PLUS 1 on that.
Dennis

 

There was a post about installing a lift, or new oval mufflers..Have to look at the cost. If you want new mufflers buy them for 6 or 7 hundred dollars or buy the lift for a buck and a quarter..do the math...sounds like you "really" want a louder trike. I would take a better ride any day! You can do alot better for yourself by re-coring stock mufflers at half the cost, and doing the lift. Still come out money ahead.

 

I appreciate someone remembering the original post on the lift kits, and as much as I hate to agree with Screwball there are a lot of posts on the subject. If someone is looking for a lift kit I think Dennis Swan is the best choice because he really cares about a quality product and safety. The lift kit does effect a lot of areas and all positive that I can see except your pocketbook. But what is the price for a good product? It was originally designed to keep form dragging my high dollar mufflers so it saved me money there and it looks better in my opinion. It does effect the bite of the front tire in a positive way. It does change the CG but only 3/8 of an inch, sit up straight and you would do more to change it than the lift kits do. I don't think any of the trike riders were or are looking for the cheapest way out, I think Dennis Swan puts more into his kits and asks a fare price for them and have heard no one complain about what they got for their money. Its only your life is it worth cutting corners and we are only talking a few bucks, a no brainer in my opinion. Thanks, Jerry

 

+1 on everything you stated.

 

I bought lift brackets from the guy in Mississippi. They were fine looking parts. They fit exactly, they lifted the rear of the muffler 1.6" higher than the original brackets. I cannot tell the difference in handling or cornering.
If you convert (as I did on my first trike) and do not change the triple tree to a 4.5 or 5 degree rake, the steering will be really hard. Rakeing the front end (changing/increasing the angle of the fork relative to the ground surface) will soften or ease the steering dramatically. I have not proven this, however if any change at all in handling could be felt in the handlebars, it would seem to me that the steering would be stiffer with the lift kit (lifting the rear of the frame would decrease the rake, relative to the ground surface). Something to chew on.

 

The only safe distance to raise with this style is 1.25 inches! Anything else will hit the top of the mufflers and will impact your driving when you least expect it or need it. I tried several distances and have a 1.5 inch on my bike now and will change it to a 1.25 when I can afford to get a set from Dennis Swan. I am running one of the original sets on my trike now and they will hit in a bad way if you hit a hole and the wheel drops it will scare the crap out of you and jar your spine, it actually hurts. 1.25 is all that is safe to run period! Another reason Dennis Swan will not sell anything more. If you are running 1.6 know you have been warned that is not safe and you are risk when you least expect it not to mention the damage it will do to your exhaust system. I am not talking the dents it will put in the mufflers, it will rip out the brackets and loosen your headers. Been there done that, trial and error can be a bitch. To address your comments on rake, the brackets do not change the rake of the forks only a frame alter or a tripple tree change can do this. They do change the trail measurement, while the forks are the same in relation to the frame their trail distance has been altered by changing the vector angle. Read up on rake and trail measurements, this is where you get a difference in steering or bite of the front wheel. Thanks, Jerry

 

My lift brackets lift the trike 1.25" at the shock, relating to 1.6" at the exhaust tip-to-ground reference point. My reference to the rake change possibility was in relation to the ground plane to fork angle, not frame. Sorry if my comments (merely comments) confused anyone.

 

If they offered a one inch lift. I would most likely go with that.

 

Carlo, you are safe with the 1.25 works great no down sides and sets the trike level. Thanks, Jerry

 

OK...since I started this thread, this is what I decided: Based on all the comments about the benefits and no known risk to the 1.25" lift, I ordered from Dennis this week. He responded within a few hours by email to inform me he received the order and was about to ship.

Frankly, without the lift, everytime I look at my beautiful red/merlot TG...it seems sad with its rear end dragging. This should perk him up.

In preparation for this and "other mods", I also just purchased a Craftsman MC Jack and torque wrench.