Two production touring trikes...

[Mad Matt]

Most folks know that Lehman and Victory have teamed up to produce the Crossbow, but if you have not seen it, it is a Victory Vision with a Lehman rear end. Like all the trikes before it, for some reason, the trike builders don't do anything to the steering geometry and the trikes handle very heavy when you leave the stock motorcycle geometry on the front end. There are aftermarket "power steering" triple trees available for some and Kewlmetal makes several different trees for several bikes. Lehman buys the trees from Kewlmetal for the Victory Kingpin and Vegas and they asked us to design some trees for the Vision. It was a challenging project because of the tight fairing and several other companies already said they couldn't do it. Hmmm, well the design engineer in me does not accept the it can't be done answer very easily so we borrowed this Crossbow to get the trees done and we now have some 8 degree over power steering trees for the Victory Crossbow. It is a very tight fit inside the fairing, but we squoze the design in and these trees worked out perfect and really lighten up the handling of the trike. I have to admit, with the power steering trees, the Crossbow is a pretty sweet machine. A little more pricey than an RT, but pretty much the same level of creature comforts. Not the same saftey features. In fact, the ABS is disabled on these. It was fun riding both of these machines, one right after the other just to compare.

Mad Matt

 

[clueless]

nice pics ... too bad someone doesnt go out on a limb and design a front tire like the Spyder (more car like) so you get max grip and stopping on the one single front wheel...

no need for the motorcycle front tire.

 

[NancysToy]

ABS for two wheels would not work with three wheels, so a completely different unit would have to be installed...probably a modified 4-wheel unit, as the first Spyder had.

 

[Bob Denman]

Still... ABS or not; it's a pretty bike... :thumbup: So now I have to wonder out loud again which manufacturer is going to step up to the big table and offer up a reverse trike configuration next??opcorn:

 

[LittleJohn]

Still... ABS or not; it's a pretty bike... :thumbup: So now I have to wonder out loud again which manufacturer is going to step up to the big table and offer up a reverse trike configuration next??opcorn:

http://www.hannigantrikes.com/content/xSuportingPages/hrtbig.html

 

[Oldmanzues]

http://www.hannigantrikes.com/content/xSuportingPages/hrtbig.html

I've seen photos of this unit. I can not understand why ? One of concerns for a MC/trike conversion is you are taking a unit desigen for one thing and changing it to another. This one changes both front and rear. With prices for a trike (2 in back) going for $30K plus and then another $14 k or so for the front. I would go for a RS to play with and a decked out RT with trailer to tour with.
I can not afford either set, but am very happy with my RT (barebones as somebody called it.)
Old Man Zues

 

[Mad Matt]

Yup. It's just a matter of time before some front end kits come out. I have actually done a few CAD models for a bolt on Kit that works on some of the metric bikes. It's just one more project that we are thinking of here at Kewlmetal. Here just a concept level model I did when I was toying with the idea of doing a kit. This one bolts on to the front of a VTX1800 or Suzuki M109 or other bikes using different frame adapter links.

Mad Matt

 

[Trickie Dick]

http://www.hannigantrikes.com/content/xSuportingPages/hrtbig.html

If you look closer, I think they are calling this a quadracycle:dontknow:

 

[chris56]

would be intresting to see a side-by-side test - just to understand how urgent all this spyder-security-featers are...
chris

 

[Bob Denman]

How about a Hayabusa with an extra wheel ? :shocked: An outfit by the name of Spinwurkz built this insane thing...

 

[bullant12]

Mad Matt

I like the pics... gives a good comparison on both trikes and what someone had in mind designing them.:clap:

 

[clueless]

i wonder which one gets better gas mileage...

that hayabusa reverse trike ... wow wonder how that thing handles? but looks wild!

done right it really starts looking like a super light weight car... the T REX

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlJZFByn7Fw[/ame]

 

[Bob Denman]

Could you imagine riding a Hayuabusa that's been "Reverse-Triked" without the benefit of an electronic Nanny to keep an firm grip on your shoulder when things start to get too tempting? :shocked:

 

[ARtraveler]

Nice write up about the trike project. I just dont like the space cadet tour trunk on the victory vision 3 wheeler or their 2 wheeler. I do like the victory touring bikes without the tour trunk--I think they are a viable competition for H-D. For me they are low enough to sit on with both feet on the ground. When you consider prices for the trike conversions, and the amount of safety items that appear on the Spyder RTS's, I think we are getting a pretty good deal in the long run. It will be very interesting though when one of the big names comes out with the Spyder concept copy. I think they have adopted a wait and see attitude, as to whether they have a viable market, and getting the bugs out of some of the mechanical goodies. The next couple years could be interesting. opcorn:

 

[Marker]

I was watching opcorn:a show called Super Bikes on Speed Channel and they had this guy on who turned a Hyabusa into a trike. He extended the rear swingarm and made the front end low like the Spyders and used car tires for the front end. It looked great but I would never want one.

 

[SSG Bean]

Yup. It's just a matter of time before some front end kits come out. I have actually done a few CAD models for a bolt on Kit that works on some of the metric bikes. It's just one more project that we are thinking of here at Kewlmetal. Here just a concept level model I did when I was toying with the idea of doing a kit. This one bolts on to the front of a VTX1800 or Suzuki M109 or other bikes using different frame adapter links.

Mad Matt

If you get it figured out for the M109R, I'll be in line very quickly. I love those bikes. I can't get the thought of a Tri-Rod type M109R out of my head!!!

 

[Roadkill]

+Nothing to see here. Move along. These aren't the droids you're looking for...

 

[C3517C]

The Victory Vision is an outstanding bike. I took a trip on one last month. The trike is probably pretty nice but 35K ??? I've gotta stick with the Spyder.

 

[Bob Denman]

:agree:!!! It baffles me as to why these trikes still run with a round profile front tire.

I'm not sure if this is an important reason or not for using this type of tire, but with the typical front forks on a bike; if you turn the bars, the front wheel leans over onto (or at least towards...) the sidewall. Maybe they found that leaning over onto what must seem like a squared-off edge, they had a funky feeling in the steering.
The A-arms on our Spyders probably allow for much less change in the amount that the wheels lean. (Is that Castor or Camber??)

 

[NancysToy]

Car tires have been used successfully on the front of sidecar rigs, so they should work on a trike. The real problem lies in the steering difficulty. Without changing the steering geometry, or adding power steering, having more rubber on the ground up front would increase steering effort enough for even Arnold Swarznegger to notice. :yikes: