Paulywombats Honda St1100 Conversion

[Manky Monkey]

Good news!
I always built my trike frames with around 45 degrees in the forks, purely because it looked right. They handled nicely with none of the head shaking that standard raked trikes are prone to, but were a little heavy to manoeuvre at carpark speed.
Any photos?

[paulywombats]

Here before paint and final assembly

[paulywombats]

rotated view of same

[paulywombats]

Modified bottom yolk

[paulywombats]

Top yolk after machining out ready for insert to be welded in.
Had to remove the 4 rubber anti vibration bushes before welding aluminium insert. This was a bit of a pain. Used a hole saw to cut through rubber bush, then destroyed the steel cup that was left.

New bushes were priced at 50 quid, so being a good Northener, I bought another top tree for 10 quid and destroyed that to get the bushes out.Upon re assembly the bushes were smeared with oil and hammered home.

The insert was welded in on the top side and then hole machined at 5 degress along with machining to insert on underside.

[paulywombats]

I used the original bottom yolk and shaft, I ground away the weld holding the shaft to the yolk. Then knocked out the shaft from the yolk.
A steel bush was turned and bored before machining the bottom yolk, again at 5 degrees.

The shaft was then welded in, forks and yolks assembled and bottom yolk welded in place. All machining was undertaken by Martin Mycroft, Mycroft Engineering Long Eaton, and steel welding be Steve Dewis at Dewbar Fabrications of Ilkeston.
Aluminium welding by GIA Engineering, Stapleford.

[paulywombats]

This kit from the good old US of A was quoted at $1000 + $150 postage, not sure if this included taxes. This was around 880 quid at the time of enquiry.
My costs were 170 pounds including all machining, welding and paints.
Don't get me wrong, the kit is might pretty and sparkly and all geometry has been worked out for you. But where's the fun in placing and order, opening a box when you can escape the everyday mundane and get your hands dirty. I know which I prefer.

[paulywombats]

Fish supper to celebrate being able to steer without breaking into a sweat.

Look mum, I'm using a knife & fork!!!

[paulywombats]

Profile of trike after raking. Front end has dropped slightly, but when my 18 stone bulk is on the trike it looks and feel right, also my feet engage with the ground better which makes reversing easier. I could alter front end height by adding extensions to the forks, but not sure I would gain much, if anything.

Again thanks for all your comments and thanks to Terry T & Olds for much appreciated advise along the way.

[stinkey]

Not seen welded yokes for years  well done sir..I once saw a chopper built by a (now defunct ) well known custom shop..they had welded another headstock to the original one to achieve more rake (ooh ?)
It worked but looked terrible..I advised a plate to hide and strengthen it
My cousin turned up one day on his new ( home built by somebody else) chop..gorgeous bike..rode it for several weeks..then whilst parked outside another well known custom shop..has he went pull away..he heard a big crack ? And felt the bike drop..the frame had cracked at the top just in front of the headstock ..
Said chopper was duly manhandled into their workshop ,where he was given a quote of £11000    To strip the bike down and repair/rebuild?? I told him ask again..£6000.. WTF  I rang the shop asking him to deliver the bike to me..turned out the builder hadn't fitted any type of support between the frame and headstock ..an hour later..I'd finished ..including some paint..he rode off happy but chickened out and sold it on ?

[Manky Monkey]

That's a lovely job Pauly.

[BikerGran]

It is!  Almost a pity it's hidden by the fairing!   It's a good looking trike though.  The only difference I found with the front end drop on having the extended yokes was that it makes the float in the fuel tank - and therefore the fuel gauge - unreliable.  Mine tends to show full for many miles then drop to empty - no problem, I just fill up soon after it drops.
Something to watch out for if you have a fuel gauge and if you tend to rely on it.

[paulywombats]

Thanks MM & BG, That's a good tip BG (adopted mum ), I will indeed watch out for how the gauge reads from now.

I now have a 2.78:1 ratio differential, which I will swap for the 3.23:1 at some point. For now I just want to ride it.

[the coppersmith]

Like the cut of your cloth old boy. Well thought out bit of old skool engineering. Great to find people still make things. Glad it all comes together well. 

[paulywombats]

Thanks coppersmith so far so good.