Reverse Trike

[Nitrotate]

IT'S DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All I have to do now is take it down to the state patrol and get the VIN inspection done and then insure it and register it and I'm on the ROAD!!!!!!!!!!!! Woooooohhoooooooooo!!!!!

This weekend I finished it all up, got the fenders built and mounted. Turn signals and running lights on the fenders and wired. Passenger seatbelt mounted.

There's really only one major item left which is Reverse!!... Still a bit stumped on it but I'm running some ideas through my head...

As soon as I'm legally on the road I'll get some video for you guys.

Let me know what you guys think?

 

[nofreeride]

Looking good, Nitro!

Any details on the front fenders? What did you go with, how are they mounted, etc.

 

[Nitrotate]

I found some boat trailer fenders at bass pro shops by luck but they were too narrow so I had a guy widen them a few inches and then I cut the crescent out of the front. Then I just fabbed up the side plates and mounting myself. It was frustrating but I finally figured it out. I used the brake caliper mounting bolts and a few other locations. After a bunch of work I finally got them supported and reinforced enough so that they wouldent flop around. My welds are ugly but functional so I used that heavy wrinkle black to hide them.

 

[Shatho]

That looks fantastic! I'm sure you will get lots of enjoyment out of it after all that hard work! :yahoo:

 

[SacramentoMike]

There's really only one major item left which is Reverse!!... Still a bit stumped on it . . .

Well, I was thinking unless you REALLY like having a floor on it . . .

But other than that, I can't improve it at all. :lol:

What a GREAT project. It's been VERY fun to watch it develop and watch you noodle through all the issues. I'm sure "reverse" will solve itself just as well. Congratulations!

 

[CraigRegs]

Fantastic! It's been great fun watching this come together. Wish I had a tenth of your skills! Can't wait to see the video. Perhaps you should shoot vid of the DOT inspector when you take it in, too, just to see his reaction.

 

[Nitrotate]

Thanks a lot guys! Yeah I'm pretty excited and nervous for the inspection. I can't imagine they will fail it but I'm worried. I am taking it in next tuesday after I borrow a trailer.

 

[Moosehead]

Please please please please please show up at an FJR rally sometime. I absolutely have to see this thing in real life and meet you in person. You are like an engineer, MacGyver, mechanic and autobody man all rolled up into one guy.

Nice looking ride!

 

[gregory]

So, when are you gonna start production?

FRIGGIN SWEET!

Congrats on your build :yahoo:

 

[Nitrotate]

Please please please please please show up at an FJR rally sometime. I absolutely have to see this thing in real life and meet you in person. You are like an engineer, MacGyver, mechanic and autobody man all rolled up into one guy.

Nice looking ride!

I would love to show up at one. Hopefully this thing proves reliable and sound and then I will definitely plan to show up at one. I'll have to find the schedule again and see when and where.

So, when are you gonna start production?

FRIGGIN SWEET!

Congrats on your build :yahoo:

LOL, people keep asking me that, or "would you build one for someone if they offered enough money". Problems is this was a lot of work and frustration and although it was fun I don't think I would want to build another one unless I had the following: bigger shop, better tools for fabrication like tubing bender and a good chop saw, tig welder, a big welding and work bench. etc. etc.

It's just that I end up doing almost twice the amount of work daily just to try and keep my garage clean and organized...

Not to be negative by any means because I think it would be a absolute BLAST to build another one WITH all the nicer equipment. :yahoo:

Either way I feel AWESOME to have finally finished it and just in time too because the wife is pregnant so not much spending money in the near future.

I hope it's a boy so I can teach him to work with his hands. My daughter helped me a little but she's more into art than anything else.

Thanks again guys!

 

[Nitrotate]

I typed this up yesterday but hadn't posted it because I had to take off to go to the DMV but figured I'd post it now so my updates are in order.

Update:

I put the trike on a trailer and ran it down to the State Patrol office yesterday to get the VIN inspection done.

As I walked in sweating profusely I nervously waited for my turn. The inspector finally walked out and followed me out to the Trike. Initially I was hoping that the small talk and simply the uniqueness of the vehicle would distract him from anything he might be picky on. He slowly walked around it once, checked the VIN (actually I don't even think he looked at the VIN long enough to truly check it...) and then we walked inside with the paperwork.

