Hannigan: there is no substitute!

 

I have the Lehmann Renegade LLS on a 2011 Road King and love it.

Definitely look into the gearing change early.. I am dealing with this as we speak.
I went for the primary engine crank sprocket change from 34T to 32T and it is bloody great. Except the cruise control stopped working so I now need to buy a TTS tuner to make 1 tiny alteration (at another $600). So don't buy a SERT (Screaming Eagle Race Tuner) for the tuning like I did, buy a TTS instead.

The other option as mentioned earlier is to put the tri-glide 30T belt pulley and a shorter belt on when you put the trike together. Mine was put together without the change and to change the belt now is a massive job!

Definitely spend the money on the raked triple trees.. it is almost a must.

I went for the mechanical reverse. which works fine, but being a bike rider for many years I have learned the art of parking it where I can get out easily.

I am not in favour of any one brand over another, it was simply what I liked about the shape etc. and the independent suspension is great.

 

Had Hannighan build and install my hack. Customer service was top notch. Did all the work and had it sent back in the time they had said. I was able to call anytime I wanted and talk to the same man every time. I always knew what stage they were at in the build. Call and talk to Herb, he can help with any questions you may have

 

Either a 32/68T combo or a 30x68T combo will work with the stock belt on a Hannigan conversion. Our trike is geared 32/68 right now and 6th gear works fine at 65mph and up. If needed,I have a 30T front pulley I can install for more grunt when pulling a trailer.
As for raked trees,our trike has HHI 5deg units and it steers like it has power assist. The reverse unit is a mechanical unit from Champion.
Hannigan's IRS offers really nice ride quality.

 

There are many quality kits being built now as those above have chimed in. Find a reputable builder in your area that has some knowledge under his belt. The installer is key and convenience for potential service issues after the build.

There are complicated and simple designs out there. Complicated designs are a potential for failure whereas simple designs tend to last longer. There is also a lot of junk that is being R&D'd by the consumer in a quick push to get a product to market.

I am of the old school sort. When the Independent Suspension first came out there were a lot of failures in half-shafts, shocks and driveshafts. And it still seems that the FAILURES reported on the various blogs are generally related to Independent Suspension models and not the straight axle models. Check them out ! There are at least 2 times (or more) as many straight axle trikes riding around and many of them are over 10 years old with thousands of trouble free miles on them.

Trikes built utilizing automotive components are generally more reliable and necessary maintenance is less expensive for those that RIDE their trikes and not just admire them like a glass jar full of money.

Independent Suspension (IMOP) rides good and requires a raked tree, PERIOD.
Straight Axle (IMOP) gives superior handling (whether it is raked or not) and less items to fail in the long run. With proper air pressure settings, the straight axle trike can ride almost as smooth as the IRS type.

The Harley-Davidson TriGlide (straight axle) has a 3.5 degree raked tree on their 2009 and later models so 5 degrees is really pushing it. More is not necessarily better in triple trees and causes touchy steering.

The decision is a long process, so ride as many different models as you can. My opinion doesn't mean anything if you are looking bells and whistles. It is an expensive undertaking and one you will have to either live with unhappily or ride constantly.

 

They may have had problems when IRS first came out, but they have been making them for trikes for over 20 years now and any problems they originally had are a thing of the past. Twice as many straight axles? Maybe, but they have been putting them on the road for many many more years so it stands to reason there would be more of them. Also the ONLY way to get a IRS is to go with a conversion and if it's so bad, why is Harley the only manufacturer that doesn't offer it? Champion, Roadsmith, CSC, Motor Trike, Hannigan and all the other big makers have it, but Harley doesn't. I very seriously doubt that a vast majority of riders would notice any difference in handling between IRS and solid. Ride quality, yes, handling, no. I rode a triglide and a ultra with a Lehman IRS with stock tree and there was no difference in the steering but neither was as easy to steer as any of the others I tried with a raked tree. You claim superior handling raked or not. I say BS!

 

Thank you for the welcome.

It is true that the IRS trikes have been out since 2000, except for The Trike Shop who was building VW Trikes for 20 years before that. The straight axle ones have been out since the 1920's. There are at least twice as many straight axle trikes on the road today. The manufacturers of the Independent Suspension have done an excellent job selling their product to the public, just as Obama has. Complaints about IRS trikes are 10 times as many as their straight axle counterpart.

The post was not an attack, just an opinion. But your last sentence was an attack. Even though I am relatively new to this forum, I have been on others for quite some time. I have been riding motorcycles since 1966 and building trike conversions since 1998. I have built more than 300 trikes, more than most people have seen and most certainly have ridden. I have built both Independent Suspension and Straight Axle conversions and I have worked on CSC, MotorTrike, Champion and Lehman of both genres so my IMOP opinion is qualified.

My purpose for joining this site was to help people with trike problems, not be confrontational. I can see that is your job and you do it very well.

 

To each his own,Jim. I've owned one trike with solid axle and ridden many more. Had never ridden a trike with IRS until converting our Street Glide. IMO,the ride quality is significantly better than the 2015 TriGlide and Freewheelers I've ridden. and considered buying. Would I have been happy with a FW or TG? Sure,they are fine machines but I just like the ride quality,smoother steering effort,and Champion mechanical reverse on our Hannigan conversion,more.
It's only money,you can't take it with you anyway.

Glad to have you aboard!

 

As I said in my post, "The decision is a long process, so ride as many different models as you can. My opinion doesn't mean anything if you are looking bells and whistles. It is an expensive undertaking and one you will have to either live with unhappily or ride constantly." I deal with customers of varying models and types everyday. They love their trikes and most you couldn't bribe away (not politicians).

Doesn't anyone eat a plain peanut butter sandwich anymore ? So simple and easy to fix !

 

I have a Motor trike Gladiator system it works good except for the junk braking system on it the rear brakes are like stepping on a mushed plum....It is a very poor design and it is like pulling teeth to get any info on the pads what they are Ect. they want you to buy there pads !!! All in all I like the trike kit but hate the brakes !!! Have bleed them many times and still no good....**** poor design !!!!!!!

!!!!