Since this is my first and only trike, I'm still learning about it. One of the scariest things mine does is it will totally bottom out the forks whenever I get on the front brake with any real effort. I'm guessing it has to do with all the extra weight of the kit.

Is this really that normal? Is it something that raked trees will alleviate?

 

No,it's not normal. Tell us more about your trike.

 

Not normal at all. The raked tree might help a little but your problem goes deeper. Check your fork oil. Get stiffer springs. Do something to stop the bottoming out. With a trike, you have way more rear brake than with 2 wheels. To begin with, you have 2 wheels stopping back there and they are wider than the one that was there before. Go a little easier on the front.

 

Stone stock 09 Heritage with an American Trike kit. Only mod besides the trike kit and body is a steering damper and reverse.

Reading on the HD site about the factory trikes, they have heavy springs in the forks, so I'm guessing I need to look that direction

 

The rear brake is a pretty stout Wilwood, but feels very weak. Like the original HD master cylinder just ain't enough.

 

Contact Wilwood, see what they recommend. Progressive springs will help.

 

I think you have some real brake issues. My RK conversion stops better now than when it just had 2 wheels and the front end does not nose dive much at all. You probably need better springs, heavier oil or something in the front and I have no clue about the rear. I did have a problem with my rear brakes, but bleeding the crap out of them solved that problem. They would get really spongy sometimes. It wasn't a constant problem and had me scratching my head for a while, but bleeding them a couple times solved the problem and I haven't had any trouble stopping since.

 

The rear brake isn't spongy, just weak. My initial assumption is that the guy that built it screwed it up. The splice he used to connect the tag lights is the worst I've ever seen. Just stripped wires twisted together and wrapped with electrical tape.

There is a trike shop over in St Pete that is a former American Trike dealer that I want to look at it. If only to point at what's screwed up.