He said it was going to be difficult and that he would have to go make some phone calls to figure out how to handle this thing and walked into the back.

Now I'm standing there in a little tiny waiting area really sweating bullets at this point. About 10 min. later he opens the door and says, "Give me your driver's license and $20.". I hand them over and he goes back in and comes back out 5 min. later with my paperwork signed and says, "Have a good day and you're in for a long haul now...". In response I said, "What do you mean, what else do I have to do? I thought I could just register it now?", he replies, "I don't know".

So now I'm sitting in my Truck worried that the State is going to require all kinds of other stuff... Long story short, I'm pretty sure all I have to do now is just register after speaking to the DMV so I think I'm good to go.

In the end it turns out my trike is going to be registered as a 2011 HMD (homemade) 3-wheeled motorcycle instead of a 2005 Yamaha FJR 1300.

Today I've been searching for insurance because my current company can't cover it but I did just find a carrier called Fischer Specialty Insurance and went with them, very nice guy and hooked me up quickly. Later today I found that Progressive has a special division for these types of vehicles and will cover it a little cheaper.

I'm headed to the DMV right now!!!!!!!

 

[Nitrotate]

I'M LEGAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everything went off without a hitch! I drove down to the DMV and they registered me and gave me a plate. Needless to say I HAULED ASS home and put the plate on the Trike and took my wife down to King Soopers and picked up some Subway for dinner. After I dropped her off I took it out to test it at higher speeds and just sort of cruised around the neighborhood and a couple shopping centers. At higher speeds you can feel the wind resistance because it's not highly aerodynamic and it sort of shifts you side to side just slightly, not a big deal I just have to make sure I'm paying attention to the road, not so unlike a normal bike anyway. Other than that it drives straight as an arrow and responds like a Ferrari!

As I was driving around people started following me and breaking their necks just to see it. It was not only an amazing feeling but funny how people just couldn't figure out what the hell they were seeing. People taking pictures and yelling out at me etc.

I pulled into a gas station and by the time I turned the key off and got out to pump gas I had 15 people surrounding me taking pictures on their cell phones and pulling up in cars to check it out.

I took it back home to eat dinner and then back out again after dark. Driving at night is cool too but I think I need to block the back side of my headlights because a little bit of the light glares back at me so I'm going to fix that but otherwise everything went great and I can't wait to take it out again with video cameras!

WOW, what a rush!

...Next up, videos!

 

[Canadian FJR]

Does this mean we might see you at CFR 2011 in Fredericton?

Canadian FJR

 

[Nitrotate]

Hmmmmm. That's a loooooooong way from me so I'm not sure... And I have a baby on the way. I would absolutely love to but not sure...

 

[wheatonFJR]

Hmmmmm. That's a loooooooong way from me so I'm not sure... And I have a baby on the way. I would absolutely love to but not sure...

Where are you located? In case people want to stop by and see your beast...

 

[Nitrotate]

I'm in Denver Colorado and people are welcome to see it for sure.

 

[gregory]

COngrats on the baby!

Oh, yea, congrats on getting "legal" as well! I did that once with a sand rail that I built, and DMV sure is full of fun people!

Enjoy your ride!

Greg

 

[Nitrotate]

Thanks! We're praying it's a boy! I need a helper before I get too old.

 

[FJRay]

Thanks! We're praying it's a boy! I need a helper before I get too old.

I raised two of each and the girls turned out to more help in the shop than the boys. The girls didn't have to think with a dick when they got older.

 

[Nitrotate]

Thanks! We're praying it's a boy! I need a helper before I get too old.

I raised two of each and the girls turned out to more help in the shop than the boys. The girls didn't have to think with a dick when they got older.

Good point. I have a 13 yr old daughter and I thought for sure she would want to work with me in the garage but not so much. She does a little but not a lot. She rides a quad and loves camping. She's a rock and roll lover and she prefers to dig in the dirt and collect rocks over playing video games but doesn't want to work in the garage much... kind of weird but I love her to death either way!