82 xj550 maxim TRIKE

I recently traded for a 82 xj550 maxim n pretty good original shape and good miles. I've had it about a year now and I,m ready to chop it up..hehehe..I was thinking cafe or Bobber and thought the Bobber suits my riding style and personality better. Then someone suggested to me I make her into a Bobber trike. I think that will be pretty cool but I need some help on the rear end .So what I want is a Solid Straight Axle off some sort of ATV . I,m hoping to find something that isn't too wide or heavy, I don't want a housing or differential , just a axle , sprocket, bearing housing,rotor and caliper, hubs, (hoping for automobile style hubs with a bolt pattern that will give me a lot of choices, but I will resign myself to motorcycle wheels 7/8th, or 1" axle if I have to. I'm a new member and I appreciate all info I could get on this matter. Thanks In Advance Eric,

 

Most states require a differential in "On road vehicles" . The bigest reason is it will be very hard to turn with a straight axle. If you have ridden a old 3 wheel ATV on the street you will see what I mean.

 

mlew`s right some people use old hd servicar rear ends and theres companies that make chain drive rear ends with diffs. both of these rear ends used will cost more than your bike may have cost. but if you wanna cheaply cheat the system and go withan atv rear end.. dont use a yamaha rear end as yamaha has their own atv bolt pattern but everyone elses will swap with eachother, therefore having the best chances or someone to make auto type tires for it. some states may be different as some states now allow atvs to use on roads just like a motorcycle... so maybe you could title your bike as an atv to avoid the differential rule... shaft drive if a benefit when building a trike. and i do love the style of trikes youre thinking of with the narrow axle with either racing slicks or tall semi type tires on it... anyways good luck

 

You can't use a live axle for something like that it will just break.

Y'know, there's a reason you don't see many trikes that aren't built on big bike platforms; what you're proposing to do with a 550 is probably NOT going to work, sorry.

 

look here for inspiration...he is using an XS400J motor, twin version of the XJ series
http://www.thechopperunderground.com/fo ... opic=51744

 

Wish I hadn't seen that, got me thinking I've got an xj650 frame and motor and an old junk 3 wheeler out on the farm. Me thinks me smell me next project.

 

There was a guy on here a while back in the UK that made a trike out of an XJ using a Reliant Robin rear end. I know the Robin isnt available stateside, but some smaller car rear should be comparable like a fiesta or Yugo or Chevette or something. Just a guess though.

 

Yep, that was me...

pic attached

 

Thats SICK I like it.

 

Damn! How easy/difficult was that? I'd love to build the wife one!

 

Not that difficult really... the axle is held in place by a very wide swingarm made from 2" scaffolding tube. There are blocks at the end that clamp to the axles and straps welded on to stop rotation... a hoop of 1.5 inch tube links the two sides of the swingarm together... this stiffens the fram, gives mounting points for the bottom of the shocks and some protection from the drive shaft. The shaft is yamaha at one end and shortened reliant at the other. Brakes at the back have been converted from drum to disc.
Biggest problem is finding an axle that is compact and preferably keeps the diff as close to inline with the left hand drive as possible whilst still keeping the correct rotation.... for the reliant axle, this means turning it upside down. I have heard of several builders who have finished ther trikes, fired them up, dropped them into gear and let go the clutch only to smash through the back of there workshops travelling very quickly in reverse!

 

does anyone know if there is a way to convert a XS400J from chain drive to shaft to use with a trike rear end?

 

Don't know how well this idea will work. Get a rear wheel shaft and pumpkin assembly(from a 650), turn the pumpkin around with the shaft facing the rear and attach the pumpkin to the back side of the sprocket(sans the rear wheel), then run the shaft rearward to a differential. Just make sure that the shaft will turn the differential in the right direction.

 

Two MAJOR flaws to that O-n-B.
1. The changing around of the drive assembly will place all the stress on the weak side of the ring, and pinion gear. Shearing the gears the first time any serious power was applied.
2. The housing would also be turned from top to bottom creating an instant flood of gear lube as the vent would now be place on the bottom.

Ghost

 

You stand a better chance of find a decent chain drive trike axle.

Ghost

 

I was talking about turning the pumpkin 180 degrees, pointing toward the rear and not upside down. Your probably right about the strain on the gears though which is why I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not.
Definitely better off with the chain drive differential.

 

damn, thats sick, got a build log?