This may make some of you frown

I know this may upset the purists, but attached (hopefully) are a couple of pics of my XJ700 based trike. The front end is XJ650, and the tank is a modified harley one. It has one off rear seat... need to cover front seat in matching leathercloth and button both to match, one off sissy bar, home made two into one collectors at each side for the replacement slip-on exhausts cans, forward controls, dog bone risers and fairly flat and wide (34") alloy bars (to clear the tank) with stainless grips. The screen is a cut down virago screen and the paint colour is Subaru pearlescent blue.

Unfortunately parts for the XJ700 are virtually impossible to get in the UK, and parts for the XJ650 are starting to get rare, so I only hope I can keep the beast going!

Sam

 

Cool looking rig. I consider myself a purist b ut it's your bike you paid the money have fun.

That is a very cool looking trike - any fabrications pictures of hte process?

 

afraid of tipping over or something?

 

that is awesome.... what's off of a 700 o nthat bike, how is it 700 based?

 

Bill, sorry, no pics of build... I tend to remember the camera when things are finished, but I'll happily photograph any parts people want to see

James... I've fallen over too many times, and occasionally when on a bike! I used to ride viragos and honda shadows, but the girlfriend would never get on... didn't like leaning into bends. This way it's open air motoring for both of us and, UK laws state that you don't need a helmet on a trike.

Sam

 

Schooter... engine and frame are all 700, as is front seat and side panels

sam

 

Hi there, Fantastic ride, looking stunning.
I'm building a xj750 bobber at the moment (see my thread "crashed") I am seriously interested in your tank, what is it? how was it modded? and can you post some closer pics of it, including the underside.

Cheers

Pete

 

Should be safer then a cycle

 

I must say I have never been a fan of the look of trikes but that thing looks great! Very well done sam.

 

Yeah man that looks pretty dope! My neighbor has a Shadow Trike and that thing is wicked!
I gotta admit I kinda like it!
Side profile is def my fav.
-SLKid

 

trikes arent really too my liking, but this looks pretty good.... for a trike :wink:

 

+1 but i really do like this one....

you did a super job and while i used make all of my car models stock versions (when i was a kid) there is nothing wrong with customizing...

these bikes arent so rare as to have that much intrinsic value in stock form to start modding...

cool

 

Appears to be a well thought out mod. Like what you did with the taillights.

Agree with the other fellas. Trikes aren't my bag, but I appreciate when one is done well.

Did you do anything for reverse or is it easy to walk back?

 

Glad everyone seems to like it... The tank is a harley one, but with left hand filler removed and plated. I'm not sure which model it's off, but it looks like it was always a one pice and never had tank mounted clocks.. strangely the lower end nearest the seat is shaped differently at each side of the fixing tab, obviously to fit against some part of the Harley. I had to have the underside cut and rewelded to give more clearance for the Yamaha frame tubes. The filler is now a pop up type, giving a very smooth look, and the flames are only on one side (to match the single sided filler), and are finished in silver leaf. I'll try to get some more photos of the tank tomorrow when it's light.

There is no reverse gear, as pushing it backwards is really easy. in fact, straddling it and letting off the handbrake, then giving it a slight push backwards has it rolling back onto the road ready to drive away from where it's parked, and the slope is very minimal. It's certainly a lot easier since I rebuilt the front caliper (it was binding). The turning circle is so small that you can park it really easily.

Sam

 

For a differential, or rear end, what did you use, as in the USA almost all require a clockwise rotation, and the XJ would give a anti-clockwise rotation. No American regular rear axle would work.

And it does look well made.

 

The diff is simple... you just flip the axle over so it's running in the opposite direction. This is a reliant axle, but fords are very popular on trikes.

I've found a couple of older photos of the tank before it was properly mounted. This shows the shape and how different it is to the original, although the original was actually a honda CX500 custom tank rather than a yamaha one!

 

There was another guy from across the pond that was doing the same basic thing. I think he used a Robin rear also.
Maybe you are the same guy, Yes?
I think it looks great.

 

cheers for the tank pic, it looks great

 

Sam_G:

What model Harley did you get the tank from? How hard/costly were the modifications to get it on yours? I like that tank on there - and really hate how the maxims came with such a small tank. What's your fuel range after making the switch?

 

I found this tank on the internet at the following address:

http://www.steelthundercc.com/gas_tanks.html

I'm looking at the "FXR & Dyna Quick Bob Style Smooth Top Gas Tank" that's about 1/3 of the way down the page. This seems to closely resemble what you've got on your trike.
Regarding the modifications - do you have specs on the chopping you did on the bottom side?
See attached picture and link. I think this may solve my problems.

 

Like most folks, I'm curious about the tank. Also it looks like you have bar riser extentions to help clear the top edge of the tank, how tall are they? I know that it would be a pain to get a picture but, the next time you have the tank off could you post some pictures of any modifications to the frame and/or tank.
Thanks for the picts and inspiration, I gotta get a bigger tank!
Cheers
Ken

 

Hi all.. sorrry for the delay in posting replies. The tank modification didn't take much.. basically cutting away a couple of inches and replating... it was just enough to clear the twin rails and could probably be done by heating and stretching if you had a clean tank. The tank's slightly different to the fxr quickbob... I'll try and find a pic on ebay.

As regards the risers... they are 6 inch dogbone from the states....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Custom-C ... ccessories

hope that link works... I replaced the chrome tube that came with them with a bar of solid alloy, as I hate cleaning rust off chrome.

Sam

 

Sam, a few underside pics of the rear end/frame and suspension would be helpful.
I would like to collect a few frames, bob one, and wishfully- build a trike.
Very nice job.

Considering what some people build,

This would give some people a permanent frown

 

As regards the tank, the nearest I can find is shown in the attached pics... Mine came of ebay and didn't have the central instrument mount and was smooth on top with a single right hand filler. Whether mine is a custom version for the 2006 FLHX I'm not sure.

The tank had to be relieved slightly at the point arrowed.

I'll try and get some shots of the rear end of the trike tomorrow

And as regards the wooden bike... it takes real guts, or really stupidity to ride something like that!

Sam