing. I have it fixed up with a lot of details that I like. Bakers, Mic-O-Pegs, Wingsoft, XM radio, Mic-Mutes, and of course, the right color. Lol. I will check into a Spyder demo ride and try a couple of the other longer wheelbase kits to see if some of the choppy-ness is solved by that option.

Thanks a lot guys.
 
reverse trike conversion is the way to go, way more stable going into a corner hot on the brakes.

http://reversedtrike.nl/en/

the reverse trike is more stable, that's why CanAm, Elio, Campagnia, Polaris, and the original, Morgan went that way.

there are a few on the market that even still lean and corner like a regular motorcycle.

reverse-trike-tremoto41s.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top